Severely nippy BP!

Hi! First time posting so bear with me, I apologize if this isn't the right forum to post this in.

I've got a roughly 1 year and say, 4 months old ball python named Astrid, Normal Pastel.
When I first got her she was generally calm and everything, but I got her from a petsmart.
Since i've had her she's bitten me,and nipped herself quite a few times. Thankfully she hasn't hurt herself severely by doing that, but the issue obviously, is that whenever I enter my room and she pokes her head out, she always enters a defensive strike stance.
It's getting very difficult to swap out her water dish daily, even handling her because she's just so defensive and mean when in her tank, but when I get her out of it. She's generally okay.
But because she's getting more and more unpredictable, I'm having a hard time handling her.
Is there a reason why she's so mean? Is it something I'm doing wrong? Husbandry? Other snakes in the room? Is it just a personality thing that'll go away with age when years pass?

My other boy Bjorn is in the same room, and while he's significantly younger, he acts like a normal BP, hides his head when I get near. The usual.
Any advice is appreciated because I love my Astrid to death and it makes me sad that she's so defensive and nippy.

It's a female!

Tap train her when going into "her" house. Now, almost everybody will say I'm wrong, handle her more. She has to learn you aren't going to hurt or eat her. Some snakes will calm down after a clutch. I have an eight year old that if not tapped first will rip you out going into her tank. Tap her an she's a puppy, out of the tank an she's a puppy.

Give it time an you'll be fine.

Good luck!

What do you mean by nipped herself a few times she bites herself?

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Originally Posted by walzon1

What do you mean by nipped herself a few times she bites herself?

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

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by nipped herself I mean I have a snake hook I use to pick her up with, she knows it's there because I put it into viewpoint clearly, and occasionally just turns around and strikes at the hook, which sometimes she just catches herself. I don't see any blood when it happens, since it's rare, and I check the area to make sure there's no bad puncture marks or anything.

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Originally Posted by 303_enfield

It's a female!

Tap train her when going into "her" house. Now, almost everybody will say I'm wrong, handle her more. She has to learn you aren't going to hurt or eat her. Some snakes will calm down after a clutch. I have an eight year old that if not tapped first will rip you out going into her tank. Tap her an she's a puppy, out of the tank an she's a puppy.

Give it time an you'll be fine.

Good luck!

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Tap train? I'm not sure what that is! What do you do?

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

by nipped herself I mean I have a snake hook I use to pick her up with, she knows it's there because I put it into viewpoint clearly, and occasionally just turns around and strikes at the hook, which sometimes she just catches herself. I don't see any blood when it happens, since it's rare, and I check the area to make sure there's no bad puncture marks or anything.

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Oh ok probably just defensive strikes no teeth. My boy doesn't like his cage being messed either he gets pissy. But I don't allow that anymore if they show attitude and then you hurry up and clean then walk a way it just makes them more empowered next time you show up, getting pissy means you hurry up and leave that's what they want. So even if changing water I ball him up set him aside change the water and put him back. Once you get them upset it's harder to calm them down and keep it from happening again. They should never be striking, if so I think you need to practice handling skills a little more, slow down take your time. Figure out why or how your pushing her buttons and try not to do it again.

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Some snakes are pretty defensive inside their enclosures but will calm down once they're out. Hopefully your critter will grow out of this. I agree with tap training. That's just rubbing the animal with a snake hook before you reach into the enclosure to let them know it's not feeding time, and they're either about to be handled, or you're doing some cage maintenance. I do this with all of my snakes. I have a couple that I still have to remove from their enclosures anytime I'm changing water or spot cleaning because I know they'll tag me.

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

Some snakes are pretty defensive inside their enclosures but will calm down once they're out. Hopefully your critter will grow out of this. I agree with tap training. That's just rubbing the animal with a snake hook before you reach into the enclosure to let them know it's not feeding time, and they're either about to be handled, or you're doing some cage maintenance. I do this with all of my snakes. I have a couple that I still have to remove from their enclosures anytime I'm changing water or spot cleaning because I know they'll tag me.

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Ohh that's what tap training is.

I've been doing that! lol

After the first time she nipped me I ordered a hook and just rub the hook along her body, but even then she still is defensive. She's nipped herself even like I've said in other posts, nothing bad but still, she doesn't like being touched even with the hook it seems.

First, if you have the snake in a tank then it needs to go into a tub that is 6-7" high. Tanks have high walls and in order to pick up the snake you have no choice but to come at it from overhead, which is very threatening to the snake.

Second, this video explains tap training and dealing with defensive snakes. While the snakes in the video are all much bigger than your ball python, the techniques for handling them are the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDjlg1njtfY

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

...whenever I enter my room and she pokes her head out, she always enters a defensive strike stance...

