Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just bought a baby ball python. I've had her almost a week. she is about 3 months old. When I bought her from the pet store the owner she she was very docile and she eats well. But now I'm stuck. I have her in a 20 gal tank and its a nice set up. But everytime I try to get her out she coils and trys to snap. Is it becuase shes in a new enviroment or what? People I have talked to told me just to wait it out but now shes comming close to feeding time and I need to put her in the bag. If by Wednesday she still wont let me touch her should i feed her in the cage or what should i do?

Can you post a wider-angle picture of her cage? I'm the least experienced person who posts here regularly, so don't take my advice too seriously. However, the first thing that struck me about your setup is that I didn't see any place for her to hide in her cage. Not having a hiding place is stressful for ball pythons. Maybe she's just feeling stressed because she can't hide when she wants.

The other thing that I'd do is ask the pet store about her behavior. Did you handle her in the store? If so, was she snappy then? Maybe they were doing something that you aren't doing.

Good luck,

Bill

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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

No she doesnt have a hiding place. The guy at the store she she doesnt need one i even asked him becuase the last ball I had had one. But I mean she was clam at the pet store. I handled her but after the first night in her new home thats when she became snappy. shes clam but when i still try to pick her up she well become very defensive. Shes calmer nowI think. Shes letting me in her cage and touch her but not pick up yet. I'm planning on getting a hiding spot for her 2moro.

The guy in the pet store was wrong if he said that she doesn't need a hide. That much I know for certain. If possible, you might want to get a couple of hides and give her choices. If you can't afford the stuff that pet stores sell as snake hides, there are plenty of budget alternatives. Any kind of little box might work. Many people use clay planting plots. They enlarge the holes slightly and smooth the sides. Even plastic planters will work. Someone suggested that I get fake plants for my girl because the plants would allow her to move around the cage without the feeling that she was exposed. Again, if you can't afford the plants, then you can't get them, but these are ideas that people suggested to me just to keep my girl happier. I think she's generally been happier since I've implemented them.

Bill

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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

Alrite I'll go pick up the stuff tomorrow. I'm just worried that I'll never be able to hold her. I dont want to feed her in the cage. Do you feed your snakes in their cages? Or do you use the bag method? If you feed them in the cage does it alter their behavior becuase i heard they tend to think they are going to eat each time you open the cage.

i feed my ball pythons in their cage because it doesnt make any difference feeding them outside the cage i mean if you feed her outside the cage then she is going to think anything coming into the bag is food i have always fed my ball pythons in the cage and have never had one of them bite me when i have gone to handle them this is just the way i do it my way might not work for everyone but it works for me to feed them in the cage
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kevin
36 pythons and boas and 4 lizards

I have a little game I like to play its called "Stump the Petco Reptile Guru" and it goes like this -

I go in and take a look at their selection of ball pythons and call the guy over and ask to hold one, while hes taking it out I run the following questions by him:

*Is it a boy or girl - how can you tell
*how often and what does it eat
*whether it is CB or an import (or if they even know the difference)
*proper temperature
*proper handling
*proper cage size and set up
*what size they will get
*how long they will live
*Etc. Etc.

Rarely have I ever gotten someone that can answer these no brainer questions well enough to instill any sort of confidence in there knowledge of snakes. It never ceases to amazing me what pet store employees will tell people.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

11.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

Unfortunately most of them Aren't hired for their intelligence.

Quig

I feed everyone in their cages and can handle all of them with no problem. It is less stressfull to just put the food into their cage and some simply will not eat out of their enclosure. Especially a skittish animal.
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Nita Hamilton
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Ball Pythons
ballpythonworld.com