Well Last night it had been 48 hours after I had fed my new Ball python. So I went to take her out of the tub. As soon as my hand went in she went into an S shape and watched me closely. I slowly removed her hide.

I then touched her on her body and she tensed but kept in the S shape. I should of just picked her up but instead I took my hand away and in doing so it went in front of her face and she struck me. Broke the skin and a little blood came out.

After striking me she put her head in an S but layed it on the bottom of the tub. She did not curl over the top of it. So I touched her body and picked her up from underneath. She was stiff in my hands for about 20 seconds but then started to roam all over my hands back and forth. I held her for 10 minutes and put her back.

I assumed she struck me because of me moving my hand to close to her face in a quick manner.

So tonight I wanted to go and pick her up. This time I could not get my hand near her hide without her almost shaking as soon as it was close. I am pretty sure she was about to strike. Problem is my kids were in the room and I did not want them to be freaked out seeing the snake bite daddy. So I left her alone.

I am not experienced so I cannot tell if she is about to shed. I have looked at pictures on the net but her eyes are not blue but I do think her skin may be dull in appearance.

I do not know if it is because she was underfed. She is supposed to be near a year old. Her girth is such that the person I got her from suggested rat pups would be appropriate. The last meal I gave her consisted of two "large" mice that were definitly smaller than her girth. Those were fed three days ago. They were F/T, her first ones ever as she had only ever eaten live before then. She hammered them.

She is housed in a 28 qrt sterilite tub. Cool side drops to 76.7 at night and 81 during most of the day. Warm is pegged to 93 and stays there. Humidity is currently at 62.


No urates, liquid urine, or defacation since I got her 10+ days ago.

She only started using her hide about 4 days ago. Used to at night she would roam around the tub. Now she only puts about 4 inch of her head and neck outside the door of the hide. I have not seen her voluntarily come all the way out since she was fed.

Somewhere this post was going to be a question but it now looks like some kind of blog.

I have ordered some snake handling gloves as I am worried that if she strikes me and I pull back she will hurt her teeth. Her bite certainly did not hurt. It felt like sand paper being mildly raked accross my pinky. But pulling my hand away is kind of a visceral reaction to a wild animal with awesome speed striking you.

So what would you do in my situation. I am hoping she mellows out as my kids are big animal lovers and while they are too young to handle the snake, I would like them to be able to pet her when I am handling her. If this can be safely done.