Really excellent take on snake body language! One thing to think about; Ball Pythons are ground dwelling animals for the most part, so anything that they feel threatened by will come from above. This is why I always come into their enclosure from the opposite side, and move slowly toward their position, and give a gentle touch before trying to grasp and lift them. Also, once the animal recognizes your particular smell, the defensive reactions tend to diminish greatly.
I'm pretty new to snake keeping and our girl had me pretty scared. She was super tense and kept opening her mouth (but no mucous or any obvious respiratory symptoms). She then let out a massive fart, launching a small poop all the way across her enclosure, and she calmed right down, and went back in her hide to rest. I had to do a quick search online, and found some hilarious videos that confirmed that she did, in fact, just have some gas. Pretty alarming at the time though!
My terminology for BP "strikes" Blunt Strike: Don't open their mouths but they act like they are gonna bite you. Tag: Bite you but don't hang on. Bite/Strike: Bite you and hang on
Kirstin Zarrah depends on the snake, my BP hasn’t ever bit anyone (knock on wood) but it depends if they are friendly, or hungry, or not in the mood to be held
Kirstin Doll youll know when theyre going to bite you usually give off a warning hiss. Tricks i always tell people is first you have to be confident if it hisses at you when you remove the lid from enclosure you need to handle it because if you dont and you just put the lid back on it learns that its hissing will make you go away. Second using a strong hand sanitizer is a cool little trick to make your snake know its going to be handled. Itll get use to the smell and learn that that smell means its coming out the enclosure. If your scared of being tagged where gloves and a sweatshirt you wont even feel the tag if it does strike at you. Even tho you probably wont really feel a ball python tag anyway its more likely just to scare you than actually hurt. Theyre not going to strike and latch on to you unless you smell like food aka a rat or mouse. Its weird that we are afraid of snake yet have dogs and cats when their bite would do way more damage than any ball python and most smaller snakes in general.
@@kiirstinholly that’s totally animal dependent. Some are spicy, cranky little noodles. Mine’s never bitten anyone and the only time he’s ever hissed he looked as shocked by the sound he’d just made, as I did.
I live in Maryland but grew up in Southern Va. the other day, I was at a dispensary and the young woman behind the counter opened her mouth and sounded like a little slice of home. She was from Chesapeake, VA. Just across the James River from where I grew up. Yep. My neck is still a little bit red, but I’m more of the “Liberal Redneck” vein. Google him. He’s hilarious.
What about chin rubs? Whenever I hold my little baby, he finds his favorite finger on my hand and nuzzles it under his chin, and yes it’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen
Thank you so much! And bluff strikes! 😊 Yes, definitely agree! All snakes have their own little personalities.🥰 Sterling doesn't get grumpy during shed either
❤️ Your videos are so fun to watch, I love seeing your rad pets and listening to your charming accent whilst you talk of your travels and life. Thanks for the sweet reply!
my two are not really grumpy either, but I already know its not a happy time for them I tend to just leave them alone till the shed is over, seems like my Blood Python sheds once a month LOL
i got mine a few days ago and i swear theyre the cutest things ever. there litte head retract thing they do when you accidently touch the head is so adorable. like they dont bite, run away, or anything they just sorta do a "no thank you" with theyre heads
There is also a feeding reaction. That happens when you put a finger near their face. Its mot aggressivel they just think they think you have a mouse for them.
I like how she mentioned behavior that is atypical for your particular snake to be a possible sign of illness. My snake had never showed aggression or many defensive poses until about 8 months ago (she is 11 years old so I know her very well). 8 months ago she started mistaking me for food at random times. I thought this was odd and took her to the vet after 2 times of her trying to eat my hand (and a 3rd time between making the appointment and going bc I had to clean her cage). Thankfully she was not sick, but she was probably experiencing new hormones due to it being breeding season in a new environment. She wanted to eat multiple times a week and was preparing for having kids, even though she hasn't been around a male since she was a few months old
I had a ball python for ten years and still learned a lot from this video. I want to get another one so I'm doing some research. Thanks for dropping some knowledge on me!
This made me feel so much better lmao. I took my baby ball out yesterday for the first time and I was afraid I was scaring her but clearly she was having fun
I'm so happy to see a woman of color telling me about snakes, I'm also a woc and I love reptiles. recently i got a snake from my sister and this is much needed thank you
A little note about the gasping in the enclosure. If your snake is doing this, it can be a sign of shedding. My girl, Athena tends to do this before a shed. But this is usually just a small puff of air occasionally. She doesnt do this during handling. And she doesnt ever have any loud breathing. If your snake does this every breath, then take them to the vet. But it can be due to shedding.
