I dont think he likes being handled?

I've had my baby BP for 6 months now and I hold him every day, but the last about month and a half he has been super fiesty! I used to have no problem going in there and picking him up but now if I even walk close to his enclosure he come out ready to strike, I've been bitten so many times now trying to go in for the confident grab thing and he just keeps striking me, there has been a couple times when he has tried to strike me while I'm already holding him. Idk why this is? If you guys have any suggestions and advise...

This last week I just been giving him some space cause honestly I'm a little tired of getting bit, and I know they all have their own personalities, so I'm thinking maybe he just doesnt like being handled? My other BP does just fine and I can handle her without any issues at all... so idk... anything is appropriated

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Take the hint! Holding him daily is too much for him....back off. You leave him no choice but to bite, & yet you continue?

Listen, they do all have their own personalities, but even though your other BP isn't protesting your handling, it's safe to assume you are over-doing it with her too.

Stress affects the immune system of snakes, just like it does for us...too much stress makes it more likely for us (or them) to get sick.

Handling daily is too much for most snakes, but the word "handling" also means different things to different people...if you were being considerate & patient enough,
it's unlikely you'd get bit. Obviously we can't see what you're doing wrong, but try slowing it down to no more than once a week for a while.

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Originally Posted by Kenzieburgess

... now trying to go in for the confident grab thing and he just keeps striking me...

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And by the way, that "confident grab" is what PREDATORS do...so no wonder! :O That's NOT the right way to pick up a snake-buddy. That is scary for them!

What is his weight and feeding schedule?

I agree with Bogertophis. None of my snakes would tolerate daily handling. At best I can get away with every other day.

The BPs particularly seem to prefer a more spaced out schedule of just twice a week.

Give him a week off and see if he calms down.

I handle once a week, no more.

Like BogerChic said, too much handling will add up to too much stress, which will add up to a sick noodle.

How's his appetite?

I agree as well. If you're looking for a lap pet that you can hang out with daily, a snake is not the right pet. Either that or get a few more so you can split up handling sessions. But it's important to understand our pets before bringing them home.

Snakes are NOT social animals and don't do well with over handling. At best, they tolerate us handling them.

One of the most important parts of keeping snakes is learning their mannerisms and body language. They only have a handful of ways to "tell" us they don't like what's going on. It's our responsibility to learn and respect.

So, learn from your snake and respect that the current situation is NOT working for him.

What's this 'confident grab' all about? Take it slow.

Lift the hide slow. Let it chill out. Give the snek a gently poke/tap or 2. Let it chill out. Poke it again. Let it chill out. Slowly pick it up with your hand and arm at the snakes eye level.

If it still doesn't like it, start from scratch put in a lot of time just getting it comfortable seeing you.

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Originally Posted by GoatBoy

What's this 'confident grab' all about? Take it slow.

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The way I had the "confident grab" described to me was NOT as a "go in fast, and just grab it immediately", so much as when you DO reach to pick the snake up, to not reach in with shaky hands or repeatedly get 2 or 3 inches from them, then retreat and start over several times before picking them up. Doing it hesitantly gives them more anxiety about your intentions, more time to see you approach and retreat, and in some snakes gives them confidence that you're more fearful of them and potentially give them more courage to try and scare you away via biting. I find that too much time alerting a nervous snake especially that I'm there tends to create more anxiety and agitation.

I honestly don't do any of the touch and touch and touch, then slowwwwly pick them up for BPs or really any snakes. I found through experiment that this is a method far more likely to get me bit with my animals, even ones not prone to biting.

Generally I just give then a single light touch or stroke (about 2 or 3 seconds of time as long as I see a reaction, more if they don't respond at all) to the side to wake them up/gauge mood. Usually this gets them to expose their head so I can see if they're blue and if so I generally just leave them alone rather than handling. Then I just reach as sideways as possible(rather than above) and scoop from the direction they're not facing in one smooth motion. Not fast, just without shaking and jerking back like someone who is nervous of being bit might do if the snake moves.

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Good point, pretends2bnormal, and hope I didn't misinterpret the OP's meaning of "confident grab"- but the snake obviously does anyway.

Personally, it depends what snake I'm dealing with, how I approach them. Because they don't all use their senses exactly the same...some recognize my scent perfectly
if I blow air across my hand in their direction, but others relate to being gently touched or petted a few times. Many here prefer to use a hook to do this rather than risk
a bite to the hand, & that's fine too...snakes learn the touch, by whatever means. Sometimes I flip my (long) hair over the edge of the cage for them to get my scent-
that works too, as does dangling the shirt sleeve of a shirt you've worn, so they can recognize your scent, or the harmless touch of a non-predator.

