I need help handling my BP

So I got my BP almost two months ago. Out of the two I had pick of she was the only one that balled up and did not get defensive so I picked her/him. This is my first BP in a LONG time. I'm 27 now and have not owned a BP since I was like 12. She has settled for the most part and refused to eat for 2 1/2 weeks, she has taken two rat pups in the same week for two weeks now. I can see her approaching shed right now. She has the skin glassing over her eye. She took a pup last night. When should I start handling her and how should I approach her? I have a hook now to move her around when I need to do maintenance in her cage. Every time she hears (or feels?) me open the locks to her cage and slide the door she goes back to strike pose and watches my hand and moves her head wherever my hand goes. I am trying to not get tagged but i feel like that may happen with her/him. Is it possible for her to settle down?

It's been long enough for her to get settled in by now
I'm sure you have good hides for her?
How big is she?
Always approached them from behind just reach behind her kind of rub on her a few seconds and just scoop her pick her up

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Originally Posted by Callen7

So I got my BP almost two months ago. Out of the two I had pick of she was the only one that balled up and did not get defensive so I picked her/him. This is my first BP in a LONG time. I'm 27 now and have not owned a BP since I was like 12. She has settled for the most part and refused to eat for 2 1/2 weeks, she has taken two rat pups in the same week for two weeks now. I can see her approaching shed right now. She has the skin glassing over her eye. She took a pup last night. When should I start handling her and how should I approach her? I have a hook now to move her around when I need to do maintenance in her cage. Every time she hears (or feels?) me open the locks to her cage and slide the door she goes back to strike pose and watches my hand and moves her head wherever my hand goes. I am trying to not get tagged but i feel like that may happen with her/him. Is it possible for her to settle down?

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Methods I use with a new or unknown animal.

1) Make slow even movements but with purpose.
2) Bites happen but should not be rewarded with being left alone or put down.
3) Hook training is also wise. Get the animal to ball up, turn, or run before reaching in.
4) Always remain calm.
5) I sit the ball python in my lap and let it sit partially covered with a towel for a few minuets relaxed and wait for them to start to move. I only intervene when they try to move off of me. This allows them to get use to my smell and learn that I am not something to fear.
6) Keep introductions to short period of times.
7) Repeat till you both are comfortable with the experience. Over time trust is built up.
8) Never handle the day before, the day of, and day after feeding.

Just my personal opinion but I think a hook with a ball python is overkill

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I don't think I would ever want to own a snake that I had to use a hook on

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If she is in shed and her eyes are cloudy she can't see too well and rely on their sense of smell and feeling more. So if she smells and/or feels movement she will be defensive. And some BPs either go off entirely or slow down feeding during winter months. I said some not all. Some will continue eating as usual too. But that's just my OPINION.

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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

It's been long enough for her to get settled in by now
I'm sure you have good hides for her?
How big is she?
Always approached them from behind just reach behind her kind of rub on her a few seconds and just scoop her pick her up

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I have a hide or her that is a wooden hide that is hollowed out like below.
https://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/Pet...rd-main_large$
She avoids the hide all together and picks a corner in the cage instead of using it. She is probably just about 12" now. She has grown a LOT in the two months I have had her.

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Originally Posted by Skyrivers

Methods I use with a new or unknown animal.

1) Make slow even movements but with purpose.
2) Bites happen but should not be rewarded with being left alone or put down.
3) Hook training is also wise. Get the animal to ball up, turn, or run before reaching in.
4) Always remain calm.
5) I sit the ball python in my lap and let it sit partially covered with a towel for a few minuets relaxed and wait for them to start to move. I only intervene when they try to move off of me. This allows them to get use to my smell and learn that I am not something to fear.
6) Keep introductions to short period of times.
7) Repeat till you both are comfortable with the experience. Over time trust is built up.
8) Never handle the day before, the day of, and day after feeding.

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This is definitely a good idea. I think what makes this hard too is when I owned snakes that were previously owned and already calm, whereas I got this BP as a baby and never had one that seemed more intent on watching my movements and getting ready when I open her tank. After adding a much larger water bowl she has calmed down a little bit.

