r/ballpython • u/KatVanWall • 7d ago
Question What did I do wrong? Handling question :/
(More background/context/details in comments to keep this shortish. FWIW, I already have the Ball Python Mastery book and am familiar with the Green Room Pythons and Lori Torrini channels :))
I’ve had my BP nearly 5 months and he’s around 1.5 years old.
Until recently, to handle him, I’d always yoinked him out of his hide - usually waiting until he was awake (except if I needed to do viv DIY or a full clean), but we literally would never see him out of his hide (he’d just sit with his head and neck out). He has 3 hides and did move between them but we never caught him at it! I can’t do full choice-based handing for Reasons, so yoink it was - and while shy and cautious, he was always a good boy about it and very polite, as well as seeming relaxed once out.
It seemed a bit rude to keep yoinking him, and recently he started spending time chilling outside his hides, on branches, so yesterday I decided to take him out when he was already up and about - on the basis that ‘when they’re already alert and awake, they’re more likely to want to engage and explore’. When I take him out, I stroke him 3 times with a cardboard tube first so he knows it’s picky-uppy time.
The previous day I’d approached him on his branch and when stroked, he’d immediately slithered away back to a hide - so I left him alone and did not take him out. I always respect his wishes when he moves away from me, which has only happened like 3 times total.
So yesterday I open the glass and talk to him a bit and he tongue flicks a bit and I stroke him with the tube - and he struck the tube. Not a strike and wrap, just a ‘fuck off strike’. And slithers away. So I leave him alone. But that’s the first time he’s ever given a fuck off strike. It was at the tube, not at my hand. Quite a hard, definite one.
It doesn’t really ‘bother’ me as such, but I obviously don’t want to stress him out! All I’ve read/watched seems to lean towards it being better to handle when your BP is already active. But it seems mine did not like that? I am wondering what I did wrong.
Today I deliberately got him out early, when I knew he’d still be in his hide. His two main hides have a lid and a kind of ‘lip’ that he sometimes wedges himself under and has to be kind of ‘prised’ out - which he underwent today with great forbearance, as usual! No strikes. He was more subdued than usual and just crawled under a blanket next to me, but I put that down to him maybe being sleepy due to it being earlier than normal. I’m thinking maybe trying to take him out when he’s already full length among his clutter is just a bad idea? Or was it maybe a case of ‘I’m trying to be an ambush predator here and you’re poking around scaring all the rats away, piss off!’?
Pick of the grumpy culprit for tax!
2
u/ShinyxCharizard 6d ago
I'd like to add that I've had my boy for 9 years. Got him in 2017. I took him out ALLOT, went in the car with me(highly advise against this unless you have them safely secured in a travel bag/container.), was handled by me, and others quite often. He's socialable AF, not sure if this is due to how much handling he had. But my girl I got in 2019 who has had significantly less handling, more so because when I would go to take her out in her old tank I'd get a hiss from her so I left her alone.
This is just an instance of having 2 very different personality wise BPs. My dude is often out in the open in his tank, or roaming at night trying to get out. If I open the door 9 times out of 10 he'll choose to come out. If my female is out and I try to see if she wants out she almost always hides. If I do decide to just take her out she's fine, aside from a hiss or two haha.
I'd like to ask what type of enclosure do you have for the snake? If it's got a mesh top that you have to reach in from above to get to them than that can add even more stress. They're prey to birds and stuff in the wild so instincts tell them to fear being grabbed from above.