Agitated snake please help!

I've had my ball python about 5 years and over the last month he's become agitated.

Last week he bit me when I went to take him out of his aquarium for feeding (and I waited for him to release my hand). Today (with gloves) I had a hard time getting him out and when I put him in the feeder tank he struck in my direction when I was about 2 feet away trying to pick up a mouse. Now I'm afraid of him.

I've never handled him much because he didn't seem to care for it and I respect that. He's never been hard to pick up for feeding, and he's never bitten me until now. I have noticed over the past month (with no habitat changes) that he's gotten antsy. I initially thought it was because he was hungry, but that does not seem to be the case. He's being fed well.

What do I do?

Thanks.

Can you go over your husbandry, temps, humidity, enclosure setup...etc

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Don't move him to feed. Just offer him food in his enclosure.

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I read initially that you shouldn't feed in the enclosure because they might ingest their substrate.

There is no need at all to make the snake to another enclosure to feed it. My snakes get fed in their enclosures because if I even tried to move them on feeding day I would be bitten. Feeding in the snake's home enslosure will not cause him to become aggressive. My snakes are normally big babies when it is not feeding day.

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Originally Posted by twogurusindrag

I read initially that you shouldn't feed in the enclosure because they might ingest their substrate.

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A little bit of ingested substrate will not hurt the snake at all. What type of substrate are you using?

Sounds like the reason most of us DON'T move our snakes to another enclosure. You've conditioned him that a move means food, and he is getting into feeding mode.

If you feed in the enclosure, and go in daily for other things, he won't condition to assuming food comes in his enclosure every day, and will be less likely to bite.

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3 foot tank. 4 foot python.

I clean the enclosure without chemicals often enough that there's never been the slightest odor, but I'm not obsessive about it. When I clean, I water scrub the rock and bowl, sweep the tank and scrape it with a razor, then put in new substrate.

The battery in my thermometer has died so I can't post temp. I have a blue 40W and a red 40W on constantly. He spends most of his time under his rock. The temp in the room is between 65-70 plus the lights. I have foil over the back half of the tank top to retain heat. No heating pad. I've never monitored humidity. I didn't read anything about that before I got him.

I use Repti-Bark as substrate, Poland Spring water or gallon jugs from the grocer, and I feed him 4-6 small to medium live mice about every two weeks (I have been able to tell when he's hungry by his activity level).

He's not by any loud music or television and there are usually no other animals in the room. Feeder mice are kept downstairs.

I do smoke cigarettes in the room, but I also open the windows to cycle the air regularly. I have not changed anything about my hygiene in over a year, so there's no new scents when I reach in.

As I said, nothing has been changed (except for number of mice increases) in 5 years (I did move to a new house a year ago- no issues with the move.)

Here's a picture of my setup. The dirt in the bowl is from the last hour and I just found the shed. He's not neglected.

http://i721.photobucket.com/albums/w...sian/snake.jpg

I don't know what could have changed with him but there is a couple of things I would change.

I would get him on some type of light cycle. Get a UTH so you don't have to have the lights on 24 hours a day. Make sure his temps and humidity are correct. I think he would be happier with a hide on each end of the tank so he can have a choice.

Also I see smoking around an animal as abuse. He doesn't have a choice and can't escape that. Opening a window might help clear the smoke but it's also changing the temps and humidity in the room.

Based on your enclosure picture, I have a couple of pieces of advice:

1. With a heat lamp of the same wattage on both sides of the tank, there is no thermal gradient. He needs to have a "hot side" and a "cold side". One lamp should be sufficient enough. If you want to leave it on all night, I would use the red bulb.

2. Your ball python needs 2 hides (preferably identical) on each side of the tank. That way, if he wants to be on the hot side, he'll have a hide there. If he wants to be on the cold side, he'll have one there.

3. Your tank looks a little small. Either the tank is too small to fit two hides and a water bowl or the hide is too big. You want the hides to be snug around the snake. So if the hide is snug, I would suggest getting a larger tank. If the hide is very roomy, try to get a smaller hide and then get a second one to put on the cool side.

I bet his problem is husbandry related. Once you correct the above issues, then he should go back to being his regular self. Also, you can feed in the enclosure, there's no harm in it. In fact, it's probably better and you won't get bit as often.

Hello and welcome!
Not to be mean but I have for you a "laundry list" of what you should do IMO.

1.Hot side: 86-90F (depends on your snake but 88 is a happy medium)
2.Cold side: 78-80F
3. 2 Hides, one on the cold side and one on the hot side
4. You must measure your temperature and humidity. A popular and affordable thermometer used by many people is the Accurite from Walmart.http://www.amazon.com/Chaney-Instrum...accurite+probe
That's an amazon link but they have a similar one in Walmart. This one is really nice because it measures the humidity and it's pretty affordable. As a broke college student, I can afford this.
5. Humidity should be at 65%. Ball pythons live in burrows and termite mounds in subtropical savannas. Humidity is pretty high underground.
6. Do not smoke in the same room as the snake. I'm not saying don't smoke at all, it's your lifestyle. But snakes only have one lung and it's a pretty crappy lung. Their lung isn't that efficient compared to a mammal's so it might make breathing difficult. Also other animals (especially small animals) tend to be much more sensitive to smoke than us!
7. I wouldn't worry about sounds too much since they do not have an external ear. They can't hear.
8. I would not move him to a different enclosure for feeding unless you do that to clean his cage or something. Snakes do not have a large frontal lobe and they do not think cognitively like we do. If they smell a food source, anything warm (90-110 F) will be considered "prey". So your hand would fall into that category.
9. The hide is awfully large. Like stated before they live in rodent burrows and like a snug fit. These are the hides I use and so do many other snake keepers. http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes

Toodles!

Just curious but, so ok the setup isnt ideal and yes there are things to address but........logically....its been 5 years with the same setup, but shes been acting up for a month.....i would say look at what has changed in the last month. i am no expert. but if its been ok all along just look into whats different.

Snake's personalities can change like a light switch. Husbandry being the #1 cause of said changes. And the temperatures may have changed recently, due to wear on the bulbs, but you couldn't tell because of the dead thermometer batteries.

I try to handle my girl almost every day(except for the day after feeding), even if its just for a few minutes. The only time shes ever struck has been when her eyecaps were on and she was shedding, and even then shes never struck AT me (yet).

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Originally Posted by barbie.dragon

9. The hide is awfully large. Like stated before they live in rodent burrows and like a snug fit. These are the hides I use and so do many other snake keepers. http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes

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Are these hides heavy enough for him to get under it without carrying it like a shell? The hide I have now gives him a pretty snug fit I think, but I obviously need to add a second.

I read initially that the water bowl should be large enough for him to submerge in it. I've never seen him do this, even when shedding, so I could reduce the size to make room for a second hide. I've been searching for a longer tank, but have not been able to locate one I can afford.

I have made it a point to put my hands near the glass or the top of the tank several times a day and he has not struck. I have also fed him in the cage. I need to do a cleaning this week, so I'll see what happens when I put my hand inside (gloved).

I appreciate any and all advice from persons more knowledgeable than myself. I read a couple of books before I bought him and apparently there were some errors or misunderstandings.Thank you all.

could always go to a 41qt tub. cheap and almost exactly what a BP likes. short and tight space. just another option.