I have an adult ball python and I’ve only had him for about a month, this Wednesday, and I make sure to clean and shift things around In his enclosure. He doesn’t hide when I’m near. Sometimes he’s asleep when I’m moving things around. Other times, he’s wide awake and he allows me to shift things around, without running away. I can see he’s beginning to not only trust me, it appears he is not threatened. I pay attention to his body language and I watch your videos to make sure I am providing a safe environment for him. He has helped me access a different level of patience. So I’m not at the point of trying to force him to interact with me. I’d much rather let him decide when he’s ready.
The "if you see me, that doesn't mean food," point is very important. My girl learned that lesson when we started a new schedule, I learned what a bite felt like too. That's the only time we've ever had a misunderstanding to that level
I have a 5 month old BP that I had since he was 2 months old. My very first snake. He bit and hissed at me multiple times on the first day, but never again after that. I watched a lot of your videos and understood that I shouldn’t handle him for a couple of weeks as a baby. Now, he “likes” to come out and explore. When I’m changing his water, I don’t interact with him but he’ll pop his head out to see what’s going on. When I work from home, he’ll hang out around my neck or on my desk. I learned when he tenses up or I can see him breathing hard, he’s stressed so I’ll put him back. I don’t handle him everyday but I’m glad he’s learning I’m not a threat lol
Good video. From the scientific perspective, most aspects of socialization, shyness, etc, that is discussed in captive environments can be explained in studies of plasma-corticosterone response. Basically: stress events can create an elevated baseline response, maintained by a higher level of the hormone in the blood. During this time, behavior can change in a variety of ways, depending on species and situation. Given time, they can revert to a more normal level, and act morel like a wild snake. So it's not bad for them, and more or less just what you described here. This is why the venomous keepers who "read their behavior" are so dangerously wrong, overestimating their understanding and abilities.
I agree with 99.9% of what you said. My snakes are "working" animals in that they interact with lots of people. When they are young they are exposed to a lot of different people scents, so they don't freak out when they meet new people.... and the people they are going to meet are warned not to wear strong scents like perfumes, so they smell peopley... pretty much the same sort of methods with different stimuli.... The 0.1% is, I would normally agree with you that snakes would rather not be handled, except for this one ball python I have. He really likes my wife... and I mean really likes her. Understand I do all of the feeding, all of the maintenance, almost all of the training with all our snakes, but whenever she comes around, as soon as he smells her scent he will come up to the glass of his enclosure to look for her... it I open the enclosure, he will immediately come out and interact with her, hang out with her for hours, and he's very reluctant to be put away. It's the strangest thing, and the only time I've seen this.
My boa acts the same way with me! My husband does all of the husbandry and feeding (I take control of changing water and keeping humidity levels where they need to be) it’s like if he even hears (or shall I say feels) my voice it’s like he is looking for me! My husband and I are the only people he’s been in contact with the past 5 years we’ve had him. He’s just a Momma’s boy!
Lol! Bindi is always in food mode. Right after she eats…food mode. It’s day time…food mode. Night time…food mode. In she’d…food mode. My daughter was here for Xmas & Bindi was very intrigued with her. Lots of tongue flicking and not hesitant at all. That was new and really nice to see. It made Cyonna feel special🥰
I have so much respect for you Bob, getting bit happens to the best of us, and you're proof. For the record, I too can't break out of food mode especially when there's a porterhouse steak anywhere in my house 😉❤️🐍
Great video Bob! I used to think that l was a bad keeper as l for a short time got lured into believing that handling snakes at any given time and slinging them round your shoulders whenever you wanted was "normal" - while I clearly saw that my snakes were telling me a very different story. Thank you for all your great videos, and l wish you and your snakes a very happy and healthy new year!
Newbie snek momma here but Ive had my bp Nagi for 2.5 months and his engagement level seems to follow my lead. When I have interacted with him he comes out when I come to his tank, and when I did no stimulation when he went off food to ensure he wasnt stressed, he stayed in his hides all the time. The day after I spent a little time with him (after he had gotten back on food consistently and was recovered from shedding) hes back to being interested when I come to his tank again ❤ I love my noodley boi! 🐍
I just wanted to tell you that I love your videos! I stumbled upon them about a year ago when I was wanting to get a ball python and they are so invaluable. Keep making them. I look forward to your videos each week
I enjoy all your videos and I have a mail ball Python I got him when he was four months old. He’s a year now and he’s very very docile. Very nice to me. What I do is I’ll pick him up slowly and just let him roam around my bed to know my room more
Choice handling is always the best! Mine are babies so that usually means me grabbing them gently. But, when they are bigger and older, I assume they will come out and more.
