Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, I have temperamental snakes(mostly bloods and boas), and I understand captivity isn't 100% ideal for them all the time.

I had a ball hatch last Monday, and he tried to bite the hell out of me as I cleaned him up before putting in a sweater box.

Now this week he had his first shed, and since he came out of the egg, if I walk in the room he goes nuts.

I walk in the room 8’ away and he comes out of his hide and starts hitting the side of his box.

If I dare open it, he comes out to get a better piece of me.

Granted, at a week old, and 75g, he cant do any damage, so I let him have at it a few times too see if he would calm down after being held awhile.

But no, he keep right on attacking for 10 min.

What’s with the hostility????

This is the most aggressive ball I have ever seen.

TomChambers

Post Script: I give the hatchlings 85 cool side, and 92 warm side.

I thought he was too hot, but he is the only pissed off one out of 9.

Take a shower, you smell like a mouse.LOL.

Just keep trying to pick him up. He will probably eventually calm down, but maybe not. Just like people, some snakes are just plain mean.

>>Take a shower, you smell like a mouse.

Hmmmm, sumthin' messed up there

The rest was supposed to read.............................

Neil, ya mean ol' snake!!

He's right though, It happens. The bite's no worse than a big garter snake, but if it gits to much for ya I'll take it off yer hands

Quig

I couldn't sleep knowing I pawned off such a viscious animal on you like that.

Honestly though, it's the funniest thing to see, such a liitle ball trying to eat me alive.

TomChambers

Thanks Neil,

I do shower almost every week; maybe I'll consider not sleeping in the rodent room.

just kidding

TomChamber

ROTFLMAO!!! Therein may very well be your problem.

Quig

Sounds like one of my females!

I hope she'll grow out of it but I'm not so sure.

Good luck!

Another note....

I plan to raise this female up and breed her. I'm curious to know if 1) Will she grow out of this super agressive mode and 2) Will her offspring inherit her "mean" gene

I've had mildly agressive babies before, and they did outgrow their agressiveness by the time they were yearlings.

but they were maybe a 4-5 on a scale of 10, this guys an 11.

good luck with your female.

TomChambers

Mine is up there with yours!

Heck, just the other day she struck at the rat like she strikes at me! She strikes at me EVERY SINGLE DAY! If she see's me, she'll strike. I swear she must have been crossed with a Cobra or something.

Good luck to you (and me too!) lol

Ron

"Sounds like one of my females!

I hope she'll grow out of it but I'm not so sure."

Female................snake?

I've had hatchlings try to bite, but none as aggressive as you are describing. Keep handling and I bet he'll calm down.
-----
Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Okay~ different species of snake~ but it might work with your devil spawn ball~

Last year I had a hatchling corn that was NUTS. Meanest corn I've ever met. Would go WAY out of her way to nail me~ just like you describe your nuts BP baby. (Incidently~ she was the prettiest hatchling in her clutch too!) I would have thought she was "Satan Spawn"~ but I own both her parents and neither is aggressive at all. I thought she would outgrow it~ but at a year old she was STILL going nuts everytime she saw me.

So I started holding her food on long hemostats and encouraging her to hit it as many times as possible. She would hit, and hit, and hit~ hissing the whole time~ until she got tired. When she stopped striking I put the pinkie down and let her eat it.

Seems to have mellowed her out~ eventually she got where she only hit the food once and coiled it~ and she stopped wasting so much energy striking at me!

Good luck with your Satan Spawn!
-----
Cheryl Marchek
AKA JM
Check out my website at:
The Red Dragons Den

Thanks Cheryl,

I'll give him some time, and see if he mellows.

If not I'll give that a try.

TomChambers

Sounds Neurological..........

I have seen varying levels of this in my balls. We had one that was absultely pissed at the world....a year later he had finally chilled out. He was a 03 hatchling. It will probably just take some time.

I have also noticed this in my rat group. Someimes you will have a particular rat that is incredibly aggressive. You can sense this when you move them around. If they are too aggressive they immediatley hit the chopping block. I try to breed passivity into them. Last thing I need is a psycho rat in my snakes enclosures.

Anyway....Tom, it will probably take longer then typical to get this guy to chill. the good news is I bet he is an excellent eater??
-----
Jim Perron
Python Passion Reptiles
pythonpassion@hotmail.com
www.pythonpassionreptiles.com

It doesn't really bother me, I have some other snakes that bite regularly(non-balls)if given the chance.

I'll just wait and see if he grows out of it.

I was just mostly curious if others have encountered such agression with their balls.

I guess it is more common than I thought.

TomChambers

I got a female off of some people that always came into the pet store I used to work at. She was cold when I got her, looked her over she had a nice temper and so on. I got her home, got her heated up, and all hell broke loose. She is the MEANIST ball I've ever seen. But only to me. If my girlfriend goes by the cage not a problem, if ANYONE else goes close she's cool with it, but when I go anywhere close she starts coilin up and hissin at me. She'll even strike at me, I have to use a towel to get her out sometimes its that bad. I just laugh at her thow and hope shes a good breeder because shes the best eater I got lol. If I spray the cage down she strikes as hard as she can and she ends up fallin over while doing so. Its sad because shes so pretty too. Anyway, hope your girl dont end up like Q.B.(queen [bleep] as we call her) and hope she calms way down for yah,
Good luck,
Blake

I have one named Princess B>>>>
And Fang and Cranky and Squeeze.
The names are indicative of their attitudes.That way the novice can be cautioned just looking at the names.

These are all early 04's and still mean.

I'm not sure how old my girl is. . shes around 1700 grams last time I weighed her. Shes probably around 5 to 7 and still mean. I gave up a long time ago on trying to calm her down. lol
Blake