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#2267593 Jackii View Profile	Sad Decision I’ve decided if my ball python keeps being aggressive towards me I’m going to give him up. I can’t have an aggressive snake in my room that I share with my little sister. I hope he comes around, he’s pretty cool. It’s sad, but i don’t know what else to do :(
05/25/12  11:46am
#2267629 Maggie_Mae View Profile	Message To: Jackii   In reference to Message Id: 2267593  Sad Decision I’d suggest to just keep working with him. It’s not typical for Ball Pythons to be aggressive however they can be moody as babies. If he’s under a year I’d let him grow out of it, if he’s an adult I’d keep handling him. Getting bit really isn’t as big of a deal as some people make it.
05/25/12  02:49pm
#2267633 Sunfire View Profile	Message To: Maggie_Mae   In reference to Message Id: 2267629  Sad Decision I would really wait a while longer before decideing to give him up. If you just got him on 5/20, he hasn’t even had a week yet to settle in. When I got my boy I didn’t even handle him for the first week. It was tough waiting but, I have never had any trouble with aggression. It is worth the wait to have a snake that you can hold without issue.
05/25/12  04:09pm
#2267675 Jackii View Profile	Message To: Sunfire   In reference to Message Id: 2267633  Sad Decision He hissed at me when I walked by this morning. He was in strike position :( How do I know when he’s settled?
05/25/12  08:30pm
#2267676 Edf View Profile	Message To: Jackii   In reference to Message Id: 2267593  Sad Decision Ok, first- you gotta give him more then 5 days. it can take 1-2 weeks for him to settle. If he is striking at the glass- cover the glass so he has more privacy. if he is striking at you- well, DONT handle or bother him for a little like I stated before. If you have no patence to work with him after the few weeks are up or refuse to leave him alone to adjyst- maybe a ball python, or a snake in general, is not the pet for you. I gave you advice- it sounds like you are still pestering him and you only had him 5 days. If you wont respect the snake- how can you expect him to respect you? PLEASE STOP handling him and stop petting him. Let him be for a solid, entire week or two.so, sometime in June- next month- you can see where he is at and work at gettitng him used to you. the snake is scared of you. If I got rid of every snake that was scared and stuck, I wouldnt have miss hiss, virginia, super pastel, breeder mojo... and a handleful of others. We are giving you advise, and I get the feeling you are not listening. I will only give you advise one more time, and then I am personally done- i spend a lot of time in the posts where I help people and give them my advice..... i dont like waisting my time. Here is copied information I gave you before Quote: Message To: Jackii In reference to Message Id: 2267263 Aggressive Ball Python, what do I do? the fact he isnt moving around is a good thing- if he was overly active- he would be stressed. The striking- while there is nothing wrong with petting a snake- i do it too- its kinda different then petting a dog- the snake- when used to you- wont really mind it- but its not gonna get the please of it like a cat or dog. Your snake simply may not understand what you were doing to him- you may have annoyed him and he defensively bit at you. He will eventually understand that when you are touching him you arent harming him. Even tho your snake doesnt sound stressed- still give him a week before handling him and petting him. As for feeding him- it comes down to if he is comfy enough. I know i could tell; when a new snake was hungry, and she ate. She kinda was peaking out of her hide almost in strike mode- its very hard to describe- i can usually tell with 80% of my snakes if they are wanting food when i offer... I;d wait 5 days in your care at least, then offer food. if he takes it- give him 2-3 days to digest- then you can try handling. if he doesnt take the food, wait another 5-7 days and offer again- just donmt keep offering it to him too much or that can stress him out. Once you go to handle him- I would take him out of th ecage and handle him. Dont pet him yet in the cage. I think it will be best if you take him out of his home completly to start getting used to you. its not liek rats where cage play at first is good. Once you develope a routine and the snake learns to trust you- by all means pet him. I personally never really pet them in the cage tho- i do an initial touch which is a little pet for snakes that ...snap to attention... but the thing is, I only do that when i am taking them out of the cage- basically, i am letting them know yes, your tub did get opened and my hand is coming in. If he is aggressive- i have babies that are aggressive- i use one hand for them to focus on, then I grab them on their body. Once i get them up- they snap out of it. I also remove their tubs out from the rack that can snap them out of it too, bu tthis isnt an option for a tank. One thing to remember- what is gonna hurt the most about the bite is the fact that your snake bit you- not th ebite itself. Its pinpricks- you do feel