tmid male bp

[quinten]

hello everyone.im a new bp owner,and have a timid male.i have had him less than a week i got him and the set up from a guy who had no time to care for him.he is 9 months old.after leaving him alone a couple days i started holding him for 10 to 20 min a night to try to get him used to me.he no longer curles into a ball when i pick him up,but tonight i was holding him and my daughter sat down beside me and startled him and he struck at her.his mouth didnt open but it took us by surprise.also when i am holding him he constantly tries to move off of me.he is not due to feed for 2 or 3 days.any advise on how i should handle him and how often would be appriciated.hope to have pics to post soon.

[xdeus]

You're doing fine. Snakes aren't social creatures, so don't take it personal that he wants to move off of you. He's just looking for a safe place to hide. Also, he's still young so he will be a little more defensive until he gets older and realizes everything isn't out to eat him.

[lps2]

I would say leave him alone for longer, he is probably still stressed out from the move. Let him be for the next week minus the feeding attempt.

Also, remember, especially at first, SLOW movements... things like your daughter sitting down quickly could scare him.

EDIT: ditto, xdeus... your doing fine, he is just young

[quinten]

ok thank you

[trott]

Yeah, let him settle in a bit more. New environment . He has to feel there are no threats and hes safe. Simple thought process. As time goes on he'll be alot more comfortable.

[quinten]

thanks when i picked him up the guy told me he hadnt ate in about 3 weeks so i dont think he was getting much attention.i know he should have settled in longer but i fed him 24 hours after i got him and he ate,no problem.hes only been fed live mice and im continuing with that untill he gets settled in then i plan on switching to pre killed prey.

[fire-eyes]

I agree with what everyone else has said. Ball Pythons are also exceptionally shy, they like their alone time. There are of course exceptions (like mine who demands to be taken out).

[Montie Python]

Welcome!

If you haven't I would look over the caresheets on this forum...http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

Things you need to look out for is proper husbandry, such as hides, temperatures, the right thermometers, humidity levels, making sure that three sides of your tank are covered.

It would be recommended if you state how you have the BP Setup, a long with a picture (I know you mentioned that you will post pics soon)

That way we can all better assist you, in making sure you, your daughter, and your BP are happy!....

[Lolo76]

FYI: I just got four new BPs, and all but one (the spider) were extremely shy upon arrival - the male het being fairly "aggressive" in his shyness. I left them completely alone for one week, aside from tub maintenance, and then attempted the first feeding. Luckily they all ate, so after the digestion period I started with daily handling... just 5-10 minutes per snake, until it seems they're getting stressed.

It's been almost two weeks now, and I'm happy to say they are making great progress! The Mojave is really getting comfortable, and even Mr. Attitude (Orlando) is starting to calm down - he only struck once during the last handling, LOL. So basically just keep at it, taking things as slowly as necessary. It's pretty easy to read their body language, which you can use to judge when they've had enough. Eventually they should get used to you, and might even become lap-snakes like my older BPs.

[Elise.m]

Congrats on the new snake! I too have a young BP, and she's getting used to me. It's amazing how much of their personality comes out when they're used to you.

One thing I do when I have her out, I'll set her down on my bed, fold the comforter over and she'll climb under the blanket and hide. I did this the other day, even cleaned out her tank while checking in on her every 1-2 mins and she stayed put.

You're doing good! Glad to see that.