I appreciate your page! I just adopted a ball from someone who said he’s too aggressive and he doesn’t have time to tame him and deal with him. So far it’s been a week and I’ve seen no aggression from him at all except at random objects that may catch him off guard but he’s never striked at me or anyone else. He’s a curious boy and when he does tense up it’s always been human error. But I tell him sorry and that I will do better that I’ve never had a snek before to be patient with me! I know they don’t know what we are saying but I believe from his behavior he gets it? 🤷🏼♀️😂 thanks again!
I had a regular ball python a couple years ago that I had to sadly rehome at the time and now I have a 4 month old black pewter woma het clown ball python. In memory of my old snake he has the same name as the last. I had to refresh some of my ball python keeping skills and your videos help out a lot
omg your accent is so cute & you are so beautiful. thank you for the video. I just got my baby boy about 3 weeks ago and we are adjusting already. People say snakes can’t love but I feel so loved by him and he is really helping me over come my fear of snakes and I love him so much, he’s literally the sweetest little boy and so cute🥺he’s the best!
My wife and I have four Ball Pythons (planning to get another scale baby) and they have been sweethearts. All of our snakes love their chin rubs. We handle our snakes almost everyday, except feeding day & 24hrs after. The only snake I have ever had that was hissy was my Boa.
I feel so bad for the snakes in zoos. Before I was into ball pythons and snakes in general I used to think it was so cool they made an s shape. And let me tell u, literally every snake in the reptile building was in defensive mode. I can't believe the stress they go through D:
I have 24 snakes. I have some of the sweetest, some scared and some with sass. I've been struck a few times. But I have a few that "huff" at me. Not a hiss, but their way of saying I'm. It in the mood. They're apparently never in the mood lol but I still get them out so they get use to being handled. Now my sweet ones, I take to the pet store with me. Kids live it. If the kids are scared I literally kiss my babies to show how sweet they are. I love my snake babies!
I feel like I got really lucky with my girl. When they took her out to let me see her she was pretty defensive, but she was periscoping in the tank and it’s what caught my attention. After the first few handlings she quit huffing and puffing about hands in her tank, and now she actually seems to enjoy handling. I’m really looking forward to her getting bigger, she’s got a very calm and tolerant personality.
Never owned a reptile at all, but I went to a reptile show the other day since I love animals of all kinds and was curious to learn about them (and oh my gosh, so many wonderful breeders there were very happy to talk about their hobby) and one breeder was nice enough to let me hold a young ball python while he talked about it. Her name was Ruby, and even though I was nervous holding a snake for the first time, she was SO relaxed, no tenseness at all, and wasn't afraid to move around and get comfy while I held her. My favorite thing, though, was that she kept stretching her body towards my face, like she was looking me straight in the eyes. At the time I thought maybe she was readying to bite my nose, but now I know she wasn't doing those jerky motions or S-coil you mentioned. Pretty sure she was just periscoping to get a good look at me XD It was such a sweet experience, I'll remember that little python forever😭If I were looking for a pet snake that day I woulda snatched her up in an instant, but Ruby still did a very amazing thing by making me actually consider keeping a ball python. So now I've found myself here, watching vids about a hypothetical reptile pet I may or may never have one day lol. Regardless, these animals are fascinating to learn about.
Just found your channel love to see a southerner with a channel on reptiles, me and my wife are just getting into it and about to purchase our first snake.
Thanks so much! I had a few ball pythons years ago and was just finally able to get one again right before the pandemic lol. Yellowbelly that I bought from a private breeder barely older than hatchling and he acts much different than the 3 adults I used to have so I was getting worried that perhaps I was doing something wrong (since it has been so long). Your videos are being super helpful. It seems that he is just a lot more relaxed than the 3 I had before (all of which were left with me just bc I was the 'animal guy' and their parents couldn't/wouldn't keep up with them). Thanks for uploading!!
