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Mr Slithers
Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 11:43 pm Post subject: Aggressive Ball Python |
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Hello forum
Long story short, I aquired a ball python through a bit of debt collection.
When I first got him, I handled and played with him alot and he was never aggressive. I feed him pre killed mice once a week or every two weeks depending on when I am around. Because of my work schedule, I have barely handled him in the past few months. 2 weeks ago I fed him a mouse and he decided not to swallow it. While I was putting him back in his cage he snapped at me. Last week I tried feeding him again and he ate the mouse fine. I wore a thick glove when I picked him up because I was a little wary. Today I tried to pick him up to play and he bit me. The only time he bit me before was when I was trying to pick him up after feeding him, but it was my fault because I forgot to wash my hands.
Do they just get into moods, or should I be handling him more?
EDIT: I forgot to mention, I feed him seperately of his cage, so he doen't get cage aggrestion, even though he seems to be getting it anyway.
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slitheringin
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 378
Location: Mountain Home Arkansas
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| Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:04 am Post subject: |
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I'm a new owner, but I would have to say that if you want to be able to hold your snake and be friends with him, you'll need to handle him Way more often. He needs to know that you are a friend and to become comfortable with you handling him. He may have only been scared since you haven't handled him for so long.
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lindsey_marshall00
Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 568
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| Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:55 am Post subject: |
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I agree with Slitherin (nice name b.t.w.) When I first got peanut, the guy that had him NEVER took him out, NEVER showed him any attention, and fed him in the cage, so needless to say I had a job on my hands. I had to first break him of snaping at my hand everytime i went in to get him (a couple of thumps to the head and he does not strike at hands) his eating in the tank was nothing-even though he is a picky eater, and then he had 3 kids and a dog to get used to-now the dog and him are unseperatable.. So to answer your question PLAY PLAY ATTENTION ATTENTION 
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Jordan700
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 1048
Location: Petaluma, California
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| Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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You just have to break him of this habit. If he bites, keep him out. Don't put him away. If you put him away after he bites he will learn that every time he bites you, that he will get put away. :wink:
I had a ball that had the same problem. Since working with her, I can know take her out without worrying about getting bit!
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garrettgaska
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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when i got my pastel he was a going to be a breeder for prehistoric pets so the only time his cage was being opened was to feed him, but the first day i got him he bit me 5 times ( 2 of which he drew blood but it doesnt hurt at all more shocking that it hurts) but the more i handle him the more mellow he got. if i were you i would handle him as much as you can if you dont want him to be agressive.
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6873
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 1:52 am Post subject: |
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| lindsey_marshall00 wrote: | | I agree with Slitherin (nice name b.t.w.) When I first got peanut, the guy that had him NEVER took him out, NEVER showed him any attention, and fed him in the cage, so needless to say I had a job on my hands. I had to first break him of snaping at my hand everytime i went in to get him (a couple of thumps to the head and he does not strike at hands) his eating in the tank was nothing-even though he is a picky eater, and then he had 3 kids and a dog to get used to-now the dog and him are unseperatable.. So to answer your question PLAY PLAY ATTENTION ATTENTION |
Lindsey, do you actually thump your balls on the head?
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slitheringin
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 378
Location: Mountain Home Arkansas
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| Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:24 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Lindsey, do you actually thump your balls on the head? |
It's probably just a gentle tap :wink:
Lindsey - I thought is was appropriate 8) Thanks!
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lindsey_marshall00
Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 568
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| Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:06 am Post subject: |
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No i do not THUMP them- kinda like a tap- I just could not think of the right word there.. I would never hurt my babies.
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6873
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:27 am Post subject: |
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| lindsey_marshall00 wrote: | | No i do not THUMP them- kinda like a tap- I just could not think of the right word there.. I would never hurt my babies. |
Oh, I wasn't making an issue of hurting them.  I am not at all judgemental...they are your snakes..you can kill them if you want. (please don't!) lol
I just haven't heard of Balls being trained like that. I used to train dogs, and if they were hit, with the hand or the hand was used in any way to discipline, they learned to fear the hand, this could also bring about an instinctive bite when they see the hand coming towards them and they instinctively (by listening to the master's voice) knew that they had committed an infraction.
I have never heard of snakes being trained this way. Ron? 
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lindsey_marshall00
Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 568
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| Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:32 am Post subject: |
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this was just after getting him, and it only took 2-3 times and never has had a problem after that.. Never been bitten or even struck at. I guess that he figured that I was an ok person and realized that if he really wanted to get out of the tank he best not "bite the hand that feeds, plays, and cleans him".. Might not work for everyone though.
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6873
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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| lindsey_marshall00 wrote: | | this was just after getting him, and it only took 2-3 times and never has had a problem after that.. Never been bitten or even struck at. I guess that he figured that I was an ok person and realized that if he really wanted to get out of the tank he best not "bite the hand that feeds, plays, and cleans him".. Might not work for everyone though. |
Then good luck! If you think it works for you. Who am I to say Nay?
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Jordan700
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 1048
Location: Petaluma, California
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| Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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We have had a couple of....lets say unpleasant snakes donated to the museum. And the way I break them of biting, hissing, and even pooping on you is by putting on a glove and holding them until they settle down. I have used this method for about 6 years now and I have only had maybe 3 snakes not respond to it. Bloods and rainbow boas were the ones that just wouldn’t settle down. 
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ted1025
Joined: 15 Aug 2006
Posts: 309
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| Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 8:24 am Post subject: |
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Do you just let them bite the glove? What would you do if they did bite?
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RonCrawford
Site Admin
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 2047
Location: Pottsville, PA (USA)
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| Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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| deborahbroadus wrote: | | lindsey_marshall00 wrote: | | No i do not THUMP them- kinda like a tap- I just could not think of the right word there.. I would never hurt my babies. |
Oh, I wasn't making an issue of hurting them. I am not at all judgemental...they are your snakes..you can kill them if you want. (please don't!) lol
I just haven't heard of Balls being trained like that. I used to train dogs, and if they were hit, with the hand or the hand was used in any way to discipline, they learned to fear the hand, this could also bring about an instinctive bite when they see the hand coming towards them and they instinctively (by listening to the master's voice) knew that they had committed an infraction.
I have never heard of snakes being trained this way. Ron? |
I know a breeder who taps strikers on their heads. I don't tap strikers personally, I work with them by handling them frequently and this seems to work for me.
However, I do tap them on their heads "softly" with a snake hook when there's a live rat in the cage and I need to remove the rat. It's not a "tap" per se, just a touch on the head w/ the hook to let them know that my hand is about to enter their cage in an attempt to remove the rat.
I've never had a snake strike at my hand when their was food in the cage when using this method. They appear to become passive when I touch them on the head and commence to remove the prey item. Don't read too much into my technique because I don't have any hard data yet to say if there's an actual science to this or not.
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6873
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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I know about tapping with the snake hook. It's the use of the hand as a training tool that concerned me. But if it works..it works. I personally wouldn't try it.  ((picture this, it's getting ready to strike and I reach out my hand to tap it on the head...I don't THINK so. Not saying that YOU, Lindsey, do it that way, but that's the visual picture that I conjured up.
Snake hooks, I use, got two on the wall. Hands, I don't. I had a snapper..she was JUST a baby and terrified. I had hubby handling her with barehands...and I handled her with gloves and the snake hook. She is no longer snappish...but when she was snapping, I wasn't thinking about putting my hand near her head or anywhere near those teeth!
I am a complete wuss when it comes to pain! 
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