Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Let's start with the good news. I got my ball when it was 2 weeks old and I've never had a problem with it eating. Now with the bad. I have no handled it at all, except moving it to a different location in order to clean its cage. This is due to various reasons. First I didn't want to touch it for 2 weeks to let it settle in. Then it started to shed. Speaking of shedding I've had a lot of problems in that area. It's shed 3 times and always in pieces, and the head and eye caps are the last things to go. I keep the humidity at least 60 and try to keep it over 70 when I see its skin start to dull. Anyway, it's almost always been shedding or had a full stomach so I have no handled it much. Its now a little over 2 months old and NIPPY! When I do have to handle it I do so as quickly as possible because it is always trying to bite me. The thing is frightened of me. It jumps back and is extrememly startled if I even go near the cage. What should I do? I know that the bite probably won't hurt much but I've never owned a snake before or experienced a bite so I'm a little bit of a fairy about it.

If the snake is not shedding correctly then the humidity is not correct at all. If it is in a tank cover the screen top at least 80% and that will help hold the humidity, when it is going to shed mist the bedding . If you are using light ditch them and get a under the tank heated mat. If you want to be able to ever handle the snake you need to start doing it. The longer you let it sit the worse it will get, You are just moving it from one spot to another probaly very quickly so now the snake is stressed. Just hold it in your hands even just a few minutes a day and slowly build up to more. If you get bite it will not hurt. You both need to build trust in each other. There was a reason you bought the snake, I am sure it was not for it to sit in a tank and the two of you eyeball each other. It is a baby and it is the best time to get to the snake. Best of luck and update soon.

i agree if you dont start handleing your snake its not going to get used to you. If it bites you it bites you it may or may not hurt depending on where it gets you and how bad. If you are that scared wear gloves and/or a long sleeve shirt, it might not stop the snake from biting but it will reduce the pain you feel if it does bite you. And if your snake is a problem shedder thats all the more reason for you to handle it that way it can trust you enough to let you help it get the skin off. Hope i helped you out some.
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B Sleeper

1.0 Chocolate Lab
0.1 ?? Normal Ball python (yet different)
1.0 04 Het Albino
1.1 06 Het Albino
1.1 06 Het Pied
1.0 06 Pastel
0.? 07 Pos Het Albino (Momma has not laid the eggs yet)

There are two types of bites. There is a strike bite, for which you probably will be more startled by then hurt by. This is usally a showing of, you starteled me, I'm scared of you, or leave me aloe bite. The second is that of a BITE a bite is one were they usally hold on. This is "usally" becouse of a feeding response. If the only time you handle it, is to feed it. It may assoiate you handeling it to that of feeding it " Oh it must be dinner time.". If the snake is small, it usally will not hurt. They kill their food by squeezing it. The bite doesn't kill the food so the bit doesn't hurt much. It generally is used to hold the prey. Thus the two types of bites. HANDELING IT MORE AND MORE OFTEN IS THE ONLY WAY TO BREAK THEM FROM THIS. If you are still nervous get a thin pair of gloves they should help. If the snake chooses to BITE you not strike you. Put some hand sanitizer or alchol on you hand before you take it out. This will let them think you don't taste very good and they probably wont do it again. Hope this helps. A postive experance is the best experance. Good luck.

Thanks for the info. You guys have been very helpful. I have a question about my setup. I know you can make a great set up with a sweater box, but that defeats the whole purpose of having a snake for me. I want to see him just like you would any other pet. So I have opted to keep him in an aquarium tank. I have an under tank heater that I got from a pet store but it is not enough. It only keeps the warm side of my tank at 80 so I also use a lamp. You were saying that the lamp could be hurting the ability to hold moisture. Any advice on what I should do to heat my tank? FYI the biting attempts have been striking attempts. I also don't handle my snake when I feed him. I keep him in the same tank and use tongs. Thanks guys.

suck it up and handle it more...be prepaired to bitten
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Michael Enriquez