Ok I know I've made a few mistakes with my ball python but I have fixed those and everything is perfect (his enclosure, diet, etc.) I have had a cat for 15 years and my snake since January and I think I have spent more money on him then my cat. But rather than calming down he is becoming more and more aggressive. It was so bad today that I had to do the big no, no and feed him in his enclosure (he was striking a lot and I was worried he would get too stressed out an not eat or spit up his food). He at first attacked the rats defensively then he constricted the first one but not all the way. He let go of it and is struggled a little before it eventually died (he has never done this before he has always been a good feeder). He then ate it and ate the second one as well. He is only 5 months old but he is about the size (if not slightly larger) of a snake that is at least one year old (he is eating large small to medium rats or two small rats). He finished shedding less then 10 days ago and today he showed me his belly which is BRIGHT PINK AGAIN which in him means he's about 4 days from shedding his skin (this is the fourth time he's shed since January). Also, his growth rate is excessive (again he is only 5 months old and eating large small to medium rats also I left him alone for about 10 days during his last shed since he seemed really stressed and aggressive and his girth grew at least half an inch and I didn't feed him at all during his last shed)I know some about snakes (I've had corn snakes before) but I don't know enough about snakes to know whether or not they suffer from some of the same ailments as mammals. My snake shows all of the symptoms of a pituitary tumor. Excessive growth (and it really is I showed him to some local breeders and they didn't believe me when I said he was only 5 months old), EXTREME AGGRESSION (I have him in an opaque bin [not clear] and he will attack anything that touches it), and today there was a horrible smell he let off after attacking the second rat and I checked his enclosure for poop and there was none so I know he wasn't crawling around in any. I'm really worried about him (it can't be good for him if he is constantly smashing his head against his enclosure to attack everything outside of it) also, I have small nephews and a cat and I am worried about their safety as well as the snakes. I don't know if snakes suffer from pituitary tumors but if they do I will take him to the vet (I want to find out if they do or not because it can cost hundreds to get the diagnosis so I want to be sure) and if that is the problem I will have him put down since he will die a slow painful death if I don't (at least that's what happens in mammals who have the same type of tumor). Does anyone have another explanation? I talked to some local breeders and they say I need to handle him more but his aggression is getting worse and worse each day.
P.S. he is hidden in a cornier behind my table so there is essentially no traffic around him (my cat doesn't even go back there anymore because the thumps of him attaching scare her). Also, he has always shown a little aggression since I got him (tracking mostly) but it was about a month ago when he started biting.
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