You need to purchase another hide of a different kind and then put them both in the tank at opposite ends

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I use slow movement hand flat out so if snake strikes it just hits my palm , I cover the head right away then he will ball then I just pick him up


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Shes just a baby and feeling vulnerable

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Originally Posted by Callen7

I have a hide or her that is a wooden hide that is hollowed out like below.
https://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/Pet...rd-main_large$
She avoids the hide all together and picks a corner in the cage instead of using it. She is probably just about 12" now. She has grown a LOT in the two months I have had her.

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I like those wood hides like that. I use those too.

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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

You need to purchase another hide of a different kind and then put them both in the tank at opposite ends

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I actually went to run errands after your last post. I had to pick up crickets for my T so I looked at the reptile hides just to kinda see pricing and I ended up purchasing one for her. For whatever reason its not letting me post pictures from my cell but it looks like the below. :(
https://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/Pet...older-desktop$

I’m new too, just got my first BP. But from everything i’ve read those half logs don’t make them feel very secure since it’s open on both ends. If i were you, i’d get two of those hides that you just bought, one for the cold end and one for the warm end. I also put plenty of clutter in Blue’s (my BEL) terrarium to make it feel less open and intimidating to him.

Again, i’m a newbie, so take my advice as a grain of salt. lol. just based on research and the experience i’ve had with Blue so far. :)

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Originally Posted by Skyrivers

8) Never handle the day before, the day of, and day after feeding.

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If you don't mind me asking, what is the purpose of not handling the day before the feeding?

Maybe to not possibly stress them at all before feeding so they don’t refuse? I’m not sure, never heard that before.

You've already received some excellent advice!

I will echo that having smaller, more enclosed hides will help. My little girl Sierra has been the hardest to get comfortable and settled in. It really helped to get one of those black plastic hides with the offset entrance like the ones on http://www.reptilebasics.com/. I've also added a lot of clutter to her enclosed. Together that has helped tremendously! Keep in mind that what looks good to you, isn't always the most comfortable for them.

Also, understand that they are so small and you are huge. Their fight/flight response is still very strong as a youngster because in the wild they would be prey for many many different things. With regular handling and observation on your part (knowing when and when not to handle them based on shed, feeding, attitude at the time) you'll be able to tame them down. With work, Sierra has started to get used to our routine. She's still sassy at times, but that's to be expected since she's still just over 100g. And I'd much rather get tagged a few times while she's small and get her use to what we do, than wait until she's bigger and a bite could actually break the skin.

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Originally Posted by gdawgs56

Maybe to not possibly stress them at all before feeding so they don’t refuse? I’m not sure, never heard that before.

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Me either. I've heard not handling 24-72 hrs after. Depending on who you ask. But never heard the day before. That's a new one on me.

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Originally Posted by Andiamo

If you don't mind me asking, what is the purpose of not handling the day before the feeding?

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Added stress that could make them not eat.

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You CAN handle your snake the day before you feed it that will have nothing to do with feeding it.

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I mean, the only reason i’d say not handle them day before is if they’re already showing signs of stress and aren’t good eaters. Just how i see it

First i’ve heard of it tho.

I tend to handle mine MORE the day before his feeding because I have to wait two days before I get to handle him again :(

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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

You CAN handle your snake the day before you feed it that will have nothing to do with feeding it.

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You CAN do whatever you want with your snake. Not handling a brand new baby that already seems skittish before feeding is sound advice. If the OP is already having handling issues imagine if she started having feeding issues as well.

Yes you CAN do whatever you want with your snake.
Majority of us don't see why handling the day before feeding should be an issue. She's been eating for you, so just stick to what is working.


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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

Yes you CAN do whatever you want with your snake.
Majority of us don't see why handling the day before feeding should be an issue. She's been eating for you, so just stick to what is working.


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You seemed to have missed my point here. My snake would eat a f/t rat off my dogs head riding him around like a cowboy Butttttt....... she said her snake already seems skittish and is new so it’s not bad advice to just be cautious so other problems don’t arise. So yes your right,most situations I would not see a problem with handling prior to feed day.

