Taming a biter.

katie_

Wonder Reptiles
Messages
2,645
Location
Ontario
So I got my first ball a few weeks ago. She was fine to be handled for short periods of time, but I kept it to a bare minimum.
She had eaten two meals right on schedule (every Tuesday).
Last night I tried to feed her. She would strike at the rat but it was if she was afriad of it, she didnt eat it.
Since then when ever I walk by the tank, she strikes at me. If I open it up to take her out, she strikes at me. I took her out with a glove and she didnt bite me, but she hissed and as I was holding her she'd "freak" out and try to get away.
Why all of a sudden?
How often should I take her out and for what amount of time? I dont want to stress her out, but I want a family friendly snake.
I was under the impression that balls werent an aggressive snake by nature. Is she just scared? I want to fix this.
 

katie_

Wonder Reptiles
Messages
2,645
Location
Ontario
God six months!
I take her out with a glove, and every time she strikes, I jump. She knows I'm a wuss.
 

M_surinamensis

Shillelagh Law
Messages
1,165
Katie, wrong questions.

E.O. Wilson has the answers you need, to the questions you didn't know to ask.
 

M_surinamensis

Shillelagh Law
Messages
1,165
I don't have a ton of time to elaborate, but I can get you started if you'd like to look for some of the information yourself now... and clarify at a later point if you have questions.

The wording of your description of the situation and questions suggest a perspective that is more applicable to mammal behavior than reptile behavior. Taming a ball python is the wrong sort of question; it's better to look at instincts, behavior triggers and handling approaches that provoke the responses that are ideal. Manipulation of procedural behaviors is the proper way to look at the question, rather than encouraging the development of declarative behaviors (which the snake simply doesn't have the capacity to really do, at least not in the way the phrasing of your question implies).
 

katie_

Wonder Reptiles
Messages
2,645
Location
Ontario
I don't have a ton of time to elaborate, but I can get you started if you'd like to look for some of the information yourself now... and clarify at a later point if you have questions.

The wording of your description of the situation and questions suggest a perspective that is more applicable to mammal behavior than reptile behavior. Taming a ball python is the wrong sort of question; it's better to look at instincts, behavior triggers and handling approaches that provoke the responses that are ideal. Manipulation of procedural behaviors is the proper way to look at the question, rather than encouraging the development of declarative behaviors (which the snake simply doesn't have the capacity to really do, at least not in the way the phrasing of your question implies).

I do have much more experience with mammals, I guess I need to look into the way I approach and handle her.
Thank you for your help.
And now I want an ant farm.
 

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