New to ball phytons, help!

[newbie]

Hey, mi sister bought a baby ball phyton for my nephew. So I have decided to learn about them, I'm usually more a dog person, but I think phytons are cool. However I need some advice from experts about how to handle them. Today I went to see her and I knocked on the glass of her cage, and she was like backing up and quickly hitting the glass where my finger was pointing, so if the glass wasn't there would she actually eat my finger?, are they violent because they need to get familiar with people or because she is hungry already?, my sister is not here right now so I don't know if she has fed her yet. Do they drink water?.

Please be patient with me, like I said I'm new to this, and I hope you can help me with my questions...
Thanks!

[JLC]

BEST place to start is with this caresheet right here:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

To quickly answer some of your questions:

Yes, they drink water.

It might be hungry, but it's best to let them settle into a new home for a few days or a week or so before trying to feed them. Some will eat right away, but some may be too stressed or scared to eat.

Tapping on the glass that way is SCARY to the little guy. You appear to him as a giant predator and he doesn't know any differently. When they are babies, they are just about at the bottom of the food chain. His striking the glass is his way of saying, "Please go away and leave me alone!"

Yes, it may have bitten you, given the chance...but it wouldn't try to eat you. It's just trying to scare you away. And the bites aren't dangerous nor do they really hurt when they're little babies...although he could make you bleed a tiny bit.

Welcome aboard....please feel free to ask whatever questions you need and we'll help you find the answers!

[newbie]

Thanks Judy!, I went to the link you posted. My sister has always the light over the cage on, so I think that causes stress for the phyton too.

Thanks once again for your quick response...

BEST place to start is with this caresheet right here:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

To quickly answer some of your questions:

Yes, they drink water.

It might be hungry, but it's best to let them settle into a new home for a few days or a week or so before trying to feed them. Some will eat right away, but some may be too stressed or scared to eat.

Tapping on the glass that way is SCARY to the little guy. You appear to him as a giant predator and he doesn't know any differently. When they are babies, they are just about at the bottom of the food chain. His striking the glass is his way of saying, "Please go away and leave me alone!"

Yes, it may have bitten you, given the chance...but it wouldn't try to eat you. It's just trying to scare you away. And the bites aren't dangerous nor do they really hurt when they're little babies...although he could make you bleed a tiny bit.

Welcome aboard....please feel free to ask whatever questions you need and we'll help you find the answers!

[JLC]

Thanks Judy!, I went to the link you posted. My sister has always the light over the cage on, so I think that causes stress for the phyton too.

Thanks once again for your quick response...

Yes, that is definitely stressful for the snake. If she has to have a light for heat, then suggest that she switch out for a night-time bulb. (They're red or blue and can be found in any petstore) Those can stay on all the time and won't bother the snake at all.

[open_eyes]

Hey, mi sister bought a baby ball phyton for my nephew. So I have decided to learn about them, I'm usually more a dog person, but I think phytons are cool. However I need some advice from experts about how to handle them. Today I went to see her and I knocked on the glass of her cage, and she was like backing up and quickly hitting the glass where my finger was pointing, so if the glass wasn't there would she actually eat my finger?, are they violent because they need to get familiar with people or because she is hungry already?, my sister is not here right now so I don't know if she has fed her yet. Do they drink water?.

Please be patient with me, like I said I'm new to this, and I hope you can help me with my questions...
Thanks!

ball pythons arent really aggresive snakes, so she must have been pretty scared for her to strike you when you werent feeding her. id leave her alone for a week or two to settle in her new habitat before you begin to handle her. when you do handle her, you need to support her body weight, dont let her dangle. also ball pythons are pretty head shy and will probably flinch if you touch their heads, so i wouldnt bother. you can stroke them but always do so in the direction of the scales, dont rub them the wrong way bp are shy creatures and you need to give them time to get used to you. only handle them for 5 minutes to start then you can gradually build it up. sometimes handling them too much can stress them out, if she curls up in a ball (hence the name) then shes using her defence mechanism meaning she doesnt want to play. enjoy the world new world of reptiles, im sure youl learn a lot as you go along!

[Tempest]

Hey, mi sister bought a baby ball phyton for my nephew. So I have decided to learn about them, I'm usually more a dog person, but I think phytons are cool. However I need some advice from experts about how to handle them. Today I went to see her and I knocked on the glass of her cage, and she was like backing up and quickly hitting the glass where my finger was pointing, so if the glass wasn't there would she actually eat my finger?, are they violent because they need to get familiar with people or because she is hungry already?, my sister is not here right now so I don't know if she has fed her yet. Do they drink water?.

Please be patient with me, like I said I'm new to this, and I hope you can help me with my questions...
Thanks!

Ok, first it's spelled P-Y-T-H-O-N and they're very docile. Don't tap the glass, it pisses them off, they think it's taunting, and DUH! Of course they drink water what living animal DOESN'T??? The reason it was backing up and "hitting" the glass was because it was trying to bite your ass. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to tap on animal's tanks? No tapping on the snake tank!!! They don't appreciate it.

[Somed00d]

Baby ball pythons can be nippy. The bites don't hurt. They tame very easily with a little handling. However a new snake should be allowed lots of time alone to acclimate with no handling and in a low traffic area of the house.

[blackcrystal22]

Ok, first it's spelled P-Y-T-H-O-N and they're very docile. Don't tap the glass, it pisses them off, they think it's taunting, and DUH! Of course they drink water what living animal DOESN'T??? The reason it was backing up and "hitting" the glass was because it was trying to bite your ass. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to tap on animal's tanks? No tapping on the snake tank!!! They don't appreciate it.

You need to stop. Your talking in a harassing and rude manner. Not everyone knows as much about this as we do. You don't have to flame them for it, they may not understand things that are 'duh' to you.

Don't be rude. We don't appreciate it.

[starmom]

Ok, first it's spelled P-Y-T-H-O-N and they're very docile. Don't tap the glass, it pisses them off, they think it's taunting, and DUH! Of course they drink water what living animal DOESN'T??? The reason it was backing up and "hitting" the glass was because it was trying to bite your ass. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to tap on animal's tanks? No tapping on the snake tank!!! They don't appreciate it.

Back it up there buckaroo. Didn't YOUR parents teach you to be kind or be silent??????

All of us on this forum try hard to learn from others and to educate and help others. Take this as a hint.....