My Son Dropped My New Ball Python!

[bow313]

I'm in a rough space right now. I just purchased 2 new ball pythons. They arrived last week on Thursday. I was planning to feed them on Tuesday but I had surgery so I pushed it back to today. My son has been begging me for the last week to hold them. He normally helps me with our original ball python that we brought back in June. He normally does pretty good with that snake, so I said well, let's hold them and then we can feed them. I was in the bathroom, prepping the mouse for the ball python while my son was sitting on the couch. The python was in his hands and he panicked and dropped it from maybe somewhere around 2 feet off the ground. In his panic, he tried to catch it and only made things worse as it looks like the snake hit the ground head first. He seems fine and had no visible bruises but it does seem like his mouth looks a little weird.

Also, this ball python was a little jumpy and now he's extremely jumpy. I'm mad at my son but I'm even more mad at myself for going against my better judgement. Have any of you ever dropped a ball python?

[Bogertophis]

You made some big mistakes (besides overestimating your son's abilities) in handling snakes that you're planning to feed- especially ball pythons, which are shy 'ambush feeders'. Handling is a distraction at best, but at the worst (like for a new snake) it's frightening & kills their appetite. They're more worried about this big strange "predator" (you or your son) that might be about to eat THEM. Remember that snakes rely on instincts, & the only thing that picks them up in the wild is normally a predator about to have lunch.

Actually, you're far better off (so you don't end up with a snake that refuses to eat) if you don't handle them AT ALL until a new snake has had time to "settle in" and time to have eaten AT LEAST 3 or more meals at normal intervals. That may seem like "torture" for you or your son, but trust me, it's a good policy. It's just no fun when snakes keep refusing to eat.

Even after that, I recommend NO handling at all for the day prior to offering a meal, as it might get the meal refused, even when the snake wasn't dropped or mishandled. BPs are best fed where they live, not handled, & never moved elsewhere to feed- and feeding during evening/nighttime hours usually works best.

The snake that was dropped is probably okay- his jaw is probably out of alignment- or maybe painful & swollen. A vet visit is in order if something really seems wrong, but we aren't seeing the snake, & cannot diagnose anything online anyway. I wouldn't try to feed for at least several days at the very least- a week would be better (assuming his jaw isn't broken, & only a vet could tell you that for sure) & it probably won't work anyway if you did try. Sure can't blame your snake for being jumpy now, can you? Ouch.

I've never dropped a snake, but someone holding one of my snakes did once- The snake was fine, fortunately. But it's not a given.

If you need to find a qualified herp vet near you, this may help: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

[KMG]

We've had many dropped snake and snake waste threads lately. Can somebody please change the channel?

[Bogertophis]

We've had many dropped snake and snake waste threads lately. Can somebody please change the channel?

Well we're here to help with whatever issue someone is having- it's just the way it goes sometimes- that similar threads happen in clusters. I'm quite sure the OP wishes this never happened.

[bow313]

Thanks for the reply Bogertophis but I think I should have put more info in the original post. I wasn’t attempting to feed him while my son was hold him. My plan was to let me son hold him for a moment while I laid the mouse out to thaw. Then I was going to put it back in it’s tub. And once the mouse thawed, I was going to feed it in it’s tub.

I do it all of the time with the ball python that I had since June. My son normally holds him with no issues and we hold him on days that I feed him and 15 or 30 minutes later once he’s back in his enclosure, he has no problem eating his food.

I would never take him out to feed and I have never taken a snake out of it’s enclosure or tub to feed it. I will always find them in there enclosure/tub. I will monitor his jaw and take your advice about taking him to the vet if it doesn’t go back to normal.

It provides some comfort knowing that your snake wasn’t harmed when it fell. I’m hoping my snake will be alright too.

[bow313]

This was my first time posting and I was in a state of panic. I’ll look through some of the other threads as well.

[Bogertophis]

Thanks for the reply Bogertophis but I think I should have put more info in the original post. I wasn’t attempting to feed him while my son was hold him. My plan was to let me son hold him for a moment while I laid the mouse out to thaw. Then I was going to put it back in it’s tub. And once the mouse thawed, I was going to feed it in it’s tub.

I do it all of the time with the ball python that I had since June. My son normally holds him with no issues and we hold him on days that I feed him and 15 or 30 minutes later once he’s back in his enclosure, he has no problem eating his food.

I would never take him out to feed and I have never taken a snake out of it’s enclosure or tub to feed it. I will always find them in there enclosure/tub. I will monitor his jaw and take your advice about taking him to the vet if it doesn’t go back to normal.

It provides some comfort knowing that your snake wasn’t harmed when it fell. I’m hoping my snake will be alright too.

No, I understood what you were describing very well. It's just not the best practice- just because you've been lucky with your first BP & he's an easy-feeder, don't assume that the next one will be too. Sooner or later, you'll probably find this out. That's why the most common threads we get are "my BP won't eat!"

[bow313]

No, I understood what you were describing very well. It's just not the best practice- just because you've been lucky with your first BP & he's an easy-feeder, don't assume that the next one will be too. Sooner or later, you'll probably find this out. That's why the most common threads we get are "my BP won't eat!"

I see where you coming from now. I did buy these 2 ball pythons with the expectation that they would be more like the first one. He's an OG. He eats like a Kingsnake! So, yes, that's true, I can't get caught up in using the same tactics with the new ball pythons, that I use with him.

[nikkubus]

Even with the almost 30 yrs experience I have handling snakes, if I'm handling little babies I will handle them seated on the floor because you never know when they will startle. It really depends what kind of enclosure you have whether that's really possible while getting them out, but at least afterwards, it's a good practice.

Agree that you shouldn't handle them the day before (or 2 days after) feeding, and the first month or two when you first get them. You really did get lucky with your first. I have a routine on feeding day where I make sure any check-up, misting, water filling is early in the morning, so that by the time I try and feed in the evening, they have calmed down from whatever stress I caused them. Colubrids typically are less fussy about it but there are even exceptions there where it's best not to mess with them prior to feeding (my hognose comes to mind).

Hopefully he will be just fine. I'd watch for any serious swelling and get him to the vet if it gets bad, a little will probably heal on its own though.

[KMG]

Well we're here to help with whatever issue someone is having- it's just the way it goes sometimes- that similar threads happen in clusters. I'm quite sure the OP wishes this never happened.

I am aware and I'm sure the op does wish that, I certainly do. I was just expressing a hope that it stops. That's what I meant by changing the channel. Nothing negative toward the OP or anybody else. I believe you misinterpreted my comment. I don't like reading about dropped snakes. Obviously we are here to help because of we weren't we would have given up a long time ago with the endless revolving door of noob questions.