Is it possible that a ball python might WANT to be held all the time??

So my fairly new (about 2-3 months) 6-7 year old ball python has a habit of being more active when I come home from work. I’ll come in, he’ll be calm, and when I walk by his tank, he starts moving all around his cage. Smelling every inch of the cover, climbing over the humidity gage, constantly following me around the room. It’s not what Iv read online about ball pythons, but it’s as if he’s telling me to hold him. When I open the cover, he sits there. Doesn’t move, doesn’t try escaping or reaching to the top... he just waits. And when I do pick him up, he curls around my arm and holds on tight (he even tightens when trying to pass him on to my fiancé who will have full support and handle of him, yet he tightens harder like he doesn’t want me to let him go.) I am, well, WAS deathly afraid of snakes until this guy came along and seems to prefer me over anyone else in the house. When I pick him up, he won’t let me go. When someone else is holding him, he bravely will try to stretch his body towards me.

anyways, since he’s still kind of new and Iv never handled, let alone owned a snake before him, I do get a bit nervous when he starts trying to travel up my arm, like towards my face. It’s 85 degrees out so I don’t wear gloves or sleeves. I know your not supposed to let a pet snake near your face or anything in front of his face but he always tries coming straight up my chest or makes his way up my arm. When we first got him, I have seen him scare himself by hitting the back of his neck on his own body and he turned and bit himself twice! Again, he seems comfortable with me enough with picking him up and holding him, but is it okay to let a semi-new snake climb towards my face? Do I move him away or just let him explore ny head/neck? I’m nervous about him scaring himself again or accidentally striking my neck.

He also does does not like when I put him back, he tries to slide out of the tank up my arm again. Is it possible he wants to explore or is there another reason he’s acting like this?

Unfortunately, there is no snake that wants to be held all the time, so I'd caution against anthropomorphizing your snake and deciding what he might want/not want according to our mammalian emotions. Overhandling or simply being outside of their enclosure for too long can cause stress and illness. This is why there are humidity and temperature requirements for their enclosures, so they don't get sick.

My active snakes become more active when I come into the room. They sense movement and mostly want food if this happens LOL.

When you put them back and they try to slither up your arm- just stick his head toward a hide entrance, and he will go in.

when you try to give them to someone else or put them down and they tighten around the wrist- it's an instinct where they're trying not to fall off what they currently have a grip on. They don't understand that you want them to move onto another object, so they just feel like they're being pried off/tipped over.

When they tighten around your wrist during handling, it's because they feel like they might fall.

It's a snake. If it was big enough it would kill and eat you. Don't personify it, don't expect it to actually be anything more than it is. Reptiles deal solely in and on the most base instincts.

They will get used to being handled, but they don't WANT to be handled.

Most snakes do not want to be put down into tanks, which is why I don't use them with my larger ones; it's a battle stuffing them in there. When they are stressed they like to go up.

With a front-opening enclosure getting them in is easy. Simply position the snake's head just underneath the opening and they are happy to climb up and in under their own power.

I tend to agree. Snakes do not "like" being handled, or really, "like" or "enjoy" anything. No frontal lobe, only a reptilian brain.

My BP and Corn Snakes do fine being handled. However, when I put them back, it's usually straight to a secure hide!

Behira, my BCI is the odd one. When I put her back, half the time she crawls back out and I have to push her back in. Often, when I close the doors (front opening) to her tank, she watches me for a while and even puts her nose up against the acrylic. It looks like she's begging to come out, but she's really not. She, out of all the snakes I have, seems to "enjoy" (using that term very loosely) being out. She appears more curious and makes no effort to run and hide when put back. However, she doesn't hide half the time anyway. She really has little to no fear. So who knows.

One theory, which I don't think has been addressed, is that if her tank/enclosure isn't set up properly - with proper temps, humidity, etc. and a warm side and cool side with identical hides (proper husbandry), she may appear active because she is uncomfortable.

I think that would have more to do with her activity level than not wanting to go back. However, we want to make sure she's comfortable and feels safe in her "home."

Do you know hot side/hot spot temps, ambient temps, and cool side temps? Are there identical hides on both sides? How big is she, what type of tank are you using, and how big is the tank (length, width, and height)? Do you know what the humidity levels are? What is she eating and how often?

