Aggressive Ball Python - HELP!!

I recently purchased my first snake. And the first day I took her home she started striking at me even tho she was in her cage and i was sitting on my couch. I let her get used to her home for about a week before i decided to handle her. She was very startled and nervous. The second time i handled her she got very pissed off when i moved her back on my lap after she tried going into the couch. Her neck went in a very tight S and she elevated her neck and stared at me for about 30 mins before i decided i need to get her back in the cage safely. She striked at me about 4 times while i attempted to move her back in the cage. She is eating and the proper cage environments are met (29 Gallon Tank, 2 hides, large bowl of water, 85-92 high temp, 78-82 low temp). She also doesn't ball up at all. She just goes into an attack stance.

Can anyone tell me what I can do to tame my snake or are some ball pythons just hopeless. My fiance is now scared off by snakes and is very close to getting rid of it since it tries striking at her when she walks by the cage.

What is the size of the snake? Have you been feeding the snake yet? If so what (size prey) and how often? Have you been handling it?

Is she in a high traffic area in the house? Are 3 sides of the tank covered up?

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Originally Posted by Deborah

What is the size of the snake? Have you been feeding the snake yet? If so what (size prey) and how often? Have you been handling it?

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my questions exact. babies tend to strike a ton.

how old/big is the ball and feeding? same as above.

Some baby ball pythons can be very nippy, but they usually mellow out with age. I say usually because there are exceptions, no matter how rare.

How are you handling her? Moving slowly but purposefully and not backing off just because she strikes is important. If you're afraid of being bit, gloves are in order. They really don't like things going near their heads or approaching directly from the front. Even with my kids, I always pick them up and handle them from around the middle/back.

Assuming its a baby Ball it could be just shocked at the new surrounding, yet I have never heard of such a aggressive ball python before. I have had several and they are always timid rather than aggressive.

If the husbandry is what it needs to be im wondering if it is healthy. Maybe there is something causing pain to make her/him feel uncomfortable? If your comfortable you can check in their mouth for discoloration oe anything that looks odd.

Lets say it is healthy, just keep handling them and handle them in short periods of time every day or every other day and then just hold them for longer and longer.

Some people may say its excessive but I hold mine every day for quite amount of time and the are tame, feed well and are healthy and in no way stressed. They like to chill on my neck or roam around the living room (SUPERVISED! dont want a runaway snake haha). Its all about getting the snake to learn you are NOT a threat and can be trusted.

hoped this helped in any way!

in addition to the questions asked above, do you have any large mammal pets like cats or dogs?

I'm not sure the exact age but it is a new snake. It is eating pinky mice atm. I have looked her over and she looks healthy. A real nice size. She is in a relatively quite area. She does have 3 sides covering her. She loves to climb and appears active for a ball python. I havent handled her in the last couple of days and am feeding about every 5 days (her second feeding) I havent had her long enough to see a shed yet. I am extremely slow when i handle her. I usually only move my arm when she is going places she shouldnt be going.
We have 1 old cat in the house. The cat hasn't even noticed the snake.

Pinky mice are too small for any ball python. Your baby is hungry!

maybe a picture with someone in the pic for size like a can or something. Unless you could weigh her in grams. ??

I think she is probably hungry. Even new hatchlings typically take hoppers. Feed her something that is the size of the widest part of her body. Feed her one....and offer another to see if she wants it. If she is little try feeding her on a 5 day schedule.

What size should they start out at

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Originally Posted by Remi

What size should they start out at

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I start hatchlings off on hopper mice (eyes and ears just opened) and by their third meal, they're up to at least small adult mice or rat pups. I also feed them every 5 days. Mice pinkies are barely an appetizer for her.

I agree, she's probably hungry, and she's scared right now, because her enclosure is more appropriately sized for an adult.

Climbing all the time can also be an indicator of stress. If she's stressed, then she's not settling down and into her hides.

First of all, more husbandry details please.

She sounds stressed and in a high traffic environment. Move her somewhere quiet where no one really walks past the cage.
I recommend moving her to a 10 or 15 gallon cage instead of a 29, which is a bit large for a baby ball python.

What are you using to heat the cage with? What's the exact humidity and temperatures on the glass?
Humidity should be 60-70% and you should not be using any heat lamps (they suck humidity) but only controlled under tank heat mats that are hooked up to a thermostat or rheostat.

What kinds of hides are you using? If they are log hides, get rid of them. Something like this is good:
http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes/

Tight, small, and secure are all good things for a young ball python.

