Fuzzy's acting weird

[snake.named.fuzzy]

So we've had Fuzzy for a little over a month. S/he has ate regularly, never missed a feeding. Last feeding was Monday. Wednesday my husband went to pick Fuzzy up and Fuzzy struck at him. This is the first time this happened. Damion just said Fuzzy is still acting weird. S/he doesn't want out of the tank when usually Fuzzy doesn't mind being out and held.

The humidity and temperature haven't changed. Nothing new honestly. Could s/he be getting ready to shed possibly? Fuzzy hasn't shed since we've had him/her.

Thanks in advance.

[T_Sauer]

Sounds about right ... Ball pythons on average shed about every 6 weeks. If you have had fuzzy for 4 weeks and s/he has not yet shed then I would say s/he's getting ready to have their first shed for you, watch for the dullness in overall color and the hazey/blue eyes .... Don't be Suprised if fuzzy refuses the next meal you offer

[Albert Clark]

So we've had Fuzzy for a little over a month. S/he has ate regularly, never missed a feeding. Last feeding was Monday. Wednesday my husband went to pick Fuzzy up and Fuzzy struck at him. This is the first time this happened. Damion just said Fuzzy is still acting weird. S/he doesn't want out of the tank when usually Fuzzy doesn't mind being out and held.

The humidity and temperature haven't changed. Nothing new honestly. Could s/he be getting ready to shed possibly? Fuzzy hasn't shed since we've had him/her.

Thanks in advance.

How old is fuzzy? Striking out is more a hatchling and juvenile bp action. Pre shed is also a time of greater possibility due to the irritability and decreased vision certainly deep in a shed avoid handling. Where did you get s/he from and how well would you say h/she was cared for? H/she should be established and comfortable in the enclosure as evidenced by not missing a feeding since you've had h/her. I would chalk it up to still acclimating and digesting the last meal. If h/she is in the hide don't take h/her out or hold her until h/she is completely out of the hide. Remember these animals are captives with wild instincts and they do have fears also. Maybe h/she was awakened and thought h/she was under attack? The bp has a lot of predators that attack them from above. Next time wear gloves and make sure h/she is aroused prior and or outside the hide. Move slowly and try not to startle h/her. Don't handle h/her for about 5 more days. Stay in peace and not pieces.

[DVirginiana]

There's really no reason to wear gloves or wait five days before handling because of this...

If I did that every time one of my snakes got a little pissy I'd never take gloves off. You probably just caught Fuzzy at a bad time. Just use common sense when you go into the cage (if she's acting frightened or is under her hide or something, give her some space) but a BP getting a little annoyed and striking a time or two isn't really anything to worry about. Like T_Sauer said, she's probably just about to shed. They can't see well and aren't at their most comfortable during a shed, so she probably just got startled.

[snake.named.fuzzy]

How old is fuzzy? Striking out is more a hatchling and juvenile bp action. Pre shed is also a time of greater possibility due to the irritability and decreased vision certainly deep in a shed avoid handling. Where did you get s/he from and how well would you say h/she was cared for? H/she should be established and comfortable in the enclosure as evidenced by not missing a feeding since you've had h/her. I would chalk it up to still acclimating and digesting the last meal. If h/she is in the hide don't take h/her out or hold her until h/she is completely out of the hide. Remember these animals are captives with wild instincts and they do have fears also. Maybe h/she was awakened and thought h/she was under attack? The bp has a lot of predators that attack them from above. Next time wear gloves and make sure h/she is aroused prior and or outside the hide. Move slowly and try not to startle h/her. Don't handle h/her for about 5 more days. Stay in peace and not pieces.

We got Fuzzy from PetCo, who sold him/her as a baby, but was on sale. S/he was about 18 inches long and we have weighed him/her due to not having a scale. S/he HAS gained weight since being with us though, we can visibly tell. I haven't noticed the eyes being hazel or blue or anything. This is my first ball python though, so everything is a learning experience for me. Thank you!

[snake.named.fuzzy]

Sounds about right ... Ball pythons on average shed about every 6 weeks. If you have had fuzzy for 4 weeks and s/he has not yet shed then I would say s/he's getting ready to have their first shed for you, watch for the dullness in overall color and the hazey/blue eyes .... Don't be Suprised if fuzzy refuses the next meal you offer

I've been trying to watch his/her eyes but haven't noticed achange yet. I didn't even ask when s/he shed last. I'm sure PetCo wouldn't know anyway.

[shaneswife828]

Sounds like fuzzy is about to shed. I always bump my humidity up to 70-75% to help with the shed. First noticeable change is generally a pinking of the ventral scales. Then you will notice he/she will become dull in color and eyes will start to go blue(this is called in blue). The eyes will then clear up and usually within 48-72hours after the eyes clear they will start to roll out of the old skin much like rolling a sock down. Some snakes will soak more during the shedding process especially if the humidity is too low.

[Albert Clark]

Cool, two of my animals came from Petco and Petsmart respectively. Only one was on sale (lol). Most of the normal bp's that come to both Petco and Petsmart are wc/ch which means the parent was imported here from Africa and was carrying eggs. While in transit, or upon arrival into the States, laid her eggs and they hatched out at a distribution center, or holding center. Thus, the parent was w/c and the offspring captive hatched or c/h. The hatchlings do get substandard care and suffer some of the illnesses associated with the same. That doesn't mean the hatchlings are totally w/o hope or they can't be a great addition to a collection. My bp from Petco is a pastel female that I have had since Jun '14. That is because only recently did Petco begin selling morphs. My normal female from Petsmart I had since Jul '14 and she is a lot more fearful when it comes to noises and handling but a total sweetheart. Her personality is so different from all my other bp's. Mainly the fearfulness. IMO, the c/h hatchlings of these w/c parents sold by Petsmart and Petco seem to harbor more of their wild instincts than the c/b and c/h bp's. So when you think it's weird behavior think more of instinctual because of her lineage and that it will take a bit more to acclimate. Stay in peace and not pieces. Good luck.

[Albert Clark]

Oh, and if you or your husband feel more comfortable wearing gloves, you should! Nothing wrong with that. Especially since you are dealing with a new unestablished hatchling who has already lashed out. I wore gloves for a short period of time with my Petsmart purchased c/h juvenile normal female. Trust that this is a hatchling behavior that is more than likely just incidental. Relax and rest assured that as the bp gains trust and confidence that will go away. BTW, my normal and my pastel are the best feeders in my collection and I have not had to deal with any striking or defensive outburst. Always remember these are animals with wild instincts and should always be treated with respect. Good luck.

[snake.named.fuzzy]

Since today is feeding day at our house we attempted to feed Fuzzy. We usually get frozen fuzzies, two or three if they are small. (Our neighbor, my father in law, bought about a hundred or so fuzzies for their snake so we bum from them) Tonight we tried a live adult feeder mouse. Fuzzy struck a few times but in the end didn't ever coil up or anything.
Should we try again tomorrow with frozen like s/he is used to or wait until next week?