Concerned About Ball Python Behavior

[danizduhman]

First thing you'll want to do is check your husbandry. If that is all okay, then you may want to think about the possibility that such frequent handling is stressing him out. Some bps are okay with frequent handling, others are not. Your plan to slowly start handling him again sounds like a really good one to me. I just want to stress that you should not be worried about him harming you or your gf.

Cage setup appears good. It's low 90's on warm side, low to mid 80's on the other. Humidity seems good, the big stuff all seems okay. It could be frequent handling, I hadn't thought of that. I'm not so sure because of the timing on this that it started as soon as we moved, but it certainly could be.

The reason I'm concerned about when he wrapped around her hand/arm is that it began to hurt her. It started cutting off circulation in her hand. The initial cause of that I have no idea, sitting on the couch like normal, no sudden movements, no dinner smells around, just all of a sudden he went from typical two hand holding to one arm to tightly wrapping around her arm. I suppose she may have done something that freaked him out, but if she did it wasn't anything really outside the norm.

what exactly are you doing when he strikes? Be very specific; how do you pick him up?

I've always picked him up by one hand and transitioned into two hands for support. Typically, he'd either be outside his hide just chillin' or underneath it. If he's outside, open cage lid a little so he knows I'm coming, and then a minute or two later getting him out. If he's under the hide, pull the hide off of him, wait a minute or two (especially if during the afternoon), then get him out. I try to only get him out at night so he can sleep.

When he actually strikes at us we kind of hold him away from us with the same two hands thing, and then as gently as possible put him back in his cage. One specific time my girlfriend was sitting next to me and kinda drop/toss/set him down unexpectedly on my lap after an attempted strike. She didn't drop him or toss him really, kinda like a very quick hand off I guess haha. I just picked him up very slowly and walked him over to his cage and put him back in carefully.

I know everyone says that the bite won't be a big deal and I hear you on that, I'm worried that he'll clamp down. A quick strike I don't fear too much. Pulling his jaws/teeth out of my skin is something else though.

If this started when you moved into the new place, you need to give the snake time to get used to the new place and smells. Also like mentioned, some snakes just don't like being handled that much and they get cranky. Also some snakes will get cranky when going into shed. I know my big BCI isn't that fond of being messed with when she is going into shed. She usually will sit in her hide for a week and only comes out to drink. I respect that and leave her alone. I think its time for you to look into another snake to add to the collection so you can spread the love haha. Look into a boa, they generally love to be held and out. Both my BCI girls love to come out and sit on me or the couch or bed. Bottom line is let the snake go a couple weeks in the new place with handling only a couple times a week and see he mellows out. This is of course assuming all the husbandry is the same aka temps, humidity, hides etc.

It's been several months now, and I've cut back how often we get him out considerably. It almost appears as though he's afraid of me now, and I don't know what happened or what I did. He's about to go into shed because I can tell he's getting darker, so I'm gonna let him be until that process is over, then try to ease my way back into it.

Its also good to look around the room. Does your new place have any new animals? (I'm looking for pet rodents here.) Or a bird, anything he may be sensing that triggers him to be a bit more, alert?

He's actually the only animal in the house now. As long as he's lived with me he's been by himself. He's facing a window from across the room now, that's different than where he was at my old place I guess.