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Keep in mind that most snakes don't see very well. They see motion as either prey ("if it's small it might be edible?") or predator (if it's big & scary as you are to her).
Don't take it personal...she is not able to identify you visually, so she assumes the worst; she needs better info, ie. touch &/or scent, to know what's coming her way. ;)
"Tap" training is one way to use touch (from a distance so you don't get bit). Be patient, most snakes learn & get much calmer.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

First, if you have the snake in a tank then it needs to go into a tub that is 6-7" high. Tanks have high walls and in order to pick up the snake you have no choice but to come at it from overhead, which is very threatening to the snake.

Second, this video explains tap training and dealing with defensive snakes. While the snakes in the video are all much bigger than your ball python, the techniques for handling them are the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDjlg1njtfY

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I'm not willing to transfer her to a tub. I'm still going to be coming in from a top down angle and I don't feel comfortable transferring her to a tub in the house I'm living in, if she escapes, she's most likely going to never be found and I'm not willing to risk it.
I appreciate the advice regardless and the video does help! So thank you for sharing it!

If the new snake is sharing a room with your other snake I hope you properly quarantined... especially since the animal came from PetSmart

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

If the new snake is sharing a room with your other snake I hope you properly quarantined... especially since the animal came from PetSmart

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Oh don't worry I did. I got by other snake months later and she was properly quarantined in a 10 gal before I switched her over. Vet said she was in good health too.

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

I'm not willing to transfer her to a tub. I'm still going to be coming in from a top down angle and I don't feel comfortable transferring her to a tub in the house I'm living in, if she escapes, she's most likely going to never be found and I'm not willing to risk it.
I appreciate the advice regardless and the video does help! So thank you for sharing it!

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You used "I" or I'm" a few too many times in this post. If you want the snake to keep acting the way it is acting keep doing what you are doing. If you enjoy a constantly stressed out animal that you are afraid to clean it's cage out or handle it without a hook (its a ball python not a burmese or a reticulated python) then don't change anything.. Security is the main thing with these animals and it's gone over and over and over on here... Putting animals in enclosures that are too big breeds these type of issues. Might as well close this thread if you aren't willing to take the advice of the keepers you asked. The animal will only suffer in time because you will slack on your husbandry because you are afraid of getting bit.. Best of luck..

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

... other snake months later and she was properly quarantined in a 10 gal before I switched her over. Vet said she was in good health too.

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FYI- When a vet says a snake is in good health, they only mean as far as what is obvious. That doesn't mean there is no need to quarantine, because what snakes get sick & die from are all those tiny things that can't be seen. (germs!) Don't read too much into that reassurance. ;)

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Originally Posted by Moose84

You used "I" or I'm" a few too many times in this post. If you want the snake to keep acting the way it is acting keep doing what you are doing. If you enjoy a constantly stressed out animal that you are afraid to clean it's cage out or handle it without a hook (its a ball python not a burmese or a reticulated python) then don't change anything.. Security is the main thing with these animals and it's gone over and over and over on here... Putting animals in enclosures that are too big breeds these type of issues. Might as well close this thread if you aren't willing to take the advice of the keepers you asked. The animal will only suffer in time because you will slack on your husbandry because you are afraid of getting bit.. Best of luck..

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The enclosure she's in isn't even that big comparatively to what would be suggested to a tub size.

I never said I wasn't willing to take the advice from keepers. I'm saying in a realistic situation, I prefer her in a tank that's appropriate for her size, compared to a tub because of the household I am in and I believe she is safer in said tank than a tub. Just because she's not in a tub doesn't mean she's not thriving. She's a good eater and a puppy when I hold her.
No one likes getting bit but that doesn't stop me from cleaning her tank or changing her water, if it happens, it happens. So please don't assume I'm some 16 year old that'll neglect their pets because they don't want to get bit. I get up every single day and check on my noodle babies to see how they're doing.

For future reference, being condescending is only gonna make people do the opposite, so I'd recommend not ending your responses with several ellipses. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

FYI- When a vet says a snake is in good health, they only mean as far as what is obvious. That doesn't mean there is no need to quarantine, because what snakes get sick & die from are all those tiny things that can't be seen. (germs!) Don't read too much into that reassurance. ;)

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That's fair!

But I still made sure that she was in a clean bill of health before getting my other snake, and even then, I kept him in a separate room away from her to make sure he wasn't sick either. They're both thriving quite well!

FYI, I'm a "die-hard" lover of glass tanks for snakes, & I can't remember the last snake bite I got, & I've been keeping many snakes (all kinds) for a crazy number
of years. I do remove my 6' buzzard wings right before I "swoop in" to pick them up though...:rofl: (Let's all try to be a little more open-minded, eh?) ;)

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

Hi! First time posting so bear with me, I apologize if this isn't the right forum to post this in.