Snakes have hides for a reason, so snatching them away suddenly startles & scares them; many times a snake won't object if you just slide your hand under the edge of
the hide without lifting it up until you're touching & holding the snake from underneath, by which time they typically recognize you by touch. The scariest thing for a
snake is when we approach them...they don't see well & don't "know" us visually, so they instinctively think "predator". It helps to remember that they need our cues of
scent and/or touch, & once they learn to feel safe with us (being gently cuddled) it gets easier & easier.

The worst thing you can do is hold them firmly by the neck to prevent a bite, or to grab their tails...these are things predators do. You want to approach the way another
snake might, by slightly & gently touching/stroking them mid-body. I've picked up large (harmless) wild snakes this way with no bites at all, because they realize they're
not being attacked, even though they don't quite know what's going on. Holding too tightly sends the wrong signal too. The better we can imagine how a snake feels
in any given circumstance, the more likely we are to just do the right things automatically. Whatever you do, realize that snakes don't like to be rushed...so if you're getting bit, you need to s-l-o-w- -d-o-w-n...to give the snake time to recognize you.

I'm not convinced that snakes really understand if we are "shaky" or "hesitant", any more than I think that they somehow "smell fear" as some people claim. I also don't
think they are capable of manipulating us, I think they live "in the moment"...but of course, I've never been a snake (I don't think?) so it's just my guess, as good as any.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pretends2bnormal

Generally I just give then a single light touch or stroke (about 2 or 3 seconds of time as long as I see a reaction, more if they don't respond at all) to the side to wake them up/gauge mood. Usually this gets them to expose their head so I can see if they're blue and if so I generally just leave them alone rather than handling. Then I just reach as sideways as possible(rather than above) and scoop from the direction they're not facing in one smooth motion. Not fast, just without shaking and jerking back like someone who is nervous of being bit might do if the snake moves.

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This is generally how I do it as well. I usually go for one longer light touch, unless she is extra shy or crabby. I might give her a wake up poke and another touch before I scoop her up from the side.

I dont think I was clear, I dont get to handle him daily, nor do I handle my other one daily, my other snake enjoys coming out and exercising and exploring a little, so yes I get her out often for 15-30 minutes at a time. The one that likes to strike, comes out of his hide the second he hears the door open when I'm trying to just change his water and strikes my hand. When I do attempt to hold him, I tap on the top or his hide, gently lift it up, and the "confident grab" is what I learned from other experts with "aggressive" snakes, because species like ball pythons dont usually strike what they are perched on aka my hands. Also I try to handle as often as I can so they are used to people and hands. But my snake strikes me while I'm holding him, strikes me when I'm changing his water, and comes out of his hide waiting for me to open his enclosure when he hears me just walking past him.


He eats 1 small rat a week. He has a bit of a wobble and if he doesnt strike right on the head, he gives up and doesnt eat, and his aim is absolutely horrific. SO feedings are more stressful than for my other one. So I leave him 3 days after eating anyways as a little extra time weather I could get him to eat or not.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by GoatBoy

This is generally how I do it as well. I usually go for one longer light touch, unless she is extra shy or crabby. I might give her a wake up poke and another touch before I scoop her up from the side.

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Right, I cant go near his enclosure without him ready to strike me. Much less get my hand close enough to poke or anything.

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The confident grab is just picking the snake up without acting like your scared to. I'm not grabbing him by the head or neck, or by his tail. Its just reaching my hand in and picking him up gently but confidently like I'm not scared of him. That's all.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by pretends2bnormal

The way I had the "confident grab" described to me was NOT as a "go in fast, and just grab it immediately", so much as when you DO reach to pick the snake up, to not reach in with shaky hands or repeatedly get 2 or 3 inches from them, then retreat and start over several times before picking them up. Doing it hesitantly gives them more anxiety about your intentions, more time to see you approach and retreat, and in some snakes gives them confidence that you're more fearful of them and potentially give them more courage to try and scare you away via biting. I find that too much time alerting a nervous snake especially that I'm there tends to create more anxiety and agitation.

I honestly don't do any of the touch and touch and touch, then slowwwwly pick them up for BPs or really any snakes. I found through experiment that this is a method far more likely to get me bit with my animals, even ones not prone to biting

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Thank you. That is exactly what was meant by the confident grab, and the touch touch pick up gets me bit. Everyone is blowing the confident grab out of proportion like I'm aggressively snatching my BP up.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kenzieburgess

Thank you. That is exactly what was meant by the confident grab, and the touch touch pick up gets me bit. Everyone is blowing the confident grab out of proportion like I'm aggressively snatching my BP up.

