New snake owner and I need a little help

[Ciaran_songs]

So..Six days ago I got a new baby female ball python in which I have named Aaron she is very pretty but I have a problem. She has very bad mood swings i have not touched her but I do stick my hands in there twice a day to change the water so that she always has something fresh to drink some days she will be extremely mean and hiss she even bit me once and other days she will just sit there and move her head along with my hand or just be really calm she is a very good eater the humidity is right where its supposed to be she has two hides and a heating mat everything she needs I have pretty big enclosure. I got her from my local pet store which is 3 hours away from where I live I know its bad to get them from pet stores but I cant have animals shipped to where I am due to many differing reasons and there are no pet expo's around at all when we went to go get her she was very rude to the petsmart employee I just need some tips is this normal or not and how should I get her to be a little less defensive am I doing something wrong? I just need some tips on how to tame her down a bit I have already but a scrap piece of clothing in there with my scent but I just need to know how to handle her I am not scared of her biting me more of I am scared she is going to bite me and im going to jump or get startled and hurt her.

[bcr229]

Is your heat mat regulated by a thermostat so it doesn't get too hot and burn your snake?

How are you measuring temperatures and humidity?

Baby snakes bite. You are a great big Godzilla predator that will gobble them up. Just ignore it and your snake will stop when it learns that biting doesn't make you go away. When mine bite I pick them up and hold them for a minute so they learn that biting = get picked up, no biting = they get left alone.

[HeathBish]

It takes time for them to get acclimated. She's in a new area and scared. Because she's so little and probably not to messy right now I would just peek in on her humidity and temp levels to make sure they're OK and ignore her besides that. For two weeks minimum. If her head is moving with your hand then it could mean you're in there for too long while she's still acclimatung. Change the water every other day unless it's dirty, of course.

Do you have hides in there? If you don't then she's probably really stressed. BPs need to hide to feel safe.

Also, as mentioned above you'll need those things to be sure she's being cared for properly. They need heat. One side of Viv should be heated and the other side should be cool due to needing to thermo regulate.

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[HeathBish]

It takes time for them to get acclimated. She's in a new area and scared. Because she's so little and probably not to messy right now I would just peek in on her humidity and temp levels to make sure they're OK and ignore her besides that. For two weeks minimum. If her head is moving with your hand then it could mean you're in there for too long while she's still acclimatung. Change the water every other day unless it's dirty, of course.

Do you have hides in there? If you don't then she's probably really stressed. BPs need to hide to feel safe.

Also, as mentioned above you'll need those things to be sure she's being cared for properly. They need heat. One side of Viv should be heated and the other side should be cool due to needing to thermo regulate.

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I reread what you posted and see you have heat and two hides sorry. Measuring the heat as mentioned is best.

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[Ciaran_songs]

Ok thanks so much for the help! I will try not to change the water as often as I was and try not to bother her too much. Again thanks so much for the help!

[Zincubus]

Yeah .. as above.

When you change or top up the water do it first thing in the morning whilst it's still asleep .

You shouldn't try and handle the snake until it's had a couple of feeds AND has a week or two to settle down.

ideally give us a detailed breakdown of your set up and a photo or two ( use the free app TapaTalk to upload photos ) .

All details of equipment would be useful ..

Are you using a digital temp gun to check the surface temps !!??
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[Ciaran_songs]

Yes it is regulated by a thermostat and I have a heat gun to see how hot it is and thermometer/hydrometer inside the enclosure

[Dianne]

Especially for young snakes, a new home with new enclosure and accessories can be stressful...sort of like us being abducted by aliens and dropped in a new state. I usually give mine about a week to settle in before I offer the first prey item. I don’t handle any more than absolutely necessary until they are consistently eating - minimum 2-3 meals. So only if I need to remove them to clean the cage or change water. This is the hardest part for me...waiting.

In my opinion, having your hands hovering nearby probably feels threatening...giving your little one a fear that “a big creature is going to grab and eat me”. When it comes to handling I try to come from the side, versus overhead, and gently scoop them up. Little ones will hiss and strike, though often without an actual bite. With gentle consistent handling, they will calm down. It takes patience and perseverance. I also recommend keeping handling sessions short, 10-15 minutes tops to keep from stressing them out too much but giving them enough time to get used to you.