SUPER AGGRESSIVE BP....how do you deal with it?

[jxk]

I dunno. I would never touch a snake on the head, at least out of respect. The blowing thing only serves to distract them, not present any sort of danger.

I agree with the covering him up idea, at least for a week or so. The 4 meals he's eaten should be enough for a while, and assuming the environment is adequate, I would just leave him be for some time. I'm sure he'll be happier without all the attention.

[dr del]

Hi,

Wouldn't the blowing on him thing have a higher chance of triggering a strike - our breath is quite warm after all.

I know any kind of heat signature near my little lunatics on feeding day has a high chance of getting struck at.

Ball pythons are notoriously headshy - touching it on the head will usually trigger the animal to withdraw its head and make it defensive rather than be either aggressive or in feeding mode.

One question I meant to ask earlier - does the OP breed his own rodents and are they in the same area as these new arrivals? Just to rule out pre-scenting in an animal that previously only ever got that before feeding.


dr del

[j_h_smith]

First, I would verify the temps in the enclosures. A hot cage may cause agression. She is hungry, that too can cause agression. She has been shipped via USPS which means the content of the package was not known to the employees handling the box. They probably threw the box around, not knowing it held snakes, that too may cause agression.

So, what I'm saying is that your snake's past 2-3 weeks hasn't been a very pleasant experience.

I would feed it, and then leave it alone. Someone else said to cover the enclsoure, this is a good idea. Take away any and all stimulus.

Are you sure you are feeding the appropriate sized rodent to your snake? By feeding too small could cause your snake to always want more.

One question for you. If you remove the snake from it's enclosure, does the snake calm down? Maybe it's just a case of cage agressioin. Working with the snake over the next few months should take care of this problem.

Work with gloves if you are afraid of getting tagged. Welder's glove work well, but any heavy canvas glove will work.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

PS Do you feed live or F/T? Maybe convert to F/T, this could decrease the agressiveness too.

[rj1204]

I just think I have been had by a bad breeder. After he shipped them he told me a lot of things that would have made me NOT buy from him.......like he had not fed them in 3 weeks, he said he was sending them by "Ship Your Reptiles" and then sends me a USPS tracking code (bad code), etc. I bought 3 normal 900 gram girls from him and the other two are semi-aggressive too. I have had BP's, boas, rainbows, and plenty of other herps and this one is just a nut.

My temps are 90-92 on the Sterlite 41q tub (34 x 16 x 6). On the cool side, it stays right at 80 solid. I have 8 oz glass water dishes and newspaper substrate. I spay a water bottle stream on the inside side of the tub, front and back for humidity, which is about 60% at first and after about a week, goes down to around 50%.......but the middle of the tub should be around 60% with the water there. They are in my office and NOBODY but I go into there, usually once in the morning to check on them and 2-3 times in the evening. I bought 3 other BP's from a local reputable breeder and all three of his snakes are nice, normal BP temperments. I have only handled them putting them into the tubs. I have been giving all of them privacy to settle in. I also bought another 900g female from another reputable breeder in Iowa shipped overnight. He was great to deal with and his girl has been just like my other 3 that have not been aggressive.

Just before I typed this post, I went to change the fiesty ones water......I took a golf club (rubber end not the club end) with me to just barely touch her head to get her out of strike position.....as soon as I opened the tub, she came out and I softly touched her head......she struck the rubber grip 2 times and kept coming out. I touched her head again and she again struck it with ferocity. I gently pushed her body toward the back of the tub and she struck again, then she turned the other way. I took the water dish and she started back toward me. I took the clean water and put it back in the tub, with the rubber club in between the water dish and her.

I am willing to just take a loss on these girls and ship them back to the shady breeder I got them from. I am a complete dumbass for buying from someone that had no reputation. I know he is getting rid of at least one of these girls because she is aggressive. To me, its just easier NOT to have to deal with her, buy a hook, worry that my wife cannot help me take care of them when I am out of town, etc. I know they, or she can probably calm down but I have also read about many other aggressive girls that have not. I really do not care about the aggression so much, but why deal with it if I don't have to on some normal girls? I would rather buy some good, normal, sub-adult girls from a reputable breeder looking to make room in his racks for morphs or babies. I know a lot of you won't agree. I really am a patient person and maybe I am just blowing off some steam to y'all.

[cinderbird]

lve had snakes that just dont calm down, a female bp especlally. She couldnt get used to the scent of my cats and she would work herself up to the polnt that she would hlt the tub wall over and over agaln. l rehomed her. as soon as l dld she was calm and acted just llke a normal bp.

do you have any other klnd of pets that would create a responce llke thls?

[Kaorte]

You could just throw a hand towel over her when you need to get in the tub.

I have a feeling it will just take time and a lot of good meals for her to calm down.

Also, ship your reptiles won't even ship snakes anymore. The only way to ship snakes is fedex, and you need to be certified before you can ship. So shipping them back to him LEGALLY might prove to be more complicated.

[Kaorte]

lve had snakes that just dont calm down, a female bp especlally. She couldnt get used to the scent of my cats and she would work herself up to the polnt that she would hlt the tub wall over and over agaln. l rehomed her. as soon as l dld she was calm and acted just llke a normal bp.

do you have any other klnd of pets that would create a responce llke thls?

Dude, what is up with using the "l"(lowercase L) as an "I".

[sarahlovesmiike]

Dude, what is up with using the "l"(lowercase L) as an "I".

x2...

[j_h_smith]

I've got a Lesser who is aggressive too. I was cleaning her enclosure today and placed her on the table next to the rack. She reared up like a viper and was ready to envenomate me. I wish I had a camera with me. She had half her body off the table, in the classic "S" shape strike position. I let her strike at me a few times, then I covered her head. Then she starts in with her hssing. I then reach over and pick her up. She's fine by this point. I can hold her, let her crawl over over my arms with no issues. She's a great eater, so I don't really care. No one in the house is willing to hold her. I've never been bit by her AFTER, I've calmed her down. She has struck at me a number of times. At first I was letting her strike and bite me. I thought she'd get the message that she can't eat me, but she never has gotten that memo. So I don't let her bite me any longer. I get a kick out of her striking at me because she really does act like a viper. Maybe one day, I'll remember to take a camera in while I'm cleaning cages.

Jim Smith

[rj1204]

I have 3 dogs and they are not allowed in the snake room. I don't know what else could trigger her to be like that. Like I said, I love that she is a great eater (so far) and a huge part of me would take a MEAN good eating breeder anyday over a calm picky eater. Maybe she will settle down, maybe not. I could understand settling down if she only struck when I went into the tub, but she comes from the back to the front the second I come in and gets into strike position.....then strikes of course.

As far as shipping, I will figure it out. I will have to do some research on how to get certified someday anyways. I know I can probably send it Delta or even have a local breeder ship if I pay them a fee.