I've got a roughly 1 year and say, 4 months old ball python named Astrid, Normal Pastel.
When I first got her she was generally calm and everything, but I got her from a petsmart.
Since i've had her she's bitten me,and nipped herself quite a few times. Thankfully she hasn't hurt herself severely by doing that, but the issue obviously, is that whenever I enter my room and she pokes her head out, she always enters a defensive strike stance.
It's getting very difficult to swap out her water dish daily, even handling her because she's just so defensive and mean when in her tank, but when I get her out of it. She's generally okay.
But because she's getting more and more unpredictable, I'm having a hard time handling her.
Is there a reason why she's so mean? Is it something I'm doing wrong? Husbandry? Other snakes in the room? Is it just a personality thing that'll go away with age when years pass?

My other boy Bjorn is in the same room, and while he's significantly younger, he acts like a normal BP, hides his head when I get near. The usual.
Any advice is appreciated because I love my Astrid to death and it makes me sad that she's so defensive and nippy.

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I responded to this post and it says nothing about her being a "puppy" when you hold her it says "even handling her she is defensive and mean" and "I'm having a hard time handling her" and "she is unpredictable.." Doesn't sound like a puppy to me.. Im not being condescending either hahaha.. You are asking us if we think you are doing something wrong and if it involves your husbandry... We tell you a high walled tank is not the best environment to keep them in and you say "I'm not willing to change that.." What else do you want us to say? Yeah... "Just keep her in an environment known to cause these kind of issues?"

No one assumes you are a 16 year old not caring for the animal so i would challenge who is assuming what... Im not trying to be confrontational but you literally shut down the thread and advice twice now because you are afraid the snake will get out of a tub.. What more is there to say? It's pretty obvious the snake didn't do well when you upped the enclosure size.. What YOU think is appropriate isn't always the right thing... If it was you wouldn't be on the forum asking us how to calm a defensive animal that you are creating.. I would just be curious to ask what else we could say when the advice given was shut down by saying "I'm not willing to do that..."

I've used glass successfully for many years. That being said, it's important to be open minded to different ideas and solutions when we take on animals. We owe it to them to put their needs first.
I'm not saying a tub is the answer, since I believe the same can be accomplished using glass.

The positive feature about tubs vs glass, in regards to security which is the issue here, is that tubs are generally not transparent, or at least cloudy. This provides the animal with the security it craves.

The same can be accomplished using glass. Just simply use cardboard or something similar to "black out" the sides, back and top of the enclosure. Make sure there's at least two proper hides that are nice and snug and add plenty of clutter.

You can also eliminate stress by not going into the enclosure daily. If I recall correctly you said you change the water daily? No need. As long as clean water is available there's no need to change it daily. That's just overkill adding unneeded stress. I change mine every 3-4 depending on species and size of the water bowl. Just change it when you're going in the enclosure anyway. No need to open the enclosure just for a water change. Change it if you're taking the snake out or spit cleaning after a pee/poop.


Also, how long are you handling the snake when you do handle? And how often?

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

FYI, I'm a "die-hard" lover of glass tanks for snakes, & I can't remember the last snake bite I got, & I've been keeping many snakes (all kinds) for a crazy number
of years. I do remove my 6' buzzard wings right before I "swoop in" to pick them up though...:rofl: (Let's all try to be a little more open-minded, eh?) ;)

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I don't think anyone is trying to be narrow minded.. When you see this same post almost once a day and have experienced it yourself I think the whole cage/tub debate goes out the window.. I admire your PC nature Boge, but I also think its vague and leads to people believe they are doing the right thing when sometimes they aren't.. This place can quickly become an echo chamber for poor practices and diverting attention from the topic only re-enforces that..

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Originally Posted by Moose84

I don't think anyone is trying to be narrow minded.. When you see this same post almost once a day and have experienced it yourself I think the whole cage/tub debate goes out the window.. I admire your PC nature Boge, but I also think its vague and leads to people believe they are doing the right thing when sometimes they aren't.. This place can quickly become an echo chamber for poor practices and diverting attention from the topic only re-enforces that..

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I honestly don't think glass is the issue here. I've been using glass since I started out 20 years ago. I did take a break for a few years, but have about 15 years of experience keeping snakes in glass. I've never had an aggressive snake. I've had some nippy youngins who all outgrew it...in glass. So I don't think glass = aggression is accurate at all.
Snakes thrive in glass all over the world.

That being said, OP, you are all over the place with your replies. The thread is titled "SEVERELY NIPPY BP" yet now you're saying the snake is puppy dog tame???
I'm confused...:confusd:

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

I've used glass successfully for many years. That being said, it's important to be open minded to different ideas and solutions when we take on animals. We owe it to them to put their needs first.
I'm not saying a tub is the answer, since I believe the same can be accomplished using glass.