So I put the new hide is in her enclosure and she is loving it. I used a thin swaddle blanket to handle her and it was going okay. She was tight bodied then was loose then I could not keep up. It lasted 10 minutes maybe? I let her exit the towel into her envlosure. I used my hand to kind of pet her and she wrapped around her hide. I was touching her back end and she gave a very crappy hiss. :colbert: so I backed off and let her be.

Awesome
Now that she has a hide that she likes I think you'll see her being a little bit more chilled-out

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Originally Posted by Callen7

So I put the new hide is in her enclosure and she is loving it. I used a thin swaddle blanket to handle her and it was going okay. She was tight bodied then was loose then I could not keep up. It lasted 10 minutes maybe? I let her exit the towel into her envlosure. I used my hand to kind of pet her and she wrapped around her hide. I was touching her back end and she gave a very crappy hiss. :colbert: so I backed off and let her be.

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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

You CAN handle your snake the day before you feed it that will have nothing to do with feeding it.

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Wrong, no offense but you have owned a ball pythons for 2 months and you still have a lot to learn, there are good advice here maybe you can learn from those yourself.

Food for the thoughts giving your opinion is one thing, giving advice based on experience is another. :gj:

2 cents

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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

You CAN handle your snake the day before you feed it that will have nothing to do with feeding it.

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Handling before feeding may or may not cause added stress. Not handling them causes no stress. A stressed bp will not eat. Why risk causing stress that will cause it not to eat?

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Wrong, no offense but you have owned a ball pythons for 2 months and you still have a lot to learn, there are good advice here maybe you can learn from those yourself.

Food for the thoughts giving your opinion is one thing, giving advice based on experience is another. :gj:

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Just curious... other than the possibility of stressing the snake reducing the chance of feeding.. is there something else i’m missing about it being bad? Like i said before in this thread, this is the first i’ve heard of not handling the day before feeding and i’ve been doing research for about 6 months before getting my BEL. Don’t get me wrong, i’m definitely a newbie. Just trying to learn more :)


-Jason

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Originally Posted by Skyrivers

Handling before feeding may or may not cause added stress. Not handling them causes no stress. A stressed bp will not eat. Why risk causing stress that will cause it not to eat?

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So it’s a per individual snake thing, not an across the board “don’t handle your snake the day before feeding” thing?

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Originally Posted by gdawgs56

So it’s a per individual snake thing, not an across the board “don’t handle your snake the day before feeding” thing?

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Exactly, it's per the individual

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Wrong, no offense but you have owned a ball pythons for 2 months and you still have a lot to learn, there are good advice here maybe you can learn from those yourself.

Food for the thoughts giving your opinion is one thing, giving advice based on experience is another. :gj:

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No offense to you either but just because they joined two months ago doesn't mean they have owned BPs for just two months either.

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Originally Posted by SPIDERBALL

No offense to you either but just because they joined two months ago doesn't mean they have owned BPs for just two months either.

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They got their first baby bp in November. They made a thread about getting their first little bp. So yes, it's been 2 months.

They actually just joined one month ago.

Well this is spiraling downward! :o

I apologize to the OP that there has been a few people that have just been picking everything apart

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Sure is....

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

They got their first baby bp in November. They made a thread about getting their first little bp. So yes, it's been 2 months.

They actually just joined one month ago.

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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

You CAN handle your snake the day before you feed it that will have nothing to do with feeding it.

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It depends on the snake. If a young snake is already not a good eater or under stress in some way, it's of course best to handle as little as possible until they are consistently eating, especially considering the species.

Not that handling the day before necessarily puts every snake off eating, but it's always better to play it safe with new baby ball pythons. Especially the OP's hatchling who has refused food before and has stress issues.

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Originally Posted by Jellybeans

Sure is....

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Frankly, I'm not sure what is the issue here. Sharing opinions is nice. But there are experienced keepers giving sound advice and correcting those who have only just started keeping snakes 2 months ago. It should be known who is new and who isn't, because this is a public forum where new keepers come to learn and ask advice.

I think In the end you need to realize this. Handling your snake is entirely for your enjoyment. They are not an animal that seeks your attention. So just be cautious and listen to the Experienced keepers around here. I’ve swallowed my pride and been wrong quite a few times around here.