Obnoxious newbie questions.

[SRMD]

Apparently a hamster bite is much worse then a BP bite haha (i have been bit by a hamster not my BP yet though) so you've nothing to be scared of!

if he does act aggressive towards you or anything like that... do not put him back straight away because then he will start to know that acting agressive towards you will make you leave him alone, so in a way be authorative but gentle

[PorcelainxDoll]

If nervous! Not scared of picking up your snake then try a snake hook. Or do what I do gently rub it letting ot know your there andd then slowly place your hands at the parts off his body thhat his head is farthest from and slowly lift. I know how you feel Im not afraid of my bp but it does make me nervous to initially pick him up. Im like that with all amimal though an initial nervousness is NORMAL.

Now about feeding most bp ownerss prefer to feed ratts due to more nutrotional value. I would maybe try rat pups they have tons of nutrition and will help him grow. Then you can move up in size ifwhen needed.

[SRMD]

You need to find out his weight like everyone else said before feeding your BP you don't want to feed to little or to less, but i wouldn't recommend the snake hook.

The quicker you get use it picking him up the better just try and hide your nerves, there are many methods of picking up you can be slow and stroke him or just go in grab him get it over and done with simple

This forum is very helpful so any more questions just ask

[doganddisc]

Apparently a hamster bite is much worse then a BP bite haha (i have been bit by a hamster not my BP yet though) so you've nothing to be scared of!

if he does act aggressive towards you or anything like that... do not put him back straight away because then he will start to know that acting agressive towards you will make you leave him alone, so in a way be authorative but gentle

I have heard this about keeping him out even if he does bite- thank you. I definitely don't want to get him into that habit.

Since he has been so mellow thus far, is there a chance that he will stay that way his entire life? Do snakes have an "adolescent stage" when they become a little harder to handle (like dogs do)?

And I hate hamsters. I've been bitten by them before. I can't stand them.

Im like that with all amimal though an initial nervousness is NORMAL.

I tend to agree with this statement.

Now about feeding most bp ownerss prefer to feed ratts due to more nutrotional value. I would maybe try rat pups they have tons of nutrition and will help him grow. Then you can move up in size ifwhen needed.

Noted! Are african soft furs any better than regular rats? I will be breeding them come September and will have plenty available for the snake.

- - - Updated - - -

You need to find out his weight like everyone else said before feeding your BP you don't want to feed to little or to less.

I put this in the first post but I think it was too buried in text. He weighs 254 grams

[SRMD]

so you need something that is around 38grams to feed your ball and ye ASF's are fine i am sure, make sure the rodent prey is not over 40 grams or under 35grams!

Here is some information about the weights of ASF's:
http://www.darwinsreptiles.com/feede...can-soft-furs/

[Homegrownscales]

For now because he's new in your house you've got to give him the acclimation period. No handling until 3 consecutive meals. This could be three weeks or a couple months. This will make it a ton easier with getting him started in your home with feeding. And it'll make it easier when you do try handling him that he won't be such a nervous nelly. For you to be nervous it's fine and normal.
Reach in and grab him from behind. Don't go straight for his front. That will just make him more nervous. If he is eyeing you you can cover his head with a towel. That way you aren't associating your hands with being something scary. Or use a hook, gloves aren't my favorite.
Hope this helps.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

[KMG]

Ok, one at a time, here we go. I see you have a few questions and will try my best to answer them fully.

First allow the snake to settle in, leave it alone for at least 5 days to settle down and relax in its new home during this time do not try to feed. Handle it as little as possible during this time.

As far as the breeder goes, they would not be that good of a breeder if they were selling snakes that have not fed several times. What I would do is pick a night that you would like to feed weekly that you know you have the time to feed and try your selected night when it comes up next, after the settle in time. Feeding at night is best since they are nocturnal. For the feeder size I stick to feeding whatever size will leave just a slight buldge in the snakes thickest section. For you that will PROBABALY be a mouse hopper or a rat fuzzy, a rat feeder will always be bigger than a mouse feeder with the same designation. Meaning that a rat fuzzy does not equal a mouse fuzzy and would more closely fit a mouse hopper. This is not set is stone and two different sources will both have fuzzies but one may be much larger than the other. When you find a source you like stick with it so you learn their sizings. To hit your question, NO, a rat fuzzy does not equal a adult mouse it would be closer to a hopper.