If you can provide that info, that would help rule out any issues with diet, husbandry, etc.

Additionally, 90% of bites happen in the tank with generally calm/docile animals (feeding strikes or defensive strikes). If she's letting you pick her up and not moving in darty motions, you are probably fine. Another thing is a happy snake is generally not super tense and has a happy tongue. Happy tongue = slow tongue flicks that are frequent, but not fast, and the tongue goes out all the way and moves around (up, down, sideways, or even circular motions). That's a I am taking things in tongue. A short (only partially out), quick, straight in and out, tongue, can often mean either, "is that food," or, "I am scared."

Learn to read your snakes tongue and body language. A relaxed body and "Happy Tongue" is a recipe for a good handling session and nothing much to worry about. Remember, even a relaxed snake can grab you pretty well to ensure they don't fall. Don't confuse that with a totally tense body and neck of the snake.

Below is a picture of my baby scaleless sunglow motley corn (she's tiny - 9G - and only 2 months old). It looks like she has multiple tongues because I took this with an iPhone and it kept the shutter speed normal, not high. However, you can see that the tongue comes out far, and moves all around - flicking up and down and left and right. That's a happy tongue. It's the same with all snakes really. My BP, BCI, and other corn snake, show the same tongue when relaxed and exploring/taking things in.

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/oHsExjF.jpg[/IMG]

Here is Behira, my female Ghost BCI, on my arm, with a happy tongue. It's a better shot here, so you can't see all the movement, but you can see the tongue is all the way out and pointed downward in the shot. If she were hungry or defensive, the tongue would come out half as far or less and be quick and the tongue movements not far apart.

Hard to tell from the picture, but aside from holding my arm so as not to fall, she's very relaxed and although reaching, her neck and head are not tense. Tense usually means "S" position, stiff, especially head/neck area, and quick and short tongue movements. If you are not seeing that, I really wouldn't worry. You are probably much more worried about the snake then she is of you!

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/K90S02D.jpg[/IMG]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BPmom

So my fairly new (about 2-3 months) 6-7 year old ball python has a habit of being more active when I come home from work. I’ll come in, he’ll be calm, and when I walk by his tank, he starts moving all around his cage. Smelling every inch of the cover, climbing over the humidity gage, constantly following me around the room. It’s not what Iv read online about ball pythons, but it’s as if he’s telling me to hold him. When I open the cover, he sits there. Doesn’t move, doesn’t try escaping or reaching to the top... he just waits. And when I do pick him up, he curls around my arm and holds on tight (he even tightens when trying to pass him on to my fiancé who will have full support and handle of him, yet he tightens harder like he doesn’t want me to let him go.) I am, well, WAS deathly afraid of snakes until this guy came along and seems to prefer me over anyone else in the house. When I pick him up, he won’t let me go. When someone else is holding him, he bravely will try to stretch his body towards me.

anyways, since he’s still kind of new and Iv never handled, let alone owned a snake before him, I do get a bit nervous when he starts trying to travel up my arm, like towards my face. It’s 85 degrees out so I don’t wear gloves or sleeves. I know your not supposed to let a pet snake near your face or anything in front of his face but he always tries coming straight up my chest or makes his way up my arm. When we first got him, I have seen him scare himself by hitting the back of his neck on his own body and he turned and bit himself twice! Again, he seems comfortable with me enough with picking him up and holding him, but is it okay to let a semi-new snake climb towards my face? Do I move him away or just let him explore ny head/neck? I’m nervous about him scaring himself again or accidentally striking my neck.

He also does does not like when I put him back, he tries to slide out of the tank up my arm again. Is it possible he wants to explore or is there another reason he’s acting like this?

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Welcome to the forum & to keeping snakes. Snakes are different from other pets in that even if bred in captivity, they are not 'domestic' animals. It takes a while to really
interpret their actions correctly, especially since this is your first, and it's not always what it seems. They cannot directly tell us what they need, so the better we are at
figuring out what their behavior means, the better care we can give them so they stay healthy, and also, the more likely we are to enjoy them as pets.

