Ball python hatchling just diarrhea'd all over me?

My one hatchling is super tense, strikes easily. When I was handling him just now to try to tame him down, he peed/diarrhea'd all over me. Was that out of defense???
Will he ever just chill out???

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

My one hatchling is super tense, strikes easily. When I was handling him just now to try to tame him down, he peed/diarrhea'd all over me. Was that out of defense???
Will he ever just chill out???

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Snake is terrified and defensive... How old? What size enclosure and how long have you had him?

Snake had to poop, no big deal. When they pee put them down or move them away from your clothes :D

Give the snake three days an handle him again for 5-10 minutes. Some times it's just touching the snake in the enclosure an letting it be. Time is your friend.

Good luck!

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

My one hatchling is super tense, strikes easily. When I was handling him just now to try to tame him down, he peed/diarrhea'd all over me. Was that out of defense???
Will he ever just chill out???

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To your tiny snake, you're a scary GIANT. Snakes rely on their 'wild' instincts & the only thing that picks them up in the wild is a predator about to eat them.
And even humans pee their pants when really frightened...:rolleyes:

I was holding him probably 10 min, and he seemed chill, then out of no where......storm broke loose.
I've had him maybe 3 weeks, but I've handled him maybe 3x.

None of my other ones have done this before.

Snakes aren't very expressive...it takes lots of practice to read their body language, if you ever really can. To you he seemed 'chill' but who knows what he really thought?
Let's face it, you're really 'inspiring'! :rofl:

Seems like the little baby had to poop. Lol as u get used to him you will be able to tell how he is doing, but more important is u will learn not to pick up a snake with sausage butt. Lol

Yes, it does help to see if there's a bulge above the vent...;)

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Yes, it does help to see if there's a bulge above the vent...;)

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Most of us learned the hard way lol

Can anyone send me pics of sausage butt? Totally serious, so I know what to look out for.
Like I said, none of my babies have done this before.

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

Can anyone send me pics of sausage butt? Totally serious, so I know what to look out for.
Like I said, none of my babies have done this before.

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You want us taking photos without even "hazardous duty pay"? :O LOL

Listen...your snake's ventral ("tummy") side is normally fairly flat...but if you lift him up a little & see a little bulge above the vent, you know he'll soon be needing to go,
especially with handling that stimulates & puts pressure on things. And since snakes have no social stigma about "going" in public, he has no reason to hold back...got it? :D

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

My one hatchling is super tense, strikes easily. When I was handling him just now to try to tame him down, he peed/diarrhea'd all over me. Was that out of defense???
Will he ever just chill out???

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You scared the crap out of him...


Literally


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks like this! I knew someone posted a pic I just had to find it. First pic of the first post. So easy to see

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...t=Sausage+butt

LOL I was about to post my Noodle and then I clicked the thread Danger Noodles linked

He no longer gets sausage butts by the way, he was constipated that time but after increasing the humidity to stay between 65-75% and switching from buying Arctic Mice rats from Petsmart to rats from a local feeder breeder he has had nice soft poops and no bloating.

Also, yes, it really is hazardous duty. Never ignore a "full" tail... a mistake I have made only too many times... select pieces of furniture in my home will never be the same...

Handling helps move things along so even if the snake isn't scared they might just pee on you if they've been moving around outside of their enclosure lol. I've been "decorated" a few times.

Do you think his personality is naturally defensive/jerk or do you think we can eventually get to that sweet calm personality?

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

Do you think his personality is naturally defensive/jerk or do you think we can eventually get to that sweet calm personality?

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I've personally influenced many "defensive/jerk" snakes into reliably sweet ones...only a small percentage (very "high strung" types) stay that way, in my experience, and the odds are against you having one, especially a BP.

But first, it helps to change YOUR mindset: you adopted a snake, not a puppy or a kitten, & NOT a "domestic animal". Even c/b snakes are "wild" in the sense that they rely on their instincts that evolved in nature & over time...LOTS of time. He IS "defensive" but he is NOT a "jerk". ;) And btw, if his stool continues to truly be watery "diarrhea"please do get him (w/ stool sample) checked by the vet...he might need treatment for parasites or something, ok? Diarrhea is not normal, but without seeing it, I cannot be sure how accurate your description is.

