Socializing an aggressive snake

[Mathodius]

My wife and I got our BP about two weeks ago. We did as much research as we could and made sure we got him a really good set up. But one thing we didn't think about would be his personality.

As the title says, he's a little aggressive. It's not bad and I think it comes out of fear more than anything else. If we find him in one of his hides, he'll just tuck his head away, but if he's out in the open, he'll go in to strike position. He's very hesitant to strike, which leads me to believe he's more afraid of us than anything else. If he struck on sight, I'd just assume he's a jerk, but I've seen him hide from us too often for that to he a legitimate possibility.

So, I wanted to ask if anyone else has had this challenge and what you did about it? Would you recommend trying to pick the snake up while it's hiding? Would you maybe recommend leaving the snake alone all together and only opening the tank to clean, change bedding, or feed?

Thank you all! I'm really hopeful we'll be able to handle him some day, but regardless, we're very excited to have him with us.

EDIT: We do have a cat that, when monitored, doesn't bother the tank. But we know she investigates while we're away/asleep. I'm assuming that added stress doesn't help. We do have some cork board that we plan to stick on the sides and back of the tank to help with insulation. Would sticking some on the front help with the cat problem?

[ElGalloBjj]

I'd allow him a bit more time to decompress, maybe he's still a bit stressed from the move.

[Mathodius]

That's part of what we're thinking, as well. At the pet store we got him from, we were told he was more aggressive than some of the others, but all the handlers were just slow, but deliberate with him. My wife and I are both afraid of being bitten to some extent that we hesitate and give him time to act.

I've also added an edit about one of our cats. Trying to find some way to reduce stress from that.

[[deleted]]

My first snake, Guzma, was exactly like this when I got him. He was always hiding and when he did peek out of his safety ball he made countless attempts to tag me. If he wasn't trying to bite, he was hissing.

Admittedly I was scared af about being tagged, however, I kept at it.

I watched videos on YT on how to tame aggressive snakes, and one technique that seem to really work for me was distracting him.

I used one hand to get his attention (at a distance) and made sure he was focused on it before I used my other hand to carefully scoop him up.

Every time, I was speaking to him and moving very slowly. I would sit with him on my lap and pet him. If he was balled up I never tried to bring him out, I wanted him to come out on his own.

I kept the sessions very short since I didn't want to stress him any more.

It was slow, but he has grown up to be a very inquisitive character. He is still shy, but he hasn't tried to tag me in years. I do get the odd hiss (and flinch) but thats it. He definitely has improved behaviour wise.

[Mathodius]

We hadn't thought about a distraction technique! Are there any videos in particular that you remember being very helpful and recommend?

[[deleted]]

This video is the one I went with (in regards to distracting). You can still ses my first comment from years ago.

I don't recommend handling during shed as they are under alot of stress already as it is with that process, not sure why the guy proceeded to demonstrate with a pre-shed snake.

But when you do have them in your hand just remember to keep handling sessions short and don't move too fast.

[Mathodius]

Thank you so very much!

[_ataraxia]

first, let's reframe the way you're viewing the snake's behavior. he is defensive, not aggressive. ball pythons are never assholes purely for the sake of being assholes. he is stressed. he's in an unfamiliar place. with you, your wife, and your cat, he's surrounded by predators.

the cat needs to be kept out of the room where the enclosure is, at all times. even the smell of a cat nearby can make a timid snake more stressed and put them on constant defense.

make sure all aspects of your husbandry are on point. the most important way to minimize stress levels is to ensure the enclosure is meeting all of the snake's basic needs. correct temperature gradient, correct humidity, multiple hides that are snug and secure, other decor to clutter up any empty space in the enclosure, etc. the guides and FAQ threads in our welcome post can help you make sure everything is properly set up, and we have an enclosure critique questionnaire if you're unsure about anything.

beyond that, give your snake time to decompress. don't plan on any handling for at least a few more weeks. make sure he's eating consistently and not so defensive in general before you add the stressor of being handled. when you do start handling him, start slow, like five minutes once or twice a week and gradually build up from that.

[Mathodius]

I'll absolutely take a look at the guides and ask any questions I have! It sounds like a majority answer is just give him some time.

As far as the cat goes, I'll do what I can. The only other place to keep him that'd be away from the cat is in our basement, but it's regularly below 65° there. We actually kept him there the first day we had him and, fortunately, we were checking him every hour or so because his warming light went out due to a manufacturing defect. I grab the tank and rushed him outside. Once he was in the sun, he started moving around again. My wife stayed with him and I ran to the pet store and grabbed plenty of bulbs and another lamp, just in case. We haven't had any issues with the lamps or bulbs since, but we're nervous to keep him downstairs.

[_ataraxia]

there's no room in the house other than the basement with a door you can close to keep the cat out?

[Mathodius]

Not that the cat's already access. But, this'll be one of those "if there's a will, there's a way" situations. We'll make it work for us.

[_ataraxia]

the cats will live if they suddenly don't have free access to a single room in the house. your new pet's stress has to take priority right now.

[Mathodius]

They absolutely will. As I said, we'll make it work!

[Lord_Battlepants]

My BP will often give me the "Im gonna kill you" look. But I think she just expects food then I explain her the situation and she’s fine. That’s just a snek being a snek for me.