Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey before anything i want to point out im not asking for help. I am simply asking for others stories. One of my ball pythons is just mean. She is usually ok after being handled for a while but before she calms shes nasty. She strikes (never got me but not for a lack of effort) constantly she got one of my friends pretty good and instead of him trying to pull off she tried to and ripped him open a little before i could get her off. I think she was wild at one point cause she has some nasty scarring but im not sure the store i got her from didnt give me any history (its a pretty goood store pretty well known in orlando called pet bazaar). Anyone else have a mean snake that just dont like people lol?
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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
1.0 06 Het Pied
1.0 06 Pastel(Screamer)
1.0 07 Pastel
0.? 07 Pos Het Albino (Momma has not laid the eggs yet)

I've got two that I never allow anyone else to handle. They both have nasty attitudes.

One will allow me to pick him up and handle him, but if anyone else comes within 2-3 feet he immediately goes into strike mode and becomes extremely defensive. I don't know what it is about me that keeps him calm, but I can pick up, walk around, whatever and he is fine. If anyone else tries to even get close to his tub (when it is open) he loses it real quick.

My other hyper-defensive snake just doesn't like anyone or anything... period. He feed great (so does the other one), but I swear 75% of the time he strikes just because something is in his face. It's not until after the first strike that he seems to realize he is being offered food. When he was shipped to me he was supposed to be over a year old (almost two) and only weighed about 450 grams. (I'll never buy from that "breeder" again.) When I opened the deli container he was shipped in he tagged me twice before I could blink and was preparing for number 3 before I realized what happened. I've heard various snakes in my collection hiss before, but this guy was loud... real loud. He sounded more like a rattler than a ball.

He still hasn't calmed down and I don't know exactly why he is so defensive, I couldn't say if it was from his first year or so with that breeder or if he is just naturally predisposed to being a spaz. Either way... my defensive animals are some of my favorites... they spice it up a little.

I have one male that is real nasty. When i first got him i took him out of the bag and was checking him out just to make sure he was fine through shipping and everything was okay he seemed pretty out of it. Then after a while i tried to pick him up again and he tagged me really surprised me. Now everytime i go in barehanded he tries to strike at me. I use a leather glove and tap him on the head and he retreats and can be handled. But i never let anyone handle him.

He is a great eater though so i cant complain.

Ryan

I have one like that. I was told that she was captive bred, and haven't noticed any scarring, but who knows. She is the devils spawn. I like her though. She is one of my best eaters, and is breeding my spider as we speak.

They're just as individual as people are and have their own personalities. I have one girl that I thought was absolutely the meanest that a snake could possibly be (gave me my first bite), but then I got my het clown and het g-stripe girls, and they are HORRIBLE. Hissing and making a big fuss and freaking the hell out when I open their tubs -- striking and trying to bite. It's made for a real fun time trying to give the het clown her Cipro orally...
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

How old are your horrible attitude hets? I wouldn't really call a ball mean until it's outgrown the "everything wants to eat me" baby stage.

Mean ball pythons are really supposed to be rare but I worry with the general belief that they are better feeders (and they may well be some of the good ones) they are being bred into cb morph lines more.

By far my worse two are a pet store girl and her adult daughter. Both hiss like bull snakes, flatten out and strike regularly. I strongly suspect there is a genetic component involved, at least in my case. I probably shouldn't breed them but they share some interesting belly markings (het pied like) so I want to see if there is anything to that. Not sure what I'll do with them after the do or don't prove but I'd hate to see this become the normal and ball pythons no longer be known as a docile handleable species.

They're both over 2 years old.
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

>>Hey before anything i want to point out im not asking for help. I am simply asking for others stories. One of my ball pythons is just mean. She is usually ok after being handled for a while but before she calms shes nasty. She strikes (never got me but not for a lack of effort) constantly she got one of my friends pretty good and instead of him trying to pull off she tried to and ripped him open a little before i could get her off. I think she was wild at one point cause she has some nasty scarring but im not sure the store i got her from didnt give me any history (its a pretty goood store pretty well known in orlando called pet bazaar). Anyone else have a mean snake that just dont like people lol?
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yep...I have one of those...She started to calm down there for a while...Then after i took eggs from her last season,she backslid into the mean beeyotch again.It seems as if she ever forgave me.lol
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Charles Glaspie

Its funny that exact same thing happened to me, She calmed down for a little bit layed some eggs i took em and she would strike at me even if i walked by her enclosure.
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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
1.0 06 Het Pied
1.0 06 Pastel(Screamer)
1.0 07 Pastel
0.? 07 Pos Het Albino (Momma has not laid the eggs yet)

>>Its funny that exact same thing happened to me, She calmed down for a little bit layed some eggs i took em and she would strike at me even if i walked by her enclosure.
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>>B Sleeper
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If they could talk,i bet it would be something like "Stop,thief!".
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Charles Glaspie

Maybe a calmer snake might say something like stop theif but i have a feeling this one would say something we couldnt post on kingsnake.
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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
1.0 06 Het Pied
1.0 06 Pastel(Screamer)
1.0 07 Pastel
0.? 07 Pos Het Albino (Momma has not laid the eggs yet)

L.O.L......
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1.0 albino Speckled king
0.1 speckled king
0.1 desert cali king
1.1 ball python
65 common rats
25 african soft hair rats
49 mice
7 degus
2.2.10 girbils
1.0 blue and gold macaw
1.1 orange wing amazons
0.1 tin african grey
1.0 sugar glider
.1 beagle
1.0 pink toe tarantula
1.1 borneo bloods (comming soon)
0.1 hell spouse
3.2 children (kids)
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