Pinky mice are 5x too small! You need to be feeding that snake rat pups at LEAST. Perhaps even young adult mice. Feed a prey item that is about the same thickness as the thickest point on the snakes body, and feed that once a week.

Today was her feeding day, im unable to get any new mice so i gave her 2 pinkies.. It took her a while to eat both of them as she seemed more interested on striking at the tongs. Her next meal will be of a hopper.. How long should I wait before I handle her after she eats?

Wait at least 48 hours to handle her. I agree with others, a combination of extreme hunger and stress is what is causing the problems.

Ball pythons are very shy and secretive animals, they need small enclosures and tight fitting hides. If she is just a baby, being in a large enclosure like that makes her feel open to attack and makes her nervous and crabby. And being hungry all the time won't help anything either.

If you can't switch to a smaller tank, you need to crowd the one she has with hides, fake plants, etc. And make sure she has small, tight hides where she can get inside and you can't see her. I use dark blue dollar store plastic cereal bowls turned upside down with a small door cut in, just big enough for her to squeeze inside.

If you can, cover the back and sides on her tank with dark paper or towels to help her feel more secure. As long as her temps are regulated, this will go a long way towards helping her calm down.

Since she just ate, wait about 4 days, then offer her a bigger size of mouse. Start off slowly, maybe with a couple of hoppers. If she does okay with them, you can bump her up to a weaned mouse 5 days later. Once she can handle two weaned mice, probably within a few weeks, move her up to either an adult mouse or a rat pup. If you decide to go the rat path, once she's gotten three or four rat pups down, she'll be able to handle weaned rats. If you choose to stay with mice, she'll need at least two adult mice a week for the next say month afterwards, then she'll need to be bumped up to three or four a week at least.

Once she calms down and gets a full belly, I think you'll be amazed at how sweet she becomes. You just need to let your wife know the steps you need to take, and that it will take a little time for her to relax.

I wish you all the best with her,

Gale

atm im using an UTH under 1/3 of the cage. Im forced to use heat lamps during the winter because i live in canada. The humidity is using around 40 to 50 percent due to the heat lamps. im having to mist water in her cage. For the last week she was moved to a blocked off corner that has no activity. She has been in her hides a bit more but still loves to bask ontop of her hides. Ill post some pics once she leaves her hide.

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Originally Posted by Remi

Today was her feeding day, im unable to get any new mice so i gave her 2 pinkies.. It took her a while to eat both of them as she seemed more interested on striking at the tongs. Her next meal will be of a hopper.. How long should I wait before I handle her after she eats?

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Right now I would hold off on handling, your BP is stressed right now and I would avoid adding to the stress by handling.

I would first address then enclosure size a smaller enclosure will reduce the stress, than I would let your BP catch-up with a few more appropriate size meals (slightly smaller to equal it's girth size.)

Proper feeding and adequate housing will do the trick.

This is a good place to start

http://ball-pythons.net/modules/Sect...warticle&id=59

Take the good advice here and don't give up just yet. Keep at it and you will be happy you did. BP's are great pets and you'll miss out on the enjoyment in caring for one (or more).

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Originally Posted by angllady2

If she does okay with them, you can bump her up to a weaned mouse 5 days later. Once she can handle two weaned mice, probably within a few weeks, move her up to either an adult mouse or a rat pup. If you decide to go the rat path, once she's gotten three or four rat pups down, she'll be able to handle weaned rats. If you choose to stay with mice, she'll need at least two adult mice a week for the next say month afterwards, then she'll need to be bumped up to three or four a week at least.

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That's ramping up kind of fast? My 800g python takes anywhere from 1 adult mouse to 2 adults to 1 small rat. My 200g python is currently taking 1 adult mouse. I'm feeding every 5 to 7 days.

To the OP: weigh your snake and the prey and feed her at least 10% of her body weight, even if that's in pinks if pinks are all you have.

Roughly 10%-15% would be a good size for her...

I guess it depends on the snake and the actual size of the feeders.

My 500 gram females take one adult mouse and one weaned rat every week, which with my feeders is about 15%.

The time line however, I think is about right. Start with one weaned mouse a week, then when she is big enough to take two weaned mice in 3 or 4 weeks, try an adult mouse or rat pup. Feeding one rat pup each week, in another 3 to 4 weeks, she should be big enough for a weaned rat.

All of my snakes had roughly this same feeding schedule but one problem feeder, and all grow at a consistent rate and are not fat.

Of course, if his cannot take two weaned mice in a months time, he should wait until she can take two in a feeding before moving up a prey size.

Gale