His activity when you come home from work: many snakes are more active (hunting prey) in the evening, & it's possible that he associates your presence with feeding.
If a snake's cage is uncomfortable (too small, too warm, too cold, lacking privacy, etc) that's another reason they may want out. While it feels better to think they just
want to be with us, that's easy to assume but hard to prove. His actions, waiting when you open the cage, might mean he is used to being fed that way, and when you
instead just pick him up and he clings firmly to you, well some snakes with food on their mind will do that instinctively. (You didn't mention what & how often you are
feeding him...if it's not enough, that could explain a lot...) Of course, I'm not actually seeing his behavior either, and it's true that snakes don't like to fall & hold on to
avoid that, but I've had occasions to let others hold my snakes & some make a point of coming back to me as well...I believe they feel safer with those they "know" best,
which makes sense too. So you see, there's more than one possible interpretation...keep an open mind & watch for clues.

You should be cautious about handling a snake near your face, especially since you & your BP are still getting to know each other. Some snakes do see our face as that
of a scary predator & may panic & suddenly nip, and you do not want a face-bite. There is disagreement among us about purposely handling a snake near your face, in
part because our snakes have variable personalities just as we do. What works for some of us can be dangerous for others. I've kept many snakes for many years &
used them in programs and "meet & greets" with strangers, so honestly, I make sure mine are comfortable around my face and none of them have misbehaved with
others because of that IMO, but I also don't recommend you do that until you know your snake far longer, if ever. Many snakes will innocently climb up our arms &
shoulders & that's different: if they are relaxed & IF you can manage to stay relaxed, it's pretty safe. But that's assuming you are "reading" your snake correctly, and
you say that you are still a bit nervous, as obviously he is too. Any snake that bumps himself & turns around to bite himself twice is nervous, hungry, or both.

As far as him not wanting to be put back in his cage, that's not unusual, but again there's more than one possible answer. Hard to say without more info about his cage.
Some snakes do like handling, others would like to escape. Snakes need traction so they don't like to let go of us for the strange uncertain feeling of being plopped back
in their cage. What you're doing is obvious to you, but not to your snake.

Remember that our snakes don't use vision to recognize us...their best senses are scent & touch. (when your snake appears to chase after you thru the glass/plexi of
the cage, they mostly are chasing unknown motion that might be dinner, NOT saying to themselves "hey, there's my favorite person". It's only by touching them or
when they get our scent that they really recognize us, so remember to communicate with their senses in mind. The less we startle them, the more relaxed they become, and the fewer dumb accidental bites we get.

THanks all!

So to answer a few questions..

Feeding: He is at least 6 years old, we measured his shed about 3'9" - 3'10". Have not weighed him but here is a picture for a better idea of size. He was previously housed in a small 12"x6"x4" tub with no hide. Only big enough for the snake and a water bowl. His previous owner said he is fed 3 small mice every two weeks and has been on this scheduled since they got him. We fed him this past Thursday night. Only a day or two after eating has he previously been this active so we have not seen him this active this many days after eating. He is usually a happy humble snake who stays in his hide and casually roams the tank.

Heating: Again, from small 12"x6"x4" tub with no hide. We moved him temporarily into a 20 gal tank. Heat varies since we are, afterall, in New England. (Maine to be exact but in New England, whats the difference?) So the days get hot and cool. Ambient temp of the cage never drops below 77 but on hot days can rise up to 86-88. He has his hot hide which is heated with a UTH. That can vary again with the daily temps but ranges 89-96. (It was 88 degrees outside here and 96 under his hot hide. No AC in the room, no heat lamp. Just ambient temp plus belly heat. His water bowl is in the middle but I try to keep it more on the cool side if he doesn't move it himself. Cool side never drops below 77 but can range 77 - 82. Since its hot and humid here, not sure what to do about keeping the hot hide under 97 without taking away his belly heat. I have heard and plan on getting a thermostat/rheostat. His humidity can sometimes drop to 55 by sunrise but I will spray his cage before I leave and put a damp towel over half his cage and it will stay between 60-70.