The positive feature about tubs vs glass, in regards to security which is the issue here, is that tubs are generally not transparent, or at least cloudy. This provides the animal with the security it craves.

The same can be accomplished using glass. Just simply use cardboard or something similar to "black out" the sides, back and top of the enclosure. Make sure there's at least two proper hides that are nice and snug and add plenty of clutter.

You can also eliminate stress by not going into the enclosure daily. If I recall correctly you said you change the water daily? No need. As long as clean water is available there's no need to change it daily. That's just overkill adding unneeded stress. I change mine every 3-4 depending on species and size of the water bowl. Just change it when you're going in the enclosure anyway. No need to open the enclosure just for a water change. Change it if you're taking the snake out or spit cleaning after a pee/poop.


Also, how long are you handling the snake when you do handle? And how often?

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One of the first things I've done was wall off the back and sides of the tank with dark paper(on the outside) made sure the top was covered at the appropriate amount for optimal humidity levels and made sure there was enough places she could hide around in. A lot of clutter. Things like that, when I swapped her over out of quarantine.

The only reason I change water daily is because I de-chlorinate it with reptisafe. So far I haven't really noticed a difference in between the snakes drinking it or not so I'm probably just gonna go back to regular old tap water. I change it every three days or so in that case if it's just regular old tap water, not de-chlorinated tap water.

As for handling, I handle her between 15 minutes to an hour. I usually sit down and watch a few youtube videos with her, let her roam about on my arms, the couch. She generally likes to try and make me take off my glasses when she scopes about my head. She's curious and generally likes to explore. I usually try to handle her every 3 days or so. I leave her alone for two days after I've fed her for obvious reasons.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

I honestly don't think glass is the issue here. I've been using glass since I started out 20 years ago. I did take a break for a few years, but have about 15 years of experience keeping snakes in glass. I've never had an aggressive snake. I've had some nippy youngins who all outgrew it...in glass. So I don't think glass = aggression is accurate at all.
Snakes thrive in glass all over the world.

That being said, OP, you are all over the place with your replies. The thread is titled "SEVERELY NIPPY BP" yet now you're saying the snake is puppy dog tame???
I'm confused...:confusd:

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I've said she's nippy in her tank when trying to take her out.

When I hold her, she's tame.
I was holding her earlier today before I fed her. her head wasn't out of her hide, went in, brushed the hook against her to let her know I was there, picked her up with the hook and used my other hand to fully pick her up. She was fine.

She's only severely nippy when her head is out of her hide. Example being, I walk in my room, her heads out of her hide. She see's me and gets into a defensive strike pose. Another being I'm going into my room to go to bed, she sticks her head out of her hide and rests it atop of it to watch me relax in bed.

One person said in the thread it might be a territorial thing. Possible, who knows! That's why I'm here asking. Sometimes she's severely nippy. Other times she's just a noodle in a glass tank.

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

One of the first things I've done was wall off the back and sides of the tank with dark paper(on the outside) made sure the top was covered at the appropriate amount for optimal humidity levels and made sure there was enough places she could hide around in. A lot of clutter. Things like that, when I swapped her over out of quarantine.

The only reason I change water daily is because I de-chlorinate it with reptisafe. So far I haven't really noticed a difference in between the snakes drinking it or not so I'm probably just gonna go back to regular old tap water. I change it every three days or so in that case.

As for handling, I handle her between 15 minutes to an hour. I usually sit down and watch a few youtube videos with her, let her roam about on my arms, the couch. She generally likes to try and make me take off my glasses when she scopes about my head. She's curious and exploitative. I usually try to handle her every 3 days or so. I leave her alone for two days after I've fed her for obvious reasons.

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Ok. It sounds to me like you're doing things right. You may just have an example of a BP who's a bit defensive and needs a little time and extra effort. But it's very uncommon for a BP to remain defensive into adulthood.
I think it's important to recognize the difference between defensive and aggressive. Defensive is common and easy to work with over time, and this behavior definitely sounds defensive and not aggressive.

As for the water...as long as your tap is safe for you to drink it's safe for them too. You can also leave water out for 24 hours to naturally dechlorinate it.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Ok. It sounds to me like you're doing things right. You may just have an example of a BP who's a bit defensive and needs a little time and extra effort. But it's very uncommon for a BP to remain defensive into adulthood.
I think it's important to recognize the difference between defensive and aggressive. Defensive is common and easy to work with over time, and this behavior definitely sounds defensive and not aggressive.

As for the water...as long as your tap is safe for you to drink it's safe for them too. You can also leave water out for 24 hours to naturally dechlorinate it.

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There's no naturally aggressive BPs as far as I'm concerned. Only defensive ones.;)
I got her Feb 9th 2018. The store said they had her for 4 months or so, so I'm estimating she's about a year and a half roughly, give or take. When does a BP be considered an 'adult' instead of a juvenile anymore? Is it when they're ready to breed or when the pass year 1? I'm feeling like this is a 'I'm a moody teen' stage for her.