I have a boa and when I first got him he was 9 months old. I handled him daily. He would lay in a blanket on the couch with me for a couple of hours every evening! Now he is almost 6 years old and he will resist us at all cause from be picked up (a couple of times a month I can open his enclosure while sitting on a stool and he will crawl out onto me) In my case the older he got the less we were able to handle him (mainly because he would grab onto to things!) I know it’s natural for him to resist. Now when he does it takes both my husband and I to get him out! I am hoping that once we have him in his bigger enclosure it will be easier! He’s over 7’ of solid muscle! He can hook onto something just using his head and it’s near impossible to get him off of whatever he’s grabbed onto!
We have 3 bp, all different ages. My baby I handle about once a day but his enclosure is in my bedroom/office area. I great him every morning by speaking to him and I tell him goodnight. He sees and hears me throughout the day. We also practice tap training.
The always entertaining Kent lol. Thanks for another great, Bob. Doing as much research as I can before I, hopefully, pick up my first snake at the next expo in March.
I'm currently going through an 'unsocialised' patch woth my corn snake. I boarded him and he ended up missing for 6 months. He is very fearful when being handled now (he whips his body and tail and hides in areas of his viv where he knows we cant reach him). I hope that we will be able to handle him again one day, but for now we're letting him settle into his home again. Thanks for the video 😊
I definitely need to work on patients on the choice thing. I'll do it before I go to work with my BPs. It's a cozy room so I can sit in one place and reach all 3 4x2x2 enclosures.
@@GreenRoomPythons Yeah, joined the infallible den of husbandry, but not sure it was three weeks ago might only be two weeks ago 😊 getting ahead of myself, the main thing is it's another great video! I'm going to put my self centeredness away for a while haha ❤
I noticed this with my baby ball python; she’s been enjoying coming out daily and exploring, and didn’t mind me picking her up to do all this. Yesterday her body language read that she rather I didn’t touch her, so I just let her explore and do her thing, and only stepped in when she was about to fall off a potted plant (some aren’t nearly strong enough to even support a baby BP crawling through them) and she seemed way happier with that than with me handling her
This was amazingly informative video on snakes. I noticed a-lot of snake owners apply human emotion and attributes to their snakes. They dont wrap their heads around the fact reptiles tolerate humans they dont feel love as say a dog does. We love our snakes, our snakes dont love us.
I have several colubrid species, which I think tend to be a bit flightier than pythons or boas. Most are pretty chill about being picked up, but I still make sure there are times I open their cages just to lift up the hide some, let them see me and flick at me, then put it back down. I also vary the amount of time I hold them when I do get them out. Sometimes it's just a quick hello, let them run through my hands a couple times and tongue flick my shirt, then back in the cage. Other times it is a 15-20 minute walk around the house or outside in the yard. Maybe it makes a difference, maybe it doesn't.
I lost my crested gecko for about a month and one day she turned up on the shower curtain. But she was never the same again. She went from being tame and curious and wanting to come out of her enclosure all the time to constantly being bitey and flighty. I ended up rehoming her when I moved from TX to NJ. I don't know if she ever calmed down.
why rehome? You were negligent and almost lost your pet that depends on you and then you have up on her? I hope you don't have other pets. How utterly sad for the gecko
@gamer8622 why remove a pet who had lost its trust with an owner who didn't trust the pet to where the pet and the owner had a chance for better relationships AND spare it a cross-country move? Real mystery /s. I hope you get some empathy for the new year. And I'm going to stop engaging with trolls as my resolution.
@reelburke no. Stop painting this as some righteous thing. She let her gecko escape and almost die and instead of building trust again, she got rid of it. That's disgusting. I have plenty of empathy, but not for ppl like her. I clearly feel for the animal.
@@gamer8622sometimes people can't take their pets with them when moving because of state Laws or the general difficulties tht comes with it also how stressful it is for the animal.
