Aggressively wrapped around my hair- didn't strike. what's he doing?

My boy was climbing up my shoulder and behind my neck for the first time. My boyfriend was watching him and said when he wasn't a fan of my short little pigtails, he kept bumping into then and recoiling. Then I guess he wrapped around it really fast like he does to mice, slid off and tried it again. Afraid he might strike I moved him after that. Anyone know what he was trying to do?

No way for me to say really for sure as I wasn't there to see it and I'm still learning the body language of ball pythons a bit but I know some of mine will wrap around my hair tie while my hair is in a ponytail. They like to grip things to feel secure I've noticed. Especially with their tail. Some of mine act really uncomfortable if their tail isn't wrapped around something so I'd guess maybe that's what yours was trying to do.

It could be that you're paranoid. My snakes are really jerky when they coil up in my hair, maybe because your reaching back blindly and startle them. It depends. I think snakes really like it, it's nice and warm and usually feels good against their belly scales. :)

Just my opinion

I have the agree with the comment above me, my snake will go into/ontop of my hair and will sort of head butt me. I think they just like the feel of it as it does probably tickle them and its a nice warm place.

I would guess he was trying to get a grip so he wouldnt fall.

What doolittle said...

Agree, he was probably freaked out that he was going to fall.

All my snakes love wrapping themselves up around my head, ears and reading glasses...its kinda funny when the big girls try to perch on my glasses and everything just starts to slide and mush around on my face lol....

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Originally Posted by DooLittle

I would guess he was trying to get a grip so he wouldnt fall.

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Would also be my guess. Hair and clothing don't provide much traction for belly scutes.

I wouldn't worry much about it. BP's along with other snakes that are able to climb like to wrap around stuff, especially if they feel like it'll support their weight. Mainly it's so that they don't fall, most of my snakes that can climb will at least wrap their tail around something so they're secure. My rufous beaked snakes, even the one I had before always wrapped their tail around my base of my little finger and my Yellow Anaconda used to wrap around my wrist.

I wasn't concerned, just curious about the behavior. He's wrapped around my arms lots but it was very slow. I guess he wrapped up so fast it looked aggressive and more concerned my boyfriend than myself- he's still uneasy about him since he was a bit aggressive at first. Maybe my hair resembles a rodent lol. Once he did it a second time I just grabbed his tail off my chest and lifted him carefully. But I think everyone's right, I just have to learn his personal behavior. :rolleyes: