Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a CB baby ball about a month ago and he's a very good feeder, eating every 5 days, but he seems to be very aggressive. He has struck at me at least 5 times, when he feels threatened he seems to get ready to strike, rather than the traditional balling up and sticking his head in the middle. The other day he actually hit my finger with his strike but didn't bother biting hard enough even to break my skin. I'm wondering if there is any way to mellow a snake out. Is this something he will grow out of? I'm just a little worried about having a 5 foot snake striking at me every time I try to clean his cage. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
- Steve

The best ting to do would be to hold him with gloves twice a day For about 2 weekes then take off the gloves evert other time and only hold him for about 15 mins. Then in abpout 1 more week hold him still 2 times a day but with no gloves. Try not to hold him the day after feeding. Good luck if it does not work you might just have to take the risk of getting bit or maybe use a small snake hook to clean the cage and things
cody

The best ting to do would be to hold him with gloves twice a day For about 2 weekes then take off the gloves evert other time and only hold him for about 15 mins. Then in abpout 1 more week hold him still 2 times a day but with no gloves. Try not to hold him the day after feeding. Good luck if it does not work you might just have to take the risk of getting bit or maybe use a small snake hook to clean the cage and things
cody

Cody's ideas are good. If he's snapping at you but not doing any damage, you might not even need the gloves. Be committed to handling him each time, bites or no bites. If he gets his way (you put him down and leave him alone) the behavior will only be reinforced. He's worried that you are a threat, and you need to show him that you are not. As soon as you condition him to not feel intimidated by your presence, he will stop trying to bite you. Support his whole body, let him rest on your lap for a while, anything that gets him accustomed to being held without being harmed is good. It is rare to raise a ball python from a hatchling and still have it striking at you when it gets to be 5 feet long (unless it accidently mistakes you for food). I think the whole process should take you no more than a month or two, possibly less.

Good Luck

I have one baby now that is very aggressive and his sister is not at all. Funny thing is that his mother was 1 of 2 sisters out of 4 who where aggressive as hatchlings and their father was also aggressive. I didn't get the grandfather until he was about a year old and suspect he had hardly been handled at all coming from a large breeder but he stopped biting after a month or so in my small collection. The two aggressive sisters in the 2nd generation stopped biting by a few months of age but would hiss still till around two years old but have now stopped that also. Enough to make you think there might be a single gene for aggressive ball pythons. But check out the heart on this little guys neck, maybe he'll be a fighter AND a lover.

Good insight into the future of my little ball, encouraging words. Thanks for the input and I love that little heart, maybe it comes with the aggressive gene, heh.
Thanks,
Steve
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-Steve-
2.0 Corn Snakes
1.0 Ball Python
0.1 Veiled Chameleon
1.1 Leopard Geckos
0.1 Rudis Chameleon
0.1 Giant Day Gecko
0.0.3 Red Ear Sliders
0.0.2 Sulcata Tortoises
0.0.1 Central American Banded Gecko

I'll try holding him more. I'm not terribly afraid of his bites right now so I won't bother with the gloves, but thanks for the quick reply and good ideas.

You need to handle him so he gets use to you. I would say try holding him with gloves and don't make sudden movement or moving your hand near his head. Snakes are movement oriented...if you make sudden movement they think it's a predator trying to eat them, and ball pythons don't like to be touched on the head, it's their vulnerable part. Start out holding him once a week for a few minutes...then increase the frequency gradually. You don't want to stress him out. Has he already acclimated to his enclosure...yoiu should wait 2 or more weeks until he is acclimate before you start on handling.

Your snake sounds like mine; maybe they're relatives I got her for free last winter because no one wanted to buy her from the local pet shop, because she bit people and was skittish. She had been returned twice by irate customers,(children,)who were tired of their new toy biting them.
I have handled her regularly for the past few months. The only tricky part in handling her is getting her out of the cage; she still hisses sometimes, but really does not strike out so much anymore. Once out for a few minutes, she relaxes and acts like any calm BP, exploring and trying to sneak into the depths of the sofa I never handle her while her eyes are clouded before a shed, though, or for two days after her feeding. I respect her right to privacy and also her right to a calm, uninterrupted digestive process.
Your snake should calm down, once it realizes that you aren't a threat. Always move in calm, slow motions. Good luck!

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*~Ginevive~*