snake finally coming out

Hey there guys new snake owner here i was just wondering my snake has been hiding for about 3 months now she finally eat about 1 week ago but tru up her food. she is now coming out when i am doing stuff in her tank and getting close to me i have not held her yet or let he smell me cus i am worried. last time i tried she went to bite me. she was very friendly before i bought her so i was wondering should i let her smell me and worst case take the bite or should i give her some more time now that she is finally moving around.

It would help to know what kind of enclosure your snake is in. Most hungry snakes, when kept in a glass tank (or in an enclosure where they're looking out from behind plexi), will "chase" (aka "follow") the motion of anyone nearby when they're hungry.

If I had to guess, I'd say that's what is going on here. Your snake is feeling hungry, & just following your motion- they don't recognize us just using vision- they recognize us when we give them our scent & touch, & if you do that the wrong way (& with a hungry snake), that's likely to get you nipped.

It's too soon (only one week after your snake threw up her meal) to feed OR handle her- let her rest for at least another week before trying again with a very small meal. Do NOT handle her right now, and do not handle her before you try again to feed her in a week or so...feeding is WAY more important for her health- actually, for her very survival-(as I recall, you said she hadn't eaten in 3 months since you've had this snake???).

Handling can wait. Feeding properly is "job one".

okay perfect no rush to hold her i care about her first so you thin wait about 1-2 weeks before i feed

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

okay perfect no rush to hold her i care about her first so you thin wait about 1-2 weeks before i feed

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Yes, & feed smaller than you did before & smaller than what she'd normally eat- to make SURE she can digest it. I'm not kidding- snakes can actually die if they regurgitate several meals in a row- it's important- essential!- that she keeps the next meal down. If she does, I still wouldn't handle her until she has a couple more meals eaten & digested.

Keep the meals small for a while- this is to make sure she's okay (able to digest) & not actually sick. After a snake throws up a meal, it takes time for them to replenish their digestive enzymes- especially if they're chronically underfed already- & from what you said, this is likely the case.

okay i fed a frozen wean last time so maybe i will try a live rat and smaller then wean

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

okay i fed a frozen wean last time so maybe i will try a live rat and smaller then wean

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No- that's not sounding right. Can you post pics of this snake, next to something like a ruler for size comparison?

These are small snakes that normally do NOT eat rats, at all. If you fed her something too big, THAT could have caused a regurgitation.

Also, spotted pythons generally PREFER f/t (frozen-thawed, or pre-killed) prey, not live. It's important that a weakened, underfed snake is fed the right thing & the right way- if you want her to live???

she is back into hiding but i got this pick a little bit ago. she had about 2-3 inch of her body in the hideout. the bowl she is on is 10" long

file:///C:/Users/lukac/OneDrive/Pictures/20220915_235251.jpg

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

she is back into hiding but i got this pick a little bit ago. she had about 2-3 inch of her body in the hideout

file:///C:/Users/lukac/OneDrive/Pictures/20220915_235251.jpg

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How to post pics on this forum: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures

There we go had to get the apphttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0befca96e2.jpg

Sent from my SM-G998W using Tapatalk

Now some size reference would be nice...;)

will try when i can but the bowl is 10" long so if i had to say she is about 15 inch

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

will try when i can but the bowl is 10" long so if i had to say she is about 15 inch

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So now you need to define (show?) what you are talking about with rodent sizes. You do know that rats & mice are different species? & they come in many sizes, but most spotted pythons are not raised on pinky rats because pinky rats are too big for hatchling spotted pythons- they can only manage pinky MICE. Your snake, if 15" now, can best manage fuzzy (eyes closed) mice or pinky rat, but not a "weaned rat". I'm just trying to help, but your posts have been very confusing.

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

Hey there guys new snake owner here i was just wondering my snake has been hiding for about 3 months now she finally eat about 1 week ago but tru up her food. she is now coming out when i am doing stuff in her tank and getting close to me i have not held her yet or let he smell me cus i am worried. last time i tried she went to bite me. she was very friendly before i bought her so i was wondering should i let her smell me and worst case take the bite or should i give her some more time now that she is finally moving around.

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You should hold off on handling until your spotted python is eating. When you do handle your snake, you'll want to avoid stressing her out and getting bit. To avoid stressing your snake out, I advise you to use choice-based handling approach. Lori Torrini has a great instruction video here. Choice-base handling reduces the stress of handling by allowing your snake to choose whether and to what extent it's handled. This is particularly important for you because stressing your snake will reduce the likelihood that she'll eat.