Many years ago I took in an unwanted (free) BCI that changed homes a number of times in her first year of life because she persisted in biting everyone repeatedly, & they were not homes without snake experience...they just lacked patience & empathy. She wasn't my first rodeo either & I named her Snookums, because it made me picture her like the "baby" she was "inside". She never bit me even once in all the years I had her: oh, she dearly wanted to, for the first maybe 2 months, until I patiently showed her she had nothing to fear from me. After that, she was reliably tame, & lived a good healthy life because of it (stress isn't good for animals either).

Her name always made me smile, & it did the same for others who met her when she was huge & theoretically scary...she was friendly with everyone, not just me. If that's your idea of a pet snake, then try to remember how your snake is feeling: his whole world changed without his consent or understanding, & his instincts didn't prepare him for an "owner", much less a giant with so many frightful moving parts.

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

Do you think his personality is naturally defensive/jerk or do you think we can eventually get to that sweet calm personality?

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A baby BP I ended up with has the name "Bitey", for good reasons when I first got her.... Going on 2 months later my 16 y.o. daughter has no issues getting her out of her tank and handling her.

yours should calm down as it get a little older and gets used to it's new surroundings, Don't give up on him they need to get used to the new surroundings.

Also I've been bit twice by 2 of the baby BP's I ended up with, never broke the skin, felt like a pinch so have no worries if he gets you once or twice

I was about to post but boger hit the nail on the head.

This guy is a member here and has a Youtube channel. He shows u how to deal with the snappy babies in some of his videos. Maybe check this out and see if it helps https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w8fVuibzE_4

That's fair, but the other 2 hatchlings I've dealt with were nervous but they weren't defensive/aggressive about it (i.e. striking), they just hid their heads or tried to slither away quickly. This guy is striking, biting, peeing/pooping on me, etc.

Actually yesterday he first peed on me then pooped lol. It wasn't diarrhea.

Dogs aren't all the same, even of the same breed, humans aren't all the same either...so why would you think all snakes would act the same? And he cannot tell
you how people before you have treated him, can he? or what happened on the way to your house? He has every reason to be afraid, & it takes as long as it takes
for him to mellow out. Nearly all do, but some of that depends on their human's skill & empathy too.

Peeing, defecation and, in some species, musking, are also defensive measures. This goes for lots of species of animals actually :) no one wants to bite and eat a poop covered animal.

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

That's fair, but the other 2 hatchlings I've dealt with were nervous but they weren't defensive/aggressive about it (i.e. striking), they just hid their heads or tried to slither away quickly. This guy is striking, biting, peeing/pooping on me, etc.

Actually yesterday he first peed on me then pooped lol. It wasn't diarrhea.

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Have patience. When I got my first BP he was extremely defensive. He would strike at the glass whenever people would enter the room. I ended up getting leather gloves (was nervous about a BP bite at the time lol) and he calmed down in around two weeks. You just need to work with the animal. They’re still wild animals and aren’t fully domesticated imo Idk if a reptile ever can be truly. Anywho... they need to be handled in order to get accustomed to it. I think when I got mine the breeder didn’t handle them and only opened the tubs to feed so the snake associated the enclosure opening with food. Although not all snakes are the same. All the other snakes I’ve gotten have been super chill even as babies. It definitely helps to give them some time to settle in too. Sometimes just letting them be for a bit calms them right down.


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Yes, the breeder I got him from is full time, I think, and he said he never handled them.

I've noticed that whenever I change his water or spot clean, if he wakes up, he'll either strike at me or just stick his head out of his hide and stare at me. When holding him, he's very tense, keeping his eyes on me, or he'll strike at things that get too close to him (even objects). Plus he peed and pooped on me. No hissing though, so that's a plus!

Also I use a hook to get him out.

I gave him a full week of absolutely no interaction to settle in. He's eaten for me successfully twice now. He's been like this since the beginning of our handling.

How often should I handle him to start the taming process?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by siwueofk

Yes, the breeder I got him from is full time, I think, and he said he never handled them.

I've noticed that whenever I change his water or spot clean, if he wakes up, he'll either strike at me or just stick his head out of his hide and stare at me. When holding him, he's very tense, keeping his eyes on me, or he'll strike at things that get too close to him (even objects). Plus he peed and pooped on me. No hissing though, so that's a plus!

Also I use a hook to get him out.

