Long streak of not getting bit....fun while it lasted!

[The Night King]

I will admit I’ve been bitten many many times over the years since I’ve owned five or six snakes my whole life so not a huge big deal to me but by the same token our goal with the BP was to have something fairly docile without a feisty attitude so that my six-year-old little girl could hold it often and be respectful and learn it’s tendencies etc.

Overall the snake is very shy by nature and while it has never bitten us or struck or hissed before it’s still never always seemed completely comfortable when out. It always seemed a little Squirrley and very head shy could be worse I suppose since it wasn’t striking out when we held it but didn’t always relax also.

The other issue is the tank… We have the 24 inch wide exo terra glass tank with the front doors and I’ve always thought the tank is just a little bit cramped… It has room for one hide on one side, one hide on the other and water bowl in the middle and that’s it so basically the snake stays in his cools side all of the time and sticks his head out when he’s not sleeping or resting.

If we ever go near the front of the tank he becomes very active almost like he searching for food or hunting. He has eaten like a champ and has never missed a meal we always feed him on a regular schedule every five or six days frozen R/T pups which seem really small for him as they are about half of his thickest diameter of his body.
He just finished his last one and I went ahead and ordered him five weaned rats and also 15 small rats so I will weigh them out when they arrive today and feed him smallest to largest I am hoping that he’s just always really hungry and these will help suffice his appetite.

So I just fed him the last small rat pup last night and this morning he was sticking out of his hide looking around so I open the front door in front of him, my hands were clean and I haven’t handled any food and he started coming towards me a little bit so I was thinking maybe he was just being friendly so I stuck slowly the back of my hand near him so that if he struck he wouldn’t necessarily be able to latch on as well and he immediately hit it. Obviously didn’t hurt startled me more than anything broke the skin just a little bit… See pictures below.

I have always taken him out of the tank from above - he curls up like crazy when I remove his hide but I don’t know any other way of taking him out because going out him from the front seems destined for danger LOL

Hopefully this was just a one time thing and I have a new PVC animal plastics tank here that I’m setting up in the next week with no top access so I am concerned a little bit about reaching him to get him since he associates anything coming in from the front with food.

Any suggestions on how to handle that with the new tank would be great! Him striking me is not a big deal at all it’s happened many times over the course of my reptile handling but I really would prefer for my six-year-old not to get bit for fear that that will make her afraid of the snake as she’s only six years old and can’t quite process it like we can.

Here is how he normally sits:



Here is the casualty from today’s attack LOL




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[MD_Pythons]

Sounds like hook training would be useful here, you basically tap him with something to let him know that it's time for handling rather than feeding.

[ckuhn003]

I never handle after 48 hours of feeding. The most common reason is to reduce the chance of regurgitation but I've also heard that snakes can still be in that feeding mode which it sounds like yours might of been; especially since you mentioned he's such a good eater (btw....I'm jealous about that).

When I 1st got my BP, I started using a small snake hook and paper towel roll to gently tap him on the side to let him know I'm coming in and that I don't pose any threat. It worked great. I was also able to slide him away and position his head away from me to minimize strikes. Since he's a shy BP, I've put that method aside and just tap the hide a couple times and lift. Once you get the AP enclosure, you'll have a lot more room to work w/ and ultimately you should be more confident in removing him.

[dadofsix]

Yep, you need something to "boop" him with when it's time to handle him.

When one of my snakes shows signs of being aggressive I just barely touch it on the nose with a paper towel cardboard roll. They immediately go out of "hunt mode."

It also helps to make your first contact from the side and not from the snake's front. Pets or not they are still feral and programed to survive.

<><Peace

[dakski]

Welcome back to the bite club!

I agree, "hook train."

My BCI has a killer feeding response, so I tap her with the soft handle of the hook and then rub her side a few times, then pick her up. Even if she's ready to strike, she calms down into the puppy dog she is when handled.

Let's them know that no food is coming.

I don't do it with my BP or Corn snake, but then again, they haven't tagged me!

Also remember that cage aggression/defensiveness and feeding response does not mean the snake will be aggressive when being handled.

I still let my 7 year old niece hold Behira, my BCI, supervised of course, but won't let her take her out of the tank.