it, but as soon as you register the snake bit you- the pain is away. If he does bite- try not to pull back. its easier said then done- bu ttheir teeth are hooked- it will cut more if yopu pull back and if his tooth snags on something it could get ripped out ( prolly a shirt) You can just grab th ebull by the horns and just reach in and grab him reguardless... I would do it during th eday when he is not active. Now for my adults-the were aggressive only in feeding responces. My one girl Mocha focused on me and not the rat= she was slowly creeping towards me. I got a towel- well, b/f did, and I put it over her. before i did tho she backed off. I giant dark object made her think- this isnt something to strike at. You can cover your snake with a towel and pick it up- just try not to let the snake bite it. Just be fast and confident. Dont reach in with your hand, and pull it back, then put it back in to pull it out again. I feel this will ’tease’ the snake and can get him on edge. Just swoop in and grab him. whenever I start to ’tease’ a snake- usually my carpet- I stop- either gather my confidence or grab a snake hook to use as a tool to help ( never make a snake ride the hook liek a hot!) I simply touch the snake with the hook, and use it to hook th efront o fthe snake to control the head, and then reach in with my hand and grab the body. Have I used this with a bp? yeah. it may not be necisary, mine was an accidental purchase of a wild caught girl. But it helps delvelope a routine and th esnake gets used to it and isnt so scared. I no longer use the hook for my w/c girl. About the feeding- its common for a week of missed meals before a show- or shipping.if you fear he is really underwight- snap a pic. If he is slim, a good feeding routine will help that. I would start out with an easy meal for the snake- basically feed it what it was fed before, and get him eating a few times. Then, you can either go a size bigger if you feel it is needed ( now, it depends on what size- I usually give a meal on the small side at first, then go to a regular sized meal) or switch to offering the food a different way ( f/t, live prekilled) I tdoenst sound like he is skin and bones- so as long as he is not- I wouldnt fret over it. Focus on letting him adjust, then feed him. The hardest part of a new snake is not holding them for a week or til they adjust!! But it guarantees a smoother transistion and a happier snake that way. look at this link: Link various quotes from that thread: : af ew days is NOT enough time for a bp to calm down’ ’A snake that is stressed out by hunger, thirst, or unfamiliar surroundings tends to snap at a hand reaching toward it. ’ ( or movement in front of its cage) And finally- here is th egoogle page whjen googling how do I tame down an aggressive ball python: Link For your poor scared snakes sake, I hope you read it, learn about the snake and why iuts reacting, and work with the snake. I dont mean to sound harsh or aggitated here. But its only day 5 of you having the snake- amd everyone gave info on how to solve this problem. I can only spoon feed so much. Are you located near South East Pa? I am half tempted to take this aggressivwe snake should you chose to get rid of him just to prove that my advice works and give you videios of this snake tamed and calm.
05/25/12  08:31pm
#2267683 Jackii View Profile	Message To: Edf   In reference to Message Id: 2267676  Sad Decision I haven’t touched him since he struck at me. I don’t really have anything to cover the tank. If I cover my heat lamp with a sheet it might catch fire. Thank you very much for your help. I have a lot on my plate right now, and maybe a snake isn’t the best pet for me. But I’ve decided I’m not going to give up on him. When I bought him, I made a commitment to him. I promised him a wonderful happy home in a big tank, eating f/t mice, and chillin’ on a branch. I’ll find a way to cover the tank. I’ll go get some more hides (can’t fit much more, but I’ll get some plants) I gotta go! Making my preparations :D
05/25/12  09:08pm
#2267688 Jackii View Profile	Message To: Jackii   In reference to Message Id: 2267683  Sad Decision I figured out a way to put a sheet up without causing a fire! xD I kinda jammed it in between the lid and the tank. I also put in another log for him to crawl under. The whole time he stared at me from across the tank, just his head poking out. No hissing!!! :D
05/25/12  10:06pm
#2267696 Zhimonster View Profile	Message To: Jackii   In reference to Message Id: 2267688  Sad Decision When Brutus was new, I duct taped some black construction paper to the outside of the tank along one side to make him feel more hidden. Brutus was just a bit shy and jumpy when I first got him, he’s never struck. Dinky however did a few times at first. I just had to be patient and not bother him, and I made sure he had plenty of secure hides. In less than a month’s time he’s gone from being nippy to just a little bit flinchy and shy. Both are Ball Pythons. Pookie, my Rainbow Boa, Ha Ive just considered her a lost cause. She’s my psycho snake. I just had to get used to the idea that not every one of my snakes is gonna be cuddleable.
