Hi There!

[HellPenguin]

Hello Everyone!

I'm sorry to be a dolt and start my time on the forums by asking questions right away, but I'm a bit distressed by my python's behaviour lately and I wanted to see if I could get an opinion on it.


I am the proud owner of a two year old (approximate. He was given to me and my girlfriend as a gift and were not given any more information other than "he's very young"... a fact that was apparent due to his small size) Ball Python. Not sure on the sex, as we haven't probed it, but we took the liberty of assuming it was male and calling it "Monty" (cute? Very. Original? not so much). He's usually very dosile, very calm. In fact, it seems he prefers something about my body heat or such, since everytime my girlfriend handles him and I sit next to her, he waltzes on over to me and curls up under my shirt.

Recently, however, he's been behaving strangely.

The other night, I go to his terrarium, as I usualy do, to check up on him and turn on his light (our air conditioner was turned on, and it tends to get cold).

As I got close, he slowly peeked out of his hidebox, which he tends to do. However this time I noticed something peculair. He not only peeked, but kept going outside his box, eventually coiling up, preparing to strike. I thought it odd, but didn't think he'd go through with it, until I went to reach for the lamp. At that moment, he struck at me as I turned on the switch.

Of course, he didn't land a bite, as the grate on top of the terrarium was still in place, but the fact still remains he was going for it. He also snapped at my girlfriend as she came over to investigate.

Thing is, later that night, as she reached in to change his water, he went into his usual "peek out, hide in" behaviour when we fiddle with something in the terrarium.

Today, the same behaviour. I got close, as slow and deliberate as possible so as not to threaten him. Same thing happened. He struck as I reached for the lamp. In fact, later on I passed by his terrarium, at a distance of about 5 to 6 feet away, and even from that distance he had seemed to notice me and coil into strike position.

My question is: is this normal?

I've hypothesized several things, ranging from perhaps sickness, to threat, to hunger (he's gotten a bit bigger, but we still have him on a mouse-a-week diet)... but I'm no expert

We're taking him to a vet in a week, but I thought the wisest choice would be to get some sort of opinion from a community more schooled in these matters than I am, if only just to ease my nerves a bit


Thanks in advance!
-HP

[tmlowe5704]

Hello Everyone!

I'm sorry to be a dolt and start my time on the forums by asking questions right away, but I'm a bit distressed by my python's behaviour lately and I wanted to see if I could get an opinion on it.


I am the proud owner of a two year old (approximate. He was given to me and my girlfriend as a gift and were not given any more information other than "he's very young"... a fact that was apparent due to his small size) Ball Python. Not sure on the sex, as we haven't probed it, but we took the liberty of assuming it was male and calling it "Monty" (cute? Very. Original? not so much). He's usually very dosile, very calm. In fact, it seems he prefers something about my body heat or such, since everytime my girlfriend handles him and I sit next to her, he waltzes on over to me and curls up under my shirt.

Recently, however, he's been behaving strangely.

The other night, I go to his terrarium, as I usualy do, to check up on him and turn on his light (our air conditioner was turned on, and it tends to get cold).

As I got close, he slowly peeked out of his hidebox, which he tends to do. However this time I noticed something peculair. He not only peeked, but kept going outside his box, eventually coiling up, preparing to strike. I thought it odd, but didn't think he'd go through with it, until I went to reach for the lamp. At that moment, he struck at me as I turned on the switch.

Of course, he didn't land a bite, as the grate on top of the terrarium was still in place, but the fact still remains he was going for it. He also snapped at my girlfriend as she came over to investigate.

Thing is, later that night, as she reached in to change his water, he went into his usual "peek out, hide in" behaviour when we fiddle with something in the terrarium.

Today, the same behaviour. I got close, as slow and deliberate as possible so as not to threaten him. Same thing happened. He struck as I reached for the lamp. In fact, later on I passed by his terrarium, at a distance of about 5 to 6 feet away, and even from that distance he had seemed to notice me and coil into strike position.

My question is: is this normal?

I've hypothesized several things, ranging from perhaps sickness, to threat, to hunger (he's gotten a bit bigger, but we still have him on a mouse-a-week diet)... but I'm no expert

We're taking him to a vet in a week, but I thought the wisest choice would be to get some sort of opinion from a community more schooled in these matters than I am, if only just to ease my nerves a bit


Thanks in advance!
-HP

You say the A/C was on so it tends to get a little cold in the room. What are the ambient temps along with the surface temps in the tank? How are the temps measured? With comparison to the snake's girth, how big is the prey?

[HellPenguin]

You say the A/C was on so it tends to get a little cold in the room. What are the ambient temps along with the surface temps in the tank? How are the temps measured? With comparison to the snake's girth, how big is the prey?

