Wild Child Ball Python

[JodanOrNoDan]

Out of my 17 snakes in my collection I have one really mean ball python, not sure why she is so mean, she is a bumblebee which is pastel spider possibly het pied possible yellow belly. She is still pretty young but growing fast, always strikes at me most times I open up her tub, just a snappy little thing. I'm thinking she was taunted when she was younger by a previous breeder? She won't eat dead mice, only live ones, she wants to hunt! I'm not really interested in handling her though, just using her as a breeder so it really doesn't matter to me. I usually use a paper towel roll and let her bite that, then grab her from behind and move her to another tub, I haven't got bit yet.

For awhile I though I was the only person experiencing this and it was localized to my collection. I have 2 single gene pastels and 3 combos in my collection. The best that can be said for them is that they are flighty. I have two that are down right pain in the butts. In my case I know it is not a husbandry issue. None of my other animals act like them. I have one adult female that I picked up awhile back that is just evil. She acts like the retics I have seen that have attitude problems. It isn't a question of if she is going to have a go at me it is a question of when. Before I got her I would have swore that there are not any ball pythons that act like that. I have a sub-adult killer bee female that I bought at 600 grams. She is beautiful but nuts. I am thinking the double dose of pastel plus the wonkiness of the spider gene is pushing her attitude over the top. This one calms down a little once she is out but I still will not let either of these animals anywhere near my kids. If anyone has pastels, especially bee combos can refute this please let me know.

[BMorrison]

She was shipped, but the seller said she was fed about a week to 10 days before she was shipped. For the first few weeks she refused to eat, but yesterday and last Saturday she ate. She let the rat sit there for hours before eating both times, and both times they were halfway into her hide, but at least she finally ate them.

Is this the video you're talking about? It helped a little. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7DQssbM0uk

I'll back off on trying to handle her for the next several weeks and see if that helps.

Yeah that's the video! Helped me a ton with my spooky girl!


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[butterballpython]

It's good to know that I'm not the only one. Hopefully she'll come around.

[JodanOrNoDan]

It's good to know that I'm not the only one. Hopefully she'll come around.

I actually think the t-shirt idea sounds viable in the long run. In the short run I think the smell could possible freak the animal out enough that it wont eat. Please let us know how it goes. I am going to try it with my worst girl. She is not a problem eater.

[butterballpython]

I actually think the t-shirt idea sounds viable in the long run. In the short run I think the smell could possible freak the animal out enough that it wont eat. Please let us know how it goes. I am going to try it with my worst girl. She is not a problem eater.

Mine has been a finicky eater since she got herre, but she did eat with the t-shirt in there. Good luck, I hope it helps.

[butterballpython]

I actually think the t-shirt idea sounds viable in the long run. In the short run I think the smell could possible freak the animal out enough that it wont eat. Please let us know how it goes. I am going to try it with my worst girl. She is not a problem eater.

Well, it seems to have worked. She hasn't struck at me since the t-shirt went into her tank, and yesterday I had her out. Other than an attempted escape, she did fine.

[butterballpython]

Success! She was just out, and she did not ball up! She moved around and I got to see that pretty head marking and those shiny black eyes.

I held her with her front half unsupported and pointed down to check for a wobble, and almost detected something but not quite. So if she does have any, it's very slight. Both her parents are champagnes and both sets of grandparents are champagne x normal.

I'm happy that I finally got to hold her without her being all balled up, and she acted slightly nervous, but otherwise OK. Yeah!

[Meerna]

If anyone has pastels, especially bee combos can refute this please let me know.

I have a pastel, though just a single gene, but she's the sweetest of my current 2 snakes. She loves to explore and never balls up or sits still when she's out, and my 4 year old loves holding her.

[Snizards]

If anyone has pastels, especially bee combos can refute this please let me know.

I have a Pastel Butter, he was a breeder male before I got him, and not handled much. He's never struck at me but when I first got him he would hiss a lot. He calmed down when he realized I wasn't a threat. Only took about a month.

[Sandi1961]

I had to chuckle when I read your post...I have had my first BP since 2011 and you couldn't find a sweeter tempered girl...then over the last year I added a few more...but my 2nd, Ramses, is my 'snarky' boy aka my wild child! I have to agree with you, if he had been my first there might never have been another!

I have tried not handling him, handling him, you name it...he's had 2 sheds for me, eats like a piggy and is growing like a weed...but no matter what I do he is always in strike mode!

So, no advice from me...just a sympathy post!