help! my new girl is NOT a happy camper.

[mlededee]

i need some big time pointers on how to calm a SUPER pissy bp. i got this young (about 400-500 grams) female about three weeks ago from a guy who lives in my apartment complex and she is just a pistol. supposedly she was sweet and nice and never bit anyone, but whatever, that is not so much the case right now. i pull her tub out from the rack and it's on. she hisses like the devil and immediately goes into defense mode. she will strike at anything--not just warning bumps with her nose, but mouth all the way open hits.

she is a bit on the thin side as well but so far she hasn't eaten for me. when i start to lower a rat (f/t) into her tub she freaks, striking it repeatedly and hissing and then retreating backward while continuing to hiss.

i'm really not quite sure what to make of her behavior. is she is terrified of me or pissed at me or both? there is no way that i could even begin to attempt to handle her right now, and i really don't want to handle her at all until she has gotten several good meals in her. i wouldn't be near as concerned about her behavior if she was eating--not that 3 weeks is a long time to go without eating but she is thin and i can't imagine she will eat at all as long as she is in the state of frenzy she is in right now.

does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

[rex322]

my old male BP had this problem. all i did was i would reach in, let him bite me, and pick him up anyways. if gncz73 pops by this thread ask him about the male he got from me, he gots him now. last i saw him he wasnt too bad. just make sure to stick with it. if you back down at all shes gonna think itll work all the time.

[Jay001]

i would say stick a piece of clothing in its viv or wateva its help in.

and i would take it out even if it did bite you apparently if you wear a rubber glove it will bite you but wont keep doing it bcoz they dont like the taste,just make sure u dnt give up on it and keep trying to hold it.

not sure what to do feeding wise get it 2 calm down by regular handling and then try when calm

not sure who else you could go about it

[Adam_Wysocki]

She most likely just feels insecure in her new environment. I would definitely try filling her tub with crumpled up newspaper and leaving her totally alone for a couple of weeks.

Then again, she could just not like you! ... I know it sounds wierd, but I have a couple of girls that I've produced and raised up that to this day hiss and strike at me constantly .... but when other people help out and clean their cages or handle them, they are puppy dogs.

A lot of people don't realize that ball pythons are individuals and just like some people rub you and I the wrong way, some people rub snakes the wrong way (and sometimes even literally!!)

I bet she'll settle down after a couple of weeks with a nice and secure box filled with paper. I've seen it before and most of the time it works!

-adam

[Ginevive]

I have one of these little "gems" too. He is pretty visious, but in his case he does eat. He has the fastest feeding response I have ever seen in a snake.
I just deal with him, because I have had him for several months already and he is not settling down a bit.

[mlededee]

i did try the crumpled paper thing for the first two weeks. i had to reach in and move or remove the paper a few times to check for poo and to clean the enclosure and she got SO worked up over it that i decided to just use several hides instead. that seems to alleviate some of the cleaning stress for her. should i just fill her box back up with paper and not even check for urates and feces for a couple of weeks?

maybe i should have my husband go in and stick his hand in her tub and see what happens.

[Adam_Wysocki]

i did try the crumpled paper thing for the first two weeks. i had to reach in and move or remove the paper a few times to check for poo and to clean the enclosure and she got SO worked up over it that i decided to just use several hides instead. that seems to alleviate some of the cleaning stress for her. should i just fill her box back up with paper and not even check for urates and feces for a couple of weeks?

maybe i should have my husband go in and stick his hand in her tub and see what happens.

I'd clean the box, fill it with crumpled paper AND multiple hides and leave her alone for a week. Make sure the water bowl is up front so that you can easily keep it full without disturbing her too much. After a week, try to feed, clean, new water etc and go back to leaving her alone for another week. Keep repeating the process until she either eats or settles down or both. I think at this point, disturbing her as little as possible is your best bet.

What type of room do you have her in? How much foot traffic and light? .... Sometimes for ball pythons with an attitude like that and imports I set them up for a month or two in the walk-in incubator with no lights (essentially a closet). I only disturb them once a week to clean and feed. It works wonders!!!

-adam

[mlededee]

good deal, thanks adam i will try that and cross my fingers.

the room that she is in gets low light from a window that is covered so it only lets in dim sunlight. the room is a second bedroom which i keep closed off except for when i am in there feeding, cleaning, etc. so it is relatively low traffic as well. if necessary i can set her up somewhere else--i think if after a few weeks she isn't eating i may set her up in my closet and see how that works.

[Adam_Wysocki]

Keep me posted, and if there's anything else I can do you can hit me up.

Be patient ... she'll come around ... they always do!

oh ... and btw ... poor husband ... i know that trick ... "go ahead and pick her up, she's nice" ... been there, done that!!!


-adam

[mlededee]

oh ... and btw ... poor husband ... i know that trick ... "go ahead and pick her up, she's nice" ... been there, done that!!!


-adam

mwaaahaaahaaaaaa!