Shy BP

I feel bad every time I walk in my room and Amber is out or peeking out of a hide. The moment she sees movement, she gets startled very easily. She's has a Jan '04 birthday, and I know that older BPs aren't as twitchy. Anyone else notice any similar behavior?

Yup! for sure. Icculus is almost a year old now (this is month 11 of life for him) and he'll start to poke his head out and if I catch him getting ready to cruise he's back in his hide like a flash. I suspect that he will get more confident with age and girth because I'm sure juvies need to be paranoid in order to survive early life in the wild. Once he gets big enough I suspect he will just ignore me more. If anyone knows better please let me know! :)

Yes mine does the same also.
If he is out he will dash back in most times

mine does it too

yup bolth mine do it thats wy i always creep into my room i hate when i smack into there feed box or something laying around my dirty room.

Yep, my big girl will hang her head a foot out of her hide and not flinch if a kid collapses in a pile of giggles on the floor next to her, but let me walk too quickly past Sir Not and he zips out of sight!

My new BP Norbert doesn't seem to mind me at all. Sometimes if I come in the room and he notices me (like if I turn the light on) he'll actually come out of his hide. I think he wants out. Bad. Either that or he's hungry. But he doesn't seem to be afraid of me unless I make a real sudden move, which I try not to do.

and yes, mine too

Do they get less fearful as they get older? (is that what you were saying Marla?)

Plissken flips me the spur whenever I walk in. :?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by beaglegod

Plissken flips me the spur whenever I walk in. :?

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LOL!!!

Jonah, I think that's going to depend on the individual snake and how well it adapts to its surroundings, but generally yes, they'll calm down a bit with age.

Wow i just checked this and looks like its pretty normal behavior. Has anyone ever considered using one of those jungle print liners on 3 sides of the cage to give some privacy?

First off thank you all for this site ...majorly informative.. ive not as yet looked to see the founder of BP.net but .. wow nice work

My family is now the proud owner of a beautiful BP... Its been quite some years since my last herp.. my ex asked me to be rid of it when we hooked up.. broke me heart .. looking back on it ..i gave up the wrong love.. anyway

After laughing at all the missinformation i recived from the pet store operator i returned home with a beautiful new friend .. but i have concerns although it apears to be of exceptional health it is "overly tame and extremly calm. " could it be that domesticated as not to show its natural instincts.. dont get me wrong its reacting to sudden movement and noise .. but seams unconcered ... i find this strange ... could this be a illness?? i realy expected to see some adjustment time ..


and after reading this thread i realy would like to know if there is some others behaveing like this... not shy ....btw its still a babe only bout 13 inches

thanks agin for a wonderful site our new friends life will benifit from all your information

Bob is kinda shy very inquisitive and friendly though he loves to ride around on my shoulder tounge a flipping almost like a dog with his head out the window of a moving car.

lol that's awesome!

Barl, I don't think there is anything wrong with your snake. I know how you feel. Mine is also very calm, and does not seem to be shy or afraid of me, and I just got him a couple of weeks ago. He always explores his tank even when I'm around. While I think it's great, (I love watching him and can't wait to handle him) there is also a feeling in the back of my mind, like hey this isn't normal! You're supposed to be scared of me and ball up and hide all the time! Mine is also pretty young (6 months). I don't know, is that normal for babies and do they calm down when they get older? Anyhow, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think every BP is different, some are more shy than othersl.

BTW, welcome to the site! You've come to the right place!

Barl, welcome to the site and congrats on your new ball python! This is definitely the best online herp community. It's definitely unusual for your bp not to be headshy, and placidity like that can often be the first sign of illness or dehydration. I'd make sure he has a water dish big enough to soak in, bump up his humidity for a few days, and keep an eye on him. If you need a vet and don't have one yet, check www.arav.org for one in your area.

there it is! thanks for that link Marla - you the Wo-Man! :)

Yeah, I can use that link too, thanks! Oh, and while I don't consider my bp to be very shy so far, he is a little head shy and does use his hides during the day. So I'm not too worried about it. :) Anyway, I want to take Norbert to the vet soon to have him checked out, but I'm going to try to time it so that he poops around that time so that I can take a sample. What are the chances? :roll:

Jonah, I saw your request for the link right after I posted that. :) Gen, good luck on the timing! Might be easier just to take him in for a checkup and bring the fecal sample back when it's provided. It sounds like Norbert is probably fine, and we all know you got him from a very good source. :)

Hi Barl! Welcome to the forums! Feel free to start new threads too...that way your questions don't get lost in the crowd. :)

Your bp sounds like a laid back, easy going kind of snake...which is not at all uncommon for the species. The true test of how well it is settling in will be whether or not it eats. How long have you had it? Have you tried feeding it yet? What is most often recommended is to leave the snake completely alone for one to two weeks after you've brought it home, except for offering fresh water as needed...and then try to feed an appropriately sized prey item...preferably pre-killed or frozen/thawed. Don't start handling the snake on a regular basis until it has proven to be a good eater. Even if they don't appear to be acting defensive or afraid...there's really no way for us to know how stressed out it is feeling except by the way it feeds.

Sounds like a cute little booger! Hope to hear more from you and see pics of your new friend sometime! Again...welcome! :D