hissing & striking

We rescued a ball python that was being neglected by its' teenage owner. The snake was not being feed properly, watered or handled. We have had many health issues, but the snake is now on it's way back to health and eating well. This snake does have some injuries that are currently healing.

This snake hisses every time a hand is put in the cage. When the snake sees it, he will strike at it. He has never made contact biting. I am able to pick him up as long as I reach in behind him and lift him. Then he will just lay in my hands or on my leg. He does not ball up, in fact, he does not wrap around my arm or leg.

How can I condition him not to hiss or strike? If I handle him for short periods everyday, will he eventually get conditioned to handling and stop? Has anyone had this happen and what was your outcome?

Thank you, Teej

The poor thing has been through a lot, so I'd go easy on him. ;) Can you describe the current setup? Type of hides? How long have you had him?

I'd wouldn't worry about the hissing and stiking too much, until he's fully healed. You can also try the loosely balled up newspaper trick. This worked for Jo (frankykeno) with a particularly aggressive bp.

We have had him about 2 months. He was extremely malnurished. He was very thin, had wrinkly, dull skin. He is 2 1/2' long and was only being fed an occasional mouse. His skin started tearing so I removed all of his subtrate, trees and branches, etc. His one wound is just about the size of a 1/2 dollar. I have been treating it with "wound healing aid" as when I tried to apply neosporin, the skin peel away further. Now the wound is crusting over kind of brown so now I am going to try applying neosporin again. No signs of infection at all. He started eating again and has eaten 4 mice in the past 8 days. His body is filling out and his hide is getting a glossy shine again and he is active in his 60 gallon tank with the other ball python that came with him.


[this second bp he came with had a mouse wound where the mouse had chewed the snake right down to the bone. the teen owner left a mouse in the cage for days without feeding the mouse so it started eating the snake. this wound healed up nicely before we got her, but the injured area is sunken in and dark black scar tissue but it seems to be shrinking with each shed.]

So the first mentioned snake [the hissing one described for this thread] has Calico hide according to my 10 yr old son. Is this what you wanted to know? How does that matter? Also, what is the "balled up newspaper trick" you mentioned and how does it work for hissing? Thank you.

Teej

Look at it this way Teej, wouldn't you hiss and strike after you'd been neglected, hurt, left to go hungry and thirsty? I know I sure would so it's pretty much completely understandable for any creature to act this way after mistreatment over the long term. In other words, in my mind that snake's doing exactly what I'd expect it to do.

I'd suggest as well to make sure your husbandry is bang on, put the snake's setup in the quiestest place in your home, add in crumpled newspapers and just let it be except for feeding, watering and general cleanup. After a couple of weeks or so, try just gently and quietly reaching in to stroke it down the second half of it's body if it will allow that so it gets to know your smell and that this means it's about to be picked up. Pick up gently but firmly, don't show fear, wear gloves if you wish and just hold the snake for a few moments. Don't have anymore people near the snake than you have to. Try hard to make sure removing and returning the snake are not times of high stress so it can learn the routine of gentle removal and return to it's home.

Try to handle in the evening when the snake is awake. Avoid handling when it's hungry or for 48 hours after it eats. Take your time and respect the snake's limits. A couple of short handling sessions per week may be all that it can accept (short as in 10 minutes or less). Some will come along and accept handling but remember handling is a joy for you, NOT a necessity for your snake so be glad of what the snake can give you that way. Some will accept handling, some won't...some will improve that way with time.

Part of taking in neglected creatures of any species is knowing that there must be tons of time and patience and that your goal may not be reachable any time soon (if ever). Best of luck with this snake. If you search the word "brannagh" you'll find tons of threads about that big female and the time we had getting her safe to handle. Now she can be handled by 5 year old children (under supervision of course). Just because that worked with Brannagh though doesn't mean it will with every snake....they are wonderfully unique creatures.

did you say they are in the same enclosure? I think you did mention it. I would seperate them ASAP, if I were you.

If the snake is housed with another snake, that may be the cause of much of it's stress. I would HIGHLY advise separating the two. They are not social creatures, and do not benefit from being housed together.

It sounds like a nightmarish situation that they were in. The reason I asked about hides specifically is that hides that are too large do not offer enough security, and can lead to a snake feel more vunerable and more prone to strike defensively. Of course with another snake in the tank it's likely that the snake is feeling highly stessed, hides or not.

My best advice would be to separate ASAP. Get a rubbermaid container. You want 1 snake, 2 small hides, 1 water bowl all adequately heated in one enclosure. The newspaper is used loosely crumpled and tossed into the enclosure to make the snake feel more secure. It has helped quite a few on this site.

[I was thinking skin when you said hides.] I removed their hides as I feared he would tear his skin on it was his skin was tearing easily. It had a tree bark finish. I took a cardboard box, cut one end off then cut an opening in the side and that is his current hide until his skin is fully healed.

I did not seperate them as they came together and had always been together so I figured seperating them would stress them. I didn't want too many changes too soon.

They have a heat pad in one corner that is always on and a heat light. I am keeping the cage around 85 degrees. These two snakes are usually coiled up together and are usually in the same hide together. Do you still think I need to seperate them?

Teej

YES!! Separate them!! It is a common mistake, when people see them coiled together. That is a dominance struggle right there. They are not happy cuddling snakes. :rolleyes:

I would suggest you up your temps a bit too. You want high temps in a 92-94 range. You want your cooler temps to never go below 80, but stay mainly in the 82-84 range.

Leaving them in that situation is waayyy more stressful than setting them up properly. Again I vote for separation asap!

Ack how did I miss that they were housed together! Get them apart Teej, they are not curling together because they like each other...they are dominating for prime real estate. You will also get disease transmission and possibly one snake making a meal of the other. Snakes don't make friends with other snakes. They get together to breed and that's about it social wise for your average BP.

I don't want to go off topic here but now I am curious. How do bp mate if not together. [for the record, i have no interest at this time in breeding just curious]
Thank you.

Teej

They are put together for breeding but only for brief periods of time. They are never just left together for weeks or months. Or are you asking more specifically about the mechanics of breeding?

Ummmm do you mean in the wild or in captivity Teej?

I was curious in captivity as to how they were put together and how long if they are not a social breed. Teej

Here's a great reference page that should answer a lot of your questions.

http://www.ballpythons.ca/gallery/breeding.html

I'm curious - have either of these snakes been seen by a vet? Their conditions certainly warrant it!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

I'm curious - have either of these snakes been seen by a vet? Their conditions certainly warrant it!

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Yes, both have been examined by a vet.
Teej

also if u wat him to get used to your scent put one of ur used t-shirts or hats in his tank so he gets used to you and also i can almost gaurantee that having the two snakes together is taxing on both of them and just removing one of them to another tank that may be all thats needed

Now I know what those petstore pythons are doing. I never understood why they were kept together in pet shops. Only certain reptiles can be kept together (in small quantities).