Baby Ball - Hungry or PMS?

[Lioness]

ok.. heres the scoop. I finally got my ball.. and she's adorable..and had the best "personality"..when I first got her. This was like 2 weeks ago, btw. Anyway.. so the guy I got her from said that he JUST fed her that day so be careful not to handle her too much because she might regurge [ duh ].. so i left her alone for the most part, Im not saying I didnt handle her at all... but I kept my distance and let her digest and get used to the new house. Anyway..so I kept an eye on her and didnt see any poop in her tank for that week. So one day.. I opened her tank to fix something and put fresh water in her bowl..when she snapped at me. I saw her out the corner of my eye..and she didnt reach so that was good. Anyway..so I figured that she was being dominant and didnt want me touching her cave that she loves so much..so I backed off and left her alone that day. The next day.. I tried to handle her..to see if it was an attitude thing [ which i doubted..because she was a sweetheart since I got her ] or if she was just being protective of her hide. So I reached in to get her while her head was facing the other direction, and picked her up. She was ok with it.. so I ruled the attitude part out. Then she brung her head back around and tasted me..and started hissing!! I put her back in the tank and figured that she sensed me being warm blooded...and was hungry. So I got her a mouse the next morning. She ate it as soon as she laid eyes on it! [ Which was great..because I know how balls have horrible mood swings when it comes to food ] Anyway.. so now its been 3 days since she was fed..and she stays in her hide most if not all of the time..and she still hasnt digested her food.. because I dont see any poop. I want to handle her..but Im worried that it might be too early..or she might snap again. Any opinions on what it might be?.. do you think she snapped simply because she was hungry..or should I prepare myself to deal with an aggressive ball? And how long does it usually take for them to "go".. my corn would go within 3 days..so Im assuming balls' have a slower digestive system. But any insight on this would help. Thanks!

Btw..here are a few pictures of her and her setup!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/diyce/IMAGE_00032.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/diyce/IMAGE_00033.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/diyce/IMAGE_00034.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/diyce/IMAGE_00054.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/diyce/IMAGE_00048.jpg


Her setup is really different now.. I'll post more pics up when I get em.:o

[peterm15]

dont worry bout it.. she probably thought you were attacking her... i have a 5 foot ball that tolerates head touching and she even snaps sometimes.. once you have her out keep her out for a little while.. even if she snaps or hisses... shell learn..

and feed rats not mice. if you bought her feeding on mice, convert her to rats. f/t rats

[MontyPython]

Purdy girl!! As far as the digestion situation, my ball usually takes between 3 to 4 days to fully digest. After about a week or so he'll pee, and a few weeks after that, he'll poo. I wouldn't worry too much about it right now, when they're ready to go, they'll go. I wouldn't do any handling until after the meal has been fully digested, and let her get more used to her new surroundings before handling on a regular basis. This advice is from personal experience with my ball python and may or may not work, but it doesn't hurt to try! Hope it helps!!

[Lioness]

thanks for the feedback. she poo'd yesterday.. and pee'd so i cleaned it up already.
after that.. i held her for a couple minutes but i cant help but feel nervous now since she snapped. its weird..because i've always been so easy with any reptile..i would go to herp shows and just reach in and get whatever snake or lizard i felt like holding and be fine. but ever since she snapped i've been kinda weird with her.. i know im bound to get bit sooner or later..but i guess the fear of it happening rather than the actual bite is worse. btw.. im sure u guys have been bit a couple times before.. any insight on how bad it is? i have 5 tattoos and 5 piercings..so i think i might be alright..lol


another question..why rats and not mice?


Btw..this is her new setup
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/diyce/Picture5.png

[MontyPython]

I've never been bit by my ball python.

Rats are more nutritious than mice and therefore better for the snake.

[Lioness]

oh ok.. yeah a friend told me that they help the snake grow faster. im going to look around for a place that sells baby rats. i guess the sooner i get her on them the better.

[MontyPython]

Well, rats will help the snake grow faster if fed more often, and they are better for the snake than mice too, so the sooner the switch, the better!

[mykee]

Ok, lets put his one to sleep once and for all:

Rats are no more nutritious than mice, BUT most if not all responsible ball owners will feed their balls rats for two simple reasons;

1. Balls can get hooked on the taste or mice, and may never switch to rats, which
is not all that bad if
2. you never take into consideration in two years from now and you've got a 2000g+ female ball who needs 16 mice to be full every week or two.

[snakemanjohnny]

You have to think your snake is in a new home and needs to adjust to that. Next you need to think that a snake can smell fear no mater how slight. I have 5 berms and one that hissis all thr time. When i ferst got he she wantedto bite so i stuck me arm in her mouth and you know what she did. BIT. Since then all she does is hiss but dosen;t bite any more. If you get bit once in a while thats ok as you have to let them know who is the boss. Every now and then one of my germs get me and it dosen't realy hurt it's more like getting a shot from the doc. Try not to be to nervy when handling the snake and good luck with it
snakeman johnny

[mykee]

Taking a bite on purpose? That's just plain ol' stoopid. They're not dogs, they're snakes, they hiss for reasons that don't include biting. Read a book, hopefully you'll find a clue in it.

[xclairex]

shes fine. I would give her a little more time to settle down. She is probably stressed about the sudden change in her surroundings and not comfortable yet. She will come around, but if you are havind trouble handling her do it more often so she can get used to it. Make sure it is a good experience and u dont drop her or cause her any discomfort in order for her to enjoy being out of her cage(u might want 2 put on a pair of leather gloves when u reach in to get her for a while just in case!)
keep smiling and congrats on aquiring such a snake;)