Ok, so how bad is it, really?

[steveboos]

He will probably get better as he ages.

No he WILL get better, its just a young ball python thing to do! They have to be protective and take any threat to them as a serious thing, they get used to it though.

[Teresa]

My first and only tag was buy my friends adult female pied. I took out her boyfriend to show him to my hubby and went to put him back in her tub and she tagged me, I guess thats what I get for messing with her man. It did not hurt any more than a cat scrach. Iam a pet groomer and I can tell you a cat scratch hurts a lot more and a lot longer than a ball python bite.

[seeya205]

I would just leave him alone for a couple of weeks! He is still stressed and just needs more time to settle in! My male took a month to get settled before he calmed down! No worries!!!

[j_h_smith]

Leave him alone for a week. He's probably stressed. But some snakes are biters and will continue to do this to show you they don't want to be messed with. You have 2 choices, let him win and never get near him or let him bite you. I know this is going to sound crazy, but let him bite you. When he sees you're not going to back down, he'll get the message that you're the boss. Also it will allow you to see what being bit is like. Go into the enclosure with a closed fist. Let him bite you, he's really only going to strike at you, I would be amazed if he actually latched on.

These little guys can be nippy, but usually grow out of it. But they won't if they can continue to intimidate you to leave them alone.

Have fun with it. Get used to it, because you will be bite again and again if you're around snakes long enough.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

[Punkymom]

Will do on leaving him alone for a couple more weeks! I've had my other BP for like 7 months and he's never even tried to strike at me! I guess I'm more worried about the element of surprise than anything...I have to watch when they give me a shot or take blood cause I have to KNOW when the pain is coming, otherwise I jump through the roof! I'm generally not such a wimp about things. My last kiddo weighed 10 lbs 4 oz for crying out loud! No C-section for this mama! So yeah, I shouldn't be such a wimp!

[Teresa]

Will do on leaving him alone for a couple more weeks! I've had my other BP for like 7 months and he's never even tried to strike at me! I guess I'm more worried about the element of surprise than anything...I have to watch when they give me a shot or take blood cause I have to KNOW when the pain is coming, otherwise I jump through the roof! I'm generally not such a wimp about things. My last kiddo weighed 10 lbs 4 oz for crying out loud! No C-section for this mama! So yeah, I shouldn't be such a wimp!

Wow that is a big baby. A bite will be nothing to you.

[WingedWolfPsion]

Ok, let's face it--some baby ball pythons are just psycho. I usually get one or two every year like this. Most of them are just defensive, and calm down as they get older, but a few of them are just nuts.

I've had some hatchlings that were so psycho, we had to fend them off with a paper towel roll in order to change their bin, and they would bite the water spray when I sprayed them. These hatchlings were also usually difficult to start feeding--they wanted to kill the rodent, but they weren't interested in eating it. They would just bite and bite and bite it, until they were so upset they were practically beside themselves, lol.

The best cure for them was to leave them alone as much as possible, and introduce a smaller than normal prey item at night. A rat peach fuzzy, for example--something small and not very mobile. Virtually all of them grew out of it by the time they were 200 grams, and you could handle them (with caution) and expect not to be bitten.

[Seak]

My last kiddo weighed 10 lbs 4 oz for crying out loud! No C-section for this mama! So yeah, I shouldn't be such a wimp!

I was 9lbs 6oz when I was born and I thought my mom was tough......but you ma'am are a trooper.


I've rescued pitbulls my whole life. I've been bit by a few, twice to the point of getting stitches. When I went to get my ball, there were two in the enclose, one was insane and was striking at ANYTHING that moved. She got me in the webbing between my thumb and index finger. I'm ashamed to say, but I freaked out WAY more than any time I got bit by a pit. After a few moments I realized wait a second......I didn't feel a thing!!

[pavlovk1025]

Bite him back. That'll show him.

[Kuba]

I was 11.7 pounds when i was born