concerned new BP owner

[Krysta893]

Hi yall

Let me just start off by saying how excited and happy I am to join this community! I am currently the new owner to a 11 month old banana (Coral glow) BP named Koro. I have read a lot and done my research but now that I have officially had him for a week a lot of questions and concerns have popped up! That's where I need yalls help. I am afraid I got a really aggresive guy on my hands because he always seems angry and pissed off. I just walk by his cage or even sit 5 ft away doing other activities in the room and he will strike at the glass! He always strikes, I don't know if it's just because he is so new to the cage, my room, and my personal presence or if it is just because he is very aggresive. I don't really know what's normal but I think it is pretty safe to say him striking constantly isn't too normal. For a little I thought it was because he hasn't eating and then I try to feed him and he wants nothing to do with the rat, he rather watch me and strike at me. Is it because I am not giving him enough space and time to adapt to his new home and surroundings? What am I doing wrong? Is it him or me haha

sinsecrely,
new BP owner who just wants some love from her snake lol

[tttaylorrr]

Is it because I am not giving him enough space and time to adapt to his new home and surroundings? What am I doing wrong? Is it him or me haha

sinsecrely,
new BP owner who just wants some love from her snake lol

first thing's first: WELCOME!


as i'm sure you know, "aggressive" is a word not often associated with ball pythons, so something must be off.
okay, so we're going to need to learn a bit more about your snake and your husbandry before anything: what is the size of the enclosure? i'm assuming it's a glass enclosure, so are 3 out of the 4 sides covered? how much does the snake weigh? what type of prey do you have to offer? does the enclosure have decorations? what are you using for hides? what are you using for heat? how are you regulating your heat source(s)? did the snake come from a pet shop or breeder? also, how does the snake react when you hold him?

answering these questions will help us help you, and pictures always help!

[Krysta893]

I will post a photo of the tank in a few moments but for now I can describe it! It is a 20 gallon glass tank with one side covered with a terrain photo ( I wanted to cover 3 sides but I didn't realize how small the one I purchased was). I have a rock cave that sits on top of a heating pad on the right side of the cage and this is where my BP spends most of its day. On the other side I have his water bowl a log and then two fake plants for more covering. I also have a lamp above but I don't know much about bulbs and have had multiple different people tell me different things so for now it is your generic blue bulb. I also have to thermometers on opposite sides of the tank.

I got him from a pet store where the owner new a well known local breeder and he personally got this snake for me. I haven't been able to feed him because he won't eat but the pet store clerk told me he will eat rats which I tried and no take. I don't know how much he weighs but I have been told he is a big boy. I also haven't been able to handle him that much because of how much he strikes, but when I do finally get him after all the strikes he balls up as tight as possible and hides his head as deep as he can in the center. I don't know if I am doing something wrong but I really just want him to be comfortable with me! Its driving me crazy.

[Krysta893]

first thing's first: WELCOME!


as i'm sure you know, "aggressive" is a word not often associated with ball pythons, so something must be off.
okay, so we're going to need to learn a bit more about your snake and your husbandry before anything: what is the size of the enclosure? i'm assuming it's a glass enclosure, so are 3 out of the 4 sides covered? how much does the snake weigh? what type of prey do you have to offer? does the enclosure have decorations? what are you using for hides? what are you using for heat? how are you regulating your heat source(s)? did the snake come from a pet shop or breeder? also, how does the snake react when you hold him?

answering these questions will help us help you, and pictures always help!

I will post a photo of the tank in a few moments but for now I can describe it! It is a 20 gallon glass tank with one side covered with a terrain photo ( I wanted to cover 3 sides but I didn't realize how small the one I purchased was). I have a rock cave that sits on top of a heating pad on the right side of the cage and this is where my BP spends most of its day. On the other side I have his water bowl a log and then two fake plants for more covering. I also have a lamp above but I don't know much about bulbs and have had multiple different people tell me different things so for now it is your generic blue bulb. I also have to thermometers on opposite sides of the tank.

I got him from a pet store where the owner new a well known local breeder and he personally got this snake for me. I haven't been able to feed him because he won't eat but the pet store clerk told me he will eat rats which I tried and no take. I don't know how much he weighs but I have been told he is a big boy. I also haven't been able to handle him that much because of how much he strikes, but when I do finally get him after all the strikes he balls up as tight as possible and hides his head as deep as he can in the center. I don't know if I am doing something wrong but I really just want him to be comfortable with me! Its driving me crazy.

[Krysta893]

I will post a photo of the tank in a few moments but for now I can describe it! It is a 20 gallon glass tank with one side covered with a terrain photo ( I wanted to cover 3 sides but I didn't realize how small the one I purchased was). I have a rock cave that sits on top of a heating pad on the right side of the cage and this is where my BP spends most of its day. On the other side I have his water bowl a log and then two fake plants for more covering. I also have a lamp above but I don't know much about bulbs and have had multiple different people tell me different things so for now it is your generic blue bulb. I also have to thermometers on opposite sides of the tank.

I got him from a pet store where the owner new a well known local breeder and he personally got this snake for me. I haven't been able to feed him because he won't eat but the pet store clerk told me he will eat rats which I tried and no take. I don't know how much he weighs but I have been told he is a big boy. I also haven't been able to handle him that much because of how much he strikes, but when I do finally get him after all the strikes he balls up as tight as possible and hides his head as deep as he can in the center. I don't know if I am doing something wrong but I really just want him to be comfortable with me! Its driving me crazy.

