My Ball keeps striking/biting me

I've had my Ball for 5 months now, and she's always been really mellow and I've never had a problem taking her out of her cage and handling her. About a week ago I went to take her out of her cage to put her in her feeding tub, and she struck at me and bit me. At first I thought she was just eager to get her meal because I feed her on the same day every week, but ever since then she keeps going into a defensive position and has tried striking numerous times. I'm not sure how to go about handling her now? Any help would be greatly appreciated

First of all, don't bother taking her into another tub for feeding, causes more stress, and may be one of the reasons why she's striking and going wild. What're your temps, and humidity? Pictures of the enclosure?

I've always been told to feed them in a separate tank because they'll associate your hand going into the tank with feeding... Temps are normal range, I have a basking light that is 90 degrees, a warmer side of 80-85 and then the cooler side that is around 75 degrees. She has two hides, one on both sides of the tank and I keep the humidity around 40% with a misting in the morning and at night.

Ah, the myth of tank aggression, trust me it's not true, and never will be! Can I get pictures? & your humidity needs to be up between 50-60% & do you have just a light, or do you also have a UTH, if not I would be looking into one with a thermostat & ditching the light all together, the main reason your losing humidity.

I have a UTH too, and alright I'll get the humidity up. I was actually thinking about switching her over to a plastic opaque tub, to keep the humidity and temps in a regular range.

http://www.facebook.com/ajax/messagi...CI8DwRP21Vyndl

The yellow hide is on the warm side

Feed her in her enclosure :gj:

Thats pic isnt showing up. Is your uth being regulated by a thermostat?

It is. I still don't understand why she is biting, or how I go about stopping it though. She's had the same conditions since the first day I got her and she's been fine, so I'm a little confused.

Bc shes hungry and instead of feeding her in her home where shes comfortable youre pulling her out and putting her in an open space to eat where she gets stressed. Is my guess

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Bc shes hungry and instead of feeding her in her home where shes comfortable youre pulling her out and putting her in an open space to eat where she gets stressed. Is my guess

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X2
Feed in her enclosure.
Also bump up your temps a lil.
Cool side 80_82 hot side 88-90.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Bc shes hungry and instead of feeding her in her home where shes comfortable youre pulling her out and putting her in an open space to eat where she gets stressed. Is my guess

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x3

A BP isn't going to think that your hand is a rat... your hand doesn't look, smell or give off the same thermal signature as a rat. If you get bit it isn't because your BP thinks you are food.

Moving a snake to a feeding tub increases your chances of getting bitten vs just feeding in the snakes cage. nearly every major breeder feeds their snakes in their cages without any issues. Personally I have 7 snakes all fed in their cages and I haven't ever been bit because of it.

Does she do it all the time or just when you take her out to feed? First your temps are too cool warm side should be 90-92 and cool side should be 80-85. Also there is no need to take her out of her enclosure to feed that is a myth and does more harm then good. Ball Pythons aren't aggresive animals they don't just take an aggressive disposition for no reason. Your hand could smell like prey if your handling the food item before trying to handle the snake. Just something to think about. Raise your temps and feed in enclosure, don't handle day of or day after feeding and she should settle down.

ok so where you feed matters a bit, but keep in mind if she is doing it all the time every day all day, it is most likely not because of where you feed her.

if its been a day or two since you fed her and she is still doing it and it is consistently every time you try to pick her up,(whether food is near by or not) make sure she has hides and feels safe in the enclosure. I think overall sense of security is most likely the cause. if it is truly a defensive strike/stance.

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Originally Posted by MaxT815

Does she do it all the time or just when you take her out to feed? First your temps are too cool warm side should be 90-92 and cool side should be 80-85. Also there is no need to take her out of her enclosure to feed that is a myth and does more harm then good. Ball Pythons aren't aggresive animals they don't just take an aggressive disposition for no reason. Your hand could smell like prey if your handling the food item before trying to handle the snake. Just something to think about. Raise your temps and feed in enclosure, don't handle day of or day after feeding and she should settle down.

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ok so for the most part they are not aggressive. but i promise you this there are some out there that are. and those that are aggressive will most certainly take an aggressive defensive stance for little to no damn reason. been there done that.

No she just started striking this past week, she's never had a problem with me taking her out for feedings before. I will raise her temps and start feeding her in her cage from now on though.

It's been a week now that this has been happening

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Originally Posted by Smitha

No she just started striking this past week, she's never had a problem with me taking her out for feedings before. I will raise her temps and start feeding her in her cage from now on though.

It's been a week now that this has been happening

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how often have you tried to pick her up in the last week? was it always around a feeding time? anyway that the smell of rodent was in the air when you did it?

I left her alone for two days after I fed her, like I usually do, and then I went to go take her out for her regular handling for the day and she was in full defense mode. I did everything like I always have. And no, I had the mouse defrosting in a cup of hot water in the next room over

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Originally Posted by Smitha

I left her alone for two days after I fed her, like I usually do, and then I went to go take her out for her regular handling for the day and she was in full defense mode. I did everything like I always have. And no, I had the mouse defrosting in a cup of hot water in the next room over

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do you have hides for her?

and if you had one defrosting in the other room, did you wash your hands first? and you feed every 2 days?

Now that I think about it, I didn't use hand sanitizer before I went to go pick her up after handling the mouse. And no, I feed her every Monday.

And yes, she has two hides; One on the warm end and one on the cooler side

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Originally Posted by Smitha

Now that I think about it, I didn't use hand sanitizer before I went to go pick her up after handling the mouse. And no, I feed her every Monday.

And yes, she has two hides; One on the warm end and one on the cooler side

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so what happens when you try picking her up when it isnt a feeding day and there is no sign of food thawing or anything?

For the five months that I've had her she has always been mellow and had no problem coming out of the cage, and now she won't come out.

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Originally Posted by MaxT815

cool side should be 80-85

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Not trying to start a debate on temps but many keepers have their cool side around 75f but don't cool their animals at the start of the breeding season

In my experience, snakes can sense nervousness also. We have one male that if my wife or daughter try to get him out of the enclosure, he will hiss and puff up and start getting in a defensive posture. I can go immediately behind them and get him out and he is fine. Only difference I can see is they are a little hesitant where I am not.