More Aggressive Ball Python Issues - PLEASE HELP!!!

I have a 1 and a half year old ball python. I've had him for around 11 months, and he has always been extremely docile. He's very healthy and he's never had any problems shedding. However, a few weeks ago, he started acting pretty aggressive. He settled down for a week or so while he was shedding, but now he's just back to his aggressive self. It's very hard to get him out of his tub because he constantly lashes out, even if I'm wearing gloves. Granted, I don't handle him as much as I used to. (Probably around 1-2 times a week, if I can get him out) I'm not afraid of him, and I'd love to handle him more, but it's extremely frustrating and gruelling to even get him out of his cage. However, if I successfully get him out of his cage and onto the floor of the room, he immediately settles down. Not sure if that even matters or not.

I keep him in a 32 QT/30 L sterilite tub. I have two hides at each end of the tub, a water bowl in the middle, and some fake leaves. I have a ZooMed UTH on the right side of the tub which I regulate using a HydroFarm thermostat. On the left side of the tub, I have a heat lamp with a 75 watt red bulb that stays on 24/7.
The cool side of the enclosure usually stays at 78-80 degrees, and the hot side usually stays around 90 degrees. His humidity is very consistent, 60-65% normally, and 70-75% when he's going into shed.

Should I move the heat lamp over to the same side that the UTH is on? He does have areas where he can escape the heat, but he doesn't necessarily have an entire side of the enclosure free of heat. I'm just afraid that if I put the heat lamp on the same side as the UTH, it would get way too hot...
However, I've had this set-up for the whole 11 months that he's been in my care, so I'm not sure why he would just start acting aggressive now.

I feed him 2 small rats every sunday. I also feed him in a separate enclosure. The rats weigh 45-84 grams each, according to the site that I bought them from. (MiceDirect)

Sorry about all of this info being a bit scattered. Any advice would be helpful, it stresses me out so much when he acts like this, I just want my sweet ball python back.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skep

I feed him 2 small rats every sunday. I also feed him in a separate enclosure. The rats weigh 45-84 grams each, according to the site that I bought them from. (MiceDirect)

---

At first I thought you might be underfeeding, but two smalls a week should be fine unless he's huge for an 18 month old.

My guess is that by feeding outside the enclosure he's been conditioned to think that removal from the tub = feeding time, so when you pull him out he expects to get fed. This is why feeding in the enclosure is now advised, as the snakes learn that leaving the enclosure = no food. It's probably also why he's ok once you put him on the floor - it's not where he gets fed.

Try feeding in his tub from now on, and otherwise when you want to get him out, touch him lightly first with a hook as a signal that there is no food coming.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bcr229

At first I thought you might be underfeeding, but two smalls a week should be fine unless he's huge for an 18 month old.

My guess is that by feeding outside the enclosure he's been conditioned to think that removal from the tub = feeding time, so when you pull him out he expects to get fed. This is why feeding in the enclosure is now advised, as the snakes learn that leaving the enclosure = no food. It's probably also why he's ok once you put him on the floor - it's not where he gets fed.

Try feeding in his tub from now on, and otherwise when you want to get him out, touch him lightly first with a hook as a signal that there is no food coming.

---

Yeah, I'm pretty certain that I'm not over-feeding him. He doesn't seem hungry after he eats and he's growing normally.

I'm a bit iffy about feeding him in his enclosure, wouldn't he just get reconditioned into thinking that everything that comes into his enclosure is food?
What I might do is just tough it out and start getting him out of his cage a lot more frequently for handling, that way he knows that he's not always coming out of his enclosure just to eat.

Is he biting defensively or from a food response?

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk 2

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CryHavoc17

Is he biting defensively or from a food response?

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk 2

---

I'm not exactly sure, is there a surefire way to tell?

My guess is a feeding response. He doesn't hiss or show any signs of defensive behavior. He just seems to want to chase down and snap at anything that moves.

Unfortunately, some snakes are just jerks. I have one I've been working on for a couple years and I just can't shake her of her bad attitude.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skep

I'm a bit iffy about feeding him in his enclosure, wouldn't he just get reconditioned into thinking that everything that comes into his enclosure is food?

---

This is why I also advised using the hook to touch him before taking him out, so when the tub is opened one of two events happen:
- He get rubbed with a hook and then you pull out him out, spot clean, change water, handle him, etc. It's a "no food" event.
OR
- He gets fed.

If he is biting and latching on its a food response. If he just biting and retracts them it's a defensive bite.

Handling him once or twice a week is a lot so only Doing it that much wouldn't result in that behaviour. If he is lashing while in the tank then calms down once he is out (which it seems like it is from what you wrote) that is just the snake being cage defensive. It's common. Generally just pulling them out with a hook is how to avoid issues.

Don't feed out of the tank. It's accent bad advice that doesn't die out because too many newbies just hear about, and it sounds reasonable, so they do it but it is completely unnecessary and has a better chance of a snake not eating then just feeding in the tank. Talk to anyone that is more experienced with snakes and you will see the vast majority just feed in the enclosures with no issues. Feed in the tank and just use the hook technique when you wanna handle it. Generally bps are so docile you don't even need to use the hook technique when you still feed in the tank but it sounds like yours deffinatly would.

