PeachCreature
08-16-12, 01:54 PM
So some back information on the crappy snake owners that gave me my snake, and his aggression issues: (sorry if it's long!)
I decided I wanted to get a snake and after learning about different breeds I chose a ball python to be right for my first snake. I had just missed repticon by a week and further decided I didn't want to purchase a new baby snake. I looked at craigslist, as many people tend to sell their snakes due to moving or living situations. I found a post with a two year old male ball python, the owners bought him from a breeder and the woman I spoke to simply said "my son has lost interest in reptiles." Okay. $150 for all him and all his supplies from a family, sounded pretty good. So I drive 45 minutes to their house somewhere in the suburbs. This is where stuff got weird.
First of, the left side of the terrarium was completely cracked and taped over with duct tape. That was not mentioned in the post (but i looked over that because hey...it's craigslist). I reached into his terrarium and scooped him up and the woman gasped. I looked at her kind of confused and she said "Oh, good, you aren't afraid of him." I was like, what? Why should I be? The woman kept talking about all of her sons snakes and how he's more into football now or something. While ignoring her babbling I inspect the snake and see a little black mite crawl over his eye. "Does this snake have mites?". She just went blank and was like "No! NO why would you think that?". Then her son comes out of the goddamn shadows with some cheap mite spray. Then she changes her story and is like "Oh yeah, he thought he might have mites so he has some spray." I've never had a snake, but I already know from basic research you cannot get rid of mites with some cheap pet store spray. They were all over him. I looked in his cage and his water was extremely dirty and his poop was everywhere. I asked about food and the woman said "We fed him every two weeks but he started growing too fast so we feed him less now". Wtf?
Needless to say I did not want to pay these people $150, but I couldn't leave this snake with them. So I gave them the money and took him. My father and I already had plans to build him a very nice terrarium, so I just looked over the cracks.
He's been doing well now and I got him to start eating (at first he refused). The mites have been and issue, but I think I found a website to help (the method involving bleach, betadine , and boiling everything).
Anyway, my main issue is his aggression. He was fine with me for three days and one day he was on the floor inbetween my feet and I reached down to get him. He bunted my hand with his face. Sometimes when people walk by his terrarium he bites at the glass. I normally feed him inside his habitat because anytime I feed him outside he just bites at the mouse in front of him. Sometimes he bites at others, but for some reason he never does it to me. Not sure if he knows my scent now or something. He'll slither all over me and he'll be just fine and then bite at someone who walks past me (I do know their frontal vision is limited...but it seems like it's too often and that he's afraid)
I don't know what these people did to this snake. I assume handled him terribly or never touched him ever. But what are some things I can do to stop his constant fear and aggression?
Also any additional mite killing info would be appreciated! I'm about to do the hardcore cleansing because they let his infestation get so bad. The last two times i've tried getting rid of them some manage to come back. I don't want to finish this really awesome snake habitat and move him to it, only for it to become infested also. I might just replace everything he has!
^^I love this little guy, and I want him to be comfortable and happy, and as sociable as a snake can be.
I decided I wanted to get a snake and after learning about different breeds I chose a ball python to be right for my first snake. I had just missed repticon by a week and further decided I didn't want to purchase a new baby snake. I looked at craigslist, as many people tend to sell their snakes due to moving or living situations. I found a post with a two year old male ball python, the owners bought him from a breeder and the woman I spoke to simply said "my son has lost interest in reptiles." Okay. $150 for all him and all his supplies from a family, sounded pretty good. So I drive 45 minutes to their house somewhere in the suburbs. This is where stuff got weird.
First of, the left side of the terrarium was completely cracked and taped over with duct tape. That was not mentioned in the post (but i looked over that because hey...it's craigslist). I reached into his terrarium and scooped him up and the woman gasped. I looked at her kind of confused and she said "Oh, good, you aren't afraid of him." I was like, what? Why should I be? The woman kept talking about all of her sons snakes and how he's more into football now or something. While ignoring her babbling I inspect the snake and see a little black mite crawl over his eye. "Does this snake have mites?". She just went blank and was like "No! NO why would you think that?". Then her son comes out of the goddamn shadows with some cheap mite spray. Then she changes her story and is like "Oh yeah, he thought he might have mites so he has some spray." I've never had a snake, but I already know from basic research you cannot get rid of mites with some cheap pet store spray. They were all over him. I looked in his cage and his water was extremely dirty and his poop was everywhere. I asked about food and the woman said "We fed him every two weeks but he started growing too fast so we feed him less now". Wtf?
Needless to say I did not want to pay these people $150, but I couldn't leave this snake with them. So I gave them the money and took him. My father and I already had plans to build him a very nice terrarium, so I just looked over the cracks.
He's been doing well now and I got him to start eating (at first he refused). The mites have been and issue, but I think I found a website to help (the method involving bleach, betadine , and boiling everything).
Anyway, my main issue is his aggression. He was fine with me for three days and one day he was on the floor inbetween my feet and I reached down to get him. He bunted my hand with his face. Sometimes when people walk by his terrarium he bites at the glass. I normally feed him inside his habitat because anytime I feed him outside he just bites at the mouse in front of him. Sometimes he bites at others, but for some reason he never does it to me. Not sure if he knows my scent now or something. He'll slither all over me and he'll be just fine and then bite at someone who walks past me (I do know their frontal vision is limited...but it seems like it's too often and that he's afraid)
I don't know what these people did to this snake. I assume handled him terribly or never touched him ever. But what are some things I can do to stop his constant fear and aggression?
Also any additional mite killing info would be appreciated! I'm about to do the hardcore cleansing because they let his infestation get so bad. The last two times i've tried getting rid of them some manage to come back. I don't want to finish this really awesome snake habitat and move him to it, only for it to become infested also. I might just replace everything he has!
^^I love this little guy, and I want him to be comfortable and happy, and as sociable as a snake can be.