I've felt that way about the water too but I've seen so many people say 'you gotta de-chlorinate your water! Iz bad for your reptiles!' I figured 'Why not? It's 8 bucks for the reptisafe, I'll try it'

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

There's no naturally aggressive BPs as far as I'm concerned. Only defensive ones.;)
I got her Feb 9th 2018. The store said they had her for 4 months or so, so I'm estimating she's about a year and a half roughly, give or take. When does a BP be considered an 'adult' instead of a juvenile anymore? Is it when they're ready to breed or when the pass year 1? I'm feeling like this is a 'I'm a moody teen' stage for her.

I've felt that way about the water too but I've seen so many people say 'you gotta de-chlorinate your water! Iz bad for your reptiles!' I figured 'Why not? It's 8 bucks for the reptisafe, I'll try it'

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Oh ok. I thought you'd had her only a few months. I must've misread something. But any which way, just be patient with her. I'm confident she'll come around. I honestly think going into the enclosure less often will help.

Going in with confidence goes a long way too. If you're displaying any signs of nervousness the snake can pick up on that and become nervous as a result.


And yeah, the water thing only applies if your water is unsafe for your consumption as well. Safe for you = safe for your snakes.
This is why I feel it's so important to cross reference information and learn from reliable sources. The internet is a fantastic learning too, but also a breeding ground for false information. So pick and choose who you learn from carefully.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Oh ok. I thought you'd had her only a few months. I must've misread something. But any which way, just be patient with her. I'm confident she'll come around. I honestly think going into the enclosure less often will help.

Going in with confidence goes a long way too. If you're displaying any signs of nervousness the snake can pick up on that and become nervous as a result.

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I'll cut back on going into the cage often and stop using the reptisafe to rectify that issue. In any event I appreciate the advice, thank you!

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

I'll cut back on going into the cage often and stop using the reptisafe to rectify that issue. In any event I appreciate the advice, thank you!

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I'm happy to help. Please keep us posted. Feel free to PM me anytime if you have questions.

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

I've said she's nippy in her tank when trying to take her out.

When I hold her, she's tame.
I was holding her earlier today before I fed her. her head wasn't out of her hide, went in, brushed the hook against her to let her know I was there, picked her up with the hook and used my other hand to fully pick her up. She was fine.

She's only severely nippy when her head is out of her hide. Example being, I walk in my room, her heads out of her hide. She see's me and gets into a defensive strike pose. Another being I'm going into my room to go to bed, she sticks her head out of her hide and rests it atop of it to watch me relax in bed.

One person said in the thread it might be a territorial thing. Possible, who knows! That's why I'm here asking. Sometimes she's severely nippy. Other times she's just a noodle in a glass tank.

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To be honest that sounds like she is in feeding mode rather than a defensive posture. tap training will take them out of both but maybe she is just ready for a step up in feeder size?

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

Some snakes are pretty defensive inside their enclosures but will calm down once they're out. Hopefully your critter will grow out of this. I agree with tap training. That's just rubbing the animal with a snake hook before you reach into the enclosure to let them know it's not feeding time, and they're either about to be handled, or you're doing some cage maintenance. I do this with all of my snakes. I have a couple that I still have to remove from their enclosures anytime I'm changing water or spot cleaning because I know they'll tag me.

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Thanks for explaining this. I have heard of tap training but no one ever said what is was. And I guess I didn't ask either. I just assumed it meant you tapped on the hide top before lifting it up so they knew it was me coming in to mess with them. Lol Hope I didn't just show how goofy I can be.:rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2

Thanks for explaining this. I have heard of tap training but no one ever said what is was. And I guess I didn't ask either. I just assumed it meant you tapped on the hide top before lifting it up so they knew it was me coming in to mess with them. Lol Hope I didn't just show how goofy I can be.:rolleye2:

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Up until recently I only had one snake I've had to tap train (my Borneo STP), but I tell you, once you and the animal have gotten the hang of it and can "communicate" that way it makes a world of difference.

I just recently added a Bredli Python and although she's only 35 grams and her bites are comical I've already started introducing her to a hook, just to teach her. She's definitely cage defensive, as expected, so I figure now's as good a time to start training as ever.

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Originally Posted by walzon1

Oh ok probably just defensive strikes no teeth. My boy doesn't like his cage being messed either he gets pissy. But I don't allow that anymore if they show attitude and then you hurry up and clean then walk a way it just makes them more empowered next time you show up, getting pissy means you hurry up and leave that's what they want. So even if changing water I ball him up set him aside change the water and put him back. Once you get them upset it's harder to calm them down and keep it from happening again. They should never be striking, if so I think you need to practice handling skills a little more, slow down take your time. Figure out why or how your pushing her buttons and try not to do it again.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

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This seems a lot more like dog training experience than dealing with snakes. I don’t think it’s wise to try and show your snake who’s boss. I had inadvertently tap trained my little BP before I knew what tap training was. It’s just like a quick hey I’m here hello don’t eat me I’m not food.