Hi Elle I love that you are from the south it really gives me confidence as I am getting ready to start my channel to be myself because I feel like NO ONE on youtube has a southern accent but watching your video made me so happy!!! :) *subscribed* :)
Got my first Ball Python. Lemon Blast which she is Enchi, Pastel, and Pinstripe. Got her when she was 3 months old. Had her for a month. She was feeding live mice when I got her. The first three feeds I gave her was mice, one hopper, then the next two were adults. I fed her a rat pup last night and she took it right away. I was so happy because I see so many videos when people say that some of them don’t convert that easily. She lets me know when she goes to the bathroom because she will go to the other side or get on top of her fake log. At first I was wondering why she was hanging out in places she really haven’t been hanging before. I been using paper towels so far because I wasn’t to make sure she was healthy and didn’t have mites. Her stool was fine and no traces of mites. I’m going to deep clean her tub this weekend and change the substrate. I’m trying different ones out. I have some Aspen I’m going to try first. I know it doesn’t hold humidity but I have good humidity in there now and will make a humidity box for her. Haven’t experienced any hisses nor her curling into a ball. I had her on my bed and I put her water dish on it as wall. She was on top of it not in it. Then she just was periscoping. Like she just was looking for like 20 mins. I figured she was scoping out the environment.
An awesome video that will help me when I eventually do get a ball python. I was needing info like this for future references. Also Today is my Birthday So to get a video on my birthday feels special. 😊😊😀 Great video as Always! Keep up the awesomeness! (Also 1st comment! Yaaaaaay)
Oh my goodness. First let me say, thank you for this video, I found it very helpful and plan to watch it again and again as a resource for when I question my own BP's behavior. Second, periscoping!? I had no idea that BP's did this, and I have to admit that while I think Sterling as an absolute beauty, he scared the mess out of me when you showed those pics. 😅😅 The first one, where he is staring at the TV... straight up, I got visions of movie poster for Poltergeist. 😱 Lol. Thank you so much for warning me about this, cuz I think if I just walked in and saw my BP doing this without knowing it was normal, I'd have probably wet on myself. ☠ Love Sterling, and loving all of your videos. ❤🐍
As a former zoo animal handler and a snake owner of many years, I’ve never been bitten. These are great tips to first time owners and generally as long as you read and respect their body language it’s very easy to avoid bites and help them be more comfortable around you.
Hey, I’m new to the snake world but I have a new baby ball and she is super active. I didn’t see you cover this but off and on she likes to climb up the walls of the enclosure and she periscopes A LOT. I read somewhere if they climb the walls of the tank it may mean they’re unhappy. She’s at her usual humidity and temperature and I wasn’t sure if I should be concerned. Also, your lil yellow baby is precious 💚
I had bearded dragons for years and pretty mastered their handling. So i wanted to experience with snakes, and ball pythons are pretty standard starters, so im glad i came across your videos. You and your pythons are quite lovely! 😊 🐍 ❤️
Great video! I do want to mention something though. Snakes do not “size” up their prey. The fast flickering of the tongue when about to eat, is to sense(smell) their prey.
My snake just periscoped and like yawned almost. I got nervous and put him back into his enclosure, but watching this video I know now he’s just fine 😊
Fab video. Currently in the process of researching and getting my set up for my first ever Ball. I have an 11-year-old Corn Snake. I am ready for a new addition to the family! Your snakes are beautiful!
I have a three year old Mojave Ball Python. Medusa is five feet in length and as tame as tame can be. I got her when she was still a juvenile from my younger brother who was no longer able to take care of her. She was a year and a half old or so at that point. The first time I went to pick her up, she hissed at me twice. Understandable, being that she didn't know me. I picked her up anyway. Fast forward year or so. I went to take Medusa out of her tank and she punched me on the pad of my right thumb. It was a strike and not a bite. That was my fault. It was close to feeding time and she thought my thumb was her dinner. She struck from inside the hide I have for her. Other than that, she is as tame as tame can be. I take her out and drape her around my neck which makes my younger brother cringe every time. Medusa is a trip to have around.
by the way for beginner ball python owners, if it's winter and ur ball python ain't eating, as long as it's not losing weight, you're good. Just give it about 1 month before trying to feed it again, if you keep trying to feed it every 2 days, ofc they're not gonna eat. Hope this helps. My ball python didn't eat in the winter for about 6 months and started eating again just fine.
Great video ! New subscriber ! Love the channel - the best part about making my own channel is finding other channels! Knowing your snakes body language is huge !
Amazingly I have a very bitey corn snake, who is a rescue. I think it was in a house with kids that used to tap on the glass. Just a guess, but he's very tank defensive. It's still a struggle guessing how he's feeling and he's very jumpy. About to move him to a bigger, natural tank with more enrichment and see how that goes...
I know I always warn my baby boy that I'm gonna "boop his snoot" although I know it truly does nothing to warn him. Thankfully we got over the head shyness when he was much younger and now it doesn't bother him at all. Great tips for handling !!
Great episode, as usual! And I absolutely LOVE that shirt! #YOJOE! You've inspired me to do visual remodels on all three of my snake tanks when I move in July.