[The Night King]

Great info!

If the snake is 90% hidden like in the pic above would I need to “remove” the hide first then use the hook handle to gentle bump or boop him to let him know I’m coming to get him?

i will say that I always remove the hide, he curls fast but not in a strike pose AT ALL and I go straight in and pick him up and all is good. He is still shy but he will eventuallly relax once out.

Maybe if he is sticking out enough i can I can gently boop him (not near head of possible) and see how that goes....

[AbsoluteApril]

boop first

[zina10]

You already answered your own question...

You said you feed him food that is half of the diameter that he is, and that he always eats enthusiastically.

He is HUNGRY

Or is it "HANGRY" ??

The food should at least meet his diameter or only be slightly smaller, not "half" of it. When he is older he will slow down, but not at that age just yet.

The cage is not to crowded at all. As a matter of fact, I would have covered the sides as well as most of the top to make it more "private". And perhaps add a fake plant for "clutter" since its wide open in the front. They LIKE crowded and cluttered.

But everything you said so far points to a perfectly normal Ball Python. Most of them are head shy and don't fully relax while handled. At least not until they get some size and weight to them. Most of them never "fully" relax. If he never hissed and never showed aggression before, I'm almost 100% sure he was still hungry. The "sticking out of his hide" and slowly coming towards you as you came closer points to him "looking for food".

Sure there are defensive PB's, even some aggressive ones. But they are usually that way every time you approach them, at least until they get over that behavior.

I do agree, gently "boop" them out of the "hunger/hunting mode". Also works for defensive ones.

But its not the snakes fault at all here. And doesn't sound like a defensive and much less aggressive snake at all.

Feed that baby appropriate sized food, once the week. Then leave him be for at least 2 days. And gently "boob" when he looks "to curious"..

[dakski]

You already answered your own question...

You said you feed him food that is half of the diameter that he is, and that he always eats enthusiastically.

He is HUNGRY

Or is it "HANGRY" ??

The food should at least meet his diameter or only be slightly smaller, not "half" of it. When he is older he will slow down, but not at that age just yet.

The cage is not to crowded at all. As a matter of fact, I would have covered the sides as well as most of the top to make it more "private". And perhaps add a fake plant for "clutter" since its wide open in the front. They LIKE crowded and cluttered.

But everything you said so far points to a perfectly normal Ball Python. Most of them are head shy and don't fully relax while handled. At least not until they get some size and weight to them. Most of them never "fully" relax. If he never hissed and never showed aggression before, I'm almost 100% sure he was still hungry. The "sticking out of his hide" and slowly coming towards you as you came closer points to him "looking for food".

Sure there are defensive PB's, even some aggressive ones. But they are usually that way every time you approach them, at least until they get over that behavior.

I do agree, gently "boop" them out of the "hunger/hunting mode". Also works for defensive ones.

But its not the snakes fault at all here. And doesn't sound like a defensive and much less aggressive snake at all.

Feed that baby appropriate sized food, once the week. Then leave him be for at least 2 days. And gently "boob" when he looks "to curious"..

Really nice info Zina10, as usual.

I agree that it sounds like a food bite, for all the reasons listed, and I wouldn't take it personally. My BCI (Behira) nailed me a few weeks ago and it was the same thing, a food response. She's well fed, just has a hyper food response.

I now hook train and she is a sweetheart once she knows she's not getting fed.

Your BP doesn't sound like an aggressive animal at all.

Usually aggressive and/or defensive animals will hiss, bite, and often bite again, and repeat, etc. until they get left alone. After Behira nailed me, I picked her up, and she looked at me as if to say, "sorry dad, I thought/hoped you were a nice juicy rat." Curled up in my arms once she realized food wasn't involved.

I wouldn't worry too much about your six-year old. I would however, have you take the snake out of its tank and not her, at least for a long while. I would also ALWAYS supervise the two of them interacting, for both of their sakes, but more for the snake!

[CALM Pythons]

I don't use decorative hides i use RBI PVC hides so I actually knock twice on the hide, pick it up and lightly rub them with the hide itself. I never put my hand above them or in front of them and I always keep their heads facing away. Basically I'm just using the hide like everyone else is talking about paper towel rolls. Easy trick have fun.


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