Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a ball python which I estimate to be about 2 1/2 years old. It was given to me by a person who no longer wanted it. I also got an aquarium and a water dish.

Lately, the snake has been very aggressive. I normally take it out of its cage and put it into a box when I feed it. Lately I have not been able to do this because I've been scared of it because it has made a few attempts to strike at me through the glass. Also, I have to pour water in through the screen top because if I open the cage, it lifts its head up like it is going to strike.

Please advise me what I should do. I haven't been able to get it out of its cage to clean it or change the bedding! HELP!

PS I'm sure that you realize that I'm new to the snake seen so I know I'm a noob, but I'm also desperate for answers!

First of all check your husbandry - is the cage the appropriate temperature with a nice temp gradient - is the humidity good - is there plenty of fresh water and an appropriate hide or two? Have you had this snake long enough that it should have settled into the new environment? Is it in a high traffic area? How is it feeding? etc. etc.

Next if you need to remove the snake for cleaning, feeding whatever - a balls bite is generally not very painful so don't be afraid of getting struck - (if you've been scratched by a cat that's 10X worse than what you'll get from a ball). A good way to get out an aggressive snake is to cover it up with a towel over it's head and lift it out. While you have it out check for mites, ticks, or injuries. You can carefully hold it's head to keep from being bit while you check it over.

If your otherwise docile snake is all of a sudden acting out - there could be a thousand reasons why - you'll have to figure out what it is and resolve the issue.
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Tosha

I do not have any hides in my cage. What would you recommend for a hide? I don't know what I would use to check the humidity and temperature ( a thermometer obviously, but do they have special ones that are stationary in a snakes' cage?)

What is the recommended bedding? Newspaper or something else?

I'm afraid I've been keeping these guys long enough that I don't keep too many care sheet links on hand, but I know that MANY breeders' websites list good tips. (Please nobody be offended if I don't include your care sheet here)

Some good ones include (and are not limited to):
http://www.newenglandreptile.com/CareBall.html
http://www.vpi.com/8VPICareSheets/Pythons/BallPythonCare/ballCareSheet.htm
http://www.kingsnake.com/ballpythonguide/index.html

If these don't help you to find out what you need to know, contact the breeders whose sites host the care sheets and/or post another question on the forum here. I would suggest a Google search, but you can find misinformation as easily as your can find good information that way. I can usually tell the difference between the two. I wouldn't expect you to be able to tell that yet.

No place to hide is very stressful to a snake, and could account for the aggressive behavior without any other factors. Heat that is set too high could also cause that response, independent of other factors. There is no easy answer here. Read up on what this guy needs, and see what you can do.

Oh, and I personally prefer newspaper as a substrate, because it is very easy to clean/replace, and as I am a University student, the college newspaper is always available in an overabundance - and FREE!

Good Luck!
~Rebecca
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0.1 Dumeril's Boa '04 (Courtney)
1.2 Ball Pythons
[1.0 '05 Orange Hypo (Specter)]
[0.1 '05 Het Orange Hypo (Sylvia)]
[0.1 '03 Normal (Sue)]
0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)

Until you figure out what is at the root of this aggressive behavior, the snake does still need to be handled so his cage can be cleaned and adjusted, once you know what you need to change.

Get some leather work gloves (cloth gloves are no good here). I'm a chick, but I prefer some medium-weight deer hide gloves, because they offer a lot of protection for my hands, but I don't have to sacrifice too much tactile sensitivity (I can still feel pretty well through the gloves) - so I get to feel a lot more confident that I am not accidentally harming the snake (which you could do if you use gloves that are so stiff you can't feel very well how much pressure you are exerting). Gloves can be a great confidence booster - if the snake is aggressive enough to bite, the teeth shouldn't penetrate, and you can get on with your task.

Cheers!
~Rebecca
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0.1 Dumeril's Boa '04 (Courtney)
1.2 Ball Pythons
[1.0 '05 Orange Hypo (Specter)]
[0.1 '05 Het Orange Hypo (Sylvia)]
[0.1 '03 Normal (Sue)]
0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)

I went to the pet shop the other day. The girl in the store recommending feeding more than one mouse at a time for the size of my BP. That night I fed it 2 and it gladly took both down. I also created a hide box out of an old switch box that I had laying around. He/she fits snuggly in the box, but I hear that is how they are most comfortable. I also bought a thermometer and a humidity thing to put inside the cage.

Tonight it is soaking in its water bowl. Is there any harm in this?

Had a similar situation. A guy gave me a small 3yr. old male that he said only eats mice (a couple at a time). He said he tried rats but the animal would never take rats. He kept it in a 50 Gal glass tank. Hard to keep proper tempts and humidity. I accepted this animal as a pet for my all girl high school science class. Male BPS tended to be less aggressive.

Two days after receiving him, I was walking by his tub and he struck at me through the tub. I was feeding some other animals (F/T rats) and decided to see if he was hungry. Sure enough, he took a couple of small F/T rats. He’s been doing this for the last month. His aggression is actually and aggressive feeding response due to neglect of a pet owner that “didn’t have the time” for him any more. After I get him out of his tub he’s fine.

Just a thought as to what might be going on.
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Larry Walker

WebSite

to the dude who said a ball bite is like cat scratch. im sorry but i disagree a decent bite from a full grown ball is going to be quite painful and will most likely bleed. just being factual.
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1.0 cb pastel bp
0.1 cb normal bp
0.1 cb BRB
0.1.0 cb Cyclops Mt. GTP
1.0 cb blue bar ambilobe panther cham.
2.0 wc scottish terrirers