Hello all. I'm a new ball python owner. I purchased my 24inch long young ball which I named Solomon last sunday after doing quite a few hours of research online and learning as much as could about ball python's needs. I have a beautiful 90 gallon aquarium that I put him in with everything he needs. The temperatures are good, he has a hide box, a nice big water bowl. On tuesday after giving him a few days to get used to everything I put him in a smaller aquarium and fed him a little baby mouse. He ate it just fine. Now on friday after giving him a few days to digest his food I decided to start handling him. When I reach into the tank and touch him he hisses at me. And when I picked him up he struck. He didn't get me he actually just struck out into the air as I was lifting him out of the aquarium. Is this aggresive behavior normal? I held him at the pet store before buying him and he was fine. He's a captive bred so he's not taken from the wild. Should I just leave him alone for awhile longer or should I just hold him and let him get used to me that way...although then I risk getting bit. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
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New owner question
Replies (8)
If you only just bought him home sunday, then he's not been in his new enviornment a week yet. It's standard to leave them alone a week or two to adjust to a new home, but he's eating, and that's a good thang 
. Be aware of him striking, but try not to make a big deal of it. Handling him a bit every couple days will get him used to you and the striking should stop. If you're concerned about being bitten then wear a pair of light weight gloves when you handle him. Congrats on your new buddy and good luck.
Quig
is very big for that size of a snake. I wouldn't worry about it though unless he stops feeding. Sometimes too large of an enclosure can stress young snakes and make them go off feed. It's hard for them to adjust to an enclosure that large, especially after being in a pet store.
Cole Maas
when ever readin these forums you always get people saying i got a 90 gallon tank etc, tell me is this US gallons? or british gallon? im assuming US?
if it is US, does anyone know how to put this into british gallons? a 90 gallon tank as menioned here would be 4'*2'*2' over here....it that the same as over there?
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if 90 of them fit into a 4" x 2" x 2' enclosure lol.
Cole Maas
Yes - a 90 gallon tank is about 4 x 2 x 2 (feet)
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Tosha
"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"
7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
One US gallon = .83 UK gallons.
Thus a 90 us gallon tank = 74.94 UK gallons
I normally don't handle my snakes within a week of their arrival except to feed them - I just let them settle in. If your snake was fine in the pet store and is hissy now its because he is under stress and it's best to leave him alone for a while - also as stated a tank that size could be too big for him and might be adding to the stress - make sure he's in a low traffic area, got some really nice tight hides, good temps and give him plenty of settle in time.
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Tosha
"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"
7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
Some of them tend to be a little on the super-defensive side, especially at first. They do need some time to adjust to their new environment, with no handling or disturbances for at least a week (preferably a fewweeks.)
Wow.. 90 gallons sounds HUGE for him though! He could be a littlefreaked-out about having all that space, not being able to securely get his bearings on the locations of his cage furnishings cuz they are so far apart.
My largest adult male BP, at nearly 5 feet, does fine in a CM cage that's roughly the size of a 55-long tank on its side. You should sell the huge tank and buy a 20 gallon, for now, and a 55g, to turn on its side and add front doors later. Or go the Rubbermaid route; much cheaper!
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4.1 Ball pythons
1.0 Boa Constrictor Imperator
0.1 albino Cranwell's horned frog
1.1 breeding Clawed frogs
1.0 black kittycat
3.1 Oscar cichlids
Also have fancy goldfish, african cichlids, and rats. And 1 Paint horse mare
