I'm new to the forum, and hoping I'm not out of place here, but I'd like to get some pointers for how to deal with a potential rescue I'm going to be getting and what to expect long-term.
I've not meet the snake yet, but I had a long conversation with the current owner. I've established he's a full-grown male, that gets absolutely no handling, is kept in a 'small terrarium', and isn't fed regularly. Owner reports he used to tolerate human handling, but has now bitten him 2 or 3 times.
The plan I'm thinking, and please correct me if I'm doing something wrong is... Get the snake into an appropriate clean enclosure with proper heating, hides, etc etc. Try to get a couple meals in him before handling him anymore than necessary. Hope that calms him down a bit, and then try to get him reacclimated to human contact.
Does anyone have any experience with similar rescues? What are people's results with snakes that have gotten defensive towards humans? Once they get bite is there no coming back etc etc.
I'd also be interested in any handling advice. I've watched several YouTube videos on dealing with defensive snakes, but they mostly dealt with babies. Is the whole covering the head and getting them to ball still viable with a full grown, or is that just gonna get me bit?
I'll add this will be my first ball python I'll have owned. I have a lot of experience handling exotics from my work as a veterinary technician and have owned several lizards throughout my life. I'd been considering getting a ball for a while, and thus have done a fair amount of research. Then this opportunity fell in my lap, and it'll help get a snake out of a bad situation, I feel like I can't say no. Thanks for any and all help!
Reply With Quote