Housing: 20 gal glass tank. Screen cover. When it gets chilly, I will use a low watt blue night lamp but outside temps + living in a big room, no AC, and on the second story = self-heated room. Hot hide is half a log. I don't think he would fit in a smaller half log so he enjoys the darkness and coolness of the Maxwell House Coffee plastic container I cut in half for him. I removed the lid so its not completely open or closed but gives him enough privacy during the day. (Im starting to think since moving him into this enclosure that he is enjoying the space and should upgrade to a bigger tank.) He seems to like to climb things like the glass walls and hides, and humidity gauge but nothing else in the tank besides some moss for moisture. I placed black Styrofoam boards on three sides of the tank for privacy/darkness and when im being active (cleaning, moving around a lot) I will cover most of the front of the tank too.

Again, I will add a picture for better sizing. I only handle him for maybe 5-10 mins max about every 4-5 days just so he knows that I am not a stranger, I am not food, I am not going to harm him.

http://s346.photobucket.com/user/aly...tml?sort=3&o=0

Also, the hides in the picture are no longer in his tank and have been upgraded. This was during his first shed, hence all the moss

UTH MUST be regulated...even if you don't have a thermostat yet, go the the hardware store ASAP & buy a lamp cord with dimmer control (aka rheostat)
installed & plug UTH into that just for now- not expensive & useful for lamps too! Otherwise you risk burns to your snake, seriously! Expensive vet care
for you, but long term pain & suffering for him if you don't, & maybe even death. Burns can also get infected...

Since he was kept in a "shoe-box" sized tub before, no wonder he wants out & about now...how freaking awful! I know, not your doing, just saying...

This just a quick response from me, heading out the door. Might add more later...please fix (control!) the UTH now.

Snake is thin. It is hungry.

He is tiny! Definitely try to get him on rats after he starts eating for you (it's best to start by feeding him what he was already having to make sure he is comfortable with his new environment).

I can tell you love him, but try to think of him a little more objectively when it comes to his habitat. Typically a BP that is out and roaming often is uncomfortable and searching for a new place to hide. They don't like to go for long walks on the beach just because. When they are travelling, it's usually in search of food, the correct temperatures, and safety.

Also, as was said before, get a thermostat ASAP as it's very easy to cause burns to your snake with an unregulated heating element.

Good luck with your new buddy! Keep us updated on how he is doing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

Snake is thin. It is hungry.

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I agree, & as I suspected from the behavior described initially. Fed "3 small mice" for a BP this size? What is meant by "3 small mice"? -hoppers? NOT enough
and wrong size food for this snake. Hungry snakes are restless...they want out, they look up hoping food is "incoming"...and if you handle them they may "hug"
you hoping to find the right scent there someplace, sooner or later...it's what they do. Time to size up his prey, & (OP) I HOPE you're feeding f/t (dead) prey???

Yes well we thought the same thing which is why we waited about a week before I couldn’t handle seeing him in it and went out and bought everything. We didn’t know we were getting him, he needed a home and we agreed and he was here within a day. They never really came back to advise/show us how we should handle and care for him so we’ve been getting everything online ever since!

I will I’ll run out and grab one now. What should it be sent to if the ambient temp is between 78-84 ?

Yes, the hoppers! They fed him 3 every two weeks. We thought he was always hungry but also though that if he was eating three small mice, it would be enough. We were told he doesn’t take well to the thawed dead rodents but they also had him in a small container and told us not to use a heat lamp in a 20 gal tank when it’s not even 70 degrees in the house. Trust me, I get nervous with the live as well but they had him for 2-3 years and they said he was doing fine on that. He ate for us no problem from the start!

He just took 3 mice on Thursday evening. Is it too soon to feed him again? And should I be getting more mice this soon or will 3 mice and a rat within 5 days be over feeding him? The last feeding before this one, it only took him 5 days to digest his meal.

You want the UTH about 90-92* max. If his hide is right over top the UTH, I'd move it over to one side, so all the heat rising from the UTH isn't just
over-heating the hide. Snakes typically choose to hide over being the right temperature, if & when they can't do both at the same time...so when the
hide is too hot, he won't realize until he is injured. You want to offer snakes at least 2 hides, one without heat and one with heat (regulated so it's not
too hot) so they can always hide at the right temperatures. It's obvious that you care about this snake & you're doing the best you can under the circum-
stances (being unprepared), so I'm glad you found your way here where we are happy to help you sort all this out.