To avoid getting bitten while working in the enclosure, I advise wearing gloves. Your snake will react to the warmth and movement of your hands. Wearing gloves keeps you from triggering her predatory behavior. I have a Children's python. I used to ball up my fist and let him sniff me before working in his enclosure. That worked pretty well, but I had to do it over and over again every time I put my hand in. Other times, I thought it was safe because I didn't see him only to have him strike from nowhere. Wearing gloves is simpler.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

You should hold off on handling until your spotted python is eating. When you do handle your snake, you'll want to avoid stressing her out and getting bit. To avoid stressing your snake out, I advise you to use choice-based handling approach. Lori Torrini has a great instruction video here. Choice-base handling reduces the stress of handling by allowing your snake to choose whether and to what extent it's handled. This is particularly important for you because stressing your snake will reduce the likelihood that she'll eat.

To avoid getting bitten while working in the enclosure, I advise wearing gloves. Your snake will react to the warmth and movement of your hands. Wearing gloves keeps you from triggering her predatory behavior. I have a Children's python. I used to ball up my fist and let him sniff me before working in his enclosure. That worked pretty well, but I had to do it over and over again every time I put my hand in. Other times, I thought it was safe because I didn't see him only to have him strike from nowhere. Wearing gloves is simpler.

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I've never been a fan of wearing gloves, for 2 reasons: (But to anyone reading this- By all means, do what you feel comfortable with & what works best for you.)

For one thing, the thickness of the gloves (assuming they're thick enough to protect your hands from snake teeth) means you lack sensitivity when handling a delicate snake. You can easily use too much force, or not enough grip. To me, gloves are awkward.

For another, the snake never learns your scent, & may still want to bite you whenever it comes across your warm bare skin. Personally, I've never had a problem with my Spotted python biting me. Mine's also a female with a great "never-ending" appetite. But she quickly learned my scent & touch- with many snakes, I prefer to blow air across my hand, in their direction (like thru the screen, or from enough distance) before approaching too close & picking them up; in this way, they're reassured who & what is coming, & also know it's not food. Normally when a snake is thinking "Food?" & they catch my scent, they quickly catch on & quickly back down. Then when I go to pick them up, I gently touch them mid-body since they recognize my touch also- this reinforces the "scent" introduction. Naturally, I watch their reaction closely at each step, to make sure nothing needs repeated- bites are very rare for me, because I "communicate" in ways my snakes understand- scent & touch.

Always remember- most snakes do not positively recognize us visually (using their vision alone)- they NEED these other cues. And if you forget, most will "remind" you...:D It's common for snakes to chase our motion when they're in their enclosures & we move nearby. They're thinking "Prey incoming? Or predator?" They're NOT thinking "Oh, hey, there's my vertical buddy, coming to hang out with me!" :rofl: That's because they're only going by vision. If you can manage to remember what your snake is actually thinking, & then communicate​ the information he needs, I think nearly all bites are avoidable. ;)

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One more thing- with a spotted python, just as with a ball python- they have heat-sensing pits- so that's another thing they use besides vision. To put it in their terms, "If it's warm and wiggling, it might be food!" It's up to US to make sure they "get" our scent & our touch. If you're wearing gloves all the time, that hides both your scent AND your body-warmth, so that's another reason your snake may not learn to recognize you as well, & may instead just nip whenever "warmth + motion" is present. And since snakes don't logically know that all of our "moving parts" are part of the same creature, they might not bite your gloved hand, but someday when you least expect it & when you lean too close, they might think your nose looks "do-able"! :rofl: Or your foot: One time, I was relaxing with a snake on my lap- one with heat-sensing pits- & when I uncrossed & moved my feet around for comfort, that snake started to go after my FOOT! I had a hand partly under the snake though, & quickly refocused their attention so I got no bite, but I share that as an example of how snakes think- or don't. :rolleyes: Try to see things as they do- that's how to avoid bites. :cool:

hey ya sorry i will try to get a pic but i usually just ask for a weaned rat and its white and black. The only reason i feed her that kind is because the previous owner said she fed her that and that the snake is very picky and only eats weaned

ya i am in no rush to hold her at all i wanna make sure she is comfortable first before anything els. i just asked cus i wanted to make sure me constantly avoiding her was not putting her on edge

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

hey ya sorry i will try to get a pic but i usually just ask for a weaned rat and its white and black. The only reason i feed her that kind is because the previous owner said she fed her that and that the snake is very picky and only eats weaned

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Weaned means that "eyes are open & eating solid food, not just nursing" which sounds like it's too big for your 15" snake to eat even IF it's a mouse* & NOT a "rat"!

And when either a young rat or mouse is "black & white", that means their fur is in- so yes, a weaned RAT is MUCH TOO BIG for your 15" snake. (Are you SERIOUS?)

