How can you tell when a Ball Python is going to bite?

[rmfsnakes32]

Getting bit as everyone has said is not as bad as it seems doesnt really hurt depending on the type of snake, it will bleed for a minute or 2! My baby burm tagged me 3 times in one day once when I tried to put him in the container to take him home the other 2 while I was trying to put him in his enclosure! Bled a bit but I laughed it off! I have 12 snakes plus fostered several and have been tagged numerous times mostly by the foster ones!

[UwabamiReptiles]

Originally Posted by nybaby

This is my first time owning a Ball Python. I had him for about 3 weeks. I only held him maybe twice for only about a minute before I got scared and had to laid him back down in his cage. I don't have a snake phobia or anything and I'm not afraid of snakes. I'm just afraid of getting bit. Some people have said its inevitable to not get bitten when owning a snake. Others have said that they've owned tons of snakes and they were never bitten. I know a snake only bites when threatened. So how do I pick up and hold my snake without him feeling threatened? What scares me the most is when I pick him up and he slithers in my hand then starts to stare at my fingers and gives them the same look he does when its feeding time. I get so nervous my hands start to shaking. Maybe I'm just overacting but I just don't want to get bit.

The first snake I was bitten by was an adult carpet python. It didn't hurt, it just scares you. You don't even see them bite you its so fast. Maybe some blood(usually not if they are youngin's) but its really not that bad at all. In time if you stick with this snake, you will learn to read him. You can tell a lot about a snake by body language, if they tense up and start to "S up"(for lack of a better term) then maybe you could think maybe a bite is coming. From what you said in your post, you snake is curious about its surroundings and just wants to check everything out. Ball pythons don't slither through your hands and bite randomly(from my experiences). Snakes usually don't have a feeding 'look', they have behavior that they will exhibit when they are about to attack a prey item, but not a look in their face. My advice is to just hold your snake and not freak out over little things. If you are holding the snake and the snake is relaxed and exploring, you have a very slim chance of anything happening besides you holding a snake.

[Kingsnakechris]

Originally Posted by UwabamiReptiles

The first snake I was bitten by was an adult carpet python. It didn't hurt, it just scares you. You don't even see them bite you its so fast. Maybe some blood(usually not if they are youngin's) but its really not that bad at all. In time if you stick with this snake, you will learn to read him. You can tell a lot about a snake by body language, if they tense up and start to "S up"(for lack of a better term) then maybe you could think maybe a bite is coming. From what you said in your post, you snake is curious about its surroundings and just wants to check everything out. Ball pythons don't slither through your hands and bite randomly(from my experiences). Snakes usually don't have a feeding 'look', they have behavior that they will exhibit when they are about to attack a prey item, but not a look in their face. My advice is to just hold your snake and not freak out over little things. If you are holding the snake and the snake is relaxed and exploring, you have a very slim chance of anything happening besides you holding a snake.

I agree with everything you said except the "feeding look" thing lol, my king only eats live prey, (not my choice) but when he has a rat cornered he gives them one hell of a "look" he sits absolutely still and stares it down until it flinches and WHAM, it's lunch time lol!

[SnakeyJay]

One thing I will say is I don't like the fact that I've now seen many people advised to throw a towel over a snakes head.. Yes if it's a large snake that's very aggressive/defensive then I see why you'd do it..
However, advising a noob to to this is silly and will end up stressing the snake needlessly.

To the OP.. Just approach the snake from the rear and lift it from the middle of the body. You may take a bite, you may not I've got 4 snakes now for 3 years and no bites.. Approach them calmly with abit of confidence and that's half the battle won!
Goodluck

[shaunyboy]

a bites over and done with that quickly you won't feel it,especially one from so young a snake

once you've been bit,you'll look back and laugh about it

cheers shaun