I gave him a full week of absolutely no interaction to settle in. He's eaten for me successfully twice now. He's been like this since the beginning of our handling.

How often should I handle him to start the taming process?

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Because he is so nervous & frightened, I'd feed him at LEAST 2 more times before attempting ANY handling. Eating is job #1, not taming this toothy little worm. If you
handle him now you may make it much harder to keep him feeding. He can obviously use more time to lose some of his fear.

What I'd recommend when you DO begin to handle him though is to pick him up with your hook and immediately put a small towel over him so he cannot see out (or you). Just sit & hold him gently wrapped in the towel for a good 30 minutes while you read or watch tv- you can lightly stroke him thru the towel also. Then put him back in his cage. Do this a few more times before you start letting him peek out of the towel while you're holding him: if he's scared, cover him back up, & repeat this process until he learns to know you better from your scent & touch (thru the towel)...then gradually let him get used to seeing you too. Remember how BIG we are to them. He's just scared, & you can't blame him. Be patient & he'll learn he's safe with you. But if you rush him you'll make it worse & probably also make him refuse to eat...he needs empathy, just be glad he eating for you. It could be worse. He's a normal snake, they don't all learn at the same rate, or have the same start in life, but if you're patient, you'll have a wonderful pet. He will enjoy your warmth thru the towel, learn your scent & touch gradually, then learn to accept your scary size. ;)

I also need to see " sausage butt ". Never been peed on... never heard this term before.. but I'm dying laughing and need a visual. 😂

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Originally Posted by Mommabear.Yoli

I also need to see " sausage butt ". Never been peed on... never heard this term before.. but I'm dying laughing and need a visual. 😂

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I already posted this link but here ya go.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...t=Sausage+butt

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Originally Posted by Danger noodles

I already posted this link but here ya go.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...t=Sausage+butt

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Once is just not enough for a good "sausage butt" photo... :rofl:

I just checked on my little hatchling under his hide, I saw he had little pieces of shed around him, but his skin overall looked very crinkly? Is he shedding? It just looked very very flaky and crinkly. I can't tell because of the ivory skin (usually the dull color is a dead giveaway but he's an ivory so is already white). But my first ball python, from what I see, his skin always comes off in one piece with no flaky crinkly stage.

Perhaps that's why he's been so defensive???

EDIT: Would like to add before I get all the hate, that I DO KNOW ABOUT THE SHEDDING PROCESS. However, he is only my second snake, and is an Ivory, so I normally go by the dull skin with my first BP (who is NOT an ivory), and I took pictures of the Ivory's eyes a couple days ago and they didn't seem cloudy to me, so I assumed he wasn't in shed.

If he is going through shed though.....this poor boy....the stress I've put on him.....:(

Here's pics of him I took October 17, is this cloudy eyes??? In the 3rd pic especially, it looks like there's a ring around his eyes?
Please respectfully educate me so I don't make a mistake again.
~ Super concerned snake mom
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...mg.cc/sQTMcbvhhttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...utput-3287.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...utput-3285.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...utput-3289.jpg

P.S. If he is shedding (which I really think he is), will he ever forgive and forget all the stress I put on him?!?!?!?!??!??? I feel so bad.

Shed cycles are far more difficult to see the signs of in white snakes...now you know. :rolleyes:

Best way that I confirm whether or not a snake is in shed is in a DARK room, use a tiny flashlight & shine across the arc of snake's eye...this shows if it's milky or not.
Often their tummy scutes appear to have a double-edge too, when you look close.

If you just found new pieces of shed & he's "crinkly" it's a pretty good bet that you missed the signs...what's his humidity now? Have you raised it?

Everyone makes some mistakes with snakes- it even rhymes ;), just concentrate on what he needs...you'll learn to trust each other, with any luck. :snake:

Yeah I really messed up on his humidity. :-//////// Not to mention, my area is normally extremely hot and humid but we recently entered fall, and humidity has decreased a lot within the past 1-2 weeks, and I didn't realize how big of a deal that could make a shed.
He's not going through a good shed right now.

I basically soaked him for 20 minutes, and I used the towel method but he absolutely hated it, hissed and nipped at me. I didn't even get it all off, he still has stuck shed on his head, so I just misted his enclosure. :-/

This poor boy. I really want to facilitate positive interactions with him but I feel like we're off to a really rocky start.