Next feeding: you'll probably get more than one opinion about this, but if he was my snake, I'd wait a week, maybe 7-10 days, before the next meal.

At that point, I'd get ONE live fuzzy or hopper mouse and one frozen large adult mouse that you'll need to thaw completely* before you offer him the
live food...that's just an appetizer, you want him eating the right size, but that would be dangerous when live, and he is hungry enough that after he
is pumped up enough to take the one live hopper, he just may be more than willing to take the f/t one. From his behavior, I'd be surprised if he didn't
take it. Ultimately you'll want to switch him over to the appropriate-size f/t rats, but one thing at a time...don't overwhelm snakes with major changes
all at once. For now, be content to see if he'll take an adult f/t mouse, and while he might take more than one, don't go there just yet...let him adapt.

*thaw in cold water, about 30 minutes or so (until soft/squishy- yes, feel it by hand to be sure it's not still frozen). If the water is very cold during the
thaw, you can change it to speed up the process, but only when it's almost "ready" do you want to use very warm water, to bring it up to the temper-
ature that's appealing for the snake to pounce on. You can blot it dry, & many like to use a blow-dryer too -no, not for the fluff & style ;)- only to
warm it quicker. Use tongs to offer it after he gulps the fuzzy/hopper...even blunt ended kitchen tongs (or BBQ grill tongs) can be used, you don't want
your warm & wiggling hand to be mistaken for food. Hopefully, he'll grab & eat...and then we'll go from there.

FYI... heat lamp is on only to get a better view of inside the tank. This was only used when we first got him on some very chilly days***

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by BPmom

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...sjaisauet.jpeg

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Ok, BPmom, a few things.

First, I can see you want what's best for your BP, so as others have said, some things need to be addressed. I/we understand you are new to this and I'll just explain, from my point of view, what needs to be addressed, and please understand I am being matter of fact and not judgmental or snarky. Many people have been keeping reptiles for longer than you and are still learning every day.

Here is a quick list:

1. BP is thin. Get a proper weight and begin feeding according to the schedule below (my apologies if it has already been posted). Use for proper size initially and then for both size and frequency. Being thin now, I would recommend feeding every 7 days for a while and then you can got to every 10-14 as you see fit. Many people here end up offering every 10-14 days as BP's often begin refusing if healthy and happy and proper weight. My female BP eats every 14 days and rarely misses a meal except for her winter fast. When I offered weekly, she refused often.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...ding_chart.jpg

2. You need 2 appropriate sized and identical hides. If addressed, again, my apologies. However, you want a hide on the warm side and the cool side (at least) that your BP can fit snuggly into and feel safe and secure.

3. I think you mentioned you were working on it, but you absolutely, positively, need a thermostat for every heating device! Cooler temps make reptiles as risk of illness (usually over extended exposure) and can make it difficult or impossible for them to properly digest. However, too hot can cause neurological damage, burns, and death, quickly.

People often seem to think if 90F is good, 95F is better! It doesn't work like that.

Aim for a 88-90F hot spot, 82-84F ambient temps, and about 78-80F cool side. It's hard to maintain a wide range in a small, and especially glass, tank. I'll address that in a minute. Worst case, 88-90F hot spot and 78-82F cool side with some gradient in between will work for now.

We can recommend good thermostats if you are unsure what to get.

DO NOT RELY on thermostat probes or air temp thermometers for actual ground temperature. Always use a good temp gun! Calibrate that temp gun by shooting the beam at your room thermostat and adjusting accordingly. If room thermostat reads 70F and the temp gun reads 71F, subtract 1F from whatever reading you get from the temp gun. Shoot the thermostat at the same distance (as close as possible) as you shoot the ground of the enclosure. Try to keep the beam as straight as possible (up/down) and avoid long distances or angles, if possible.

Those 3 need to be addressed ASAP.

Also, you are probably going to want a larger (non-glass) enclosure soon as well. Glass tanks are difficult to maintain temps and humidity in. Not impossible, especially in summer, but come dry north east winters, not too easy.

We can all chime in on what, how much to spend, etc. later. However, I wanted to plant the seed. You will spend more time adjusting and fiddling with the small glass tank and spend more money on electricity etc. in the long run then you would need to if you get a proper enclosure.