Im kinda scratching my head about why you would buy an animal you are afraid of. But being willing to get over your fear is good, so good luck. As far as your BP biting you, relax. Even if it does happen you probably wont even feel it or realize it happened until it is done. Snake hooks and gloves are really not needed and I would suggest facing your fear head on and not using them. If you think you really need to wear gloves make sure that they are soft and you can feel things well, they will not make it strike more. Your gloves will still have your scent on them. Wearing a thick glove that doesn allow you to feel the snakes body could lead to you gripping to tightly and hurting it. My BP will sometimes hiss if its in a hide and I disturb it but it has never tried to strike. It also has the ability to determine what is food and not. Now some snakes will strike more than others but BP are usually very good about not striking everything that moves. Mine will lay in its hide and look out. I can wave my fingers in front of the opening or even stick them in the opening to open the hide and she has never taken a shot at me. However as soon as I lower a feeder if front of the opening she strikes like lightning. When you want to take your snake out just lift the hide and give it a second to realize what is happening, then calmly and confidently lift the snake supporting it as you bring it out. You will probably find that it just balls up concealing its head. Thats the way they protect themselves.

Your other animals should not cause any aggression towards you but do be sure to wash your hands before you handle your snake if you have done ANYTHING with the other animals. Failing to do so is a good way to confuse your snake and it may strike just because you smell like food.

Also I suggest keeping notes for your new pet. Keep track of feeding, cleanings, water changes, sheds, etc. I track everything I do or they do. I will even track when I placed new items in the cage. I know thats alittle much but aleast keep track of feeding, cleanings, and sheds if nothing else so if a problem comes up you will have the information for the vet.

Im sure some of the other members have noticed I can be alittle long winded but I believe if you are going to answer the post answer everything and add the things the person didnt know to ask. I hope this helps you out.

[Kaorte]

Lots of good advice here, some not so good...

I understand the fear of picking up a snake. Confidence takes a little time to build but once you realize the bites are the least scary thing on the planet, you will be just fine! If my snakes even look like they are going to strike I either tap them gently on the nose with my hand or some nearby object. This will usually make the snake "ball up" and is much easier to grab. If you feel more comfortable with gloves, then do it! All this scent stuff is kind of nonsense... You are huge compared to this snake, its not like they can only smell your hands and if you cover them up they suddenly can't smell you.

As for rats and rodents in the vicinity of the snake, I don't think it matters. I keep my ASF colony right next to my snakes and I don't notice any strange aggressive behavior or anything like that. It should also be worth mentioning that ASFs are a great choice for feeders. Their full adult size is pretty much perfect for an adult ball python. And they breed like crazy!!

If for now you can only get your hands on adult mice, that would be fine to feed your snake. 10-15% is just a guideline. If you have a scale it takes the guess work out of deciding which prey item to feed.

And thank you for doing your homework and being so receptive to our feedback!

[Kodieh]

I'll tell you what, though. I still am a little tense with Houdini at times, just because he'll S his neck and being pointed right at me. But, if you havent been struck at yet then there's not much to worry about.

Heck, watch the couple episodes of Snakebytes where they talk about picking up a grumpy snake. Well, I really recommend watching Snakebytes, anyway, but that's just cause its a fun web show!


Browsing on Tapatalk from my iPhone

[SRMD]

Heck, watch the couple episodes of Snakebytes where they talk about picking up a grumpy snake. Well, I really recommend watching Snakebytes, anyway, but that's just cause its a fun web show!

Ye you should watch snakebytes tv lol and watch how they get bit, by green tree pythons which have huge and or loads of teeth lmao, quite educational to watch also