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Apologies on our part. It was just unclear what you were describing at first. I don't have any experience with a snake that is that nippy, especially one that runs out to bite and bites while being held. I'm sure you will get some good advice here, lots of experts. Best of luck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kenzieburgess

I dont think I was clear, I dont get to handle him daily, nor do I handle my other one daily, my other snake enjoys coming out and exercising and exploring a little, so yes I get her out often for 15-30 minutes at a time. The one that likes to strike, comes out of his hide the second he hears the door open when I'm trying to just change his water and strikes my hand. When I do attempt to hold him, I tap on the top or his hide, gently lift it up, and the "confident grab" is what I learned from other experts with "aggressive" snakes, because species like ball pythons dont usually strike what they are perched on aka my hands. Also I try to handle as often as I can so they are used to people and hands. But my snake strikes me while I'm holding him, strikes me when I'm changing his water, and comes out of his hide waiting for me to open his enclosure when he hears me just walking past him.


He eats 1 small rat a week. He has a bit of a wobble and if he doesnt strike right on the head, he gives up and doesnt eat, and his aim is absolutely horrific. SO feedings are more stressful than for my other one. So I leave him 3 days after eating anyways as a little extra time weather I could get him to eat or not.

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How often is he actually eating? Not just strikes food, but swallows it down successfully.

He is really giving off all the cues of a hungry snake.. I've not seen one this strikey where it didn't turn out to be related to food or husbandry, though it is a remote possibility you just have a very cranky BP.

How much does he weigh? And how much are the small rats weighing?
Sometimes our idea of a small rat doesn't match up to yours, so it'll help get us all on the same page.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by pretends2bnormal

How often is he actually eating? Not just strikes food, but swallows it down successfully.

He is really giving off all the cues of a hungry snake.. I've not seen one this strikey where it didn't turn out to be related to food or husbandry, though it is a remote possibility you just have a very cranky BP.

How much does he weigh? And how much are the small rats weighing?
Sometimes our idea of a small rat doesn't match up to yours, so it'll help get us all on the same page.

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This is exactly what it sounds like to me, the snake is hungry and he's striking every time he thinks there is an opportunity for food. Make sure you are feeding him large enough meals and often enough. Some snakes have a stronger feeding response and if you don't keep them satisfied they will strike at anything that moves.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pretends2bnormal

How often is he actually eating? Not just strikes food, but swallows it down successfully.

He is really giving off all the cues of a hungry snake.. I've not seen one this strikey where it didn't turn out to be related to food or husbandry, though it is a remote possibility you just have a very cranky BP.

How much does he weigh? And how much are the small rats weighing?
Sometimes our idea of a small rat doesn't match up to yours, so it'll help get us all on the same page.

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Its hit or miss on exactly how often. I offer once per week with pray that is relevant to his size if not just slightly bigger. He is still a baby, only 6-7 months old. I dont have a weight to give you right now cause it changes, depending on if i can get him to eat a couple or so weeks in a row or if he ends up skipping 1 or 2 weeks. I just fed him around 1 or 2 am this morning so I'm not going to disturb him till atleast Wednesday. I can tell you as of lately, he hasnt gone more than two weeks at a time without eating. Like I said, if I cant get him to strike it on the head, he gives up and has no interest in it afterwards. And he has the worst aim cause of his wobble and some of it probably has to so with his age.... but I really have to work to aim it up with his strikes.

My husbandry is, in my opinion fine. His water gets changed daily, and enclosure misted. I havnt had to mist his tank the last few weeks though because of the weather anyways has been keeping the humidity between 50-75 (I know 75 is a bit high especially when not in shed, that's why I'm not misting it down right now. Theres not much else I know about that I can do to bring it down. It's the weather, and my AC is broke at the moment to keep the house air dryer and cooler) the temps are going up no higher than 92 and the cool side around 80-85, I've been keeping a close eye on that especially with my AC broke and my house getting up to 88-90°F.

He isnt starving by no means, he might get a little famished from giving up trying to find the head after striking, but like I said, he hasnt gone more than 2 weeks yet. And I would buy a live rat and offer him it prekilled before I let him longer than that.

He strikes his food every single time, and I try to line it up nose to nose so he hopefully nails it right on the head, but sometimes he misses a bit, and get its side, or the rats shoulder, or misses entirely. And like I said, if he doesnt get it right on the head, he gives up and has no more interest in it.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by rufretic

This is exactly what it sounds like to me, the snake is hungry and he's striking every time he thinks there is an opportunity for food. Make sure you are feeding him large enough meals and often enough. Some snakes have a stronger feeding response and if you don't keep them satisfied they will strike at anything that moves.

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He has a healthy appetite, but like I just replied to the pretends2bnormal, if i cant get him to nail it right on the head so he can go from constricting it to immediately swallowing it, he gives up and then has no more interest in it.

