what kind of BP is this? I am so confused...

[creativecorns]

I definitely agree with Ben I would not want a ball python to bite me and I would definitely not want that Burm to bite me ! People grab them behind the head it is not a bad way of holding a snake. And I also don't think feeding them on the ground is all that bad. Come on these are snakes. He lives in Fl the cement floors wouldn't be cold unless he has Ac going on which I doubt. And also as he said he does not keep them on the floor or feed them on the floor. He lets them grab the rats and then he puts them back in the cage so they won't bite him. Also if you have more then one snake in a cage you don't want to feed them in their enclosure. And also feeding them outside of their cage doesn't make them aggressive so whenever you stick your hand in their cage they won't strike at you mistaking you for food. Just because this guy has his own way of doing things does not mean you all have to say it is a bad way of keeping snakes. Or holding them wrong or feeding them incorrectly. As long as he keeps his snakes in a well suited environment and he seems to be feeding them well. If it was me I would probably do the same if the snake was mean. Maybe he got it like that. I have gotten snakes from people that have been absolute jerks and that is just their personality sometimes you just can't change that. You have to deal with it. And another thing. If you know Ball pythons they do the neck thing when you set them down. It doesn't mean it has a broken neck or whatever it is just how Ball pythons are. Well If you guys could all just stop with all the arguing. he didn't ask If his snakes were being mis held or if it's wrong to feed on the floor. He just asked if his snakes had any traits.



To answer that question from the pictures it looks like a normal Ball python and he is very pretty for a normal.




Lani ~

[cornball252]

I've been watching this thread closely and everyone participating in it. I will say that I was, at first, completely appalled at the photographs in the original post. I do find the idea of feeding snakes on a cold concrete floor to be unnecessary at the very least, and highly risky at worst. They do perfectly fine being fed in their own enclosures...unless, of course, they have to share that enclosure with another snake.

What I've noticed here in this thread is some (not all!) people making very broad assumptions based on a few isolated photographs...and then jumping on those assumptions as if they were hard-and-fast facts. I've also seen the OP respond to most of these accusations with relative calm and reason...something we rarely see in someone who is really as flippant with animal husbandry as he is being accused of.

I've been in the snake rooms of some of the top breeders in this country. I've seen extremely experienced and knowledgeable keepers handle difficult snakes. In either of these situations, it is SO easy to take a few photographs and display them out of context and cause others to make horrible assumptions based on nothing more than the evidence of those few pics. Rooms get dirty. Snakes poo and make big messes. Take a few pictures the day before cleaning day and you can make the most fastidious keeper look neglectful. Watch an experienced handler try to stretch a wriggling snake out for examination, and snap the picture just so...and you can make the most careful person look abusive.

Nothing wrong with asking questions or offering advice...but let's save the leaping-assumptions game for another time, shall we?

I appreciate your comment.

[Jay_Bunny]

Hmm, well that makes me feel sooooo much better. Now I have to ditch my pillowcase idea.

The thing is though, holding his head like that is not going to help his aggression. Its only going to make it worse. You could wear a long sleeve shirt that is made of thick material (may be a bit toasty while you feed) but that may work. And just wear gloves. (I had to do this for a ferret of mine who had a biting problem. Once she realized biting me didn't hurt me, she stopped and I could stop wearing the gloves)

[Freakie_frog]

Ok I'll try to lend my two cents in here. I'll not comment on your feeding method cause I feel that has been covered over well.

When dealing with an "Aggressive" snake there are a few things to remember. aggression is a defense method. They act this way in order to scare you off and to keep themselves alive. A Ball python acting this way can in most cases be traced back to either housing or past human interaction experiences. First look long and hard at your housing. Remember that things like excessive light, vibrations, movement, no hide, temps off, ect. All these things can lead to an overly defensive animal. Handling while in some cases can help assure the animal your not a predator, it can also cause more stress.

These animals are at their most vulnerable when they are eating or not balled up. Stretching out out and rolling it on its back is a predatory move.

I have a few defensive animals that like to lash out my trick is a water bottle. Simply use the water bottle to touch the animals head, this normally invokes the "Hide" reaction and will cause them to briefly hide their heads. At which point I can just reach in and pick them up.

while we all like to avoid getting bit..Remember your working with snakes it comes with the job..Better to except it now and learn to work with the animals natural behavior to your advantage, than to cause further stress to both you and your pets trying to avoid a bite.

[creativecorns]

I totally agree with JLC! Quit assuming things that you don't know. Just leave the guy alone. He just asked a simple question and everyone just jumps to bad things. Thank you JLC for explaining



Lani~

[Muze]

I use full arm leather handing gloves for nippy ones. Work like a charm. I use them a few times to get them used to being handled, and once they stop striking, I use bare hands. I was bit once. By one of the calmest (& the biggest) BPs I have. It bled. It bruised. It's really not that bad.

[rabernet]

They are not eating on they floor, to keep them from getting nasty feeding responses we take the out let them have the inital strike out side their enclosure then place them back in once they start to eat this way it keeps them from having a feeding response in their cage...

I'm on lunch break, and I see there are 5 pages of responses so far, so this may have already been addressed.

What sort of "nasty feeding responses" are you concerned about? I've been feeding ~40 ball pythons from babies to adults on a weekly basis in their enclosures for the past several years.

They have fabulous feeding responses. And none of them ever mistake me for food when it's not feeding day.

Are you concerned that you'll condition them to bite you in their enclosure? If so, that's an internet and pet store myth, and very unlikely to happen unless you happen to smell like a rodent.

[rabernet]

while we all like to avoid getting bit..Remember your working with snakes it comes with the job..Better to except it now and learn to work with the animals natural behavior to your advantage, than to cause further stress to both you and your pets trying to avoid a bite.

And Ed is the king of bites - he's a bite magnet!

[Freakie_frog]

And Ed is the king of bites - he's a bite magnet!

I'm one of those people that if your snake has never bitten it hasn't been held by me.

[rabernet]

I'm one of those people that if your snake has never bitten it hasn't been held by me.

I've snorted more soda up my nose being on the phone with Ed and him messing with the snakes and hearing curses being uttered, AFTER he baby talks the snake and goes "you're such a sweet snake aren't you? You love your daddy, don't you - you're not going to bite me are you?............expletive, expletive, expletive"

The best was when he brought me my first trio of ASF's to the Birmingham show and went "I don't know why Kara thinks these things are so mean, they're so sweet.....dammit!!!!! He just bit me on my finger!!!"

I laughed until I cried - and darn near peed my pants - funny stuff there!