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Originally Posted by DandD

This seems a lot more like dog training experience than dealing with snakes. I don’t think it’s wise to try and show your snake who’s boss. I had inadvertently tap trained my little BP before I knew what tap training was. It’s just like a quick hey I’m here hello don’t eat me I’m not food.

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No sure how you got show your snake who's boss out of my post? Moving your snake to clean is easier than trying to avoid being tagged.

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I started this thread to help people with hook training.

I hope this helps.

I agree that hook training snaps snakes out of food mode and defensive mode.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...=hook+training

I love glass tanks so I buy the exo terra tanks. The front opens and u can come in from the front instead of the top. Problem solved

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Originally Posted by dr del

To be honest that sounds like she is in feeding mode rather than a defensive posture. tap training will take them out of both but maybe she is just ready for a step up in feeder size?

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She's on medium mice at the moment and for her size, they're inline with her body weight. She just broke 400 grams or so around October. I plan on ordering rats but she's a petsmart snake so I'm not sure how well she'll adjust. I'll probably get a rat pup from my local mom and pop pet store nearby to see how she handles it.

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Originally Posted by Danger noodles

I love glass tanks so I buy the exo terra tanks. The front opens and u can come in from the front instead of the top. Problem solved

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I'd LOVE to get an exo terra front opening tank. I think it would be just perfect for her but they are quite expensive! Just a regular 20 gal I got for my Pharoh boy Bjorn cost 80 bucks.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Going in with confidence goes a long way too. If you're displaying any signs of nervousness the snake can pick up on that and become nervous as a result.

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I totally believe that. I think they can absolutely sense fear. I have seen this demonstrated in pet stores when employee's are afraid to handle and the snake would be striking at them and I would just reach in and they would go like "what the h..." cause I wasn't afraid of the bite. I mean a baby ball python come on. I don't think I've been nipped at except on one or two occasions.

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

I've said she's nippy in her tank when trying to take her out.
When I hold her, she's tame.
I was holding her earlier today before I fed her. her head wasn't out of her hide, went in, brushed the hook against her to let her know I was there, picked her up with the hook and used my other hand to fully pick her up. She was fine.

She's only severely nippy when her head is out of her hide. Example being, I walk in my room, her heads out of her hide. She see's me and gets into a defensive strike pose. Another being I'm going into my room to go to bed, she sticks her head out of her hide and rests it atop of it to watch me relax in bed.

One person said in the thread it might be a territorial thing. Possible, who knows! That's why I'm here asking. Sometimes she's severely nippy. Other times she's just a noodle in a glass tank.

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Definitely a female snake then.:P

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

She's on medium mice at the moment and for her size, they're inline with her body weight. She just broke 400 grams or so around October. I plan on ordering rats but she's a petsmart snake so I'm not sure how well she'll adjust. I'll probably get a rat pup from my local mom and pop pet store nearby to see how she handles it.

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Knowing that the snake is being underfed is definitely contributing to her being "Severely Nippy." A medium mouse is at most 13-15 grams.. That snake at 400+ grams should be on minimum rat pups/weaned rat closer to 30-35 grams.. In no way is a medium mouse inline with her bodyweight.. I would try an appropriate sized meal for a few weeks and she will probably calm down. That is typically when they start growing OUT of their nippy behavior not going into it..

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Originally Posted by Moose84

Knowing that the snake is being underfed is definitely contributing to her being "Severely Nippy." A medium mouse is at most 13-15 grams.. That snake at 400+ grams should be on minimum rat pups/weaned rat closer to 30-35 grams.. In no way is a medium mouse inline with her bodyweight.. I would try an appropriate sized meal for a few weeks and she will probably calm down. That is typically when they start growing OUT of their nippy behavior not going into it..

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The medium mouse is as big as her largest part of her body. I'm not saying I'm not going to take your advice, but again, using several ellipses appears condescending and it making me not want to trust you, regardless if your info is good or not.

If someone else pipes up and says "Yeah they should probably be on pups by now" despite her literally just breaking 400 grams a few weeks ago. I'll go to my local pet shop and grab a few rat pups to see how she'll handle them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

The medium mouse is as big as her largest part of her body. I'm not saying I'm not going to take your advice, but again, using several ellipses appears condescending and it making me not want to trust you, regardless if your info is good or not.

If someone else pipes up and says "Yeah they should probably be on pups by now" despite her literally just breaking 400 grams a few weeks ago. I'll go to my local pet shop and grab a few rat pups to see how she'll handle them.