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Might be worth trying to dip just the head into ~100-110 degree water for 30 seconds or so. Get just the head really nice and hot to make a better target for him. (Or blow dry that spot particularly if he refuses wet rats)

Or, maybe change how you dangle the rat so he has "no choice" but to grab it head on? I.e. hold it by the scruff with tongs and present it face-first as if walking toward him & froze in front of hik. If the head is hottest & the most prominent target, he might have better odds hitting the right place & eating more reliably.


I'd still want to know his weight & the weight of the feeders personally. Not now if he is digesting, but sometime since things sound a bit off to me. Small rats typically weigh 50-80g, some variations of the upper and lower end depending on the seller. And most 6-7 month old BPs I've seen are not really big enough for that size feeder. Some can be of course, but most of mine I've gotten at 3-4 months old were sub-200g and did not get over 400g (weighed after a poop) by 6 months, males especially. 10% feeder for a 400g BP is around 40g.

In the meantime, maybe a picture of him? With something easy to judge as a scale?

If yours isn't actually up to weight for small rats and your small rats are the 50-80g range, the feeders may be a bit larger than he's comfortable with eating and he is only noticing it once wrapped when he doesn't grab the head. Might not be the case, but without knowing the weights it is hard to say.

With right sized feeders and an enthusiastic strike, it is very unusual for him to be dropping the feeder. This coming from someone with a spider that does display some wobble, particularly around feeding, and has more issues hitting the rat than reorienting to eat it after.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by pretends2bnormal

Might be worth trying to dip just the head into ~100-110 degree water for 30 seconds or so. Get just the head really nice and hot to make a better target for him. (Or blow dry that spot particularly if he refuses wet rats)

Or, maybe change how you dangle the rat so he has "no choice" but to grab it head on? I.e. hold it by the scruff with tongs and present it face-first as if walking toward him & froze in front of hik. If the head is hottest & the most prominent target, he might have better odds hitting the right place & eating more reliably.


I'd still want to know his weight & the weight of the feeders personally. Not now if he is digesting, but sometime since things sound a bit off to me. Small rats typically weigh 50-80g, some variations of the upper and lower end depending on the seller. And most 6-7 month old BPs I've seen are not really big enough for that size feeder. Some can be of course, but most of mine I've gotten at 3-4 months old were sub-200g and did not get over 400g (weighed after a poop) by 6 months, males especially. 10% feeder for a 400g BP is around 40g.

In the meantime, maybe a picture of him? With something easy to judge as a scale?

If yours isn't actually up to weight for small rats and your small rats are the 50-80g range, the feeders may be a bit larger than he's comfortable with eating and he is only noticing it once wrapped when he doesn't grab the head. Might not be the case, but without knowing the weights it is hard to say.

With right sized feeders and an enthusiastic strike, it is very unusual for him to be dropping the feeder. This coming from someone with a spider that does display some wobble, particularly around feeding, and has more issues hitting the rat than reorienting to eat it after.

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I can try getting the head hotter. He refuses wet rats, so I thaw them out in a ziplock bag and then in hot water so they stay dry.and I've tried dangling in by holding its scruff and he misses more and has smacked his face against my tongs, and it makes me nervous he might hurt himself doing that[emoji27] and I've held it by its hips to have better control of the rat and it's not any easier with the awkward angles I have to hold it in than to dangle it by the base of the tail and hope he gets the head.

Give me a few minutes to find something to set next to the feeder for size reference and the frozen feeder next to him if I can... but i really dont think the feeder size is the issue, he has no problem eating them if he bites the head.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by pretends2bnormal

In the meantime, maybe a picture of him? With something easy to judge as a scale?

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Actually, I'm on my last two rats in the freezer, one that would be for him and one for my other BP which is full grown or close to it and on much larger pray... and the last one of "his" rats is actually a bit smaller than the other ones... I buy a months worth at a time and I just got 1 single rat that is smaller than the ones I've been feeding... still going to give you a pic, but I have to find something that looks about the same size as what I have been feeding him, or atleast offering him....

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I rolled up a piece of paper to a *very* rough size comparison, I typically eyeball the size of his pray by his girth... this is the best I can do right now. Tomorrow I could probably give you a better idea with a weight and an actual rat to show.

I tried my best as to not disturb him too much, (if I get to open his enclosure before he wakes up and I have to move him, or attempt to handle him, or anything i always tap his hide, kind of like knocking before entering so he knows I'm there.) He let me remove his hide and take a quick pic before he lifted his head to see what was going on. Probably because he just ate and is digesting and resting, but usually the second he hears the click of the lock on the door, he comes right out ready to strike.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ac806967ac.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5c88ac0d70.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...eaa982224a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...fb0d5b5cf7.jpg

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