Ball Python Strength

One of the biggest mistakes any ball python owner can make is underestimating the strength of their snake. People forget that the minute they hatch, they have the strength required to strangle and kill their own prey. When I first got my little baby ball python, she wrapped around my hand and got scared. Trying to loosen her grip was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. Snakes are literally just one long strip of straight muscle. What experiences have you guys had where a ball python has shown immense strength and power?

Usually when they want to go somewhere you don't want them to go , or when you try to unwrap them from something they don't want to let go off..

If you "need" to remove them from a situation, gentle and Patience is the key. If they are wrapped, start by unwrapping from the tail up.

If you want to feel some serious "snake power", try to handle a upset and un-cooperative adult Blood Python ! Whew.. LOL

I once saw my biggest one do a pushup lol. They are strong though. I won't let them get a full wrap around my neck. Even if they don't mean to, they can end up squeezing the bejesus out of your neck and make it hard to breathe. The other day, big guy went from the coffee table to the couch, only a little over a foot gap, I thought there was no way his back end wouldn't fall but sure enough he made the transition without falling.

Also, when I got bit for the first time, he had started to wrap but quickly let go. For a ball python, that was some serious strength lol

i put Yellow around my neck and i can really feel his strength. he's well over 700g and he has a weird love/hate relationship with my long hair: he likes going through it but acts scared of it, so he tightens around my neck pretty good when he's "exploring." it's very sobering and makes me realize just how awesome these animals are.

also i never do this when i'm alone in the house. 😉

My smallest girl can lift over half her body length to periscope from my arm while I hold her. My biggest girl once got caught in my steering wheel while I was holding her and driving (never doing that again) and I had to pull over and wait for over 10 minutes for her to decide to come out, because I couldn't get her to let go. Emrys is a good boy though, he doesn't get into trouble like the girls.

There was one time I was trying to put my boy back in his container and he kinda just cemented himself to the edge of the open door. I had no way to remove him and he was getting more and more tense the more I tried to move him. I knew that I couldn't tug him because he was stuck so firmly that I was really afraid of hurting him. His skin feels so delicate but then when he flexes, that boy has some strength O_O I just waited around for him to calm down and slither up my arm, and then very carefully put him back.

Also today, he was slithering up my arm pretty much fully stretched out and parts of his body were basically upside-down, clinging to me with flexing abs of steel. He's just a lil' baby! Pretty proud of my tiny Hulk.

EDIT: Also I noticed someone else mention the periscope half-body thing... yeah he does that also O_O and it looks so weird. Like perfectly straight up in the air with his head parallel to the ground, or out sideways. Dude is a tank.

What does it mean when my BP wraps around me and squeezes in a wave motion? It's not very hard, but she just recently started doing it.

I thought my ball pythons were strong... and then I got some BCI. Holy hell those snakes are strong.

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Originally Posted by Kobra Kommander

What does it mean when my BP wraps around me and squeezes in a wave motion? It's not very hard, but she just recently started doing it.

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That's called sublimation. Boas do it more so than BPs. I've never read about the reason why. My guess is that they are trying to stay in check with an anchor point, especially if it is moving. Kind of like how we airplane wing our arms trying to keep balance on a beam.

Mine doesn't seem to show off his strength. I can unwrap him easily. And he usually is pretty lazy and laid back.


Herp Derp

I did boas for years, before becoming ball python exclusive, lol. Yeah these little guys (I have all males) are nothing. I had an argentine boa that pulled my knee to my arm once a little more then I cared for, now that was strength and a rush. Lol, But joking a side They seem pretty strong for their size. I won't use heavy hides. I have a spider who likes to push his hides to the top of the tank when he knows it's feeding day. And I use large zoo med corner dishes, and they push those around like no problem. My Enchi pin lost/damaged a couple head scales once lifting his bowl, thankfully he healed fine.

I think they have a pretty tight grip but nothing compared to a boa or any of the larger constrictors. Even taking the size into consideration I don't think they compare. Boas seem to be in a constant state of "flex". All muscle. My two ball pythons are so different from each other other. The male is constantly stiff and never seems to relax. The female is like a limp noodle. She doesn't ever seem to be nervous or tense and pretty much lets you do anything to her. Having said all that, they do get the job done. I have no doubt they could dispatch anything relative to their size. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of a hungry constrictor that wanted to eat me. It would be bad...

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Originally Posted by Reinz

That's called sublimation. Boas do it more so than BPs. I've never read about the reason why. My guess is that they are trying to stay in check with an anchor point, especially if it is moving. Kind of like how we airplane wing our arms trying to keep balance on a beam.

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My Kingsnake does this a whole lot more than my BP. I enjoy it, feels like a little massage, especially when he's around my neck! :gj:

I try my best not to make them feel the need to grip so tightly. Usually when they do, it's because they feel unbalanced and like they're going to fall off my hand/arm. so I just direct their head back toward a hide or somewhere they would want to go, and they'll move off. I don't forcefully pull their bodies off, because that usually just makes them grip tighter.

My dumeril's even naturally has more muscle than my ball pythons though. Ball pythons often feel soft and wimpy when they're relaxed (lol), but my dum feels "harder" even when relaxed. (lol again) When a friend came over and my dum was just chilling on our laps, she commented that she likes my dum the best, because she can feel the muscle. :P

I agree with others about their grip being NOTHING compared to a boa.

I have vivid memories of trying to peel a BCI from a metal shelf.... oh god.. it took so long.

I went to a show yesterday and was able to handle a Retic. He was about 7 feet or so. Those guys define the word "muscular". lol He was pretty docile but it was clear that he could do what he wanted. lol It's official. I want an SD Retic.

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Originally Posted by cletus

I went to a show yesterday and was able to handle a Retic. He was about 7 feet or so. Those guys define the word "muscular". lol He was pretty docile but it was clear that he could do what he wanted. lol It's official. I want an SD Retic.

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I have to agree , I have a male Snow Boa approaching 7' and whilst he's so calm and gentle he's just soooo STRONG !!!

Oddly enough, I seem to recall being surprised by the sheer strength of my adult BRB few years back ...

I have a one that consistently does the ripple thing. I will take him out sometimes after I get back from Kendo to give me a good neck massage. He earns his keep.

My girl is loves to wrap my neck and just sit there. If you get out your phone she will pose for pictures then hide her head under my hair. But if anyone but me touches her she tightens up, but if I lightly stroke her she loosens up. I have full trust I her fully wrapped around neck. She never fully tightens thee. But she will wrap around my arm and over my shoulder and will full out constrict. Thank fully she loosens if I stroke her.