Normal behaviour...

[Krynos]

Now we've had Cleo for a little while we have been able to pick up patterns in her behaviour. I'm going to describe them here and we'd appreciate it you could look it over and see if it sounds 'normal' to you. We're learning more about balls, and we think she is content, but want to make sure we're not reading the signs wrong.

When we first got her, and put her in her viv, for the first few days while she was active she would be checking out the top edge of the viv. Looking for a way out. She no longer does this.

If we have to get her out of the viv for some reason (viv maint, or just because we want to handle her) she never balls up - in fact we have never seen her do this at all. That doesn't sound too normal for a ball python! If we accidentally spook her by for example, moving a little too fast around her head while handling she'll pull her neck back into a S shape for a few seconds before continuing on with whatever she was doing before.

She has eaten everything we have offered her (even during shed). When she has eaten what we've offered she will go patrol her viv, doing to my eyes what looks like a hunting routine. She will go investigate an area cautiously, then set up what looks like an ambush. Up on top of a hide in a strike pose, wait there for a little while, then go climb a plant and do the same thing, hide behind a rock and do the same. Stealthily move around the viv with massive tongue action. Very entertaining to watch! Eventually she will retire to a hide for digestion, but she seems to be on the hunt for quite a while sometimes.

Like all balls she spends most of her time in her hides. However this next part is the behaviour we'd like most comment on. Briefly the set up is as follows, standard warm hide / cool hide. On timers we have a regular light way above the viv that is on 6am - 6pm, then 6pm - 6am we have a moonglow light, again up away from the enclosure, it just sheds a really dim blueish light. (We tried the IR red ones, but they were either so dim as to do nothing really, or too hot (heat is controlled independantly of these lights). Anyway - back on point. We are at work all day, so I'm sure she spends it napping in the hide of her choice. But pretty soon after we get home of an evening she sticks her head out of the hide she is in, usually a inch or two, her head is fully out and usually some neck. She appears to be watching us (her viv is the in the room with our computers so we do spend quite a bit of time in there of an evening). If we approach the viv to check her out she doesn't shy away, in fact she seems more active, checking us out back. Now of course I would like to think this means she is not afraid of us and is curious. What do you think? We were expecting not to see her much, but generally when we look over during evening hours, shes looking right back at us.

[xdeus]

Sounds perfectly normal.

[Johar]

personally "knocks on wood!" i dont wanna jinx your snake
but i think you are really lucky to have such a snake
mine is still shy, she refused to eat. but its only been 1 weeks, so im giving her more time.
to be honest with you. i wish my snake was like that and i dont think something is wrong with yours. "thats from my experience and reading alot about ball pythons."

[Krynos]

I'll knock on wood with you!

So far she has just been so good to us. Before we bought her (our first snake) we did a lot of research, and she has not acted as we expected. She eats like a pig (too much apparently! Going to change that). Is not nippy or aggressive. Doesn't ball up. Doesn't hide too much. Seems to enjoy (or should that be tolerate our company and handling lol). She even shed in once piece. The only time she acted grumpy was when I picked her up before I realised she'd started blueing, even then it wasn't aggressive it she was just squirmy... "put me down! put me down!"

Couldn't ask for more. Well I always ask for more information This is an animal that we expect will be with us for 20+ years, we want to start out right and not cause any problems with will be difficult to deal with in the long term.

[Johar]

lol, more information never hurt, thats what i always do too. except mine acted as i expected

anyways... tell me where you live and i'll kidnap her while u're at work MOWAWHAHAH!!!

im happy for you, i hope my BP becomes like this soon

[frankykeno]

She sounds perfect Rick. I know you heard that ball pythons ball up constantly, that they are poor eaters, poor shedders and very shy. Some are...some do all of the aforementioned...some do it occasionally...some never...in other words, all very unique and very reactive to their environment.

You took the time settling the snake in properly, gave her a good environment and good eats, didn't give her a reason to be overly defensive, etc. then I think what you are seeing is the best end result possible. We don't see a lot of balling up with any of our ball pythons, more of that fast pull back if they are startled. We have one big female, Orlah, who will allow you to gently pat her on her head like a dog for heaven's sakes (I have no idea why...we got her as an adult). Orlah apparently didn't read how she's supposed to be headshy LOL. Most of are very tolerant of gentle chin rubs as long as you don't come at them quickly or from the side or above.

We see a lot of that lurking where they laze about in their hides with just the head/neck poking out. Some of ours hunt prey that way every week. Some just do it because....well heck they want to LOL.

I think Cleo sounds great! Sometimes no matter what you do a snake won't accept much human contact but at least with our ball pythons so far we aren't finding that a huge problem, though each has their own particular tolerance for handling and we just respect that.


~~Jo~~

[cassandra]

Rick didn't mention unfortunately how incredibly cute she is when she's got her head sticking out of a hide, checking us out...=)

Thanks for the affirmation that we're doing okay. We both can get pretty anal about making sure to do stuff right and we're really excited to have little Cleo in our lives.

[Johar]

great, i guess mine is normal as well .
well, where's what im confused about. well, for a new snake mine doesn't ball unless she's handled by someone for the 1st time. i take her out every couple of days for like 10 to 20 mnts she stays on my lap for all that time, not coiled, she moves alittle bit and smells me around, she's not afraid of my hand touching her head slowly. or like franky said "slowly rubbing her under her neck". so im wondering. if she doesn't coil but stay there for a long time and of ofcourse doesn't move while im slowly moving my thumb on her back repeatidly. does that mean she likes it? or she's scared? .. i know snakes arent tamable. i mean not like dogs and such. but i wonder if there's something you do while handling them that makes them feel better

[frankykeno]

I don't believe snakes are tameable in any way that a dog or cat might be. I do think that with time, care, respect for the creature and it's limits and getting to know your snake's subtle ways you can provide a handling experience that won't cause it to feel defensive and stressed. Having said that, not every ball python is going to allow handling or should be pushed to it (just my humble opinion).

I can tell you with Brannagh, her defensive behaviour exhibited as extreme aggression...with Saoirse it was tight balling up....to my mind both showing different reactions but basically the same issues. Both were handled differently, both are now much improved. Had either of them shown stress, refusing to eat or whatever, we would have simply enjoyed them for their beauty and let the handling be only for husbandry.

For me anyways, as much as I love handling all the snakes I know that it's more about my joy at the contact than the snake's. I feel very honored that they allow me this pleasure and try hard to not ever let it be about what I want over what my snakes need to thrive in our care.


~~Jo~~