Aggression?

So About 4 weeks ago I purchased 2 snakes from some one locally... A het Albino and a Pastel. I was told the Pastel is a monster eater and the Albino has been on like a month or 2 without eating... After 2 failed attempts at the albino he finally decided to eat his 3rd offering... within the last week though he has been overly aggressive. When I saw/held him the day i picked him up he was fine for the first two weeks he let me change his water no problem. week 3 he let me hold him and was fine. Just within this last week though he has been aggressive. It looks like he might be coming into shed and he may just be starving cuz he has only had 2 meals in last 2 months and half. Any suggestions/input? Just asking cuz there is poo in the tub but I can't get within 3 feet of the tub without him striking....

The aggression may be caused by shedding. When they go into the shed cycle, they cannot see well and become defensive. Can you tell if his colors have faded? A more noticible sign of shedding is his eyes will turn cloudy and will look grey or light blue.

Also, what are your temps in the enclosure?
Are you keeping the two snakes in the same enclosure?

Temps are like 80ish cool side and like 90 hot side, his colors have faded and I eyes are a little cloudy. And no it's 1 snake per tub.... I have newspaper down, 2 hides 1 water bowl 1 snake per tub

Sounds like the aggression is pertinent to the shedding then. The whole cycle, start to finish can take 7-12 days. This link will explain it. If you leave him alone for a few days to a week, he should calm down.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=57

Yeah I would just give him some alone time and be sure to feed him. Maybe he suddenly realized he was very hungry?

I did throw a rat in before i said F him so maybe he was hungry maybe it is the shedding, I have heard of a change of living causes some snakes to feed regularly when they didn't before... but I'll give him a couple days and see if he sheds some see if still aggressive and give him more time if that's the case then...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._1810502_n.jpg

Also take a look at his "neck" it looks as if his neck is broken or something... that normal?

your snake is just goin into shed most likely causing the "agression" just let em be for a lil while and he will be back to normal :)

looks healthy so Im goin to say that he is *not* underfed!

congrats on the two new pickups

You said he has a hide? Can you turn it so the hole is facing away from your hand. I do it with my cranky shedders. I just reach in and turn it so the peek hole is facing the side of the tub. Good luck!

I don't know what the neck issue is. Is it like that all the time?

does your snakes neck look like that all the time?

No the neck thing I just noticed in the picture.... it looks like after he moves and everything it straightens out but then sometimes it goes back to that.... humitiy is a solid 60-70% all the time

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Originally Posted by azmodane

No the neck thing I just noticed in the picture.... it looks like after he moves and everything it straightens out but then sometimes it goes back to that.... humitiy is a solid 60-70% all the time

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ah ok then its normal. Its just their spine scrunching up. If it was like that all the time though then that might be an issue.

ok this is the first time i am posting in here. i have been reading this site for a while and decided i should post something...so hello :) ok so i've had my ball python for a little over a year. i was told she was about a year old when i got her. i owned only one before her and gave her to someone who knew more about snakes than me because i worked and went to school and she was aggressive so i didn't really have time for her. well my new ball pandora has been the nicest snake i've ever met. she only struck at me once and that was cause i smelled like dinner so that was my fault...lately when it comes to feeding time shes been really aggressive, like to the point to where she climbs out of her feeding box before i get the mouse in and if i go to put her back in she strikes at me. she was maybe a half inch from getting me earlier today. i feed her every 7 days. i thought she may be getting aggressive because she needed 2 mice instead of 1 so i offered her another today and she wouldn't eat it, she only ate the one. shes always a good eater, i feed frozen. i just don't know why she would be acting so aggressive all of the sudden. shes not sick shes been to a vet, shes not ready to shed, the temp is fine, her tank is always clean and she always has fresh water, i handle her a lot...like i always have...so i guess i am trying to figure out what her issue is. any advice would be great. thanks :)

So you're feeding a 2 year old BP 1 adult mouse a week? If that's the case then yea he is very hungry. My 3 month old BP will devour 2 adult mice a week no problem. That would be my 2 cents

She's probably aggressive because she is hungry. I would be giving him a small rat at least. My two yr old boy could probably devour 5 adult mice. That's too expensive for me. He should be getting some yummy rats.

Welcome by-the-way! This is a big addiction. :)

i will try to feed her more this feeding. i did try to give her 2 mice last feeding, she ate one and wouldn't eat the other. so i think i will try a small rat instead. thank you very much. i will let you know how it goes. :)