One Of My Ball Pythons Won't Stop Biting...?

Question

I'm almost embarassed to ask this because I know so much about Ball Pythons and she isn't my only snake.

I've had her for almost 3 months now and she was a biter to begin with but I figured it was because she wasn't used to being handled or was scared because she was in a whole new enviornment. She's a big baby too, since I had her, she's grown considerably - now she's about 3 feet!

She eats 2 mice every week outside of her tank in a tub (I was hoping that might get her to stop biting).

I've tried to handle her as much as possible but she just won't stop, and now I don't want to hold her because she strikes at me constantly ans is so freaked out of being held.

Any ideas rather than to just keep holding her? Or is this hopeless?

Also, don't bother telling me snakes aren't domesticated and that its in their nature to bite, because I have other snakes and have delt with them for quite some time, and they haven't had any problems with biting and such....

Answer 1

.Wash your hands make sure it won't be able to smell food.

.Don't do quick actions on it.

.After it eats, don't bother it.

And if it keeps up call the place/person you got it from & ask them.

Answer 2

has he been droped? cuz thats pretty traumatic to a snake

Answer 3

Albino Ball Pythons, like all Ball Pythons, can become very tame. However as small babies they are quite secretive and nervous. They will spend most of their time coiled in a tight ball or hiding in their shelters. As they grow (and are held more often by the keeper) they become less timid and will actually begin to explore their enclosure and climb about on the keeper’s hands. (Be careful as they can disappear quite quickly when you run to the kitchen for a drink or take a phone call.)

Answer 4

Is her behavior normal while in her tank?  Does she relocate often, or shift her position?  Do you observe her consticting any particular part of her body, and relaxing it again?  Does she seem restless?

Is she posing to strike the moment you touch her tank, or only biting after she's been grasped for lifting?

Though you mention you have snakes, and are familiar with them, I have seen this behavior before.  Vetting turned up a large tumor which wasn't visible, and had been causing the snake a great deal of pain every time it was handled.  Once the tumor was removed, and the snake recovered/healed, it became a docile pet.

This type of behavior just isn't usual for a Ball Python, and I would recommend taking her to your reptile vet.

I hope this has been of help, and good luck.

Answer 5

Some snakes just have different personalities & temperments. Some are just more skittish & bitey than others. Nothing you can really do about it if you handle her often.

Lets see... you already tried the feeding in a separate container thing & the handling often thing. I really don't think there's much left. How's the heat in the tank? Sometimes they can get to be very aggressive if it's just too hot or they are stressed, but you being an experienced snake owner, i really dont think you would let any conditions in the tank stress her.

Does she bite when you first pick her up or does she bite constantly while you hold her. I heard somewhere that if you take a t-shirt that you have worn for a day & put it in the tank, it makes them more comfortable with your scent.

Answer 6

Where did you get her from, how old is she?  Is she captive bred?

If she is three feet long she is probably already 2 years old or so?  If she is wild caught - that might explain it, there are limits to what you can expect from an animal that is caught when it is already wild and brought into a pet situation. (And this is nothing against snakes - I wouldn't go out and take a year old wild dog and expect it to behave the same as a dog born in captivity)

If she is captive bred and hasn't been socialized or handled much in the year and a half or so before you got her that also might explain it.  Though I'm not really sure how old she is.

I don't think its hopeless but right now she can probably already sense that you are stressed when you try to hold her and that is just going to make it worse (though I'm sure you already know that).

Or h**l, maybe she herself is just an aggressive ***** that doesn't want to play nice... didn't help much, did I?

Best of luck, I hope you tame your girl.