Baby on the way, several questions

I have 2 ball pythons that have been living in a 60 gal terrarium quite happily for many years. One is very even tempered, the other (admittedly) is a biter and has a more unpredictable temper.

I'm pregnant (almost 4 months) and need to de-bunk some myths about snakes, pregnant women and babies so that my husband doesn't try to force me to get rid of my snakes. I'm aware that these may be very stupid questions, but my husband seems to need answers coming from someone else's mouth.

1) If I handle my snakes in the coming months (which my family is already trying to get my not to do), will the snakes be more likely to try to strangle me because they "smell" the pregnancy as a weakness?

2) Are there any potential diseases that they might carry that will affect me?

3) Are the snakes going to smell the baby after it arrives and smash their way out of the tank to kill and eat it? In other words - are they somehow going to see the baby as prey and be a danger to it if they aren't kept securely caged?

4) Is there any reason - no matter how slight - that I should not handle my snakes regularly during my pregnancy?

Thanks in advance for the answers.

I don't know about the pregnancy, But the temperment is probably coming from the fact that your housing them together. It stresses snakes out to be in the same terrarium with another snake. So i would seperate them a.s.a.p and there temperment will get better.

-Kayla

congradulations on your pregnancy! I don't know how your snakes will act,but i doubt they would go after a human baby.

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Originally Posted by mj_romo

1) If I handle my snakes in the coming months (which my family is already trying to get my not to do), will the snakes be more likely to try to strangle me because they "smell" the pregnancy as a weakness?

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No.

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Originally Posted by mj_romo

2) Are there any potential diseases that they might carry that will affect me?

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Salmonella.

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Originally Posted by mj_romo

3) Are the snakes going to smell the baby after it arrives and smash their way out of the tank to kill and eat it? In other words - are they somehow going to see the baby as prey and be a danger to it if they aren't kept securely caged?

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funny ... no.

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Originally Posted by mj_romo

4) Is there any reason - no matter how slight - that I should not handle my snakes regularly during my pregnancy?

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Risk of salmonella.

-adam

Pre#1) Although they've been happy for a few years together it is in their best interest to be living in separate tanks.

#1) I don't believe you have anything to worry about in regards to handling your snake. Ball Pythons are very timid snakes.

#2) Although I have yet to hear anyone contract salmonela from a bp, the risk is there...regardless you should wash your hands after handling.

#3) They will not smash out of the tank to find the baby. The baby does not smell like food. Bps are imprint feeders and therefore will only indentify the rodents you feed them as food. Do not leave the baby with the snakes out unattened I think thats an obvious one but hey i'll throw it out there.

#4) Nope

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Originally Posted by mj_romo

I have 2 ball pythons that have been living in a 60 gal terrarium quite happily for many years. One is very even tempered, the other (admittedly) is a biter and has a more unpredictable temper.

I'm pregnant (almost 4 months) and need to de-bunk some myths about snakes, pregnant women and babies so that my husband doesn't try to force me to get rid of my snakes. I'm aware that these may be very stupid questions, but my husband seems to need answers coming from someone else's mouth.

1) If I handle my snakes in the coming months (which my family is already trying to get my not to do), will the snakes be more likely to try to strangle me because they "smell" the pregnancy as a weakness?

2) Are there any potential diseases that they might carry that will affect me?

3) Are the snakes going to smell the baby after it arrives and smash their way out of the tank to kill and eat it? In other words - are they somehow going to see the baby as prey and be a danger to it if they aren't kept securely caged?

4) Is there any reason - no matter how slight - that I should not handle my snakes regularly during my pregnancy?

Thanks in advance for the answers.

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Seperate them ASAP!!!! Snakes are solitary and do not like living with eachother, even if you think they are cuddling... and even if they have been living together for life... It doesn't matter.

They won't strangle you... they would only strangle something they see as prey. A human being is way too big for them to be considered as prey. Don't worry about them strangling or eating anyone in the house. Ball Pythons have never eaten a person, nor will they ever... Ball Pythons can give you salmonella so wash your hands before and after you handle them. If you wash thoroughly, you'll be fine ;) Hanlde them whenever you want, just not with a rat in your hand...lol.

step one:
show family this thread
step two:
force family to actually read up on ball pythons and 'know' something before they make rediculous claims- and i thought people only had a problem with pregnant women and cats! SHEESH

step three that should occur asap:
seperate the ball pythons and check your husbandry against the temps & humidity from the caresheet on this site- i am a hard core tub advocate, mainly because i spent six months or so listening about how my friends snake wouldn't eat and had terrible, terrible sheds- she kept him in i think a 70 gal aquarium with minimal uth & a heat lamp with only a log hide for shelter.