I got 3 snakes and they get a few different kinds of human-exposure. 1. I offer semi-free-roam .Depending on the snake they get access to areas of the room, to explore at free will where they can return back into their enclosure on their own. I keep a very close eye on them during that time. - My rosyboa usually just wants to chill next to the window and watch the outdoors. My hognose usually wants to watch the movie I am watching, which is the coolest time because she will let me to anything with her as long as it doesn't block her view. Sometimes she also wants to watch the ants in the antfarm. Sometimes she even slides onto my lap for a nap. My 2 year old bredli has no real interest in semifreeroam yet, but she gets it offered. 2. Outdoortime! I take my transportbox/bag which can be turned into a hide with a fabric-gaze-enclosure, a chair, a tempgun and at least one hide, to chill in the courtyard. There we chill with the snake either on my lap or in the transportbag until they signal it's time to go back inside. - My rosyboa only really shows interest in staying outside when there are ppl he gets to touch, so he doesn't get a lot og outdoortime. My hognose turns into a total lapdog. She just losely curls up on my lap, watching the world, unbothered by touch and sometimes falls fast asleep. My bredli prefers the transportbag, but she occassionally comes out to toungeflick me or ppl I am sitting with, considers whether or not a lap it a safe spot and then usually retreats to the transportbag. 3. do stuff in their enclosure without directly interacting with them. Which includes redecorating half their enclosure to give them new stuff. All three of them love exploring new stuff as long as their currently favorite spots stay untouched. 4. Touching inside the enclosure without pickup. - The rosy couldn't care less and just pushes me away with minimal effort if its to much. If I do it with a wet, slightly warm towel, then he will shove his face into it and lets me rub him. He also loves drinking water from a held glass more than from his waterbowl, even if his waterbowl is freshly cleaned and filled. The hoggy let's me know befor I open the enclsoure what her mood is. If it's a very tolerant mood I pet her in her enclsoure, ideally with chinrubs because she tolerates those the longest. The bredli is almost always looking for food, so 70% of the time I open the enclosure she comes running, checking for food. So the first minute is just me holding my hand in, letting her come closer and check it out. Once she notices it's not food she usually turns away. Sometimes I boop her snoot, but never befor letting her figure out that I am not food. 5. Handling. Sometimes I just really wanna hold my snakes, check which one is in the most tolerant mood, get a cuddleblanket and improve my mood. Sometimes they take a lot of time to go back into their enclosure, or just put half ther body back on my arm. So I dare hope my handling doesn't bother them to much as long as I respect their moods. 6. simply being in the room. Their enclosures are in the livingroom. They see me several hours a day just doing my thing without paying attention to them.
I think one of the best things I have done with my defensive ball female is open her enclosure and just do "stuff". She's learning that I am safe and not just a food delivery system. Target training has also helped a ton, however she is not the best at it yet. She killed three homemade disks. So we are using a lollypop style now and letting her get her excitement out before she gets food. He hit the target 3 times today and didn't launch herself 3 feet over the prey! We do 75% choice-based with the younger male. He asks (very incessantly) to be out most nights. But he can move out and onto a cat tree without being touched. He usually crawls onto my daughter. She's his person. He will even seek out her laundry or blanket when she's not there. But Ssusan also stays in food mode for about 12 hours. So we have an agreement that she has to stay in her enclosure and I don't mess with anything until the next day. My thumb got tired of being a rat substitute. And I have a Question! If you feed in the morning and your snake is in it's "out" spot that evening, do you let them roam? We let the guy out. Minimal handling other than putting away. Never had a regurgitation but wow..folks are angry when I say I allow him out after eating.
Don’t you just love the comments you get sometimes from people! I just laugh! Not every snake reacts the same in certain situations! While I typically leave my boa be for a couple of days after feeding (he’s typically in his warm end hide digesting anyway) that’s my decision. You do you! You know your snake better than anyone!
Don’t you just love the comments you get sometimes from people! I just laugh! Not every snake reacts the same in certain situations! While I typically leave my boa be for a couple of days after feeding (he’s typically in his warm end hide digesting anyway) that’s my decision. You do you! You know your snake better than anyone! And what is this target training? I’ll have to look for a video. I assume it’s to help the snake actually hit their meal when they strike at feeding. I know my boa has had several misses lately (which I don’t know how it misses an XL rat (f/t)! I’m sure he’s given himself several headaches from striking and hitting the side of the enclosure instead of the rat dangling in front of him! I hate when it happens! He shakes his head something awful!
