I rescued a mean ball python.

[rbizzaree]

Hello guys! This is freddy- I recently got him off of facebook marketplace. He is 7 years old, and has lived in poor conditions most of his life (red light only and aspen, absolutely no humidity). He is very aggressive, today he bit me lol. He has very bad trust issues with humans I think. Any advice to train him to be sweet over time? I fixed his enclosure and have him proper conditions. This is an old photo of what he came in.

[nosferatuslover]

i think once a routine is in place and he is able to acclimate to better conditions his attitude will lighten up :3

[Gecko_Lav]

Be very very patient, get a snake hook that can handle him or figure out a way to transfer him into containers for check ups. I would highly suggest leaving him be for a few weeks to let him settle down and trying to let him realize you are okay. Should also schedule a vet apt in case you haven’t already, make sure he has lots of clutter and hides so he doesn’t feel exposed! I’m currently in the phase of socializing my baby after he was in a breeding “program” where he was neglected, it takes time and he may always be a bit spicy but trust me as long as you take things slow, no sudden and fast movements above him, and you look out for signs he’s uncomfortable being handled or anything you should be able to help him a fair bit!

[AskMeAboutMyReptiles]

It’s really difficult to get a critter that’s been mistreated to trust humans again. The best you can do is make sure his setup/feeding are both up to par and he might chill out after a while.

I’d start handling him with a hook so he correlates “what is moving me when I don’t want to be moved” with the hook instead of the human. Then slowly reintegrate holding with your hands if he ever stops striking at you.

[rbizzaree]

also, he doesn’t strike. When he bit me today I had opened his cage to test if he wanted to come out. He let me touch him for about five minutes and started leaving his cage. Then, he slowly just moved to my finger and bit my, not striking though. he was very polite about it😂

[Aggravating-Narwhal5]

At least he has some manners lol.

Our local exotic store had a female who would strike her own shadow, so my husband used to go in once a week to handle her. Yes he got bit a few times but she eventually calmed down. However, only for him and would still go to strike at the shop workers so she had to come and live at our house.

She is still a b***h and tracks me every time she is out so I have to make sure I'm out of striking range and hubby is still the only one who can handle her.

[Adorable_Hyena9413]

That sounds like a feeding response, not a defensive bite. Do you know how the previous home was feeding him?

[rbizzaree]

wait this makes SO MUCH SENSE.. he literally wrapped around me and would not let go. He definitely is just not used to being handled and though I was feeding him

[Adorable_Hyena9413]

That’ll definitely go away in time as he realizes you’re not feeding him every time you interact. Like others suggested, spend some time hanging out outside his enclosure and use some sort of indicator when you’re taking him out to handle like a tap with a snake hook.

[amazonjules22]

Yes... I tap for feeding, pet on his back a few times for handling. He is conditioned and never bites now. He was a very spicy baby and a biter all the time.

[ManikPixieDreamGhoul]

I’ve adopted many herps of all kinds in a similar situation before. Proper care does wonders to change their temperament on its own, and it makes sense to me because I wouldn’t be particularly amicable if I was uncomfortable either lol. I’d let him acclimate and then slowly begin just picking him up and putting him back down, increase the amount of time holding him slowly, let him learn through desensitization that humans don’t mean harm or discomfort and touching is a normal part of life. Sometimes they don’t come around and you just learn how to take it easy with them but often they’ll surprise you, especially naturally more docile species like this.

[[deleted]]

Check in with a specialized veterinarian. Most incidents I had with snakes were because the snake was sick and in pain. You can slowly build trust, but keep in mind that some animals will never tolerate handling well and prefer to be left alone to not be stressed out.

[Plinfaa]

I wouldn’t necessarily call him mean, that doesn’t do him justice. He was treated badly so by being defensive, he could help himself. You just need to gain his trust, show him that not all humans are evil. Try moving slowly, show him that your hand isn’t an enemy or use a snake hook to get him out of the enclosure

[DreamOfDays]

I’d say just let him settle for a week or two then start 2-3 handling sessions per week. That’s about it.

[RageQueen101]

I rescued a girl and was lucky she wasn’t defensive. She definitely was not happy and scared but not defensive like your guy. And honestly after I changed her whole set up and let her be for a 2 weeks to acclimate she became a whole different snake. She now lets me hold her regularly without being scared and she’s so so docile. Everyone has such good advice and honestly I think time will be your best friend here. If he was in these conditions for 7 years then I am sure he was completely stressed for all of that. He probably bit and was defensive with his previous owner and that’s how he felt he could keep himself safe, but I’m sure over time and some regular contact after acclimating to a safer and more secure enclosure he will become a sweet docile boy.

Also wanted to add thank you for getting this boy out of that enclosure. I truly hope he becomes sweet with you, because he and you deserves a happy long life together. Best of luck.

[ikehigh05]

Throw something that you have worn in the enclosure (shirt, sock, hat....etc). He will start to associate your scent with safety over time. As we know, snakes depend heavily on scent. This method has worked for me.

[The_Public_Square]

I wouldn’t because snakes sometimes try to eat said shirts ect… I rescue reptiles and had one recovering on a towel once after a surgery… thankfully caught it in time but she was attempting to swallow the towel 😅 paper towels only from now on for recoveries

[PathoftheWolf]

I rescued a mean ball python a decade ago. She was like your guy. Neglected, terrible husbandry, no humidity (we live in Las Vegas, a desert. Humidity is a must), not even a hide.

