Ball python hatchling just diarrhea'd all over me?

[AbsoluteApril]

Peeing, defecation and, in some species, musking, are also defensive measures. This goes for lots of species of animals actually no one wants to bite and eat a poop covered animal.

[MarkL1561]

That's fair, but the other 2 hatchlings I've dealt with were nervous but they weren't defensive/aggressive about it (i.e. striking), they just hid their heads or tried to slither away quickly. This guy is striking, biting, peeing/pooping on me, etc.

Actually yesterday he first peed on me then pooped lol. It wasn't diarrhea.

Have patience. When I got my first BP he was extremely defensive. He would strike at the glass whenever people would enter the room. I ended up getting leather gloves (was nervous about a BP bite at the time lol) and he calmed down in around two weeks. You just need to work with the animal. They’re still wild animals and aren’t fully domesticated imo Idk if a reptile ever can be truly. Anywho... they need to be handled in order to get accustomed to it. I think when I got mine the breeder didn’t handle them and only opened the tubs to feed so the snake associated the enclosure opening with food. Although not all snakes are the same. All the other snakes I’ve gotten have been super chill even as babies. It definitely helps to give them some time to settle in too. Sometimes just letting them be for a bit calms them right down.


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[siwueofk]

Yes, the breeder I got him from is full time, I think, and he said he never handled them.

I've noticed that whenever I change his water or spot clean, if he wakes up, he'll either strike at me or just stick his head out of his hide and stare at me. When holding him, he's very tense, keeping his eyes on me, or he'll strike at things that get too close to him (even objects). Plus he peed and pooped on me. No hissing though, so that's a plus!

Also I use a hook to get him out.

I gave him a full week of absolutely no interaction to settle in. He's eaten for me successfully twice now. He's been like this since the beginning of our handling.

How often should I handle him to start the taming process?

[Bogertophis]

Yes, the breeder I got him from is full time, I think, and he said he never handled them.

I've noticed that whenever I change his water or spot clean, if he wakes up, he'll either strike at me or just stick his head out of his hide and stare at me. When holding him, he's very tense, keeping his eyes on me, or he'll strike at things that get too close to him (even objects). Plus he peed and pooped on me. No hissing though, so that's a plus!

Also I use a hook to get him out.

I gave him a full week of absolutely no interaction to settle in. He's eaten for me successfully twice now. He's been like this since the beginning of our handling.

How often should I handle him to start the taming process?

Because he is so nervous & frightened, I'd feed him at LEAST 2 more times before attempting ANY handling. Eating is job #1, not taming this toothy little worm. If you
handle him now you may make it much harder to keep him feeding. He can obviously use more time to lose some of his fear.

What I'd recommend when you DO begin to handle him though is to pick him up with your hook and immediately put a small towel over him so he cannot see out (or you). Just sit & hold him gently wrapped in the towel for a good 30 minutes while you read or watch tv- you can lightly stroke him thru the towel also. Then put him back in his cage. Do this a few more times before you start letting him peek out of the towel while you're holding him: if he's scared, cover him back up, & repeat this process until he learns to know you better from your scent & touch (thru the towel)...then gradually let him get used to seeing you too. Remember how BIG we are to them. He's just scared, & you can't blame him. Be patient & he'll learn he's safe with you. But if you rush him you'll make it worse & probably also make him refuse to eat...he needs empathy, just be glad he eating for you. It could be worse. He's a normal snake, they don't all learn at the same rate, or have the same start in life, but if you're patient, you'll have a wonderful pet. He will enjoy your warmth thru the towel, learn your scent & touch gradually, then learn to accept your scary size.

[Mommabear.Yoli]

I also need to see " sausage butt ". Never been peed on... never heard this term before.. but I'm dying laughing and need a visual. 😂

[Danger noodles]

I also need to see " sausage butt ". Never been peed on... never heard this term before.. but I'm dying laughing and need a visual. 😂

I already posted this link but here ya go.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...t=Sausage+butt

[Bogertophis]

I already posted this link but here ya go.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...t=Sausage+butt

Once is just not enough for a good "sausage butt" photo...

[siwueofk]

I just checked on my little hatchling under his hide, I saw he had little pieces of shed around him, but his skin overall looked very crinkly? Is he shedding? It just looked very very flaky and crinkly. I can't tell because of the ivory skin (usually the dull color is a dead giveaway but he's an ivory so is already white). But my first ball python, from what I see, his skin always comes off in one piece with no flaky crinkly stage.

Perhaps that's why he's been so defensive???

EDIT: Would like to add before I get all the hate, that I DO KNOW ABOUT THE SHEDDING PROCESS. However, he is only my second snake, and is an Ivory, so I normally go by the dull skin with my first BP (who is NOT an ivory), and I took pictures of the Ivory's eyes a couple days ago and they didn't seem cloudy to me, so I assumed he wasn't in shed.

[siwueofk]

If he is going through shed though.....this poor boy....the stress I've put on him.....

[siwueofk]

Here's pics of him I took October 17, is this cloudy eyes??? In the 3rd pic especially, it looks like there's a ring around his eyes?
Please respectfully educate me so I don't make a mistake again.
~ Super concerned snake mom




P.S. If he is shedding (which I really think he is), will he ever forgive and forget all the stress I put on him?!?!?!?!??!??? I feel so bad.