Im pretty sure that my python is going to bite me

Hello again, Ive been letting my snake chill for 5 days now, and everytime I reach my hand in the tank, it coils up in a offensive position, and it follows my hands everywhere. Im pretty sure if I put my hand closer to her it will bite me. Why does this snake hate me so bad???

She doesn't hate you...she's scared of you. First off...give her more time to settle in. A week is usually an accepted minimum...some nervous snakes need more time than that.


Second off...what kinds of hides does she have available to her? Of course you'll have to reach into the tank periodically to change/provide water for her, and clean out any feces or urates she may leave....but she should be completely tucked away in her hides at this time. She shouldn't be seeing you reach in at all.

You'll have to resist the urge to lift her hides to peek at her...and resist the urge to mess around in her enclosure at all if she's out and about.

You might seriously consider the "newspaper trick" to help calm her down and get her used to her new home. Basically, you crumple up sheets of newspaper (not wadded into tight balls, but crumpled into big ones) and completely fill her enclosure with them. Leave them in there with her until she is feeding regularly...then gradually reduce the number of papers in there until eventually they are all gone. (This can take weeks to do properly.) And again, you don't mess around in her home at all, except to water and spot clean.

I have one large half log that shes in most of the time, which is in the cooler side. Ill give her some more time to settle in, then Ill give the newspaper trick a try. Ill be sure to change the water when she is hiding. Ill give this a try then ill post back to y'all thanks alot, I really wasnt looking foward to getting bitten by her.

If you only have the one half log hide, then insecurity may be an issue. You want two identical, small, dark, hides. I don't like those half logs as a hide. I had 2 of them when I started off, but tossed them to the side pretty quickly. Best of luck not getting bitten. ;)

Cool, what are you using? I really dont think that I can afford the space, Its a 43 gal tank, with a pretty big half log, and a large water dish. How small of a hide can a 4 1/2 snake fit into?

Is your snake an WC adult?

What about shoebox size rubbermaid?

I'm using a 9 x 13 gladware thing. It's black and only 2" high. So far, she loves it. I'll see if I can snap a pic.

Here ya go.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...6/9/dlhide.jpg

The best hides i have found for all snakes depending on size are the dishes they sell for putting under your potted plants. Just get 2 the same size that will allow your snake to have a snug curlup in. As they get older and bigger and they out grow those kind of hides, I use cheap plastic small cat litter trays. These hides will cost you any where from 20 cents each to 2 dollars.

I have found that whether you use a tank or a tub that the K.I.S.S. principle works. (KISS= Keep It Simple Stupid) You dont need all the fancy things, all your snake wants is a warm place he or she feels safe in and an equal cool place, water to drink or soak at its leisure, and food.

As to being bit, I will say to you the same thing I told my 7 yrold son this last week. It doesnt matter how careful you are ( though it does help) If your snake feels at all the need to it will bite you. And as far as im concerned if it bites it bites and i get on with it. A BP bite isnt that bad even when older. A young bite might not even draw blood but be more of a suprise. An older snake will in fact draw blood but the pain from the bite is no worse than a bad paper cut and is forgotten in a couple of days and doesnt leave a trace.

I run my own rescue and am bitten by upset snakes and lizards on a daily basis im my routine maintance of them. It is a fact or life when owning or caring for these lovely creatures You can provide to its every need and will still get bit sometime in your life.

Hope this helped,
Beauty the BP

It's a 4 1/2 foot BP? So an adult obviously. Where did you get the snake and what do you know of it's life before you bought it?

Give your snake time to adjust to its new home, but like Beauty says, it'll happen. Freddie has been sooooooo laid back that I don't have any qualms about reaching in at any time, but this afternoon I found her around the bulbs of her lid (she had managed to move the screen.)


this is the 2nd time, and last time, she didn't do anything but clinch, but THIS time, she was having (literally) a HISSY FIT!!! Clinched, tucked her head and HIIIIISSSSEEED, two or three times. Very surprising for her to behave that way, but maybe she's just PMSing or something. :rolleyes:

You have snakes? Eventually you'll get tagged. But since your baby is new to you and you're new (and gi-huuuuuge-ic) to it, try the newspapers. Eventually he'll probably settle down for you.

:) Good luck! :)

Wow I really appreciate the replies. I got the snake from a fellow in North Ga, and he told me that he didnt have time for the snake anymore so he sold it to me. I thought that the price seemed too good to be true, for 75 bucks I got a 40 gal tank, the adult snake, light, half log, water bowl, climbing branch, hum and temp gauges. So I really dont know why all of this was so cheap, maybe its just an ill snake?? Who knows, Ill give her some more time, then like clockwork Ill be back here posting. Thanks alot.

i did the newspaper trick it my nippy boa and it worked well... I kept some balls in there though :)

Well there might not be anything wrong with the snake and if he'd turned it over to a reptile rescue he certainly wouldn't have gotten any cash for it. If he "didn't have time for it" that might explain it's being defensive and a bit nippy. It likely hasn't been handled in ages so the only time it sees a human hand is when dinner is dropped in. Is it of good body weight for length? It should look nice and fairly rounded not triangular in shape. A light skin pinch down the lower body should have the skin springing right back...if it tents then the snake is also dehydrated. Does it have any retained shed or eyecaps?


You should consider collecting a fecal sample and having a fecal float done by your herp vet. It's not expensive and it sure helps to know if this snake has any parasites you need to get dealt with. Just gather up the next poop you see, double bag it in a ziploc sandwich baggie and pop it in the fridge (not freezer). Take to your vet as soon as you can, they can usually give you the results within a few minutes if you want to wait.

Here's the hides we use for our 4 foot snakes. They are just heavy rubber dog food dishes I found at our local farm supply store. I think they were all of 3 or 4 bucks each and will last for years. They are so well made though it took wire cutters to put entrances in them LOL. The tub in the one pic is 39" x 19" x 6.5" just to give you an idea of size, the snake you see in it was at the time about 2,000 grams and about 4 feet in length. The one of the snake in the hide...she was about 900 grams at the time and you can see the hide still had loads of room for her to grow and still fit in it.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...irseinHide.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...nnaghinTub.jpg

The snaks is pretty nice sized, Id say thats her best quality, shes about 4 1/2 feet long, and I cannot wrap my hand all the way around her. She looks healthy, if I get a chance ill try to feel her skin, But at the end of her tail it feels very hand, almost like a burned peice of spaghetti, so I dont know whats up with that. the sanke seems healthy, her skin looks good. Ill kepp y'all posted. Thanks