my ball keeps biteing me

[superdave76]

whats wrong or what do i do?my ball just started this about a wek ago.i fed him on a thursday and then i waited three days to hold him so i wouldnt upset him digesting the mouse like i always do.sunday when i reached in for him he bit me.i picked him up and he ws ok it seemed ,no more strikes at me that day.tonight i tried to pick him up again,this time he struck at me several times wildly and wouldnt let me pick him up.......what could this wild behavior be,hes always been so timid when id hold him.could he be hungry already or what?

[Moriar]

are you feeding him weekly? how big is he weight and length. is the mouse you are feeding him the right size for him? my baby spider ball was giving me indications that the prey i was giving her was too small by being active after feeding for a whole day. so i upped the size of her prey and now she is sleeping off her rat pup. ive noticed if i feed my snakes too small of a prey they tend to go in hunt mode around the tub.

[superdave76]

i dont have any scales....hes about 2 feet long ,maybe less,and maybe 1 1,2 inches thick at his thickest point,hes still retty small as he can ball up in the palm of my hand.......im feeding him one fuzzy a week,he will lay around for about 3 days after feeding,could him being hungry cause the problem.i have no problem feeding him whatever or doing whatever it takes to make him happy and less aggressive.one note....he doesnt strike if i use a glove its only against a bare finger.

[Patrick Long]

are you feeding it in its cage?

[superdave76]

yeah ,am i not supposed to?

[SoundUnsleep]

The prey size sounds a bit too small to me. Prey size should be same size to a maximum of 1.5 of the girth size of your baby.
Besides hunger there are many other reasons for why a BP could strike/bite. Here are a few:
Handling prey items or petting the family dog/cat without washing hands prior to reaching into the snake's enclosure.
Startling the sleeping snake by lifting it up without first making sure that it is aware of its keeper's presence.
Using the same routine to handle the snake as is being used to feed the snake. - If you are feeding in the enclosure, try feeding in a separate feeding box. Some (not all) develop what's called cage aggression when fed in the enclosure. I've never fooled around with it and can't say whether that really is an issue, since all my snakes have always been fed in separate feeding boxes.
Infrequent handling - You mentioned that you leave the baby alone for three days after feeding. If you are feeding it only small fuzzies, it certainly wouldn't take it that long to digest them. Two of my juvies are still on rat pups. It takes them two days to digest those and then they are out and about and ready to be handled again.
My suggestion, if it's indeed the meal size: Up the meal size, feed in a separate container and start from scratch regarding handling. Handle him routinely at the same time every day (give him two days of rest after meals). Use gloves at first and be calm and persistent when removing him from the enclosure. Keep him out for just a minute or two and put him back in. Increase that time every day until you feel comfortable enough to remove one glove. Touch him (don't pet him) with your bare hand. Once he doesn't jump anymore when touched with your bare hand you are safe to remove the other glove.
Remember, that snakes do not have the ability to memorize for a very long time. Once your BP knows that he's safe with you continue handling him regulary. He'll recognize your smell and the feel of your hands and will associate safety with it and will stay sociable.
"i have no problem feeding him whatever or doing whatever it takes to make him happy and less aggressive" - Love your attitude!
Best of luck!

[Sparky1]

Well thats open for debate, some people say not to feed in there cage they live in and to feed in a seperate tub. This is the belief that if you feed in there enclosure they could believe that everytime you open it they could think that it is dinner time. Personally i feed in mine and have no problems at all, many people i know feed in enclosure there enclosures as well. So two questions, how long have you had him and could he be in shed? You can not always tell when they are going into shed, and mine start to get testy before they shed.

[djansen]

I know if my rack gets to warm all my snakes get jumpy and some try to bite. check the temps. also is he always on the hot side of the tank when you pick him up?

[pythontricker]

how old is he?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

whats wrong or what do i do?my ball just started this about a wek ago.i fed him on a thursday and then i waited three days to hold him so i wouldnt upset him digesting the mouse like i always do.sunday when i reached in for him he bit me.i picked him up and he ws ok it seemed ,no more strikes at me that day.tonight i tried to pick him up again,this time he struck at me several times wildly and wouldnt let me pick him up.......what could this wild behavior be,hes always been so timid when id hold him.could he be hungry already or what?

How long have you had your snake for?
How old is your BP?
How big is your snake (length, weight)?
What type of enclosure do you use?
How big is your enclosure?
Is your enclosure in a low traffic area?
What are your temps (cool & warm side)?
What is your humidity?
What type of thermometer/hygrometer do you use (dial,stick,or digital)?
What kind of hides do you provide (log, homemade, cubbyholes etc) and how many do you have?
Are your hides tight (all side touching your BP's body) and identical?
What do you usually feed to your BP (size)?

If you are feeding in the enclosure, try feeding in a separate feeding box. Some (not all) develop what's called cage aggression when fed in the enclosure.

This is myth, feeding outside the enclosure is not necessary.