[bcr229]

Do you have a thermostat regulating the under-tank heater?

Also it wasn't clear in your post, is your under-tank heater inside the tank or stuck to the underside of it?

Do you have a hygrometer? Ball pythons have to be humid.

[Krysta893]

I will post a photo of the tank in a few moments but for now I can describe it! It is a 20 gallon glass tank with one side covered with a terrain photo ( I wanted to cover 3 sides but I didn't realize how small the one I purchased was). I have a rock cave that sits on top of a heating pad on the right side of the cage and this is where my BP spends most of its day. On the other side I have his water bowl a log and then two fake plants for more covering. I also have a lamp above but I don't know much about bulbs and have had multiple different people tell me different things so for now it is your generic blue bulb. I also have to thermometers on opposite sides of the tank.

I got him from a pet store where the owner new a well known local breeder and he personally got this snake for me. I haven't been able to feed him because he won't eat but the pet store clerk told me he will eat rats which I tried and no take. I don't know how much he weighs but I have been told he is a big boy. I also haven't been able to handle him that much because of how much he strikes, but when I do finally get him after all the strikes he balls up as tight as possible and hides his head as deep as he can in the center. I don't know if I am doing something wrong but I really just want him to be comfortable with me! Its driving me crazy.

Do you have a thermostat regulating the under-tank heater?

Also it wasn't clear in your post, is your under-tank heater inside the tank or stuck to the underside of it?

Do you have a hygrometer? Ball pythons have to be humid.

The UTH is stuck inside the tank and no thermostat regulating it I didn't really know of this, yes I have a hydrometer too thou!

[tttaylorrr]

I will post a photo of the tank in a few moments but for now I can describe it! It is a 20 gallon glass tank with one side covered with a terrain photo ( I wanted to cover 3 sides but I didn't realize how small the one I purchased was). I have a rock cave that sits on top of a heating pad on the right side of the cage and this is where my BP spends most of its day. On the other side I have his water bowl a log and then two fake plants for more covering. I also have a lamp above but I don't know much about bulbs and have had multiple different people tell me different things so for now it is your generic blue bulb. I also have to thermometers on opposite sides of the tank.

I got him from a pet store where the owner new a well known local breeder and he personally got this snake for me. I haven't been able to feed him because he won't eat but the pet store clerk told me he will eat rats which I tried and no take. I don't know how much he weighs but I have been told he is a big boy. I also haven't been able to handle him that much because of how much he strikes, but when I do finally get him after all the strikes he balls up as tight as possible and hides his head as deep as he can in the center. I don't know if I am doing something wrong but I really just want him to be comfortable with me! Its driving me crazy.

first: pet stores and their employees are terrible sources for information. i would not rely on the average pet store employee for advice or knowledge unless i was proven otherwise.

it sounds to me like the snake might not be comfortable with your husbandry. what type of thermometers/hygrometers are you using? what is your temperature and humidity at currently? what is the temperature of the enclosure floor above the heat pad? is the UTH (under tank heater (heat pad)) connected to a thermoSTAT?? ALL heat sources MUST be regulated by a thermoSTAT or a lamp dimmer/rheostat. if the UTH is not regulated, PLEASE unplug it until you can get a thermostat or rheostat (a thermostat is far superior to a rheostat which should only be used in a room with a consistant temp). a UTH can reach 140° easily and burn/possibly kill the snake.

please read through this enclosure set-up guide and make sure you have everything you need and that it is set up correctly. once you do that you should see a change in the behavior.

[tttaylorrr]

The UTH is stuck inside the tank and no thermostat regulating it I didn't really know of this, yes I have a hydrometer too thou!

a UTH does not go inside!!! it says so in the instructions. you have some work to do. PLEASE read through this tank set up guide!

[crosskira]

You need to be figuring out the temps for everything. I didn't realize how much temp check I needed to being doing and when I first got everything set up I tried feeling the UTH (under tank heater) through the glass with my finger and if waS BURNING my hand! Obviously I had substrate but that didn't seem right! That moment I realized how much I needed to get and figure out and I spent the next two days getting all my temp check things and new, reliable heating stuff.

Ball pythons don't need lighting, a ceramic light emitter will be great, and I think 75W is good for the 20 gallon. You can find them at Petco I believe and they will tell you for what gallon tank it works for. Make sure to get a CERAMIC heat lamp to hold it. For light, natural light from your window will be good!

Get an AcuRite digital thermometer/hygrometer. Always check temp and humidity.

Get a temp gun to check eat sides.

A weight scale to check his weight.

A mister has been very useful to me (it's easier and quieter than a normal spray bottle, which my snake was scared of).

Have identical hides on each side (hot and cold), preferably caves ones that he will fit tightly into.

It's okay if it's crowded, they like that.

I have two identical fake plants on each side and my snake LOVES them, so you can try that too!

I bought black foam board paper and cut and taped them in a way that encased the three sides of the enclosure, but I can move off or on (easy for cleaning)

I even have a notebook with tips and tricks I am learning, as well as a way to log his eating, cleaning cage, sheds, weight.

I've only have mine for a week but I wanted to share some of the wonderful stuff I've learned from this site!

(Sorry if there are typos, I typed this out from my phone lol)