Im quite happy that mine is so docile. Doesn't matter if hes in shed or not, he never strikes out and is calm as. Only time he's ever "aggressive" is during feeding time.
It’s crazy I’m new to the hobby. Years of visual knowledge is all I have lol but I’ve had my girl for 2 weeks going onto 3 and she’s not as head shy as I thought. Just last night I was petting her head the whole time I handled her. I thought for a second that she might not like it but she would just sit there and continue to let me pet her it’s the cutest thing. She’s been like this for a solid week now. I live the videos and I can say as someone new your videos have personally helped me a lot.
My baby Nagini yawns alot when she is tired or relaxed however to people who aren't used to snakes like my friends they think she is about to strike them or is threatening them. Keep up your great work your videos have helped me so much thank you!
My ball python (Tali) has been quite the explorer lately. I've had her for over a year now, and she's been eating healthy, and lately, I've noticed she's been exploring a lot.
Thanks for the tips. I just subscribed. I am getting my first snake in a few months. So I am reacerching on ball pythons because that’s is one of the ones I want to get. Thank u!
The only time my snake ever bit me was when I was adding more substrate. And he was sleeping but he looked really cute so I pet him. He jumped and immediately struck me. If they bite you, 99% of the time it’s four fault lol
Just got my first ball python two days ago. I’ve been waiting for her for a while but due to the temps we had to wait until the weather was right to ship her. Omg I’m in love! She’s a 4 month old BEL. just got her this past Tuesday and she’s in the beginning of a shed. She’s never eaten frozen thawed. Do you have any tips as to how to get her to eat a frozen thawed?
As an owner. I’m happy to know that I knew about everything you talked about in this video and I did my job as a keeper to know what I know before even investing in such a lovely animal. I gotta say my baby lays his head down all the time and you said it shows relaxation and since I’ve only had him for a year and a half I never really noticed that and thought it could of been a bad thing. Now I know it’s more of a chance he’s just BIG CHILLIN! 😎
Something I do when I need to move my ballpython out of the way is to gently tickle his ball formation to let him know I'm there so I don't startle him. He poops in his hidey-hole so once in a while I need to get in there to clean it up. A gentle tickle to wake him up and he will usually move out of the way and I can clean away the poopoo 😂 A lot of people just reach in and grab the snake but I like to gently wake him first before I do any maintenance in the tank. Key is to be gentle and not startle them.
Hi i am Care from the Philippines. 7 years old. My dad gave me my 1st ball when I was 5, he gave it to me as an adult bp 10yrs of age i named him 6, now i recently got a hacthling i named her Sexy. Still new and i have been doing my research. I just want to say that i appreciate the information you are sharing, i want to grow up as a reptile enthusiast, you are one of my idol in the hobby. Thank you and more power
- We just picked up our first Ball Python from a Petco and have received a lot off different information from the "interwebs" as usual. I have been watching a few of your videos to learn as much as we can. We want to shake the general "fear" of snakes and make it a GREAT pet for us and our kids. We have a 3yr old, 5yr old & 12yr old. I currently only let the gently pet the back while it looks the other way. We are soo new and your videos have been SOO great! Thanks!
Great video. You keep your snakes in lovely beautiful enclosures, and they all look really happy and healthy. Can you tell me what color morphs they are please? I am going to buy a bally python soon and cant decide what colour to get. I really like your sandy coloured one... it's got a gently looking face.
I have had two ball pythons who were not head shy really and let me pet there chins as long as I was slow and made sure they knew where my hand was at all time and would just run my hand up to their chin slowly and pet it slowly. They loved it. My other one didn’t want her head touched at all. People will say snakes don’t have feelings and personalities but al my snakes have had different personalities and it’s so fun to figure out your snakes own personality.
Thank you so much for such wonderful advice. Just got my very first snake this past weekend and got a ball python. Was wondering if she was relaxed and happy she is doing alot of periscoping and hanging out on her log so hoping that means she is happy
Do you have a video on what you did with your hissy BP? I would love to know how you handled the situation and how you got her socialized. I've seen other videos on this, but I particularly like your manner with your animals.
At 7:58 I showed how I dealt with mine. Once I got her out of the tank, she was always fine. Doing that repeatedly over time helped so much 😊 And thank you so much 🥰
It's so unfortunate that the first BP was a scared meanie. Many people would have given up, so I'm glad you persevered with her. I have been so lucky; I have 13 Ball Pythons and not one of them has been defensive, even as babies. Of course, the next one I get (no time soon!!) will probably make up for it...we'll see.