05/25/12  11:32pm
#2267706 Edf View Profile	Message To: Jackii   In reference to Message Id: 2267688  Sad Decision first- thanks for not taking offense to what I said. I think its just sad to hear what you said on day 5. Once you have a large collection, you see that the snakes- even tho they arent like cats and dogs- do have their own personalities. Some may need more work with trusting the owner then others. All I have to say- all my babies generally start out hating me, then realize I aitn a predator to pick them off. The only snake I had I can say wasa truely mean was my mexican king snake. He would bite and constrict me on a regular bases. My rat snakes were a close second- i didnt give them a chance to bite me, but they would- but they are known for being more feisty. Bps- in my experience, strike and show aggression due to fear. they tend to ball up- hence their name if given the choice. Let him adjust- and get him eating, then we can discuss how to get the snake to trust you. I am glad you decided to keep him, I am confident if you spend tiem to work with him, you will bve rewarded with a very nice pet. My striker- Miss Hiss- who freakin’ hated me and was scared to death- calmed down severely. You could also just tape up thick paper on the tank sides. Covering th retank makes the whole cage like a hide box, but more secure hides inside. I think this will really help make your snake feel secure and start to settle down.
05/26/12  05:56am
#2267716 Xkabx View Profile	Message To: Edf   In reference to Message Id: 2267706  Sad Decision jacki this snake is from africa where everything and anything will eat it, think about that for a minute! now if you were on the menu of just about anything you would be scared if a big gorilla came up to you everyday and tried to pet you, when a snake is scared there are only a couple of options for it, it can poop on you hiss at you or bite you thats pretty much all its got. i have a snake that bit me everyday for 8 months then one day he must have just realized this guy isnt gonna eat me and now he is the nicest snake i own. somewhere in this i read you want to give him a good home with a big tank, going back to thinking about being from africa, these guys live in these tight little holes in termite mounds the tighter the better they are so jammed in there it would be difficult for something to pull them out and eat them, now you wanna put him on display in a huge tank for all the predators to see him, he doesnt know that you arent a threat and a huge tank is only going to make him more nervous. i would get black bristol board and black out his entire tank, every week you can remove a bit inch by inch from the front so slowly you can see in, until finally in a couple months there is only a 4-5 inch piece on the bottom of the front, leave that so when he is on the ground he cant see out of the tank. i hate to hear about people jumping into getting a snake and then a week later deciding its not for them, snakes are the best pets out there if you have patience and have done alittle reasearch. its all about giving the snake what they want and need, not putting it on display like you want, or taking him out to play because you want to. stop and think about the snake, what does he need what does he want, if you can do this keep the snake and i promise you that you will not regret it, if you think it will be too hard to leave it alone and respect what the snake wants and needs then maybe snakes arent for you. its your decision and its not a sad one it just boils down to this, can you give this snake what he wants or do your pets have to do whatever you want? if its the second get a dog and teach it to sit.
05/26/12  10:19am
#2267762 Jackii View Profile	Message To: Xkabx   In reference to Message Id: 2267716  Sad Decision Wow :( I was being really selfish. I wasn’t really thinking of him, but of what I wanted out of him. Today is his usual feeding day, and I don’t want him to be freaked because he’s not getting fed when he’s supposed to, but is this a good idea so soon into getting him? We still have to get a rat because mom doesn’t listen to me when I told her I needed one yesterday. How should I thaw it quickly and thoroughly, and how should I go about getting him out of the cage and into the feeding tub? (I have a storage bin I’m gonna wipe out with *just water* real quick) Also, I prefer feeding live. That way I know I’m not feeding him a rat that’s still frozen on the inside. Would that be okay? What size do I feed him? (lots of questions, I know Dx I feel like I know nothing yet I’ve spent hours on the internet researching his species!) My mom’s friend had a ball python that he left unattended with a live rat that turned around and ate the snake! That’s my only problem with live.
05/26/12  05:30pm
#2267799 Jackii View Profile	Message To: Jackii   In reference to Message Id: 2267762  Sad Decision I tried to feed him and now I’m at a complete stalemate. He struck again! My teacher (who has 15 snakes) told me I was clear to feed him. I got him in the box, I’ve got the mice, but he’s not letting me open the box to drop one in. I think I’ll feed him in-cage this time. Mom said I shouldn’t have a pet I’m terrified of. :’( It made her cry
05/26/12  09:54pm
#2267818 Mschip View Profile	Message To: Jackii   In reference to Message Id: 2267799  Sad Decision I use tongs to feed my new little guy, the second he smells that mouse hes striking like crazy, gets a little too excited to eat. I had him for four weeks and didnt hold him because he was stressed from a new environment and was cruising around his cage constantly and would strike and hold his food but wouldnt eat it. After the month though I noticed he stopped moving around as much and will eat the mice and now I take him out and hold him and hes super mellow. I also have a dumerils boa and for the first month of having her, anytime someone walked by her tank she would strike the glass and hiss because she was scared, after she got used to her new place though she became super tame and because I waited till she settled before handling her she has never bit me, had her for four years now and shes the friendliest snake ever :) just give him time and Im sure he’ll be sweet as pie in no time :)
05/26/12  11:56pm

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