Adult ball python suddenly aggressive out of the blue

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by lupegirl8

I have a super accurate scale that I use for my smaller snake and turtles, but am still working on getting a good accurate one for my blue tongue skink and this ball python. We haven't measured her end to end, but the people at the shelter (where they get A LOT of adult ball pythons) said she was on the larger end of the spectrum in terms of how large a ball python can get. So definitely not small for her age.

We will try a rat on her next feed day and see if that does anything. In the meantime do you think it's worth trying to take her out with my snake tongs/hook and see if she gets less aggressive once she's out of the tank and knows there isn't any food coming? That's the only way we will be able to change her water/bedding. Or would to recommend just waiting until we have given her the rat?

You can use a hook to "hook train" the snake. Gently tap the snake on the head or rub the body and it usually breaks the feeding zone they go into.

[SnoopySnake]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

You can use a hook to "hook train" the snake. Gently tap the snake on the head or rub the body and it usually breaks the feeding zone they go into.

To add to this, never use the hook when feeding. You want them to associate the hook with no food.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by Georgia

The other posters are right. What she was fed in the past doesn't mean a damn thing at this point. Snakes change just like people do. If she doesn't want mice, don't feed mice. Feed er 1 giant rat every feeding. She's not a baby anymore so don't feed her like she's a baby. Btw, mice are not near as nutritious as a rat. So REGARDLESS of how many mice you feed her it wont matter.

That's like comparing Ramen Noodles to a Turkey. Ramen may fill you up, but you'll be hungry shortly afterwards. Eat a Turkey and you'll be well fed and content for a long time.

Look at it this way. Mice have low bone density, low fat content and low muscle mass. A jumbo rat is the exact opposite.

It boils down to common sense. I'm not trying to be a hard *** but the answer to your question is so obvious that someone has to be blunt with you and tell it like it is.

To apply your analogy, feeding a jumbo rat is akin to feeding a single human a party size pizza on their own. Sure you can do it but it isn't healthy. You would wind up with an obese snake.

If you're going to feed rats a medium will do just fine for life.

On the mice vs. rat debate, you're comparing a rat to a single mouse. Not multiple mice.
For example, if a single rat has a 50% fat content (for arguments sake I'm using easy numbers) and a single mouse has a fat content of 5% then I could argue that 10 mice would equal the same fat content. Therefore feeding multiple prey items would also be okay.

It boils down to common sense with math. I'm not trying to be a hard *** but your statement is so obviously flawed that someone has to be blunt and tell it like it is.

Originally Posted by SnoopySnake

To add to this, never use the hook when feeding. You want them to associate the hook with no food.

Good point.

[Georgia]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

To apply your analogy, feeding a jumbo rat is akin to feeding a single human a party size pizza on their own. Sure you can do it but it isn't healthy. You would wind up with an obese snake.

If you're going to feed rats a medium will do just fine for life.

On the mice vs. rat debate, you're comparing a rat to a single mouse. Not multiple mice.
For example, if a single rat has a 50% fat content (for arguments sake I'm using easy numbers) and a single mouse has a fat content of 5% then I could argue that 10 mice would equal the same fat content. Therefore feeding multiple prey items would also be okay.

It boils down to common sense with math. I'm not trying to be a hard *** but your statement is so obviously flawed that someone has to be blunt and tell it like it is.




Good point.

I respect your opinion but have to disagree to an extent. It would also depend on size of snake and size of prey item. Not to mention the unrealistic analogy of a full grown BP eating10 mice to achieve the same nutrients as a jumbo rat.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by Georgia

I respect your opinion but have to disagree to an extent. It would also depend on size of snake and size of prey item. Not to mention the unrealistic analogy of a full grown BP eating10 mice to achieve the same nutrients as a jumbo rat.

Unrealistic? I guess the whole percentage of nutrients/per prey item was lost on you. Since this was entirely disregarded I'm going to assume you didnt understand it.

When you want to argue actual numbers and facts instead of simply using sizes with your eyes as your argument.

Based on how obese your canebrake is I'm going to assume you don't think overfeeding is an actual thing in reptiles. Since you also ignored the analogy of eating an entire party pizza even though we can we shouldn't. Ball pythons don't need jumbo rats to stay healthy. Very few exceptions to this rule.