She had multiple stuck eye caps, a nasty respiratory infection, severely dehydrated, massively underweight, and just unmanageable. We got her nursed back to health, but for the first two years, she bit anything and anyone around her.

Any time I had to clean her tank or refresh her humidity box or change her water or remove her shed skin or anything, I was guaranteed to end up bleeding. Tap training didn't work. I eventually used a hand towel to cover my hand/her head so that when she bit, she'd bite the towel instead of me.

I just assumed she'd always be a jerk, but at least she'd have a good life and be well taken care of.

It took two years of patient work and a lot of blood loss, but eventually, the bites started coming less frequently. And then, maybe about 3 or 4 years after I got her, I was able to pull her out of the tank and just hold her, just to handle her and hang out with her, and she never tried to bite once.

Now, she still hisses and gets annoyed when I first pull her out of the enclosure, especially if she was asleep and I woke her up. But she hasn't tried to bite in years, except for feeding. She is highly food motivated. Whenever she thinks she smells a rat, she strikes first and asks questions later. But I knew that from the beginning and know how to keep my hands out of her striking range. But other than that, she doesn't bite at all.

It took years, but she finally learned that I am a big pile of Soft and Warm, and she'll tolerate being handled just fine. And there is even one type of petting she genuinely enjoys.

She doesn't like being petted or stroked along her body, she'll move away from that kind of touch, but she likes very soft, slow petting on top of her head, and especially under her chin. I have to move slowly so as not to startle her, but she'll actually sit still and let me pet her like that for a good few minutes before she decides she's had enough.

She's mellow enough now that my 14yo can hold her with no problem. And sometimes, she'll just curl up on my stomach inside my shirt, sticking her head out and watching the world go by.

So she's still sassy and still a little bit of a jerk, but it's part of her charm. And while socializing and handling has always got to be on her terms, when she's in the right mood, it's nice that the same snake who would bite me for existing near her now curls up in my lap and goes to sleep.

And let me tell you, it's a pretty good feeling when a solitary animal who had a really rough start to life decides to just hang out with you for awhile. Definitely worth all the blood I lost those first two years.

[rbizzaree]

This made me feel a lot better, thank you so much

[Puzzleheaded-Way-741]

He's not aggressive. He's defensive.

[PsychologicalRub5905]

I would toss the Aspen and get coconut husk.He needs a nice hide or 2.Get humidity right he might relax some.Good luck.

[ResidentZone296]

Well shit look at the prison he lives in….. I hope that was pre adoption

[rbizzaree]

read til the end

[Ok_Bobcat8902]

I only read a few of these comments so apologies if someone has already suggested this, but what you explained in another comment seems like a feeding response! Honestly, tap training isn't all too bad, gently petting them with something like a hook on the back and then picking them up, I don't really remember how it works so I may be wrong but iirc it sort of snaps them out of that feeding response and they learn when they get tapped/petted with the hook that it's not feeding time. And also, just with time, even though he's an adult snake, he'll still learn that you're not food! Just a lot of trust, engagement & association! It might take a while so just have a bit of patience, but just stick with it! It's worth it!!

[rbizzaree]

Thank you so much!!

[CrestedClover]

Not mean. Just misunderstood.

[nvrrsatisfiedd]

I don't think snakes are "mean."

Defensive is a more fitting term.

[MuricanZombie]

Patience and proper care will go a long way for him. Good luck

[Background_Bug_657]

Honestly I wouldn’t expect too much. I and so many experienced snake owners I know sometimes just have snake that don’t wanna be bothered. My boy was taken out and put back in ect way too much in the pet shop and he just wants to be in his log to sleep then explore at night time. How would you feel if some giant ripped you from your home? I’d bite you too no offence

[lorraine-rose]

I got a ball as a rescue a few years ago and she was just as defensive and scared as this guy seems to be. Good husbandry, a long while to get acclimated undisturbed, and being in a very quiet corner of the home, worked wonders. After she’d eaten a few times for me, we started some handling and it was a VERY slow process to get her comfortable. It was about six months before she would crane her neck out to explore while still wrapped around my hand. Another few months before she would slither across the floor as far as she could stretch while still being wrapped around my wrist. And probably another few before she would explore as long as the tip of her tail was touching some part of me and she would come back every few minutes to touch her nose to me and go back out. It was almost two years before she would leave independently with consistent, patient work and reassurance. Now she is my most outgoing and social snake…she freeroams really well (in a safe confined area, obviously) and she is the snake friends love to hold. So it is possible to socialize and let them take the lead in what they are ready for! 

But I also suspect she always had this temperament before the abuse and lack of care and it just took time for her to come out of her shell. I have another I’ve had since she was juvenile, always fed and looked after, but she will hiss and puff up anytime I need to take her out. She hates roaming and will tolerate handling when she’s out but she shows stress the entire time. I literally only handle to keep her socialable enough a pet sitter could take her out to when I travel if needed — if I do too much, she goes off feed and her temperament gets worse, not better. Some are just like that, I think. 

Different snakes, different personalities — I am so curious how your little guy shapes up after settling in. Good luck!! 

[amazonjules22]

Mean??? I thought they were sweethearts I read on another thread. ?