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I am going to try and not use as many periods. And if you don't trust me and need someone else to pipe up that's fine too. I have multiple snakes currently at that weight or even a bit smaller and all of them take pups. Sorry I am not like others who sugar coat things and would rather talk about which type of exo-terra tank to use while the owner of the animal is stating that they underfeed it. The fact that i use "ellipses" is maybe just the way my brain puts things onto a forum of discussion. You have to understand this stuff is glaring to me and I want to help you and the animal. I'm not really sure of any other way I could have put that. I would also tell you that by saying "you aren't willing to make certain changes.." on this forum people who have knowledge and understanding will often ignore you and you will continue to use this forum as an echo chamber to make yourself feel better about improperly caring for the animal.

I didn't write this just a heads up... https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ing-Guidelines

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

Hi! First time posting so bear with me, I apologize if this isn't the right forum to post this in.

I've got a roughly 1 year and say, 4 months old ball python named Astrid, Normal Pastel.
When I first got her she was generally calm and everything, but I got her from a petsmart.
Since i've had her she's bitten me,and nipped herself quite a few times. Thankfully she hasn't hurt herself severely by doing that, but the issue obviously, is that whenever I enter my room and she pokes her head out, she always enters a defensive strike stance.
It's getting very difficult to swap out her water dish daily, even handling her because she's just so defensive and mean when in her tank, but when I get her out of it. She's generally okay.
But because she's getting more and more unpredictable, I'm having a hard time handling her.
Is there a reason why she's so mean? Is it something I'm doing wrong? Husbandry? Other snakes in the room? Is it just a personality thing that'll go away with age when years pass?

My other boy Bjorn is in the same room, and while he's significantly younger, he acts like a normal BP, hides his head when I get near. The usual.
Any advice is appreciated because I love my Astrid to death and it makes me sad that she's so defensive and nippy.

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This female is 16 months old and weighs 400 grams? Once again I am trying to help you out. The smallest female I have at around that age is in excess of 900 grams and I don't powerfeed my animals. If I could make a suggestion with all good intentions? Maybe have a little bit of humility here and realize that something isn't right with the way you are keeping the animal. I am passionate about this species and have spent countless hours with animals from 55 grams to breeding females and for you to tell me that at 400 grams and 16 months old in a female ball python that a medium mouse is as big around as the widest part of her body it is laughable when I just fed off rat pups days ago to animals at 250 grams. Once again, I think continuing to educate yourself on their proper care and being less defensive on constructive criticism will go a long way for both you and the animal. So, to kind of close things out knowing what we all know now that snake is probably hungry and that is a main factor in why the animal is being so defensive.

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Originally Posted by Moose84

This female is 16 months old and weighs 400 grams? Once again I am trying to help you out. The smallest female I have at around that age is in excess of 900 grams and I don't powerfeed my animals. If I could make a suggestion with all good intentions? Maybe have a little bit of humility here and realize that something isn't right with the way you are keeping the animal. I am passionate about this species and have spent countless hours with animals from 55 grams to breeding females and for you to tell me that at 400 grams and 16 months old in a female ball python that a medium mouse is as big around as the widest part of her body it is laughable when I just fed off rat pups days ago to animals at 250 grams. Once again, I think continuing to educate yourself on their proper care and being less defensive on constructive criticism will go a long way for both you and the animal. So, to kind of close things out knowing what we all know now that snake is probably hungry and that is a main factor in why the animal is being so defensive.

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Of the things I've researched and vary opinions, having a year old ball python seems normal in line between 250 grams and 500 grams. Obviously she's a little older so she could be putting on some more weight, but again, I got her from a petsmart where the feeding charts they gave me were inconsistent with what she was supposedly eating. She was like 170 grams when I got her back in Feb. On the thin side but no where near starving. Her spine was triangle shaped back then and now it's rounded out quite well since I've bulked her up.
I've gotten opinions throughout all sorts of subreddits and forums. I've even asked breeders in youtube comments. "Is she at an okay weight for her size?"
Most if not all of them have said "Yeah she's at a healthy weight, not overly obese or underweight."

This ain't about 'having humility' I've been more than willing to listen to people, and the other responses that I've gotten here I've taken into consideration and stride. I can perfectly disagree with how things should be done with some people too, like I have with you.
I'm more than willing to continue learning, but when you have so many varying opinions on how reptiles should be kept, especially in this community, being told you're wrong when you're doing exactly what other people are doing, (An example being 'Tub vs glass tank' garbage that people love to argue about. Another is a breeder I saw at a reptile show had one year old BPs that were still in small size, and they were fed live but still looked like a hatchling but were perfectly healthy looking.) is going to obviously make people upset, because then you come across as snooty when they're doing things that other breeders and keepers are doing. Each snake is different and just because your ball python is 900 grams at one year, doesn't mean mine has to be as well. Should she be heavier? Probably, and I plan on getting her bulkier because she's closing in on year two now since she's apparently 16 months, because again, I've had to estimate on her birth and how long the store had her for from feeding records until I got her. So in short, I'm planning on improvements with her feeding situation. Her enclosure is perfectly fine the way it is and in no way am I devolving into an 'echo chamber' when you have thousands of opinions of breeders and keepers contradicting one another, I'm taking in as much information as humanly possible.

