My snake tried to bite me

[Scales]

My new ball python tried to bite me after it fell over in its cage. I read that moving is stressful for them, so could that be it? I don't know if it's a boy or girl and it's about 1 1/2 feet long, if that helps with the problem. Also, what should i do if it does bite me? Please help me.

[Kaorte]

Moving to a new home is stressful. Give your snake a week of alone time before messing with him or feeding him.

If you do get bit, you wash it off and put on a bandaid if it bleeds. I have never been bit but I have heard that it doesn't hurt.

[grim reaper in NY]

You seem to be new at being a python owner. A bit more description is needed regarding yuor encounter. When you say the snake "fell over", what exactly are you talking about? Did it fall off a perch or is he sick or injured?
One thing to remember when handling snakes is smooth, slow approaches when reaching for them. Any sudden movements can be misinterpreted as a predatory move and the snake will react accordingly. If you jumper or moved quick to try and keep the snake from falling, that action itself may have scared it into thinking it was being attacked.
Young snakes also are much more prone to snapping as they are tiny and their defense mechanism tells them that everything that moves is a potential enemy. As your snake matures, it will realize you mean it no harm and most likely will adjust it's aggressiveness accordingly. Patience is the key here though. Don't get frustrated with your snake. Just take your time, get to know it and let it get to know you. I look at it as a period of courtship between the two of you. You each need to learn the other's quirks and behavior in order to feel comfortable around eachother. Once the trust factor has been established, you'll have a friend for life.

[Scales]

Thanks for the advice guys. Well, he was slithering up the side of his tank and tipped must have gotten off balance and fell onto a pile of aspen shavings. I was sitting by his cage at the time, watching him. Maybe this made him think i knocked him over. Now he's sliding around the cage again but a bit after he fell, he was breathing fast and stayed in the same spot. If it makes any difference, he fell by the water bowl and when he just sat there, his tail was in the water. The guy at Petco said i should feed him tomarrow or the next day. But, he also said to move him into a different container for food. Should i be afraid to move him? Also, if it is not safe to handle him right now, would winter gloves help at all? These are very important questions to me and i thank you for helping. Oh, and, I need names.

[Kaorte]

Sounds like he is just exploring his new home. Just give him some time to chillax. You will know he is comfortable when he spends all his time in his hides.

Wait one week from the day you got him before feeding him. You can go ahead and just feed him in the normal enclosure, there is no need to move him and stress him out further.

Can you post a picture of your setup and tell us about it a bit? Everyone here has great advice on how to make your enclosure the best for your ball python

[wolfy-hound]

If you actually get bit, it's no big deal. At best you may have some tiny papercut like marks, just wash it with soap and water.

I second what Koarte said above.

[Scales]

Thanks, this will be very helpful. You're right, everyone knows to much stress can be awful. I will put up some pics soon.

[Scales]

Sorry, camera's dead. Pics in the morn.

[frankykeno]

Well it's not like I personally know "the guy at Petco" but past experience tends to tell me that I wouldn't follow a lot of pet store advice (sorry to our really well informed pet store employees).

Leave the snake be for a week or so then offer it an appropriately sized prey item in his home. You can move snakes to feed them but you don't really need to. Since ball pythons are generally shy snakes that are ambush predators they often hunt best from their hides in the home territory they are used to. Ball pythons are also fairly girthy ground snakes. They don't usually climb very well.

[Kysenia]

My two fires which are the youngest/smallest bp's I have still dont care for me. All the advice given above is perfect, give him time and all will be good. Persistance is the key, my wife and I have been married 8 years and she will still strike at me when I do something wrong or not hand over my money fast enough, I usually just refill her drink, give her the remote, hand her a hundred and come back a week later...works everytime!!