How much Ball is in your Python?

Just wondering how many of you out there have balls that hardly live up to the name. I've had mine about 4 months and the only time he ever really balled up was the first day I brought him home :rolleyes: I would definitely say they should be better known as Royals :P

Definitely have to agree with that. Ive had mine for about a month and have never witnessed ANYthing like that at all ...

i agree, i got my first bp today and it dint ball up even when the guy first grabbed it.

I have some that never ball and then some adults that still do. They are all different.

Hah mine all ball up about 70% of the time when I get them out of their cages, then they get over it and start moving around. I have pictures of each of them balling up

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Originally Posted by edie

Hah mine all ball up about 70% of the time when I get them out of their cages, then they get over it and start moving around. I have pictures of each of them balling up

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That's how mine is. I think she is just trying to tell me "HEY I'M TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!"

Then when she knows I won't bugger off she gives in and wanders around :D

I've had mine all for a few years (well, a few- couple I've only had for a few months), and I only have one that balls up, and he doesnt even really do that- its more like a half/loose ball. lol. I dont know how to describe it.

Depends on the snake... some of them are always balled up it seems while others never do.

I have a few that I have never seen ball up (Zoltan and Olive). While I had one (Markus) that I could have rolled him across the floor if I had taken in inclination.

Bruce

MIne have never balled up. my spider bp only tries to bite me, he is aggressive. Always on the offense, never defense.

well nine out of ten of mine ball up on me, boom is the only one that seems inquisitive! the rest just ball up. i still dont hold them that often because they aren't on normal feeding cycles. i only hold them once every day or every other day when im replacing the substrate. i guess they'll get used to my heat signature eventually haha:oops:

Balling up is a defense mechanism, like a turtle retreating into its shell. Once the snake is accustomed to being handled, it will most likely not do it anymore. Over the past couple of weeks, I've hatched out about a dozen babies, and every single one of them balls up when I pick them up.

Steve

We have some that still ball up occasionally even as sub-adults but they are the shyer BP's of the collection. It may just be a temperment thing with them or they may outgrow it in time.

Hey Steve, I have a couple of hatchlings here that would rather nip me than ball up. Can you come over and have a chat with them please LOL.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

We have some that still ball up occasionally even as sub-adults but they are the shyer BP's of the collection. It may just be a temperment thing with them or they may outgrow it in time.

Hey Steve, I have a couple of hatchlings here that would rather nip me than ball up. Can you come over and have a chat with them please LOL.

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Jo, I'd be glad to! Not sure how much good it would do though. I have one hatchling that has nailed me a half dozen or so times, even brought blood! Spirited little thing! Its the new record holder for having bitten me the most times!

Steve

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Originally Posted by hoo-t

Jo, I'd be glad to! Not sure how much good it would do though. I have one hatchling that has nailed me a half dozen or so times, even brought blood! Spirited little thing! Its the new record holder for having bitten me the most times!

Steve

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LOL! I have one, a female Yellowbelly, who tried to bite me not one hour out of her egg! Darn thing is still hissing at me and trying to bite me every chance she gets. Course her mamma just managed to nail my husband, Mike, the other day. She had Mike dripping blood all across the BP room. Guess it's a daughter-like-mother situation with those two.

I always have to laugh at these little hatchlings going for me. I mean really, do they have no clue how much bigger I am than they are? Brave little things they are. :rofl:

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

I always have to laugh at these little hatchlings going for me. I mean really, do they have no clue how much bigger I am than they are? Brave little things they are. :rofl:

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Oh, you should see the kingsnake we have at the pet store i work at. He's about 2-2.5 feet long and has a head the size of my fingernail, yet he literally tries to eat our hands when we pick him up to show customers (go figure, he hasnt sold yet! lol).

He will strike, latch on, and wrap his body around our hand and start constricting. He actually got down to the first knuckle once before we stuck him underwater so he would let go :weirdface

I'm not sure what he's trying to do since we all weigh about a hundred of him :P

Mine are more interested in "going out" and seeing what's out there.

I've got one that used to ball a lot, but she's not as shy as she used to be. It made it really easy to take some interesting photos though.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...oka1-13-07.jpg

It varies from one individual to another the more you have the more chances you have to come across some that live up to their name and ball up, regardless of their age.

Here is an adult balling up

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p.../Zora/Zora.jpg

When we first got Foster she would ball up for my son (I was still to afraid to touch her). After about a week of handing her, if even that, she came out of her ball. when I started handling her, she did the same thing. Tonight one of his friends came to stay with us so I took the time to educate him a bit on BPs since he was scared of them. He went from not wanting to touch her, to holding her to not getting enough of her in a matter of about 20 minutes. Initially she balled up on him also. I can almost guarantee that when we take her out tomorrow for him to hold she will start out in a ball. I don't know if it's possible but it appears that Foster knows who is handling her and if she is comfortable enough with them to explore.

I can't believe that just a few short months ago, I was afraid to even be in close proximity of Foster but now I'm totally comfortable even taking her out of her tank and handling her. Absolutely amazing animals and I'm dying for more!! Never thought I would say that in a million years! My next goal is to get my dad to at least be in the same room as she is in when she is not in her tank. HAHA! Doubt that will ever happen.

OOPS! Sorry for getting carried away. It's the meds talkin' again!

Mine has begun to not even ball up when i pick her up. She will tense up as i touch her to "let her know" i'm there, but before i even get her out of the tank she is already trying to slither up my arm :P

OOPS! Sorry, duplicate post!