I know this is probably nothing....but....

OK...Im sure this is nothing but I guess I am just curious about other owners and their experiences....

After eating my little guy (3 month old 207g male pinstripe) goes from being incredibly curious and friendly to downright mean and nasty...and it lasts for 2-3 days after he feeds....I had to move the water bowl and clean it out today...so I lifted off his cooler hide to check on him and he immediately offered two very loud and pissed off sounding hissses and then proceeded to move into strike position. I very quickly decided to finish what I needed to do and put the hide and waterbowl back in.

Will the mean and nasty phase lessen with time or should I expect this for the rest of his days?

Some Hatchlings are pretty aggressive, especially after a change in environment. In the wild they need to be aggressive if they want to survive. Hissing and striking are their only tools to scare away a hungry predator if camouflage fails. Usually they will tame out as they put on size. I haven't personally met a Ball Python that has a personality like BHB's Satan (she's a burm.) She just seems mean spirited. =)

I had a female pastel that was just flat nasty. She was mean. She didn't hiss, she just bit (and this was pretty much full grown). Little guys though, need to act tough sometimes. Could just be he is having a bad day, or you startled him maybe. Also, maybe there is a shed coming. I have had some of mine be grumpy and hissy, and I didn't know why, then low and behold a few days later they are blue. Don't let the hissing scare you off though, keep handling him as usual.

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Originally Posted by DrDooLittle

I had a female pastel that was just flat nasty. She was mean. She didn't hiss, she just bit (and this was pretty much full grown). Little guys though, need to act tough sometimes. Could just be he is having a bad day, or you startled him maybe. Also, maybe there is a shed coming. I have had some of mine be grumpy and hissy, and I didn't know why, then low and behold a few days later they are blue. Don't let the hissing scare you off though, keep handling him as usual.

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K thanks for the info and advice...I figured a day or two after feeding is a good time to handle em again...last time he ate he wasnt as pissy as he has been today....by the evening 48 hrs after last time he ate he was fine being handled again.....I woke up in a bad mood today tho...so maybe he's just psychic and his mood is reflecting mine from this morning :D LOL

I usually give my ball pythons at least 2 days after a feeding before handling them. Not because of aggression, but to give them ample time to digest. Would hate to cause them to regurgitate their meal...

Yeah that makes perfect sense and so far thats what Ive been doing.....just never had him be this pissy with me before....

Some snakes are just mean I have a black pastel male that is a starlight up butthead lol I have tried everything with him but still just mean as hell I have to open his tub with my arms stretched out because his way of saying hi is coming out the tub teeth first you get used to it always makes my day interesting lol

Mynas forgot no swearing I mean butthead lol

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Originally Posted by sflanick

Some snakes are just mean I have a black pastel male that is a starlight up butthead lol I have tried everything with him but still just mean as hell I have to open his tub with my arms stretched out because his way of saying hi is coming out the tub teeth first you get used to it always makes my day interesting lol

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My little guy isnt mean at all....in fact far from it...quite friendly...except the 48 hours or so right after feeding....:/

He's a baby, handle him and he'll grow out of it. My Mojo has hissed & went to the "S" position, once! I just picked him up & stroked him until he calmed down . It's a baby thing , mostly .

My mojave girl was like this for the longest time. I'd say she stayed mean from 190-500grams. So about 5-6 months. Now she's nicer, she doesn't hiss and she doesn't get into striking position, but she still is very scared easily.