new BP, should i bug him when hes sleeping?

[mattmoya]

i bought a ball python about 2 weeks ago, hes around 2 feet long so hes still young. i have a fake plant in his habitat that he likes to tangle himself up with, i wanted to get some hadling time in so i picked up the plant and out came the snake with it, i set him on my hand and kind of just massaged him until he unraveled but as soon as i separated him and the plant and tried to play with him he got defensive and started hissing and struck at me. i kept my cool and continued to hold him making sure i had his head under control but he started withdrawing like crawling backwards so the only thing i could really do is hold him tightly right behind his head he kept hissing and trying to squeeze my other hand so i dropped him back in his cage to let him calm down.
did i piss him off because i woke him up?

[JLC]

They don't get "pissed off"....they simply get scared. To him, you're a huge predator that either wants to eat him, or is at great risk of accidentally squishing him. They get hissy and strike to try and scare you away.

Gripping them behind the head is NOT the way to get a snake to calm down and relax in your hand. Just hold him securely in your palms and let him strike if he wants to. It's almost always just bluff strikes at the air. And if you're afraid of getting bit, wear some gloves and make sure you don't let him close to your face.

In time, he'll get used to this giant warm creature that is a constant part of his world and realize that there's no harm in it. But with some snakes, even with some ball pythons, this adjustment period takes time, and often doesn't come until the snake gains a little more size and weight.

They sleep 98% of the time anyhow...and if they're not sleeping, they're often in hunt-mode. So picking them up when they're asleep is about your only choice.

[Quacking-Terror]

Most of the time, I'd say 95%, when I go to pick up Gene, I have to move his hide or the branch in his tank to get to him. He seems to enjoy curling around the branch on the cool side and sitting there for..hours. Sometimes he gets so still I'll ask myself if he's still breathing. I almost prefer picking him up when he's asleep, especially when I steal him out of his hide, because he's so toasty warm .

[MitsuMike]

Just keep going in there and trying to hold him. Best way to calm the snake down in handle, handle and more handling.
Don't force the snake to do what you want it to do. This is not a dog, it's a snake. You have to do what it wants to do and you just go with it. Once this is understood and the snake is calm it will most likely enjoy to chill out around you wrist or neck.

[mattmoya]

thanks for all the advice. so i grabbed him today and hes been super calm and was crawling all over me, instead of moving around much i just let him do his own thing which i think helped, maybe he was just grumpy the other day. would setting him on a cold surface stress him out? i know they need to stay warm but would like a minute on the tile floor be okay or not?

[mattmoya]

so i held him 3 times today and i noticed towards the end of the day he started wheezing. but i put him back in his tank and now after hes slept for about an hour he stopped. should i get him checked out?
i just moved his water dish under the heat lamp to increase the humidity. im thinking i should buy a humidifier so that he will have cool water to soak in. opinions?

[chris4554]

Don't mess with him when he is sleeping with his eyes closed
I would just give him a second to wake up when you pick him up and gently take his plant away and let him wrap around your arm instead or something. But grabbing them behind the head sure isn't a way to make them calm down, they don't like that to much lol.

I don't think he would care about a little bit of warm water but make sure you change it frequently and bacteria will grow easier in it. It would be easier to control humidity and temperature in a plastic tub which I'm assuming you don't have since you are using a heat lamp. Are you using an UTH(under tank heater)?

[mattmoya]

i have a UTH but its not installed yet cause his tank is sitting on my sofa
i picked up a table for it today but it needs to be refinished and then the UTH will be going on. i have a thermocouple though in the bottom rear corner of the hot zone and it stays at about 92* his hide is also directly under the heat lamp so that makes it a bit warmer inside it.
i looked at the small $40 ultrasonic humidifiers at the local feed bin and theyre identical to the "foggers" that sell on ebay for $5 so i ordered one on monday.

hopefully someone can give some input on this wheezing thing he has going on. when hes all comfy toasty in his cage he breaths fine, but after handling him for a few minutes it sounds like he starts wheezing. its not constant though so im not very worried about it, i know sometimes stuff gets stuck after a shed that ciould make a wheezing sound. should i get him checked out?

[Evenstar]

BPs may wheeze or whistle slightly when stressed. He is stressed because you're handling him. I don't mean that you shouldn't handle him - we all want to hold our snakes, lol! But 3 times in one day is a kind of a lot if you've only had him 2 weeks. Take things slow and gentle. Get that uth set up asap and moniter it with an accurite digital (go to Walmart - $12) and that will help. When husbandry is correct, they don't stress as easily. Pics would be nice too!

[seeya205]

I would only hold him every other day or so, so he can get used to you but also get time to rest. Don't hold him on feeding day and 48 hours after a feed! Just be relaxed when holding him and he will start to relax. It you tense up then he will feel that and it will make him feel scared!