Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello All,
My name is Mike I'm new to the forum. I got a second Ball Python a little over six months ago, everything has been going fine untill the last few months. My Python has been a great eater, I mean a really good eater, she's pretty much a pig. Now it seems like that's all she wants is food. I feed her in a seprate tub. Every time I take her out all she wants food, she trys and has bit me. It's not like she's angry either, she never hisses, just constricts around my hand and then goes in for a bite. This is even when there is no mouse sent anywhere. The only time I can handle her is for a few days after feeding, then all she wants is anther rat. I used to handle her all the time, untill I got a new job about two months ago. Now I take her out once a week to feed, and sometimes I try to take her out for play. What should I do? I thought about trading her in for anther snake, but I really like here and don't want to do that.

>>Hello All,
>>My name is Mike I'm new to the forum. I got a second Ball Python a little over six months ago, everything has been going fine untill the last few months. My Python has been a great eater, I mean a really good eater, she's pretty much a pig. Now it seems like that's all she wants is food. I feed her in a seprate tub. Every time I take her out all she wants food, she trys and has bit me. It's not like she's angry either, she never hisses, just constricts around my hand and then goes in for a bite. This is even when there is no mouse sent anywhere. The only time I can handle her is for a few days after feeding, then all she wants is anther rat. I used to handle her all the time, untill I got a new job about two months ago. Now I take her out once a week to feed, and sometimes I try to take her out for play. What should I do? I thought about trading her in for anther snake, but I really like here and don't want to do that.

Was she a hatchling when you got her?..If not then she may be trying to make up for lost time.Due to her previous lack of food?...Or perhaps she was wild caught? Either way,just continue to work with her.She may calm down in due time.
Also,most ball keepers just feed in the enclosure(,due to their usual shy nature,and natural ambush feeding instincts.).Besides,I've never understood the reasoning behind feeding in a feedbox.Meaning,if a reptile can be trained to eat in the feedbox.This would also train the animal that when you take it out,it will soon see food.(Which would not be the case with feeding in it's enclosure.)

good luck with her

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Charles Glaspie

Meaning,if a reptile can be trained to eat in the feedbox.This would also train the animal that when you take it out,it will soon see food.(Which would not be the case with feeding in it's enclosure.)

I don't know how many others have this problem, but it makes perfect sense to me.

Quig
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

I feed my f/t eater in her cage, but I feed my live eater in a separate enclosure. He is docile until you put him in that specific enclosure, then he sits on one side (always the same side) and waits for the rat to be placed. It is most likely because I only change out the paper towels per feeding and there is still some rat fur/blood smell on the glass.

My f/t eater wont eat anything that moves, so I am not concerned about her striking me.
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1.0 100% het albino ball python (Junah)
0.1 normal Ball python (Alana)
01 50% het albino Retail Boa (Hitomi)

I feed all of my bps in their own enclosures. I don't see any reason to use a feed box.

You ball may require bigger prey items. She could also be stressed out. Check her temps and humidity.

It's unnecessary to feed in a separate enclosure...the myth revolves around them associating the cage with feeding and being aggressive while inside it. This is entirely inaccurate. If it were true, wouldn't it also stand to say that if you feed outside the enclosure that the snake will associate being taken out of his home with feeding and therefore become aggressive when not in his cage?

This is probably the issue with your snake. She is accustomed to being taken out of her cage for feeding, so she goes into feeding mode when removed, even if it isn't feeding day. She should stop this if you start feeding her in her enclosure, and she learns that being removed is only for handling.
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

i have one like that too.

let her know its you before you take her out, get a hook of some sort (i use a back scratcher) rub her back a little, then use it to lift a section of her body, by then she will know its not feeding time.

do this every handling, but never before a feeding and you wont get bit anymore (maybe)
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jake barney

my addiction:
1.1 ball pythons
0.2.1 corns
1.0 cal king
0.0.1 wc garter

Wash your hands with soap and rinse them THOROUGHLY each time you remove her, gradually she'll associate the fresh-hands smell with being handled.

It just helps to distinguish the two activities from each other.

This worked for me and was recommended by another user (thanks again) and I feed my ball in his tank as suggested by those above.

Go back to handling her more frequently!

All the best

Good luck

Willzy

Wow, didn't expect that many replys. Thank you everyone. I am going to try a few things expressed. I am going to try feeding her in the cage. When I do handle her I'll try washing my hands with scented soap. I got her when she was about 20 inches she's about 33 now. I got her from petco, she was free with her ten gallon tank and set up. She was up for adoption, and reminded me of my last Ball Python, he was a typical Ball, didn't like to eat alot and shy, only hissed at me twice, and that was probably my fault. She was great when I first got her, actully she was in rough shape, but I nursed her back to health. Then I got this new great job, and I've been working so much. The only time I have been taking her out is for feeding. I'll have to try to spend my time with her again.

Hi Mike,
If you intend to handle her often (& not get bit) it's a good idea to get in the habit of handling her when it's not dinner time. My first (favorite.. shhh..) BP has always been fed in his cage, & has never had a problem when I handle him. He's never struck out at me or anyone else (the fam takes him out all the time) when we reach for him. I've also (because I'm paranoid) always taken him out from the right side of his cage, & introduced his meals from the left side. Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but I swear he knows what to expect based on which end of the lid comes up!
Just some food for thought.

-Tami*

When I first got her she never bit or even stuck at me. I was taken her out alot. Then I got a new job which I really like & seems to be taking most of my current time and energy. I really havn't been showing the snake very much attention. I'm always making sure all of her needs are taken care of, fresh water, feces taken out of the cage, daily misting, and weekly feeding. I even started to feed her larger prey items. Today is going to be the first time I try feeding her in the cage. I'll see where this gets me.

Occasionally I get in snakes that want to eat everything in sight. I usually feed them as much as they want and after a couple weeks of them pigging out, they usually calm down and eat normally.
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2.1 Albino BP
0.4 100% Het Albino
2.1 100% het Caramel Albino BP
1.0 100% Het Clown
1.0 50% het clown
2.12 Normal BP
0.0.2 Western Hognose
alot of cornsnakes
0.1.0 Dumeril Boa
3.6 Bearded Dragons
1.0.2 Sulcatta tortoise
3.3 Russian Tortoise
1.0 Cockatiel
0.1 Rottweiler
0.2 Boston Terriers
0.1 White Boxer
0.1 Paint Mare
bunch of geckos
0.1 Cat
0.1 Teenage daughter
1.0 Husband who puts up with all my critters.

I feed mine in their tubs. I have a big male pastel that strikes at me when I open his tub. He's ok once I get him out and am holding him. He bit me once while I was holding him, I still handle him in hopes he will calm down some day. I don't have a lot of hope but I'll keep trying.