If your poor snake is hungry enough to somehow choke that down, that's why she threw up last time- that is HARMFUL to your snake. DO NOT FEED such large things to a small snake. If your snake is truly 15" (& there's no way I can tell from that photo) she should be eating MICE- either fuzzies or very small hopper, and nothing that is wider than her mid-body- preferably less than.

like i said i am just going off of what the previous owner told me

so when should i try feeding her again and you are saying to get a fuzzy mouse

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

so when should i try feeding her again and you are saying to get a hopper mouse

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Actually I didn't say "get a hopper mouse"- a small hopper mouse is the largest furred ("black & white") rodent that your snake, at 15" in length, should be offered, but even that's too big right now. (btw, a hopper mouse is a weaned mouse, not a rat)

AND NOT NEXT FEEDING- get her a fuzzy mouse (eyes closed, not weaned yet) if she'll eat mice? OR a rat pinkie (naked, eyes closed) if she really has been fed rats, which I highly doubt- no offense.

As I said before, she threw up her last meal- her stomach needs time to rest & regenerate (make more) digestive enzymes. Like when you're sick & have stomach flu, you don't start eating big meals right away, do you? (hoping not-:rolleyes:) So she needs a much smaller meal that is EASY to digest in another week or so- see IF she keeps it down & digests it. What happens with the next feeding will tell us where you go from there. Got it? Her survival depends on what you do, how well you follow directions- I mean that sincerely.

okay i will get her a fuzzy but i also want you to understand that this is my first snake and you are very aggressive with how you type i get you care about the snake and so do i but the way you type makes me wanna just go to another forum. she trew up Saturday so i will try again on Sunday

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

so when should i try feeding her again and you are saying to get a fuzzy mouse

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The general rule of thumb is to feed your snake a mouse that is no wider than the widest part of your snake's body. My Children's python, which is closely related to the spotted python, takes a hopper and a pinkie weekly, but he's close to 36 inches long and weighs over 162 grams. So, while a hopper might be appropriate eventually, while your snake is recovering from a regurgitation, you'll want to go smaller (fuzzy or pinkie).

I don't mean to lose patience but you don't listen well & it's frustrating to keep repeating things. I know it's your first snake, but you don't seem to understand the directions. Also, you don't always answer the questions I've asked in trying to help you- & I'm not sure you understand the difference between rats & mice- not everyone does.

Like this:

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

...she trew up Saturday so i will try again on Sunday

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I've already explained more than once that when a snake throws up, you need to wait longer before feeding again- about 2 or 3 WEEKS. Otherwise they'll just throw up again & they can die from that- I'm serious. I don't think you want that- I sure don't.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Yes, & feed smaller than you did before & smaller than what she'd normally eat- to make SURE she can digest it. I'm not kidding- snakes can actually die if they regurgitate several meals in a row- it's important- essential!- that she keeps the next meal down. If she does, I still wouldn't handle her until she has a couple more meals eaten & digested.

Keep the meals small for a while- this is to make sure she's okay (able to digest) & not actually sick. After a snake throws up a meal, it takes time for them to replenish their digestive enzymes- especially if they're chronically underfed already- & from what you said, this is likely the case.

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well as you can see here i asked if i should wait 1-2 weeks and you said yes so it will be 1 week soon

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

well as you can see here i asked if i should wait 1-2 weeks and you said yes so it will be 1 week soon

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Wait at least 2 weeks after a snake has thrown up, & waiting 3 weeks is preferable- their stomach needs time to recover & produce digestive enzymes lost when they threw up.

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

like i said i am just going off of what the previous owner told me

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But yet you're here, asking for help, & not getting help from the previous owner. Hint, sometimes people are not honest that sell things- to make a sale, they tell you whatever you want to hear. Now & then, they're selling an animal that they haven't even kept for long- ie. they're "flipping it" for a friend, or maybe it was even stolen. It's been known to happen. It's also possible that in the stress of the moment (buying a pet) you misunderstood them. It doesn't matter now.

The bottom line is we're trying our level best to help you, but to do that, we need accurate information about your snake (it's size & the size of prey you're trying to feed it) and the conditions it's being kept under. (ie. temperatures, available hides, type of cage, handling, etc.)

It doesn't matter what the previous owner told you at this point. You cannot expect our answers to be of much help if you can't bother to provide the information we need to get you on the right track with this snake. Who do you think is more trustworthy? Someone you made a one-time purchase from for $, & that isn't helping you now, or people on a forum that just try to help others -for free- because they love & care about snakes?

You have one more option, & that is to pay an exotic vet to find out why your snake threw up it's meal. https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661
If I was sure that your snake is sick, that would be my first suggestion (to see a vet) but vets deal with medical issues, & your snake may simply have a husbandry issue- & that's our specialty here. That's what I've been trying to help you figure out.

