Hi all!

This will be an update/question post as an extension of this earlier post of mine: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...enile-new-home

My BP Aruna has been with us now since October. She is a lemonburst morph we got from a breeder. She arrived about 6 months old.

I had originally asked some questions because she has been snappy, but most attributed this to adjustment period and perhaps husbandry.

Husbandry:

We have mad many necessary changes to make her home perfect. She has temps of 90 on the hot side, 70 on the cool, 50% humidity (added moss and a towel to cover the tank), all of this maintained by a UTH with thermostat, and a heat lamp on the basking side. She has two hides and uses both. I think she has been ok in the home.

Adjustment:

It has been some time now and I thought we had some progress. We remove her from the tank for basic cleaning and put her in a travel carrier. Instead of handling her directly wed keep her in there while cleaning and just talk to her and watch her not trying to bother her much with handling for now. We then moved to while in the carrier just some light rubs while she was balled (all of this done while cleaning - once or twice a month depending on sheds and how much waste she has). I was advised it may be time to try and handle her so i did.

But then the snapping started again. And a bit concerning was that the snapping didnt even happen when a reach in was attempted. Just random shots in the air as soon as the hide was removed (which we have to do when we clean anyway). She is indeed a very scared and anxious noodle.

Now, I am no expert in adjustment periods, but this has been a bit of time since we got her so is this now a personality situation?

I will say something else - this is my first BP I have ever fed frozen instead of live. I thought this would have an opposite effect, but not sure if this somehow is contributing too. Sometimes she strikes the defrosted mouse from the tongs. Other times when she won't we will leave it in and she will grab it on her own terms.

I am really worried that she is so stressed all the time. Even the slightest walk by if her head is out of her hide she retreats violently (even hitting her head on her own hide!).

Any ideas?