Love your video!! I am a subscriber for life now!! My boa’s enclosure is in one of my spare bedrooms (I’m an empty nester. While most empty nester make a craft room or man cave out of an empty bedroom, I change a guest room into a room for my boa!) anyway, every time I’m upstairs I peek in his room. When he finally wakes up at night I go in his room and open the enclosure and put my fist up to him to let him smell me, then I give him a little rub on top of his head. Usually he will back away and I know that means he doesn’t want bothered. Now if he S’s up on me and does not back away I know that time to close up his enclosure! (I’ve been bit 1 time in the 5 years I’ve had him. He was only maybe 3’ then. He’s over 7’ now so I’m sure a bite would really hurt now!) As I just mentioned he is over 7’. His enclosure is 6’ long. I’ve discovered that the only time he wants to leave his enclosure is when he is due for a poop💩! He will crawl out onto me and I usually let him crawl around for about 15-20 mins on my bed (it’s usually the middle of the night). When he curls up either on me or against me I know it’s time to put him back (it’s like he’s thanking me!) He will typically 💩 with the next 12 hours. And sometimes he just wants out to roam! I’ve noticed that whoever the one is that takes him out of the enclosure (either me or my husband) that is the person he tends to want to be with. If I take him out and give him to my husband, he comes right back to me! I was excited when I came across this video because I call my boa my gentle giant and I always hope he stays that way! Turns out that all of the advice you have given, I am already doing! Yay! We are in the process of making him a bigger enclosure; one that is 8x4x4. I hope he likes it! Right now he has the 6x2x2 and only has 2 hides and a water bowl. With his size that doesn’t leave much room to stretch out! By the way, if anyone knows if they make one of those rock like hides for a snake 7-8’ long, please let me know! I have what is referred to as a turtle hide on one end and one of the black plastic hides on the other end, but I prefer a more natural look! His turtle hide is an XXL and he has that filled to capacity! He’s almost 6 years old so he should grow much more. I think he about maxed out his length! They told me he would get to 5-5 1/2’. He’s a common boa. Pastel het Blood
My snakes lift their tail in the air when I pick them up (not all of them). I think it's plenty of contact and making sure your helping them get what they want as much as possible.
Before mine got too long for it to be comfortable for her I would put my hand down she'd wrap her tail around part of my hand and then let me scoop her, but as she got longer even this became uncomfortable and her behaviors made that pretty clear.
Great video, Bob, I also like this type of videos. The other night when I was taking pictures of Maxine, I noticed the shutter noise makes her jump back, so I just mute it now
Most points you're good on, and some of your past videos have helped me work with a snake who was mistreated before I adopted her. I'm going to disagree all snakes never enjoy being picked up. I might have misunderstood as consent based handling is based on snakes mutually wanting to interact. Many snakes might not like being picked up, but my Scoria will wait for me nearly every morning to be picked up. (not on days after feeding where she just wants to sleep and digest.) It's a routine for us, I pick her up and then we spend a half hour to an hour just snuggling with each other. I use to wait for her to slither over to me and into my hand, but it's no secret at this point we both enjoy spending our mornings with each other- if her sister is out she's pretty insistent on getting alone time with me. (I can't blame her, I dote on her and tell her why she is wonderful and she does slow intensely happy tongue flicks.) I'm not sure if you are one of the folks who think snakes only tolerate being pet and will never enjoy it- but that's completely wrong as not only do some snakes pet each other (my hognoses do this) but my snake will communicate with me to ask to be pet. I have a video of her doing this on my channel as some didn't believe me - if I stop gently petting her she will begin to pet herself with her chin then look expectantly at me. Sometimes after I pet her she will pet me too - I haven't seen this specific behavior in other snakes so I think it might be something she learned while adapting her natural behavior (normally they pet each other with their full body for a number of reasons. Babies do this to their moms and friends, even adult snakes will do this as part of their reproductive activities.) Anyway, aside from her enjoying snuggle time and being pet, I worked incredibly hard at creating a positive association with being picked up. It's like if you have a child that hates car rides- if most of the time car rides take you to the park, suddenly car rides are great! With my snake, being picked up means good things happen- usually enrichment activity time. Climbing on vines, exploring a box of cork bark, seeing new things she's never seen before, playing in crumpled up wrapping paper... These things are just the best! Maybe most snakes don't like being picked up most of the time, but not all snakes dislike it all of the time. My baby girl is living proof, and I'm sure there are many others who look forward to the time they spend with their pet human who puts their needs and happiness first
I'm at home most days and I am always in and out of the reptile room, the snakes are not always out but I like to sit and talk to them so they know I'm there. I don't pick them up unless I need to, we let them make their own decision on whether or not they want to come out. Our new 5 month girl is very active when we are in her room (quarantine) she more often than not will try and climb on our hand if we open her cage, it appears she reacts to our voices, if I just sit and don't speak she will generally just have a peek but stay in her hide but if I start talking she will come out up to the glass. She's seems happy to just climb on our hands and relax, she does not seem worried, again she chooses to climb on our hands. Our 6 year old is a bit less confidant but will come out if I open her cage, sometimes just half of her body and then other times completely out, however, she doesn't seem overly threatened if I need to lift her out but I always make sure she knows I'm there rather than just grab her with my big monkey hands.
