First BP, First Bite

[cursed_witch]

So i got my BP exactly a week ago from today and I just fed him tonight.
He had a hard time adjusting his food in his mouth but he finally ate it.
He's about 2 months old and 20", so i offered him 2 pinkies.
While giving him the second one, he totally ignored it and striked at my hand. I even bled as he was still hanging on my fingers.
Now I'm not sure if BP's are a bit more aggressive during feeding time or not but I've been feeding my corn for 6 years now with only 4" tongs and never had a problem.
I'm thinking either he got confused with my hand or they are just more aggressive.
But was it too soon to feed him? Is this normal for a juvie to do that or am i going to have to deal with this every time until he learns the difference?
Any opinions are appreciate it and sorry if this has been asked before.
Ill have to get longer tongs now.

[cmack91]

first, congrats on your first bite! second, its most likely cause hes so young, he smelt the pinkie and saw your giant hand and went for that, just because theyre oppertunistic eaters so theyre wired to go for what they can when they can, but eventually he'll figure it out

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Pinky what? Mice? Even pinky rats are too small for even most new ball python hatchlings unless it happens to be a very small hatchling.

Baby BPs tend to be more apt to bite and it seems like this one was probably still in feeding mode. You shouldn't be offering food from your fingers. The heat from your fingers and hand was probably a lot more than the heat the pinky was putting off and it confused the snake. They go by heat and smell.

Get a pair of feeding tongs to make it easier on both of you in the future.

As for rodent size, I bet that snake at 2 months old can take a mouse hopper/weanling or a rat crawler easily.

[Riv]

Ive never been bitten, and I dont like to use tongs(I can never seem to hold onto the darn mouse). But the only snakes ive had to feed are my little girl and the Ball python at work. I got her at a very young age, so I also had to go through the "I dont know how to eat" phase. My fiance has been bitten by her twice(One just after she ate, and the second he was just moving way too quickly)

But from what I understand, bites happen. Sometimes they miss, sometimes they get scared. At least its out of the way and you dont have to wonder how bad it hurts anymore XDD. Ive interacted with a ton of balls and have been nervously anticipating my first bite for nine months now. XDD

[Compher]

I got my first ball as a hatchling probably about the same age as yours, and within the first week I had my first bite. It was my fault, I was moving stuff around the cage and my hand simulated a small animal. Even after that he struck at everything that moved for a good month or so. Apparently when they are young they have little confidence and will do whatever it takes to ward off possible predators.

My snake eventually grew out of it. I was so worried for the first few months that it would never stop biting at everything that moved, everyone told me to wait it out.

And as mentioned previously, even very young snakes can start off on rat pinks or fuzzy rats. I think it's better to feed big once than small twice, that could just be my opinion tho.