I think she just hates me :(

[moonlightgdess]

My pinstripe is just not taking to me. Temps are right, humidity is at 55%, hides, water, food... But every time I go to handle her, even just in her enclosure, she gets super defensive. She doesn't ball up, she rears back all S shaped ready to go. Well, tonight I handled her just to try and get her used to me. When I put her back, she struck at the side *hard*, like this wasn't a warning. Should I just concede to the fact she hates me?

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

[Daybreaker]

How long have you had her?

[moonlightgdess]

Little over a month. At first she was just shy and after quietly holding her for a few she would uncurl and explore. But the past two weeks she's just been a jerk and moody. She's an '11 so she's young but still....

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

[cmack91]

Does she act normal otherwise?

[Sama]

Sounds like my little pinstripe girl. She will strike at the glass and even bounce herself around her cage trying to get me. As long as the cage is right I just consider it to be a baby thing some do and some don't. My pastel did the same thing for a while but once she got bigger she mostly settled down.

[KatStoverReptiles]

I have a het albino girl that I've had since Sept who was like that. We called her meanie butt. She was around 200 grams when I got her and is now about 500 grams and starting to calm down a lot. I would mostly just handle her for cleaning.

I have a cinny het albino girl who's the new meanie butt of the collection. She's right at 200 grams and just as strikey as can be.

I imagine it's just a spunky baby thing and that she'll grow out of it. Don't lose hope.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ExotixTowing]

When I first got my Lesser he was great would ball right up then relax and explore, well about a month ago he started hissing and essing up at me, I figured out he was hungry !! since moving to the 4 day schedule he's been great LOL

[moonlightgdess]

Does she act normal otherwise?

She hides all the time so, yes I suppose lol. She drinks fine when I catch her doing it, she eats great, sheds great. She just freaks the hell out for handling, and just lately.

And she's still tiny, only just over 120g last she let me weigh her. Not skinny, just small I promise lol.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

[DooLittle]

We have one like that. A little pastel het hypo female. She is just a peach, (not). I saw a video on world of ball pythons about aggressive hatchlings, it seemed to help. But she is still really moody, and you just really have to be on your toes if you have her out. There is no snuggling and watching tv with her. From what I have read some say they will mellow out, but it could just be her personality. She is kept in a rack, exact same way as all others, so who knows. Maybe someone peed in her rat cheerios. It sounds like your girl is still young, hopefully she will start to settle down.

[Slim]

I totally feel your frustration

My most recent addition, a Pastel Lesser male, has been with me for about 6 weeks. In that time he's eaten like a champ after settling in, had a beautiful shed, and gained from 185 grams to 224 grams empty. He's got the most smokin' paint job of any BP I've ever owned and does all the normal BP things...until I have to handle him, at which point he turns into Linda Freaking' Blair from the Exorcist

For the first 4 weeks I only handled him for husbandry purposes, but starting a couple weeks ago I began getting him out of the tub for short 10 minute sessions hoping he would start to either calm down, or at least start to tolerate being handled. So far, not much luck.

I can get him out of the tub with no issues, but as soon as I sit down on my bed or the floor with him in my hands, he starts to track me, heat pits forward, with a very tight S bend in his neck and that upward head tilt that lets you know he's about to pull the trigger. And, he doesn't track my hands (which are holding him) or my arms...this kid is tracking the heat from my face.

Last Sunday night my GF was over and was sitting in a chair across from me, about 10 feet away while I had him out. He was watching her pretty closely so I asked her to stand up. As soon as she moved, he struck, when he struck, she jumped, when she jumped, he struck again. As amusing as I thought it was, she was somewhat less than impressed

I really hope this dude starts to settle down soon....