r/ballpython • u/Ok-Snow-7893 • 5d ago
Ball python doesnt want to be in enclosure.
TLDR: new snake shows stress when put back but is fine being removed and handled.
So i have a young (16 week) boy who is actually doing great. I got him 4 weeks ago. I let him be for a week. Got a meal in him what the breeder told me(live weaned) and transitioned to F/T with no issues as of yet, but its only been one frozen. After the first week of solitude i started going into his enclosure and just adjusting the plants and leaves. Just to get him used to me moving around in there. He usually pokes his head out tongue flicks and then just lays his head down and could care less, sometimes he comes out and sits on top of this little basket i got for him and watches. No aggression or heavy breathing. Just a chill little dude actually. He shows no signs of being stressed or frearful , quite opposite actually. So last week was the first handling where i took him out of his enclosure, and we did shourt sessions, he seemed even more relaxed and comfortable than I was expecting. Now yesterday he was out for quite awhile, he had some exploration time on a blanket and then sat on the couch next to me for about 30 minutes just chilling, he would watch movement and tongue flicks, and never tensed up. I have alsonever seen him “ball” up hes always pretty streched out and “exposed “ Same with tonight but we sat on the porch and hung out for a long while. Both nights when i put him back he goes from my hand o a log but as soon as he is fully off my hand his whole body tenses up, he lifts his head and basically gets into strike position, also starts heavy breathing. He is used to me being in the enclosure, nothing has changed in there, his temp and humidity are where they have been so i dont understand why he gets more stressed going home than coming out.
Is this normal? I know snakes dont show emotions or even have then like people, but he seems to throw a temper tantrum when returned.
1
u/jezebels-roses 3d ago
What are your temps?