If your issue is just the snake has become cage defensive it might seem like a big thing but it really is something that is easily balanced by using a hook and then it basically isn't an issue.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skep

I'm not exactly sure, is there a surefire way to tell?

My guess is a feeding response. He doesn't hiss or show any signs of defensive behavior. He just seems to want to chase down and snap at anything that moves.

---

Sounds like a food response. Its pretty simple, just GENTLY tap him on the head with an object every time you open the tub and dont feed him. You can use a snake hook, a dowel rod, the cardboard paper towel tube, whatever. A soft touch on the head is almost always enough to get a ball out of food mode instantly.

Even better if you start feeding in the enclosure, so there is no confusion about what is about to happen when he gets picked up.

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk 2

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by vangarret2000

If he is biting and latching on its a food response. If he just biting and retracts them it's a defensive bite.

Handling him once or twice a week is a lot so only Doing it that much wouldn't result in that behaviour. If he is lashing while in the tank then calms down once he is out (which it seems like it is from what you wrote) that is just the snake being cage defensive. It's common. Generally just pulling them out with a hook is how to avoid issues.

Don't feed out of the tank. It's accent bad advice that doesn't die out because too many newbies just hear about, and it sounds reasonable, so they do it but it is completely unnecessary and has a better chance of a snake not eating then just feeding in the tank. Talk to anyone that is more experienced with snakes and you will see the vast majority just feed in the enclosures with no issues. Feed in the tank and just use the hook technique when you wanna handle it. Generally bps are so docile you don't even need to use the hook technique when you still feed in the tank but it sounds like yours deffinatly would.

If your issue is just the snake has become cage defensive it might seem like a big thing but it really is something that is easily balanced by using a hook and then it basically isn't an issue.

---

When he bites, he doesn't latch on. But it honestly doesn't seem like a defensive bite to me... He chases my hand wherever it goes, as if it were food. Is there any way to tame the cage aggression? He's never had issues like this before, he's always been super sweet and docile, so why is he acting out now?

Also, if I started feeding him in the enclosure, I'd be pretty worried about him ingesting any substrate.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skep

Also, if I started feeding him in the enclosure, I'd be pretty worried about him ingesting any substrate.

---

In the wild they're not presented with a perfectly clean feeder. A little aspen or cypress won't hurt them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bcr229

In the wild they're not presented with a perfectly clean feeder. A little aspen or cypress won't hurt them.

---

+1

A paper towel liner can be far more dangerous than any particle substrate.

I haven't Tryed the hook thing but when I got my first bp that was an angry little girl I started a routine before I picked her up. And still do it tilll this day with all my bps now. Before I open the cage door I tap on it three times then open the cage. And also tap three times on her hide before lifting it to pick her up. Bps catch on to routines if done every day without fail. And keep feeding days on strict schedule. try it if u want. It's just an option for u. It's crazy that he just started doing that out of the blue. I agree with the others on feeding him in the came cage so he doesn't assume he's getting food when u pick him up. I hope u figure out what's going on with him and find a way to get him back to normal. Keep us posted

I would keep on doing just as your doing as far as feeding and husbandry go. The hook, paper towel tube or dowel rod sound like a great idea. I had cranky snakes that need a nudge before I grab them. Once their out, they always seem to calm down. Once when I was working too much, I had a pair of dumerils get like that from lack of handling. Like wizard pointed out, some snakes are just a handful. Good luck. As far as feeding out of cage, to me that's the only way to fly. Unless you have such a large collection that it would be to time consuming. I did it with over 17 differant boas, just used three tubs. Like a snake lunch line.;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wizard

+1

A paper towel liner can be far more dangerous than any particle substrate.

---

Yeah, there was an article a while back about how a boa needed an operation to remove a paper towel it had injested.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skep

Also, if I started feeding him in the enclosure, I'd be pretty worried about him ingesting any substrate.

---

Then Use paper towel substrate but it really doesn't matter if it's just aspen or the likes.

Injesting paper towel can be a big issue but it's also not such a likely event to happen that you need to worry about it. How many people for in car accidents? You don't see the majority of the population avoiding the use of cars. It's a minimal risk so you jut take proper precautions and deal with it. Using shop towels can also be better then just basic paper towel. They are a little heavier duty and don't stick as easily as basic paper towels.

I have seen pictures of a kingsnake that ate a whole piece of blue shop towel and it just pooed it out later. Not saying you shouldn't neccisarily worry if one is injested just that if it is eaten it can still be a nonissue.

I use a mix of reptibark and cypress mulch as substrate, but it's mostly reptibark. Would it be alright if he ever happened to ingest some of that?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skep

However, if I successfully get him out of his cage and onto the floor of the room, he immediately settles down. Not sure if that even matters or not.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by vangarret2000

If he is lashing while in the tank then calms down once he is out (which it seems like it is from what you wrote) that is just the snake being cage defensive. It's common. Generally just pulling them out with a hook is how to avoid issues.

---

I have 2 out of 18 adults that are pretty cage aggressive. That's what it sounds like to me. I enter their tubs with more caution and if they are in a particularly crabby mood then I just grab a hand towel to pick them up (a tip given by a bigger breeder). Once out they're just teddy bears. I have yet to be bitten by any of my bigger snakes although I'm sure my day is coming :).