Temperature of the room tends to be around 65-70 F (hehe, I live in Puerto Rico, dunno if that temperature is considered cold anywhere else). We take care to keep the temperature inside the tank around 86-88 degrees. Highest we let it get is 90. We read the temp with one of those average stick-on thermometers sold in the pet shop for reptiles.


The mice we feed him are generally as fat as he is (and as far as length, I'd say he's about 9"-10")

[tmlowe5704]

Temperature of the room tends to be around 65-70 F (hehe, I live in Puerto Rico, dunno if that temperature is considered cold anywhere else). We take care to keep the temperature inside the tank around 86-88 degrees. Highest we let it get is 90. We read the temp with one of those average stick-on thermometers sold in the pet shop for reptiles.


The mice we feed him are generally as fat as he is (and as far as length, I'd say he's about 9"-10")

Invest in a digital thermometer/hygrometer with a probe. It will make life much easier. You want your air temps to be around 85 or so but your snake also needs an identical, tight fitting hide on each side of it's tank. The temperature underneath it should be around 80/90. You also got a baby, so don't be surprised with this behavior or if he goes off feed for a little bit. The babies tend to do both of these things.

How do you heat your tank?

[sweety314]

! Check out the site's caresheet. Great information available for your baby.

Like tmlowe said, you'll need to get a digital thermometer and hygrometer. I've learned really quick, and every1 will chime in, that the little round ones, or the sticky tapes ones aren't very accurate for herps. The tape thermometers are designed and best for aquariums, and pretty much nothing else.

I don't know about the selection avail. in PR. Basuca is a member here from PR and could probably help more, but in the U.S. the AcuRite model is a great one to use. It's indoor/outdoor & hygrometer combined, so you get your hot side, your cool side and humidity all in one.

82-84 cool side, 92-94 hot. Hides should be VERY snug, so when he's curled up he touches all the sides, and both hides (one on hot, the other cool) should be identical. No 1/2 logs, please. They're not "private" enough.

If he's striking, he's probably just considering you as the predator. Maybe he's a little stressed from the cooler temps, or he's grown enough that he's in hunt mode.

How often do you handle him? If he's eating regularly, then it could be he needs more handling to get used to you. But, < WE > had one who's name was Pi$$y Snake, b/c that was his attitude, no matter how much he was handled. They're individual personalities, just like ppl. But try getting the humidity stable and consistant @ 50%, and the two temp zones w/hides, and see how it goes.

Again, GOOD TO HAVE YOU. And welcome aboard!

RuLyn

[frankykeno]

Welcome to the forum. First a whole bunch of questions to sort of tighten up the information so the members can help you focus on what's needed for this snake to be more comfortable.

You say he's about 2 years old, unsexed but only 9 to 10 inches in length. This doesn't make a lot of sense as even a male BP of that age should be a lot bigger than that. So as far as I can figure it's either a lot younger snake or has been very severely underfed to be so small for a 2 year old.

What sort of heating do you use? Just the lamp turned off and on as required? BP's need underbelly heat that is on 24/7 so that it provides a cool side of 82-84 degrees, a warm side of 92-94 degrees (this provides for a thermogradient of approximately 10 degrees which allows for the snake to thermoregulate), ambient humidity of 50-60%, two identical and snug, dark hides (one per side), a water dish and an appropriate substrate (as well as a secure, escape proof enclosure of either glass or plastic construction).

So first things first are to describe your setup and then we can help you tweak it to fit the particular needs of a ball python.

As far as the striking it could be a number of things. It could be because the snake is stressed from an improper housing arrangement. It could be because it's hungry and needs more than one mouse a week at this point (if it's really a 2 year old). It could be ill from internal parasites (ask your vet to do a fecal float or a vent swab if no feces are available). It could be stressed from too much activity or vibrations near it's enclosure (BP's are very shy, nocturnal snakes). Are there other pets in the home that may be stalking it when it moves (cats in particular are bad for harrassing caged pets)?

Do you handle the snake other than to feed it? How do you feed it (live, pre-killed or frozen/thawed)? How long have you had this snake? What do you know of it's life prior to you owning it?

In the end, this is after all a snake. It will strike at you occasionally. Sometimes it may just be because it's hungry and you wiggled a warm hand near it so it instinctively went for your heat signature. Over time you will get used to your snake's body postures and know when it's not in the mood or hungry and more likely to strike. Not every strike is meant to connect. Our snakes will occasionally hiss or half-heartedly strike to just establish with us that they aren't in the mood to be messed with at that particular moment in time.

You can cut down the times it strikes at you by first making sure it's living arrangements are perfect for it, that it is wellfed and feeling secure in it's home. Then by understanding what a snake is and mostly what it is not - the limitations and joys of owning one of these lovely unique creatures.