I need your advice.....

I posted a while ago about wanting to get another snake - my first choice would be a Piebald but after much thought - I have decided that I just can not justify spending that sort of money on a pet, so I have decided to get a Male Spider - I found one that is absolutely gorgeous but after emailing with the breeder I have found out that he tends to be a bit aggressive - referred to as cage aggression due to the fact that it hasn't had much contact with people/handling.

My question is this - do I get him and hope to transform the aggressive behavior or should I pass. Is this aggression something common and it will pass or am I asking for misery. I keep my snakes as pets - no breeding - so I do intend to hold him.

He is a year old at this point - how bad does it hurt to be bitten?? I have never been bitten.

Any suggestions from you experts out there.

Well I haven't been bitten yet either so I can't help you there. Although its been said numberous times that the bite from a snake hurts very little.

As for the agression problem; I think that there is room for improvement. They tend to calm down with routine handling as they mature and grow larger. My pastel used to be aggressive in his tub as well up until about 2 years of age when he suddenly mellowed out. Even when he was agressive it was all show; huffing, hissing, puffing up his body; but once he out of the cage he was fine.

Then only thing you can do to help with the aggression is to be patient and get into a handling routine. Remember that there is nothing wrong with wearing gloves if you find out that he is a bit nippy.

His aggression can also be caused by inappropriate husbandry so with a proper enclosure and a slow increase of handeling he could be great.

I just picked up an 06' female that was impossible than with regular handeling and proper husbandry she has a terrific temperment.
Just takes patience and a little know how.

Thanks Spaniard,

This will be only my second snake and with the first one I got lucky she is just a doll - never shows any aggression at all.

I do have gloves that I bought when I first got my normal female but didn't end up needing them with her.

This particular Spider is just gorgeous - and I hate to pass it up but by the same token - I don't want a pet that I can't ever interact with or get attacked trying to clean its cage - LOL.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by L.West

I don't want a pet that I can't ever interact with or get attacked trying to clean its cage - LOL.

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Well, part of owning ang enjoying a snake is how they keep you on your toe's.
Atleast it is one of my favorite parts.

hey likebull1,

Did you ever get bit??? I guess I am just afraid of that first time - I can't imagine - LOL.

I am meeting with the breeder tomorrow to get acquainted with the snake, hold it, and then make a decision if I want it or not. The breeder has been very helpful, he was upfront with the slight aggression issues but he feels that I could turn this snake around with (like you said also) time and patience.

Thanks for your input.

I've been bit many times and it is truthfully nothing, it is more the shock than pain.
After you first one its nothing.
Hope this helps.

likebull1, I do like a challenge so this might be just the ticket!!!!

When they do bite you - do they let go or sink and lock their teeth into your arm???

most of the time they will strike and not even bite(kinda a warning).
But when they do bite most of the time it is a quick release with little pin pricks of blood.

If you search the forums there are a lot of threads on bite.:D

I've been keeping ball pythons for the last 4 years and I have not been bit yet. At the same time its not something I even think about. If it happens it happens; it can't be any worst pain than stubbing your toe. (Nothing hurts more than a stubbed toe IMO)

Unless you're handling rodents and then handling your snake I would say the likelyhood of you getting bit is pretty low.

SPANIARD, were any of your snakes ever aggressive???

Yup I mentioned in my first post I had an agressive pastel. :)

Oh yeah, I did read that - sorry.

So, do you all feel that I should get him and work with him to turn him around?? Or would you pass on this one??

Thanks.

If you think your up for it and your not just buying it on a whim than i say go for it.

I actually enjoyed the aggressive nature, made routine things like cleaning interesting and got the blood going. Now that he's mellowed out I wish he still had that spunk to him.

In short I think you should go for it. Like many things in life the anticipation is always more extreme than when the event takes place. If you really like the animal then go for it; there are ways to work out the aggression problem.

Thanks, I really appreciate you guys helping me out. Its hard when you have your heart set on a specific snake because of how beautiful its markings are and then to find out he is a stinker. LOL

I will make my final decision tomorrow - I am supposed to get to hold him and all - if I live to tell about it.

Just don't hang out in a jacuzzi with any rats and you'll be fine ;)

Temperment is important to me, and I must confess I would not get an aggressive snake purely as a pet. This is why I was happy to get my Brazilian Rainbow from a show, so I could handle him. He has bitten me once, but he was startled, and they are known to be nippy babies.

I know, the aggression scares me too - which is why I posted on here to get some insight from all of you with much more experience than me.

I will attempt to hold him tomorrow and see how it goes - if I decided against it - I can always attend the next show and see what they have to offer.

I sure don't want to regret my decision to get him and then be miserable and afraid of him.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by L.West

I sure don't want to regret my decision to get him and then be miserable and afraid of him.

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To that same effect you don't want to regret not getting him every time you look at the animal you might end up purchasing if you pass on this one.

Aggression can be worked on and safely with the use of gloves. The experience might even help you get over this anxiety I think I sense in you.

Even your calm baby doll of a snake could decide to bite you out of the blue one day. Its a possibility with any snake you own.

With that said think about your decision and make one you won't regret.

Keep in mind that if this animal is at display at a show it may be a little more stressed than usual and its aggressive nature could be amplified.

Good Luck!

Thanks spanaird,

You are correct in picking up on my stress level - I'm a whimp but I definitely need to work on that and overcome my fear with getting bitten.

When I see the snake in person tomorrow and it is everything I think it is - I will probably take my chance with him and try to reform him - LOL.

