nippy ball python

[snakeman capie]

i have a 2 year old ball python and it is very nippy
some times it is fine out of the cage and some times it is not.
It will strike at the glass but when you get it out it is perty calm bit nervous.
what would make her do this

[oldshell4481]

the only time i have seen a BP get nippy is when it is hungry.

[snakeman capie]

Originally Posted by snakeman capie

i have a 2 year old ball python and it is very nippy
some times it is fine out of the cage and some times it is not.
It will strike at the glass but when you get it out it is perty calm bit nervous.
what would make her do this

she eats like a pig and has always been nippy since i have got her.
that is whay th previous owner got rid of her he was scared of her

[zero&stich]

Wierd behavor for a Ball indeed. Does your snake have a couple of hides in your enclosure? If not, striking is usually a defensive behavor, aside from feeding. How is your cage setup? Temps? Humidity? What are you using to heat the enclosure? To determine your snakes reactions, it will help us, to know your current cage setup to help gage any problems.

You could also looking into getting a hook.
Other than getting a better understanding of your snake's setup, it could just be you found a overdefensive BP. It happans. I've been in contact with two "vipers". They were relentless, lol. So I share your pain.

[Pintado]

try giving the snake a place to hide in the cage, so it wont always be scared

[snakeman capie]

Originally Posted by Pintado

try giving the snake a place to hide in the cage, so it wont always be scared

i have two hide boxs 45 to 50 percent hudimity 83 on hot side and 75 on cold.
my other two balls are fine just that one that is why no one wanted it
so i adopted it
i have other snakes and she is the only one who acts like that.

[reptiles4me]

How long have you had her? It might just be that she needs a little time to get used to her new surroundings. Your temps seem a little low too. Does she seem otherwise healthy? I only ask because the one BP I adopted was like that until I took her to the vet and found out she had an RI.

[zero&stich]

i have two hide boxs 45 to 50 percent hudimity 83 on hot side and 75 on cold.

Try bumping the temps 7 degrees on the basking area. I keep my snakes in the summer months, 90-92 warm, 78-80 cool. Some snakes are more responsive if their needs are not quite up to par, no matter the species. Your new guy might just be more responsive then your other balls. Keep in mind, the only real way of letting us know their not happy, is striking...unfortunately, lol.

I would also suggest to not handle the ball for 2 weeks, yes that long. Sometimes a week isn't enough for balls, since they stress so easy then other snakes. Besides, if you are already handling it a great deal, I would probably strike to, lol. Every living things requires their own space, and time to themselves, just like us.

But again, try not to handle it for 2 weeks, unless its nessassary, up the basking area 7 degrees, and see of you notice a change in its behavior. Other than that, if your humidity stays around 50-60% along with your hides, hopefully he'll settle down.

Keep me posted if my theory works out or not.
Best of luck.

[snakeman capie]

i have had the snake several months
i sold it then got it back from the guy i sold it to cause he was not looking after it
ithe guy i got it from said it has been like that since he got it as a baby
i dont know if it is wild caught or captive bred know one seems to know
it is not so bad the more i handle it it only nips when you go in the cage now it is some what good when it is out

[zero&stich]

Z&S: You could also looking into getting a hook.

Then you won't have to worry about getting tagged inside the enclosure.
midwest.com has nice hooks.

[paulsreef]

Even if the snake stops being nippy, your temps and humidity should still be corrected. Bring it up to 90-95 degrees warm end and humidity 60%. A hide box in the warm end and one in the cool end. Also if the enclosure is too large or all glass, your snake will feel insecure.

[snunior]

try leaving her in there for a week with a sheet over the tank so she feels more secure see if it helps