Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have another question, I have a 350gram pastel male born in 07 that turned super aggresive, i cant even get near his cage before he starts striking at the glass, i have enevr had any problems like that before, only on the day i got him. anyway reason he is so pissy? or might he just have a bad temperment

Balls don’t have tempers they simply react to Secom stances there can be a lot of reasons for this most likely he is serest out or just plane scared . You mentioned glass so I assume he is in a aquarium type cage , if it is were there is a lot of foot traffic that is more than likely the reason . David

"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

I have him in the same type enclosure as my female and in the same roon and she has never struck at me. he never misses a meal and after i get him picked up he doesnt mind the handling too much but trying to get him piked up is a pain in the ass. i try not too handle him too much only when i clean his cage or feed him

I'd have to agree on this one. If he's in a room with a lot of foot traffic or sunlight, he may be uneasy and uncomfortable. If possible, try making a nice dark place for him. Even if it means placing a towel over part of the cage. Also, I would handle him everyday so he gets used to being picked up by human hands, then hopefully he'll stop striking. One more thing, never move too fast around him, it might make him nervous and you could get bitten (out of defense).

-Pat

sweet thanks for the advice, i havent had him that long thats why i wasnt wanting to handle him too much to let him get acclimated

yes-- i agree-- cover his cage for a while.

You may also try feeding him MORE!
We jsut got a super agressive burm that does the same thing--- Its a tiny baby-- but has taken down 4 rat pups in a week --- pretty skinny little guy and is quite mean--- but is calming down today...
digesting a bit....

Beth
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

cool,i will cover his cage for awhile. i think he eats enough he eats a small rat twice a week, so i dont think its a food thing, or at leats i hope not

If worse comes to worse send him to me

Quig

A biting snake is most often an eating snake. That is a good thing and I guarantee you don't want it to end and then be asking how to get him feeding again. Snakes bite, but so do dogs. It is a part of keeping them.
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Happy Herping,
Jody Barnes
Royal Kreationz

My snakes aren't fat, they're big boned.

Since you like biters so much ,I have some Retics in my rescue that I can let you have !
One is 15 ft. and the other is12 ft. and they love to bite !! David

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander
Abraham Lincoln.

I love retics, but my ols lady wont let me have one, she thinks they are too big for her to feel safe around. And yes this little biter is a great eater he never passes up a meal. I understand that snakes bite, and i am getting used to getting bit by him, I just didnt understand why I have one that never strikes and that is all that this one does

Snakes bite for two reasons only to feed and defense . If they are biting there is a reason for it and know matter what it is ,it your fault , yours because you have chosen to take a wild animal out of its element in the wild a raze it in captivity , and yes a lot of them are captive bred and hatched but they are still wild animals . And as keepers that is something we need to keep in mind and be willing to except . I have been keeping ball since the mid 80’s and have only been bitten by one , A wild caught gravid female that was 3700gr. And I was pulling ticks off of here when it happened . You just need to focus on learning to read your captives and work with them not work at them . Thanks David of DS Reptile Rescue , Removal & Rehabilitation

"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

I'm with Beth....I'd say offer him more to eat. Like Jody said, a biting ball is an eating ball. Let him decide if you are feeding him enough. Some snakes are just big eaters.
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James.....
"I never fail. I don't believe in it. I just succeed at finding what doesn't work."

I appreciate all of the advice i get on here, everyone is a big help. I feed Tonka again today thats two small sized rats this week. he ate on monday and tonight. so maybe i do just need to feed him more. one more thing. I have been told that after they eat i need to increase the temp in their cages? whats the optimal temp and humidity for that?

If you keep the hot side at 90 or so there's no need to up the temp after it eats. They use the heat to help in digestion but 90 will work just fine.

Quig

thanks thats about what is it set at right now, so i wasnt far off. i was just told that u had to crank it up after they ate or they wouldnt digest right, so thank you for the info. like i have said before i am pretty new to this and i want to make sure that my babies are well taken care of