I have learned sooo much on this site so I know how to provide the exact setting that he needs. I've ordered his new RBI cage with an RHP - that should be here with in a week or so.

Even if I do take this snake - the breeder has agreed to hold him for me until the new cage arrives - so I will make him work with him also - LOL.

I am really glad that I decided to post this and get all the feedback - it helps to make an informed decision.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by likebull1

most of the time they will strike and not even bite(kinda a warning).
But when they do bite most of the time it is a quick release with little pin pricks of blood.

If you search the forums there are a lot of threads on bite.:D

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Agrre 100 % I was bitten one time ( my fault i have mouse scent all over my hand a that was feeding time :colbert: ) She draw blood :O but pain was like mousquito bite. I was more shocked she suprise me LOL but like I said that was my fault
Right now I wash my hand every time before i take her out :D

sometimes we slip up and it happens. one of my adults that i had for 5 years nearly tagged me in the face. this is a nine year old that had never ever shown any aggression at all. completely calm ball python. its tank was situated higher then my head at the time. as i picked him up to pull him out he snapped towards my face. i was looking the other way and saw it just before he made contact. thank god for fast reflexes or he would of tagged my eye. their bite does not heart. i know for a fact because his sister from the same clutch tagged me on another occasion . but it will surprise you when it happens. what i hadn't noticed when i grabbed him was that he was in the beginning stages of shed. i realized it when i saw his pinkish red belly. must have been a tough shed for him. it was the only time i have ever seen him grumpy so far. it happens. its all part of snake keeping. took me over seven years of handling ball pythons before i got my first bite but it happens. i was relived when it happened because i then knew i had nothing to worry about. i say go for that spider and enjoy taming it. if anything it might get your adrenaline pumping for a while and that could be a good thing. besides you might learn a thing or two about balls in the process. and then in the end if you feel you cant tame it i sure you will be able to trade him to someone for something else you might like.

Thanks to everyone that has chimed in on this - I have really struggled with what to do - today is the day I have to make my decision. I am leaning towards getting him and attempting to tame him with good care and patience.

And, "like bads15" mentioned - if after some time passes and I don't think it is working out - I could probably trade him for something else as a last resort.

Something else I learned thru this post which I didn't realize - I have become sooo comfortable with my female normal because she has never shown agression but I see from this site that she could act out at any time - I will definitely heed that warning and stop putting her towards my face - I think I got overly comfortable.

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to update you all on what I ended up getting. I went to see the breeder and was able to see all the snakes that he had to offer. I decided against the Spider Male simply because his temperment was just very pissy and I didn't think I would enjoy his company - LOL.

I did get a beautiful Male Ghost - he has really nice markings/coloring and his temperment was very docile and friendly. He is about 250/300 grams - which is just the size I like for them to be when I get them.

So, in the end - all is fine - I'm happy with what I got.

I wanted to thank you all for your input it was greatly appreciated.

Congrats L,

In the end what matters most is that you are happy with your decision and the animal you brought home. BUT, where are the pictures?! :D

Unfortunately, I purchased him but wasn't able to bring him home immediately since I am waiting on his new RBI cage to arrive. The breeder is holding him for me until the cage gets here.

I will be sure to post a picture of him just as soon as I can. I am not very good at getting pictures to this site - which is why I haven't updated my picture of Bella lately.

I will have to figure out the process so I can post pictures - I love to share my photos.

Feel free to give me easy step by step instructions on how to upload the darn pictures - I always seen to have problems with it.

Good move. If you werent comfortable with a nippy snake the best move would be to choose another.

Ghosts are beautiful snakes, good choice:gj:

The Spider Male had already bitten the breeder and was immediately in strike mode while he was trying to show him to me - that was enough deterant for me. Never been bit and sure don't want to ask for it.

The Ghost Male - whom I named Casper was just as calm as can be - no issues with me holding him at all.

I just can't wait for my new cage to arrive so I can bring him home.

Oh yeah, I do have another question though - when I quaranteen him - is putting him in another room on the same floor of my house sufficient or should it be a great distance away??

Thanks

A separate room should be fine for Quaranteen. If it has a door you can close that would be a plus as well.

As for posting pictures this video tutorial will show you how to upload them here.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=32416

I personally use photobucket.com to upload my pictures. Register an ID upload the pictures and then copy the IMG codes directly into your post. If you want some help shoot me a PM, I would happy to help you with any questions.

There isn't a door between the two rooms - it is an open floor plan that contains the diningroom, sittingroom/foyer and then the livingroom - would this still be okay. I can't utilize the upstairs right now because with it being summer it just gets too hot up there. There would still be over 20 feet separating the cages plus walls.

I do have access to another house that I can quarentine him at but I wouldn't be there 24/7 and I hate to be without him. But, if you think it is best that I don't even bring it into the same house as Bella - I will do what is best for them.

I will try to the photobucket thing once I get the new baby and some pictures of him - thanks again for all your help.

You can always try hanging a sheet or curtain in the doorway, even a long shower curtain would probably work. Just basically block the open air flow. Just make sure you get a second set of feed tongs, if you use them, holding tubs etc... Basically, what ever you use for your other snake, get a second set for the quarantine room. Take care of your female first and then your QT snake. Some people recommend handling them on different days... Congrats on your new snake...


Rob

I guess given the fact that I do have another house to utilize - I will set him up in that house for a few weeks to let him get settled and to qt to him effectively.

Is three weeks enough time???

I think most recommend 90 days. However, I do 4 good feedings, a poop, a pee, and a good shed. But 90 days would be long enough to rule out any possiblitiy of a problem.