And if it seems like I've been pushing you for answers, that's because in a previous thread you said this snake hasn't eaten at all for 3 months- & you've only fed it once since you've had it but it threw that up- so IF this snake is actually only about a year old (as you guessed) & IF it's only about 15" long (as you guessed) then it's possibly in very poor shape- nutritionally speaking. As in starving...so I've been trying to tell you that your snake needs you to get this right, or it might not make it. OK? This snake might just need proper feeding, but it also might be sick. Getting the feeding right will help diagnose the issue.

so i got her out of her hide and got a good measurement on her she is defiantly around 35"

35" is very different from 15". This is why accurate information is needed when we ask about your animal.

Homebody had mentioned their snake eating a hopper at a similar size. As Bogertophis mentioned, a hopper is a weaned mouse.

That being said... please do not try to feed your snake a hopper yet. I would try the fuzzy mouse for a week or two just to make sure that your snake can indeed digest it without issues. After eating a couple of fuzzies, then you can consider moving up in size to hopper mice.

If you are concerned about the snake only eating rats (I would honestly keep to mice as Boger and Homebody had) you want to try a rat pinky first. And if your snake is eating well... you will need to feed a small to medium sized FUZZY rat. Not a weaned rat or rat pup. They will be far too large.

A fuzzy mouse is 6 grams. A hopper/weaned mouse is around 12 grams at most.

If you were indeed feeding weaned rats, those are 45grams and still far too much for your snake to handle.

okay sounds good its been about 15 days sins she threw it up so i will try a fuzzy mouse today

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

okay sounds good its been about 15 days sins she threw it up so i will try a fuzzy mouse today

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how'd it go?

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Originally Posted by blisterbeetle

how'd it go?

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so far so good she eat it right away have not noticed nothing yet

So she eat the first one no problem I fed her on Friday a smaller fuzzy about half the size of my pinky finger and she regergated again

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

So she eat the first one no problem I fed her on Friday a smaller fuzzy about half the size of my pinky finger and she regergated again

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Just to be clear, your spotted python ate a fuzzy mouse on September 26th without regurgitating. Then, at her next feeding, last Friday, October 7th, you fed her another fuzzy mouse which she did regurgitate. Is that correct?

You should give a detailed description of your enclosure and the temperatures. Temperature is very important for snakes. If your enclosure is too cold, your snake can not digest its food and has to throw up so that the food doesn't rot in its stomach and kill it.

What are the temperatures in your snake's enclosure?

Does it have one side that is warmer than the other?

How do you measure the temperatures in your enclosure? Tell us the device brand and model if you can and post pictures.

How do you heat the enclosure?

What is the humidity in the tank?

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

So she eat the first one no problem I fed her on Friday a smaller fuzzy about half the size of my pinky finger and she regergated again

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I'm sorry to hear this, & I hope you don't wait to address this- please understand that repeated regurgitation can actually kill a snake- it's crucial that you pay attention to what we're trying to tell you- this might be fixable if your husbandry* is lacking something (*her care- including temperatures, handling, housing etc.), but she also might truly be sick & need vet care.

Yes that is correct

I have explained it a few tims in this forum her hideout temp is set to 88f and humidity is always around 50% she has a dampn hideout Aswell I change water Evey 2-3days. She is very active still and is always curious she seems to have no problem with taking the food anymore like she used to in the first few months but now it just holding it down.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

Just to be clear, your spotted python ate a fuzzy mouse on September 26th without regurgitating. Then, at her next feeding, last Friday, October 7th, you fed her another fuzzy mouse which she did regurgitate. Is that correct?

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Correct

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Originally Posted by Cerberrus

I have explained it a few tims in this forum her hideout temp is set to 88f and humidity is always around 50% she has a dampn hideout Aswell I change water Evey 2-3days. She is very active still and is always curious she seems to have no problem with taking the food anymore like she used to in the first few months but now it just holding it down.

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88 F is still a little cool. On your previous thread, Boger advised you to bump it up to 90 F. I reiterate that advice. That said, I think it's time you took her to a vet. We have advised you on how to address the most common causes of regurgitation: feeders that are too large or improperly prepared, and stress from handling. If you've been following that advice, then I think it's time to investigate a medical cause. I'm glad to hear that she's still active and curious. That's a good sign. But by my count, your spotted has eaten one fuzzy mouse in the last four months and regurgitated 2 of her last three meals. Let an expert have a look at her while she's still strong and before she takes a turn for the worse.

I wonder if the reptile is harboring endoparasites ( cryptosporidium) that typically cause regurgitation. The animal needs reptile vet exam and diagnostics. Examine the reptiles belly for swelling because that is another clue to possibly infectious process. Hoping it’s not that at all.