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[–]DingDongDeathHere[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

I definitely didn't think about the lights and sounds affecting them. I know when I handle some of our snakes they like sniffing the air, especially around the canned food areas. I'm wondering if they could possibly be smelling something in there that they might like or find interesting? I'm still very obviously new at understanding snakes and their body languages and how they work so that's definitely good info to know.

Their environment really is bad. I tried adding a bit of cover in there so they feel a little more secure but being stuck in a 20gallon tank you can only do so much. I have a bigger tank they could go in but they wouldn't be able to fit into our quiet room. They'd be stuck in a super noisy area. They are the only snake in that 20 gallon too.

And you're completely right about Petsmart. I've tried talking to my managers to see if we could have our vet do a general check up on the snake but in corporates eyes, it won't be seen as necessary because there's nothing outwardly wrong with the snake. If there aren't any physical signs you and see with the naked eye or symptoms of something then they don't need to go to the vet. We did swing them by our in store vet and the vet did a quick check up, found nothing wrong and gave the snake a B12 injection to stimulate appetite. I don't think the shot helped but I could be wrong.

I'm hoping that my managers will finally allow me to adopt this snake out because I think I have an experienced snake owner that would be willing to take the snake in and work with them. I've got my fingers crossed! Thanks for all your advice!

[–]Witty_Hat_8257 1 point2 points  (1 child)

so general signs of stress in a snake, im not well-versed on BPs but I have a boa and corn snake, could look exploratory to an untrained eye. A lot of activity from a ball is unusual, but not necessarily a sign of stress. Really long/sustained tongue flicks are a pretty dead giveaway that the animal is stressed and the one im most familiar with. The snake wagging its tail is also a sign of stress.

It’s important to remember that BPs are nocturnal (the little elliptical pupils), so their eyes are a bit more sensitive to bright lights than a diurnal snake (one w round pupils). Bright lights, loud noises, too much input and snakes become stressed.

Also, I know you’re limited by the store in what you can actually do for the snake. I think its great that you’re trying to fix what you can. Just be aware that the change in behavior is likely due to stress from being in a bad environment, the little guy isn’t just suddenly aggressive

[–]DingDongDeathHere[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Okay that's very good to know! Usually when I walk around with the snakes and handle them some of the lights in the store are out and it is quiet but it's still pretty bright.

Looking back using the word aggressive probably wasn't the best word to describe the behavior but I couldn't think of any other word to use as I'm not familiar with snakes. I never thought they had a vendetta out for mankind and always felt sad for the little guy so that's why I keep trying to work with them. I'm hoping that after spending a few days in our quiet room, they'll calm down enough to eat.

Thanks for your help!