You mentioned misting. Okay, if necessary, but not ideal. When it's 20% humidity in my house in the dead of winter, and 45-50% in my BP and BCI tanks, I will spray every 2-3 days to keep it over 55-60%. However, I have enclosed tanks (Boaphile Tanks) and it holds the humidity well once I raise it. In a glass tank, it's really a losing battle.

If you must mist, USE WARM-HOT (tap - 115-125F usually, not boiling) water. Cool water in a spray bottle gets cold when sprayed. Not good. Warm-Hot water cools down to luke warm water. You don't want to shock the tank and especially your BP by spraying in cool water. That's a recipe for your BP to get sick.

Finally, I have included below my steps for defrosting F/T prey items. Everyone seems to have their own technique, but this has worked for me for years.

STEPS FOR DEFROSTING F/T RODENTS/PREY

1. Put prey item(s) into appropriate size plastic bag (1 for each). I use Quart size ziplock bags up to a medium rat. NOTE: Bags are optional. Some people just throw the prey in the water. I like the bags, but you have to squeeze the air out of them.

2. Fill the container/storage box 3/4 of the way with room temp to slightly warm water. If you have a temp gun (which you should, so if you don't, get one), make sure the water is not hotter than 85-90F, or there about.

3. Put F/T prey item(s) in water. Cover (optional) and leave for an hour +/-.

4. After an hour, rotate/flip prey. If in plastic bags, they often will stay on whatever side you put them in on. So if mouse is on left side, turn to right side, etc.

5. Leave for another hour +/- for a TOTAL of about 2 hours (up to medium sized rat - longer if bigger prey for when ROE is bigger and eating Large rats, for example).

6. Check that prey is defrosted totally through. Squeeze at different sections of the preys body. Should be cool/room temp to touch, but be soft with no cold spots. If hard (except for bone), in abdomen, for example, or cold, put back in water until room temp and soft.

7. Take prey out of the container/storage box and put aside. THEN FOLLOW STEPS 8-11 OR STEP 12

8. Fill container with hot water from tap. If using temp gun, water temp should be 110-130F, not more.

9. Drop prey item into water for 30 seconds +/-. If multiple prey items, do one at a time. You want each item hot when you offer.

10. Remove (if hot water, with tongs).

11. Dry as best as you can, and is quickly as you can, with paper towels. I dry with paper towels while I am walking from the bathroom where I defrost to the snake tanks. I kind of wrap the prey item up in them. It's ten feet, so by the time I get to the tanks, the prey is drier, but still warm.

12. If not using hot water, use a hairdryer to heat rat so it entices snake

13. Open tank and offer ASAP.


This may sound like a lot, but do your best to absorb as much as possible, and please ask questions! We are here to help.

Good luck!

Everyone is giving you good advice, but here is what I would do different. Don't wait to feed, he is hungry and I am actually surprised he has not gone after your hand. Use this to your advantage and give him the proper sized ft rat according to the chart. If you want you can thaw a mouse in the same bag and this will pretty much ensure he will take the rat as long as it is at the right temp.

Wow, somehow I missed a lot!!

Although much has already been said, I'm going to reiterate a few things that are important.

A) ALL HEAT SOURCES SHOULD BE REGULATED BY A THERMOSTAT. Otherwise you're risking serious burns, neurological issues or death. And it can happen FAST. Snakes handle cooler temps much better than hot temps, but. T-stat will get that regulated. VERY VERY IMPORTANT

B) That's a thin, hungry snake. Poor thing has never eaten a proper meal on its life. I would feed immediately, a properly sized meal. Then feed every 7 days until the snake packs on some weight. At that point every 10-14 days.

C) I'm a New Englander as well, I'm in MA. Glass tanks can work just fine, I've been doing it for years. If you decide to stick with glass I advise wrapping it in 1/2" foam board insulation. It helps immensely with heat and humidity control.

I know it's a lot to take in, and you're doing your best to learn on the fly. So I'll just say this: choose wisely who you learn from. Always cross reference any info you receive before assuming it to be true. There is a LOT of crap on the internet, and plenty of people spewing crap in pet stores, etc...So, before putting anything onto action, consider the source, cross reference and decide what's best for you and your snake.

