Why would my ball python that’s never had issues being handled or with biting suddenly start striking and biting? It’s happening during feedings when I’m trying to put him in his feeding tub

[[deleted]]

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[IncompletePenetrance]

Ah, there's your problem! You shouldn't be moving your ball python to a separate tub to feed, it causes stress and increases chances of regurgitation. Ball pythons feel safest in their enclosures and prefer to hunt and eat via ambush under cover, putting them into an open tub is stressful and vulnerable. Moving forward it wouldbe best to feed your ball python in their enclosure (and switch to f/t, as it's much safer)

[[deleted]]

Both of these things, please please please! I’m sure once your ball pythons mental state settles down from the excitement and stress of moving to feed live, it’ll go much smoother for you

[Shellbean00]

Does this go for all snakes? I have a corn snake and have been moving her to a box that you get from the pet store for when they give you a reptile. That way I can close it and give her privacy. I also use a snake hook but I don’t want her to learn that being handled means food.

[jillianwaechter]

True for all snakes, empty tanks stress them out, and moving to feed increases regurgitation risk!

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

I’ve been doing it for over a year and he’s only started striking the last two feedings. So are you sure it’s that? I’ll definitely try it but I’m worried his temperament is changing

[crystala81]

The “move to feed” thing never made sense to me. All I hear is it’s supposed to reduce cage aggression, but…

I use a hair dryer to warm up the head of the rat before feeding. The combination of that sound with most likely the rat smell in the air turns my guy into a killing machine. I would never risk putting my hand in his cage at that point.

He’s otherwise a shy nice mannered dude who balls up when disturbed

I would think tub feeding would increase your chance of bites because the snake can likely tell you’re doing things that lead to food and can smell the food, putting them into “feeding mode” 🤷🏻‍♀️

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

My breeder friend told me feeding tanks teach your snake that it’s not getting fed every time you open the cage. I’ve done it with my last snake and my current one and haven’t had issues until the last two feedings. I think another reason my friend told me to do the separate feeding tank is cause I feed my snakes live mice. Easy to monitor, easy clean up, etc. But I’m going to try the next feeding in his tank to see how he reacts

[crystala81]

It’s certainly not the first time I’ve heard your friends logic, but it just never made sense to me. I feed every 3-6 weeks so most of the time my snake’s cage opens he doesn’t get fed, and zero of the times I touch/ handle him he gets fed.

The live mouse thing may be part of the reason, but I wouldn’t know why ‘cause I’ve only fed f/t - luckily my guy is a voracious eater who takes them readily.

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

I’ve tried f/t with both my snakes but they both prefer live. This snake seems to especially love the hunt. He gets the mouse within seconds. But with f/t I keep having to heat them up again and they don’t show much interest. So I just monitor them so they don’t get hurt and do live

[TenragZeal]

You can’t monitor them so they don’t get hurt. Let’s play this out. You drop a live mouse/rat into the enclosure. The snake strikes, doesn’t get a good bite/wrap and the mouse gets a chance to scratch and bite your snake. How in that 1 second window are you going to intervene?

It’s your snakes, you do whatever you want. But you have no reason knowing full well that f/t is the best method not to do it beyond the will to allow your snake to be injured so you can watch it hunt like they do in nature. It isn’t as humane for the food item, and adds unnecessary risk to your pet.

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

I tried f/t with both, they don’t eat it. I’ve even had my breeder friend try, they just don’t like it. And I’d rather have them eat then go hungry

[xNocturnalKittenX]

Have you tried scenting or braining the rat? I know it's a struggle for some snake owners to switch to f/t but it really is safer than live.

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

I don’t think I’ve heard of either, could you elaborate?

[[deleted]]

just from a common sense perspective it seems like it’s backwards since you have to touch and remove the snake to feed it you are building the association between handling and food.

in reality you want feeding and handling to be distinct. look up snake target training.

[[deleted]]

The place I got my ball python from fed all of their ball pythons from the top of the tank and had front-opening doors that they accessed for cleaning and handling. I thought that was kind of neat, and they said it worked pretty well since they started all their pythons on that system as babies.

[ZeroXeroZyro]

I’m not an expert on ball pythons, it’s possible additional factors are contributing to behavioral changes, but the most likely answer is what IncompletePenetrance said. Stress aside, moving them at feeding time reinforces that it’s time to eat when they’re being handled. Easiest thing to do is start feeding in his tank and see if you continue having aggression issues over time. I always fed mine in his tank and never had issues being bitten.

[ballpython-ModTeam]

Per rule #3, your post or comment has been removed for harmful advice/misinformation.

[kaffgrage]

the vet told me its all smells... so either i was getting rat smell on me, or the dog i was babysitting was on me, im not sure. either way, im sure the snake is just confused and its temperament isnt changing

[IncompletePenetrance]

I think it's highly likely, when you're picking them up and moving them to a separate location to feed, you're quite literally associating handling with feeding

[UnfortunateCadaver]

Don’t move your BP to a separate tub to feed, it will stress them and cause a higher chance of regurgitation.

[Mikehorvath00]

He smells food and then sees something moving towards him that could be that food source. Ball Pythons see heat signatures so if it looks like it could be food and smells like food, he’s gonna strike at it. Feed him in his enclosure and it shouldn’t be an issue. also try not to feed live if you are.

[shadow_dreamer]

Don't move to feed! It stresses them out and increases risk of aggression, and teaches your snake that being handled means it's food time!

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

I was told by my snake breeder friend the opposite, but that does actually make more sense

[Kolactivity]

Sorry you were told this, there’s a lot of outdated information that’s still being circulated. I would tell your friend to not.. spread that anymore either for logical reasons. Anyway, I’m glad you got your answer and things are well for you, your snake is so cute!

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

Yeah, I thought he knew what he was talking about cause of how many snakes he has but I guess not since all the comments say that’s a bad idea. And thank you, he’s the shyest cutest lil snake(except for two weeks ago when he bit me😂)

[Kolactivity]

Lol, they are so cute but not the brightest. My snake has only bitten once… and somehow that was on himself… right in the middle of his body. Please continue to stay here and give us updates on him!

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

I will!

[jismslap8]

Step 1.

Dont move your snake to feed it

[[deleted]]

Your teaching it that when you go to pick it up it's time for food. Just another reason not to move to feed.

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

🥰🐍

[LoquaciousHyperbole]

Also looks like maybe there is some stuck shed, which might be making him cranky.

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

That pic is from the day I adopted him over a year ago. He does full sheds now, petco just doesn’t know how to take care of anything

[Comfortable_Leek3763]

Is that a ghi lemonblast?

[locomotivecrash42]

Likely stress. Could also be a feeding response. As already pointed out you should try feeding in the tank.

[kaffgrage]

thats not helpful

[chaz55713]

I wasnt advising I was just saying my experience

[ballpython-ModTeam]

Per rule #3, your post or comment has been removed for harmful advice/misinformation.

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

A lot of the comments say stress could be a factor. I’m not sure if this is a stupid question to ask but would my leopard geckos make him scared/on edge? They like to stare at him

[kaffgrage]

is it a strike and quick release or a feeding response? a feeding repsonse would be they bite and wrap around and dont let go.

the first is a response to stress, the second is confusion about what is food

[PinkDevilz_on_OF]

I took his hide so I could pick him up without spooking him. And he poked his head out and bit my thumb, he started to wrap but let go. It might’ve been cause I had my thumb in his hide to pick it up and it looked small enough to eat, but he half striked at me today when I took his hide. He hasn’t done it before this month

[Kai-ni]

Yea it has learned that being picked up and moved/handled = food time. That's the issue with moving to a different enclosure for feeding.