My boy Apollo stays in food mode. Every time I enter the room he pops out of this hide ready to eat. I talk to him and do my water changes and cleaning and he just slips back inside and I’m certain rolls his eyes. I just got him in Nov and I’m beginning to notice him watching me during the day when I’m working. I think he feels safe with me. Just slightly disgruntled that I don’t have rats everyday 😂
I’m still working on choice based handling but he only comes out at night and that limits the amount of choice based interaction we can get. I feel we have an unspoken agreement that I will only grab him out if he’s in a particular spot (separate from his warm and cool hide). It’s a good spot because its one of the only places I’m not coming directly at him to pick him up. I feel that’s the closest I can get to him being willing for socialization aside from choice based. I guess I’m hoping he’ll build an association with it like “she always bothers me when I’m here so if I don’t want her to bother me I should pick a different spot.” I notice some days when he’s not there but I’m around in the room, the next day he’ll be in that spot. Maybe it’s in my head but I like to think we’re on the same page haha.
I have one that perks up when he sees me and will always crawl out on me. In fact if he's watching a rat at meal time and sees me, he stops watching the rat and crawls out to me. And he won't eat frozen so I feel like I need to be at least nearby.
glad I found you - I havent had a snake since the Y2K era, and my daughter BEGGED Santa for a ball python. There is a LOT of new information out there, and right now I'm watching you instead of Squid Game Season 2. What does Kent think about the new Squid Game?
Hey Bob! I was eager to see your next video. As always I enjoy very much your approach, thinking process and advices. Last week I got a new snake. It's a beautiful African File Snake (Limaformosa Crossi or previously Melehya Crossi) that is unfortunately a wild caught animal (there's no breeders of this very still unknown species where I live, and I couldn't let her sit in that small rack...). All of this to say that she came with a few scars and bruises (recent ones too), and I suspect a possible start of scale rot. Now the problem is, scale rot early stages or possible forms are really hard to find on good pictures on the internet, and descriptions are sometimes contradictory. Also I've tried to feed her frozen thawed preys that she refused so far. I'm not too worry because my timing was a bit bad, I need to let her settle down a bit more but I wanted to try anyways (and the preys don't go wasted because I give them to my other snake). Anyways, little challenges in my husbandry skills because it's easy to keep a snake healthy when it is healthy, but a bit more complicated to heal it when it's needed. I thought one of these topics (how to find good reliable info on health care for those who don't live in a country super adapted to snakes and vets are not super trained, or how to help transitioning live/thawed) could be interested to cover if you have any tips.
God I love Kent. Thanks for the info. I have found with mine, like Handsome Dan they will come around and even crawl from the floor up near me. In a year and a half Ive only been but once and it was own stupidity sticking my hand under a stand and my poor BEL was so startled he bit me and himself. Then just wrapped around me and hid his head in my hair. Poor guy.
How do a make a room completely safe for my bp to free roam? I know I can't at the moment because it's my bedroom he's in, but I would really like to at least know how I can make it more safe for him.
Continuous reinforcements necessary in the majority of species including cats and dogs. If an animal goes through something traumatic or is socially isolated for an extended period of time they usually do not come out unscathed unfortunately. Sometimes I feel like people forget these are living creatures with actual independence thinking minds. I always enjoy seeing when somebody decides to make a video just to remind everyone of this 😁 .... Also the news that an animal with a really long extended spine that is super flappy does not like being randomly lifted off the ground with no anchor points is amazing. I can't imagine why that would be a thing that is unpleasant for them 😂. I do think there are ones that are cool with being offered a lift out, but I'm pretty sure most of them would prefer not to have to go through the lift procedure, especially as they get longer. Mine was okay with it while she was short but once she started to get a bit longer it bothered her more and I'm working on building a side door so she does not have to crawl up my arm anymore cuz I can tell that it makes her uncomfortable.
Every bite I've ever had is because I'm managing something else at the same time or somebody just sort of hands me a snake when I'm not expecting it😂 oh no wait there was once when I was experiencing had tremors where I shoved my hand in my snake's mouth instead of putting her food in it but to her credit she actually tried to not bite me. I had done some experimental bite inhibition training with her as a baby but I didn't think it would actually work. She's a hognose though and they don't have the same type of feeding reflex that some snakes do and she's a sample size of one though so I do not know how frequently they learn this. Also she's been formally trained by me as a cognition model which means she's had pretty extensive training overall.