Good luck!!! Feel free to ask any questions you may have, we're happy to help!

BPs might get hooked on mice, so you might also want to try rubbing mouse on the rat before attempting to feed. Occasionally when my BPs went off feed I'd ask for things like gerbil droppings to motivate them to eat better. They like the scent since it's closer to the size of prey they normally eat. Since he's hooked on mice, coaxing him on rats might take a few shots.

Also BPs, tend to roam around when they have an improper enclosure/hide/new surroundings--My older girl likes to wander around the cage when I've changed the bedding--all my snakes do that. I have a policy of checking on, but not handling a snake for the first week or so, so they can get used to it.

20 gallons, BTW, is too small in the long run and the hide you have there on the warm end is insufficient in my estimation.

30 (long) for a full grown 40 for a breeder tank. It's worth the investment since Ball Pythons can live until they are 40 years old!

The hide should be closed on three sides at least and relatively tight. Snakes like small dark places, if it's light on one side, that's not going to cut it. The point isn't so you can see the snake like in a pet store, the point is so they feel secure.

For my older snakes, I got these play pens and then cut out a hole out of them. For the younger snakes I use a shin ramen bowl for 99 cents that I've washed and cut a hole out of.

https://www.amazon.com/Tot-Tutors-Pr...words=toy+bins

Granted, though, you have one, so going to a regular hardware store and getting a hardware tool bin might also work. One of my snakes (when he was alive) loved his over the play bin hide--I made him a custom one out of clay and he broke it over and over unlike the other snake I brought with him. Not sure why on that one. (Not common)

My snakes don't really care about light over the top of the cage, so yeah, Under the tank heat is the way to go with about 1 inch bedding. Aspen.

BTW, Ball Pythons do have something analogous to frontal lobes and do vary in personality. But I try to limit handling to once a week.

My older girl is the only ball python in my collection that LOVES being handled (She doesn't even go into her hides when I lower her head there... she instead tries to escape. I've tried also the hey, dark place straight ahead method and nope...). Constantly trying to escape, probably bored (some of her offspring also act like her). But she's always been that way. The rest of them don't love it, but tolerate it nicely. My cinnamon, which I didn't breed, but bought is a cloister type--rarely comes out unless it's really hot and needs to take a dip to cool off. My Pastel, which I produced is somewhere between his father and mother-- always out for food, like his mother. (as in completely out of his hide) and then back in the rest of the time like his mother.

But my ball python girl is the exception (20 years on she's like this), not the rule. Hates, being in anything other than a tank. Does not like crawling back into her hide when head is there, likes being out half the time. I accuse her early and often of being a boa. (and mind you, I owned thamnophis before her, so I thought she would be like most snakes)

Also, sometimes snakes are more active during breeding season... but in your case, you need to help him settle. I've also observed that snakes sometimes remember the habits of their old owners. One of my older ball pythons before he passed on used to "kill" the rat, leave it like it was freshly frozen and then eat it a bit later. I broke him of the habit, but his previous owner used to feed him frozen/thawed, so he'd act like it was frozen-thawed.

But yeah, as a rule, try to let him settle and get used to the scents and upgrade the hide so it's nice and dark for him on the warm end.

Thanks again! It gets tough between hot humid days and cool nights but I am going to get the thermostat today. (Rural area hardware stores don’t have any of what I need) and that’s funny your from MA. That’s where we are from too but just moved to Maine maybe 2 years ago. All advice I can get helps but glad to hear from someone who suffers the same New England weather as we do!

no no no

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Welcome to the forum & to keeping snakes. Snakes are different from other pets in that even if bred in captivity, they are not 'domestic' animals. It takes a while to really
interpret their actions correctly, especially since this is your first, and it's not always what it seems. They cannot directly tell us what they need, so the better we are at
figuring out what their behavior means, the better care we can give them so they stay healthy, and also, the more likely we are to enjoy them as pets.