:3 other than that, congrats on the baby! i have no idea about anything pregnancy or baby related, so excuse me for asking if ya'll know what it is yet or when ya'll can find out.

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Originally Posted by bpkid

Seperate them ASAP!!!! Snakes are solitary and do not like living with eachother, even if you think they are cuddling... and even if they have been living together for life... It doesn't matter.

They won't strangle you... they would only strangle something they see as prey. A human being is way too big for them to be considered as prey. Don't worry about them strangling or eating anyone in the house. Ball Pythons have never eaten a person, nor will they ever... Ball Pythons can give you salmonella so wash your hands before and after you handle them. If you wash thoroughly, you'll be fine ;) Hanlde them whenever you want, just not with a rat in your hand...lol.

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lol, isnt it so much to say that its physically impossible for a ball python to eat a human- even an infant, srsly.
though i could see a child or infant strangled if you put the bp around its neck and it became excited or squeezed to tight for heat.. but ugh.. how do you get a bp around a chubby baby neck is beyond me. OR why even..?

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Originally Posted by shhhli

lol, isnt it so much to say that its physically impossible for a ball python to eat a human- even an infant, srsly.
though i could see a child or infant strangled if you put the bp around its neck and it became excited or squeezed to tight for heat.. but ugh.. how do you get a bp around a chubby baby neck is beyond me. OR why even..?

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Maybe a big one would try, but he probably wouldn't unless you rubbed a mouse all over the baby, or let him play with a mouse,etc...

Don't underestimate a snake,you may think you know what it can and can not do but thay can suprise you.Just be smart and be careful with it.Maybe you can buy a book on ball pythons if you haven't already.

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Originally Posted by bpkid

Maybe a big one would try, but he probably wouldn't unless you rubbed a mouse all over the baby, or let him play with a mouse,etc...

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Wow. That is hilarious- i litterally laughed out loud. I can just imagine someone rubbing down a baby with a thawed rat. Yessir.

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Originally Posted by python kid

Don't underestimate a snake,you may think you know what it can and can not do but thay can suprise you.Just be smart and be careful with it.Maybe you can buy a book on ball pythons if you haven't already.

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Agreed- but this is a ball python. Unless an adult human is worried about biting- i dont see constriction as.. something that should be worried about unless you're a small frame, but the idea of someone strangled by a ball just seems absurd to me. Tail + Grab = Win.

Babies are at MUCH MUCH higher risk of asphyxiation by their own quilts and crib liners than they are by ball python. There are just so many other real dangers in the world, it seems silly to worry about a small, shy snake that eats mice!


The closest thing to a risk your snakes pose is the ever-so-slight chance exposure to salmonella. And that is overcome by commen sense handling and always washing up. And even in this sense...you have a much greater chance of speading salmonella from the chicken you prepare for dinner than from your snakes.

lets face it , where snakes are concerned ignorance knows no bounds.

My mother showed similar concerns before each of my 2 boys were born, the higher the fear or missunderstanding of snakes the more ridiculous the ideas of potential dangers.

my sisters boyfriend was so sure that the snakes would "smell" his fear and smash out their tanks and attack him he would not enter the house.

When he realised he was leaning against a custom built display tank in the living room 1st time he visited he nearly had a heart attack and ran out the house waited in the car with windows and doors locked...:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by snakey68

lets face it , where snakes are concerned ignorance knows no bounds.

My mother showed similar concerns before each of my 2 boys were born, the higher the fear or missunderstanding of snakes the more ridiculous the ideas of potential dangers.

my sisters boyfriend was so sure that the snakes would "smell" his fear and smash out their tanks and attack him he would not enter the house.

When he realised he was leaning against a custom built display tank in the living room 1st time he visited he nearly had a heart attack and ran out the house waited in the car with windows and doors locked...:rolleyes:

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oooh mr. macho.

the irony is that if they could even understand just a tiney tiny bit about these guys they would realize they ran from. a. ball. python. BIG SCARY as compared to someone seeing prehaps an adult retic and freaking out...