snake trying to strike at me?

[jyc0330]

so recently, as i was putting my hand into my snake's cage to change his water, and he bit me! this was the first time he had ever done so. it was just a quick bite. he didn't latch on or anything, but it was still unusual for him to do so. i had just taken a rat out of the freezer to thaw, but it was in a bag, so im not sure if my snake would have been able to smell it's scent on my hand. i just assumed that there was a smell that triggered my snake. however, now whenever i put my hand over his cage, he'll very quickly "stand" upwards, and put his head to the screen, almost as if he's going to strike my hand. i hadn't been able to handle him over the past one or two months, so maybe that could be the cause, but even so, he had always been very docile and gentle before. ive been scared to put my hand in cage, but i need to clean his cage. any idea why he's been behaving like this?

[Godzilla78]

double post

[Godzilla78]

In my experience, you have to tame a snake, like any other animal. To tame a snake, learn how to handle it. This means you can pick it up without getting bit, without scaring the animal, and without harming the animal. Get the snake accustomed to your scent, and your presence being non-threatening. My first ball is very tame and very friendly with people, because I spent hours and hours handling him and caring for him for a couple of years, and now when I open his enclosure, he comes right out and greets me, climbs on me as if I am just his buddy. He feels almost zero threat from me, and therefore is "tame".

On the other scale, I recently acquired a small hatching. The hatchling is scared of me, tries to bite me, gets defensive, tenses up and wiggles his tail to signal his ferocity!

I attribute this to
1) he is a baby, and all babies are rightfully anxious about being killed.
2) he is not tamed at all. He has very little experience with humans handling him.
3) I WILL tame him over time, I have only had him 2 weeks.

I pick him up to clean his cage, I have to be very careful picking him up, as he strikes. I have not been bit yet, but I have to avoid his head, and grab him gently from behind. Once I have him in my hand, I am very gentle and he usually balls up, hiding his head. Eventually he will realize I don't want to hurt him and be will stop freaking out.

Hope this helps.

[BluuWolf]

Well, I'm not to sure really on how good their sense of smell is but sense you did just put a rat to thaw and he hasn't displayed this sort of behavior before my best bet would be that the two are related. Although he could just have been startled sense you two haven't interacted in a while.

I would just start handling him more regularly so he won't think of you hand as food or scary. My boy has never been defensive with me personally but when I reach in to pick him up I always give him a little tap on his side to let him know I'm here and not startle him. If you're afraid of him biting you when you open the lid I've heard people on here tell others to mist them a little with a bottle or mister and it will get them out of that defensive mode. Not as like a punishment or anything, just a little one to get them out of that mode.

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[hollowlaughter]

Sounds like a mix of "hungry" and "lacking in handling". Always remember to wash your hands after handling their food items, and set asside time to interact with the snake outside of feeding times. Essentially, the mix of possible rat scent on your hands and a time with you only opening the cage to feed him has set the snake into what gets called "cage aggression" but is simply the animal learning that an open cage has begun to equal getting food and acting on that.

[jyc0330]

how would i "de-program" my snake from cage aggression, if whenever i open his cage, he automatically assumes im going to feed him?

[Ladybugzcrunch]

Use an object to push his head down a bit before entering the enclosure then pick him up. I use a paper towel roll. This just tells them a food item is not entering the enclosure. It is actually a terrific thing when a ball python is a good feeder, especially a male.