His activity when you come home from work: many snakes are more active (hunting prey) in the evening, & it's possible that he associates your presence with feeding.
If a snake's cage is uncomfortable (too small, too warm, too cold, lacking privacy, etc) that's another reason they may want out. While it feels better to think they just
want to be with us, that's easy to assume but hard to prove. His actions, waiting when you open the cage, might mean he is used to being fed that way, and when you
instead just pick him up and he clings firmly to you, well some snakes with food on their mind will do that instinctively. (You didn't mention what & how often you are
feeding him...if it's not enough, that could explain a lot...) Of course, I'm not actually seeing his behavior either, and it's true that snakes don't like to fall & hold on to
avoid that, but I've had occasions to let others hold my snakes & some make a point of coming back to me as well...I believe they feel safer with those they "know" best,
which makes sense too. So you see, there's more than one possible interpretation...keep an open mind & watch for clues.

You should be cautious about handling a snake near your face, especially since you & your BP are still getting to know each other. Some snakes do see our face as that
of a scary predator & may panic & suddenly nip, and you do not want a face-bite. There is disagreement among us about purposely handling a snake near your face, in
part because our snakes have variable personalities just as we do. What works for some of us can be dangerous for others. I've kept many snakes for many years &
used them in programs and "meet & greets" with strangers, so honestly, I make sure mine are comfortable around my face and none of them have misbehaved with
others because of that IMO, but I also don't recommend you do that until you know your snake far longer, if ever. Many snakes will innocently climb up our arms &
shoulders & that's different: if they are relaxed & IF you can manage to stay relaxed, it's pretty safe. But that's assuming you are "reading" your snake correctly, and
you say that you are still a bit nervous, as obviously he is too. Any snake that bumps himself & turns around to bite himself twice is nervous, hungry, or both.

As far as him not wanting to be put back in his cage, that's not unusual, but again there's more than one possible answer. Hard to say without more info about his cage.
Some snakes do like handling, others would like to escape. Snakes need traction so they don't like to let go of us for the strange uncertain feeling of being plopped back
in their cage. What you're doing is obvious to you, but not to your snake.

Remember that our snakes don't use vision to recognize us...their best senses are scent & touch. (when your snake appears to chase after you thru the glass/plexi of
the cage, they mostly are chasing unknown motion that might be dinner, NOT saying to themselves "hey, there's my favorite person". It's only by touching them or
when they get our scent that they really recognize us, so remember to communicate with their senses in mind. The less we startle them, the more relaxed they become, and the fewer dumb accidental bites we get.

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Good point about keeping snakes away from faces . One of our members in the UK forum I frequent .... held his snake in front of his face and for so reason at all - it bit him in his eyeball !'

Excruciating pain and permanent damage to his sight .
It was quite a few years ago but the 'image' has remained with me ever since . I recall him saying that it was HIS fault and how guilty he felt ..


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Good point about keeping snakes away from faces . One of our members in the UK forum I frequent .... held his snake in front of his face and for so reason at all - it bit him in his eyeball !'

Excruciating pain and permanent damage to his sight .
It was quite a few years ago but the 'image' has remained with me ever since . I recall him saying that it was HIS fault and how guilty he felt ..


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

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That would be such a horrific injury...and one in a million, but still, you don't want to be that "one". Snakes can open their mouths so wide, it's not as if they have
to get their jaws around something to bite & cause damage. It really isn't the snake's fault either but it takes a really 'big' person to say that & blame themselves.

Long before I got into snakes, I was into riding horses, & oddly enough, the two vastly different creatures have something in common- they can spook at things and
hurt you. So years later when I held a snake that I'd had for a while & sensed that she was still uncomfortable with my "predator face", I decided that her reach &
that of other snakes could always be a potential issue when handling them. I decided to de-sensitize them (as you might a horse) with repeated & gentle exposure
using touch & then proximity so they no longer harbor any fear of faces. I'm not suggesting that everyone do this, however...we all have different personalities as
do our snakes, and we all have to accept responsibility for the risks we decide to take. I'm actually not much for taking risks at all, but I know my snakes very well.
Handling someone else's snakes though, that's NOT a chance I'd take. It's understandable that they might panic.

The safest thing would be to wear some clear safety glasses when handling snakes (if one doesn't already wear glasses). I sure wear them when I mow grass, use
my string trimmer or any other power tools.