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Re: Very kind ball python now bite me every time I took him out of cage
 Originally Posted by Edea_Tsuki
I suppose yes...! Hahahaha
It's very similar to what happened to me, so it probably is the truth.
Well, I already ordered the gloves, so I think I can use them for guide him in the cloth bag. I first want to "study" his behavior with the gloves because I think that another bite isn't very good for my mental stability :')
But surely I want to apply what you told me about the shed and the taming. I have two questions.
1. It is possible that my snake recognize my odor though the gloves? Because if the answer is no I think I have to work on it after I become more safe about his behavior. It will take time...
2. Do you think I have to feed him more, like 2 times at week?
Study his behavior? Sounds like you're just stalling- And he needs help shedding now, not in a week or so. Remember, shed skin gets more stuck, not less.
I understand not wanting to get bit- really I do- but I have yet to meet a snake that doesn't appreciate the help shedding, and I've never gotten bitten doing this.
Currently I have only one snake that hates to be handled- my 6' Korean rat snake- & he'll bite without warning whenever he's "had enough". He's more like a racer than a rat snake- he never sits still. So I was not happy when (about 2 months ago) he ended up for the first time with a lot of stuck shed- even on his face! I did exactly what I suggested that you do- I guided him into a pillow case & got it very damp, waited a while, & then helped him rub off his shed, mostly thru the pillow case.
But just when I thought it was all off, sure enough, he still needed help with his face. I ended up doing that without gloves or pillow case, because by then, he realized that I was helping him & snakes want more than anything to be rid of that tight old skin. No bites- he was a very happy camper when I got done. You CAN do this, I promise, if you learn to use your hands to communicate to your snake that you're a friend, not a foe. If you're focused- in your heart- on really HELPING a snake, my experiences tell me that they can feel that by your touch. I've done this stuff for many years. 
If you're afraid to pick him up at first, even to slide him into the pillow case, just drop a small towel (or t-shirt) over him (over his head) & use that to pick him up just enough to guide him. Sometimes you get what you expect: Expect this to go well! Think positive.
This is a BP- not a lion. Your reactions to him are making him MORE nervous (defensive) & prone to biting, not less. If you do as I suggested & actually help him shed, & with some handling first in the pillow case, it will likely help his attitude (& yours) & you may never need the gloves. Put yourself in his place: You are a scary giant to him! And you've been unconsciously sending him the wrong signals. Snakes want to feel safe & it helps when you can relax with them. I know you can do this- You know in your heart he is still a "very kind ball python" but now he's just afraid or confused.
1. No- the downside of using gloves is that your snake will get much less (if any) of your scent thru the gloves, depending on what they're made of. But you can still fix that! Rub the gloves thru your hair a few times to put your own scent on them. Keep in mind, it's also possible that the gloves may have some (chemical?) odor of their own- possibly a drawback.
2. No, never feed a snake that often- they need at least a week to digest even small prey (& more if the prey is larger). Feeding twice a week: either he'll refuse it anyway- waste of food, OR, he'll take it but regurgitate it.
Last edited by Bogertophis; 11-08-2023 at 10:44 AM.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ~ Gandhi
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