Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A question for the experts -- My ball python is about 2 years old and has always been very mellow, but last week when I went to pick him up out of his cage he bit me. I gave him an extra rat the next day and he scarfed it down, so I think he was just hungry, but now every time I put my hand near the top of his cage he starts getting ready to strike. Any advice on how to how to make sure he knows when it's me and when it's food? Is there a safer way to pick him up then just grabbing him around the middle? He used to be extremely tolerant of being handled, but maybe I've had him out less lately, how do I get him re-accustomed to being handled? Any advice would be appreciated, this guy has been a great companion through a lot.

If your that concerned about him biting you, every time you feed him put him in a "Feeding Cage". Just a tub or something. Because if you put your hand in his cage with a rat in your hands, he connects you with food. So when he seems you reaching down at him, he gets hungry, and might mistake you for a meal.
Ive also heard feeding live prey can cause more aggression, but it doesn't seem to make a difference feeding it live or F/T.
And make you he knows your around, and not spooking him.
Hope that helps.
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Got Balls?
Josh Molone

I always feed in their regular enclosures, I don't have the time or space for a separate feeding tub. If I'm going to handle them and not feed them, I make a fist and put the back of my hand up to their nose slowly for a few seconds. I figure if they are going to bite me, they aren't going to get a fleshy area and it probably won't be so bad there. It works for me and my collection. I've only been bitten once in 7 years.
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If you don't stand behind our troops, please, feel free to stand in front of them!

www.rezendesreptiles.com

Thanks for responding! What I don't understand about feeding cages is I thought you weren't supposed to handle a snake right after they've eaten, so how do you get them back into their normal cage?

biting is a fear response. once a particular snake bites you, then you get a bit jumpy around it - so now your both jumpy. you both need to build back a bit of confidence... if it's an older snake, like yours, you might want to put on a light weight glove and just start handling it every once in awhile till it gets used to you again.

it is odd to see an older ball bite - usually its only the newborns after their first shed that get a bit snappy.

i did have one that seemed like it was never going to calm down, so for three weeks i'd put him in my shirt pocket and go about cleaning the snake room - just to force him to deal with my presence, and he was in a safe, dark spot, so he could feel a bit secure. after 3 times doing that, he became a normal, calm, ball - and i was able to do it without putting my hands or flesh anywhere near him. now he's just a nice snake.

I feed all my snakes in their own cage and the times that I want to handle them I take my snake hook and run it up and down their back a few times and it seems to turn off the feeding responce then I just reach down and pick them up. I havnt been bite yet.
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1.3.2 normals, 1.3.1 pastels, 0.1 mojave, 0.1 pinstripe, 0.1 albino, 1.0 yellow belly, 1.1 het pied, 1.0 amelanistic corn, 0.1 normal corn, 2.1 miniture dachshunds, 0.1 beautiful fiance
*snakes are like oreos, no one can just have one!*

LIGHTLY tap the top of his head with your hand or an inanimate object. It's like the "off switch" for aggression.
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Scott Hager
Red Barn Reptiles

I dont know why any of the experienced guys didnt mention this. DONT PUT YOUR HAND IN THERE AND YOU WONT GET BIT...lol. I just couldnt help myself, sorry. I have to many to put them into a feeding tub which is what I did when I only had a half a dozen or so but when you hit 100 and the 200 it gets to be too much. I feed all of mine live in their tubs so quite often I find them expecting food when I slide their tubs out. I just take a roll of newspaper or something like a plastic hanger and put it on their head as I pick them up and as the others have said that tends to turn off the feeding response. They are fine after you get them picked up and out of their tubs. Good luck, Jay from Sunny AZ
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JEM from sunny AZ.

3.25 Normals
3.15 Pastels
1.0 Super Pastels(Thanks Dan Wolfe for the best looking Super male I have ever seen)
2.8 Normal Spiders
1.2 Spiders 100% het Ghost(thanks Mark Petros)
0.2 Spiders 66% het Ghost(Thanks Steve Beamer)
1.3 Orange/Butterscotch Ghosts(BallPython777 Mark Petros)
0.7 100% het Orange Ghosts
0.3 66% het Orange Ghosts(should prove this year)
0.1 Pastel Ghost
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2.3 Albinos
1.1 Caramel Albinos
0.1 100% het Caramel Albino
0.4 100% het for Albino
0.5 66% het for Albino(should prove this year)
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1.6 Cinnamons(Thanks Stan Ruppel)
1.0 Pied
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0.5 66% het for Pied(should prove out next year with my visual male Pied)
1.5 Mojaves
0.1 Pastave het Ghost
1.1 Beautiful Black Pastels(thanks Gulf Coast Reptiles)
1.3 BumbleBees(thanks for the AWESOME Bees Marc Bailey)
1.1 Pewters(Myself and Scott Priester of Brookside Reptiles)
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1.2 High White Calico's(Thanks Brent from BRB)
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0.1 Super Vanilla Ghost(Awesome Chris and Shelia from GCR)
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1.1 Stillwater Hypo Bull snakes(Brad Chambers)
0.0.1 Great looking Brown and Tan Desert Bull Snake)
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Last but most Important 2.2 Children

I find the best way to avoid bites is not to try and handle your snakes during the times of the day/evening you typically feed. If you feed at dusk, limit handling during the day. If you have to handle your snake during 'feeding' times or just the times the snake naturally would hunt for food, use a hook or some other object to tap or distract the snake before attempting to pick it up.

I have a few snakes with a very strong feeding response...so when I do have to handle them in the evening (say they just pooed and I want to clean up so it doesn't stink up my bedroom) I usually tap their nose or body with a paper towel tube or glove, since I don't have a snake hook. After a moment or two, the snake calms down as it realizes its not feeding time. I have no problem picking it up then and taking care of cage cleaning or refilling water dishes.

When I want to take the snake out for handling, photos or whatever, I do it during the day. I have been bite free for years now.
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PHLdyPayne

Forum Princess

A small snake hook works wonders. Either pick the snake out of the enclosure with the hook, or very lightly give it a tap on the head with the hook, and then pick it up.

Thanks so much for all the help, everyone! Great advice, I appreciate it.