Ball Python Quirks? (For Fun)

[Sonny1318]

Okay, my Clown and my Hypo Super Enchi have no fear either. The Clown since day one. The Hypo Super Enchi not at first, but now just as bad. No need for a hide, they’re both to happy to just watch me. Hang out in the middle of tank with out a care. Lay on the hide, appear to look like they are ambush hunting on the side of their water dish. And both are very good about looking like they never seen a mouse. My Pied likes to hang in his water dish every third shed or so, just enough to make me question everything. Just my Black Pastel Pin knows he is supposed to be a little shy.

[dadofsix]

One of my snakes will absolutely refuse to get near a fully white rat. This has happened five or six times so, yes, I can be taught!

If it's got even a little brown on it, down it goes. But the pure white rat ends up having to go to the other snake who, if she could, would wag her tail she's so happy to see that rat! lol

<><Peace

[the_rotten1]

... to the other snake who, if she could, would wag her tail she's so happy to see that rat! lol

Actually, they can wag their tails. Females do it sometimes before breeding. That's my contribution to the thread. You know your girls are in the mood when you put the male in and they start wagging their tails back and forth and nudging up against the male. Some of my girls are really enthusiastic and it's fun to watch... right up untill they start peeing. Then it's just kinda gross.

[mischiefneko]

One of my snakes will absolutely refuse to get near a fully white rat. This has happened five or six times so, yes, I can be taught!

If it's got even a little brown on it, down it goes. But the pure white rat ends up having to go to the other snake who, if she could, would wag her tail she's so happy to see that rat! lol

<><Peace

Loki gets excited as soon as he smells the rat. He'll come out of his hide and start nudging the top the of tank. Though! I will get the tongs and open the tank, and Loki then start like coming out of his house. (Even though I hold the rat in the tank) It looks like he looks at my arm but I hold the rat by the tail, so it isn't near me. It gets a little startling at times.
Never been bitten by him though

[dadofsix]

Loki gets excited as soon as he smells the rat. He'll come out of his hide and start nudging the top the of tank. Though! I will get the tongs and open the tank, and Loki then start like coming out of his house. (Even though I hold the rat in the tank) It looks like he looks at my arm but I hold the rat by the tail, so it isn't near me. It gets a little startling at times.
Never been bitten by him though

You may want to consider getting long feeding tweezers or feeding tongs to hold the rat with when introducing it to your snake. If you're holding the rat by the tail you have rat scent on you. If your hand is a wee bit warmer than the rat . . . kapow!!!

It doesn't really hurt -- it's more startling than anything. And it's happened to a lot of us on this forum. But the danger can be minimized by NOT using your hands to present food to your snake.

<><Peace

[purpleroan]

My snake has a favorite wall. When she's slithering around on my bed she always goes up to this one particular spot on the wall and periscopes her little head up and will just sit there staring for 3-5 minutes. I don't know if there's some vibrations she can sense or warm pipes running there or whatever, but she's fascinated. It's a true love affair.

[dadofsix]

Loki gets excited as soon as he smells the rat. He'll come out of his hide and start nudging the top the of tank. Though! I will get the tongs and open the tank, and Loki then start like coming out of his house. (Even though I hold the rat in the tank) It looks like he looks at my arm but I hold the rat by the tail, so it isn't near me. It gets a little startling at times.
Never been bitten by him though

Ooops, I reread your reply and realized that somehow I missed that you were, in fact, using tongs. My bad! I can only attribute it to an aggravated case of caffeine depletion. lol

<><Peace

[mischiefneko]

You may want to consider getting long feeding tweezers or feeding tongs to hold the rat with when introducing it to your snake. If you're holding the rat by the tail you have rat scent on you. If your hand is a wee bit warmer than the rat . . . kapow!!!

It doesn't really hurt -- it's more startling than anything. And it's happened to a lot of us on this forum. But the danger can be minimized by NOT using your hands to present food to your snake.

<><Peace

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I do use feeding tongs and with the tongs I hold the rat by the tail. I, at no point, touch the rat. So it is odd to me that sometimes he seems to eye my hand a foot away from him and not the rat I'm dangling two inches in front of him.

[mischiefneko]

My snake has a favorite wall. When she's slithering around on my bed she always goes up to this one particular spot on the wall and periscopes her little head up and will just sit there staring for 3-5 minutes. I don't know if there's some vibrations she can sense or warm pipes running there or whatever, but she's fascinated. It's a true love affair.

Loki just wants to get down to the ground. I'll hold him while I sit on my bed, then he'll slither until he's on my bed. Then he'll try to get down onto the ground. (My mattress and box spring are on the floor) People keep telling me to get him branches or things to climb but he has ZERO interest in climbing. He won't hang out around my neck, but he'll chill in my lap if I'm sitting Indian styled.

[Florence_Bones]

Sometimes Florence sleeps with her hide ON HER! Or she will sleep with half her body poking out of her hide. We've had her on the bed a few times and she'll hide her head under the blankets, but the long half of her body will still be sticking out. We don't have the heart to tell her we can still see her :p