I just read back through this thread. I thought I might have missed something but it is now clear to me I haven't. Three things and I will be done as I don't want any trouble from the admins..

1.) I'm not the first person that mentioned to you that the prey was too small.

2.) Please don't take it out on the animal if the behavior continues because you clearly believe you are doing everything right.

3.) I might use too many periods but myself and many others have your animals best interest in mind. It is very clear reading back through this I offended you when talking about tank size and that's not something you are willing to change. It was glaring to me and others that you are underfeeding the animal. I can only say what I see based off of experiencing and keeping multiple animals. You have been keeping this species for 9 months and you are starting to see the shortcomings of your care.

Best of luck sir/mam..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

Of the things I've researched and vary opinions, having a year old ball python seems normal in line between 250 grams and 500 grams. Obviously she's a little older so she could be putting on some more weight, but again, I got her from a petsmart where the feeding charts they gave me were inconsistent with what she was supposedly eating. She was like 170 grams when I got her back in Feb. On the thin side but no where near starving. Her spine was triangle shaped back then and now it's rounded out quite well since I've bulked her up.
I've gotten opinions throughout all sorts of subreddits and forums. I've even asked breeders in youtube comments. "Is she at an okay weight for her size?"
Most if not all of them have said "Yeah she's at a healthy weight, not overly obese or underweight."

This ain't about 'having humility' I've been more than willing to listen to people, and the other responses that I've gotten here I've taken into consideration and stride. I can perfectly disagree with how things should be done with some people too, like I have with you.
I'm more than willing to continue learning, but when you have so many varying opinions on how reptiles should be kept, especially in this community, being told you're wrong when you're doing exactly what other people are doing, (An example being 'Tub vs glass tank' garbage that people love to argue about. Another is a breeder I saw at a reptile show had one year old BPs that were still in small size, and they were fed live but still looked like a hatchling but were perfectly healthy looking.) is going to obviously make people upset, because then you come across as snooty when they're doing things that other breeders and keepers are doing. Each snake is different and just because your ball python is 900 grams at one year, doesn't mean mine has to be as well. Should she be heavier? Probably, and I plan on getting her bulkier because she's closing in on year two now since she's apparently 16 months, because again, I've had to estimate on her birth and how long the store had her for from feeding records until I got her. So in short, I'm planning on improvements with her feeding situation. Her enclosure is perfectly fine the way it is and in no way am I devolving into an 'echo chamber' when you have thousands of opinions of breeders and keepers contradicting one another, I'm taking in as much information as humanly possible.

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Honestly I've been on and off this forum for awhile and while I disagree with attacking behavior of some members but they don't offer bad advice. Think of it as overly passionate for the care of animals. Simply what you were told was wrong. These members know what they are talking about. I've had a veterian tell me my 400g male should be fed pinkies. A lot of bad advice out there. Try not to take it personal and stick to this forum to learn. Your BP is severely under weight for it's age. My male is 400g and only 7 months BTW and I feel like he is under fed and should weigh more. Breeders are usually around 600g at 7-8 months so.....

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RedDemon5419

The medium mouse is as big as her largest part of her body. I'm not saying I'm not going to take your advice, but again, using several ellipses appears condescending and it making me not want to trust you, regardless if your info is good or not.

If someone else pipes up and says "Yeah they should probably be on pups by now" despite her literally just breaking 400 grams a few weeks ago. I'll go to my local pet shop and grab a few rat pups to see how she'll handle them.

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Medium mice are way too small. I've attached a link to a very well trusted feeding chart.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ing-Guidelines

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Originally Posted by walzon1

Honestly I've been on and off this forum for awhile and while I disagree with attacking behavior of some members but they don't offer bad advice. Think of it as overly passionate for the care of animals. Simply what you were told was wrong. These members know what they are talking about. I've had a veterian tell me my 400g male should be fed pinkies. A lot of bad advice out there. Try not to take it personal and stick to this forum to learn. Your BP is severely under weight for it's age. My male is 400g and only 7 months BTW and I feel like he is under fed and should weigh more. Breeders are usually around 600g at 7-8 months so.....

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

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Well as I've said, I'm always willing learn more and I definitely plan on upping her meal size. Being passionate I understand, but there's also being passionate and being mean. Being passionate doesn't justify being mean.

In any event I will keep things updated with her and her weight.