I announce myself when I visit my snake room and then as I open each drawer, I talk to each of them, calling them by name and asking them questions. I figure that if they can hear, then they must have some recognition of certain voices and maybe have gotten used to mine. They never seem startled and several of them (I have 26) come to the front of their bins and want to come out. The rats are another story...
I am very impressed at how you reacted when you were bitten. So cool and mellow 😎. When my snakes bite me, it’s like a damned molten chainsaw punching a million tiny holes into me, and I scream like a bitch 🫤.
Great video thank you for the advice. I have a trinket snake who I've had for coming up to a year and I just wanted to know how or even if I can prevent being bit and how would I know if she would bite me
I suspect the real reason the audio was messed up is b/c Kent screamed like Dickinson in # of the Beast, & hauled ass outta there! ;);) Oh, and I enjoyed that line... "They like to keep hope alive". Hey Bob, some of us just really like food ya know... like... could be one of our favorite things:) BTW, I want to see what Kent looks like as he enters your home. Does he have a sneak peek routine just to see if your setting him up for a fall. LOL
Bob, Eko played you. You were on the menu. Sorry you got bit, but this is the perfect food response bite video. Not a defensive bite at all. She was confidently holding on and like, "Mine!, your going in my belly." How long does it take for her to realize, darn it, your not food and release?
Thank you for the video and all the useful information. I have Kenyan sand, boas and it’s hard not to startle them when they’re always hidden. What would you suggest I do to keep them tame?
Sooo I’m curious…. How did you snake proof your room to allow them to roam, without going somewhere you can never find them again…? Sorry if this is a repeated question, I have just found your channel a few weeks ago and I kinda like how you allow them to free roam. Thanks for answering my question… could you do a video on this subject?
Good video thx! I am now trying the being near but not always handing to continue building trust. My baby is well socialized & would like to keep it that way as he grows….thx!
My boa gets like an angry teenager if we are even one day late feeding! He will unplug his heater (which has an alarm) and he pushes his substrate into piles making bare spots all over!
My issue is that my BP never comes out until it’s very late. Might see her head poke out briefly, but she’s very happy in her hide. If I don’t move her hide and pick her up, she will never get any socialising. I try to make sure she sees me changing her water, and I tidy up her vivarium and move things around, but the choice based handling doesn’t seem an option sadly. I do worry that I’m making her safe place not feel safe
I've had this same problem. My first BP that I got seems to be a fluke -- she's got multiple hides but she's still out and about surprisingly often, so I've never had to take her out of a hide to interact with her. I ended up getting two more, I guess kind of with the unconscious assumption that they'd be like her (despite hearing that many of them stay in their hides all day and only come out at night). Unfortunately, they're both hiders. Although when I've interacted with them, like if I have to take them out to add water to their substrate or do some cleaning and stuff, they've both been really sweet and chill. But still, like you said, I never want to feel like our only interactions all start with me disrupting them from their hides. I saw someone suggest once to put a dirty (i.e. worn) t-shirt or something in their enclosure, that way they can get used to your smell more in a way where they're still comfortable and in their safe space, ya know? I tried that with my older male (who apparently used to be super social, according to his previous owner), and I noticed that the next day when I went in to change his water, he actually came out of his hide to check out what I was doing (which was quite a surprise). So I can't guarantee that that works, but it may at least help a little bit, in terms of getting them more used to your scent in a safe and stress-free way.
Don't worry! Mine is the same. Her favorite time to come out of her hide and roam her terrarium is between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Always has been like this. That means if I did choice based handling I would never even touch her😂 I just handle her like I handle all my other pets. I just take her out when I want to handle her . I have had her now for 2years and she is totally o.k. with it. A snake can also learn easily that nothing bad happens when it is woken up and lifted.😀
hi bob, i had a quesiton for you! i was planning on getting a ball python this summer and have done plently of research on them. i couldnt however find any videos on a very specific and odd question - do i need to keep my room a certain temperature for the snake? like besides heating the enclosure (obviously). i tend to keep my room rather cold - between 56 and 69 F° - otherwise i can have medical episodes. i have an enclosure set up that can maintain proper temperatures for the snake, but i also wanted to allow him to free roam. would this be a problem?
@GreenRoomPythons thank you! can I still have him out and being handled for an hour or so? this is going to be my first reptile and I'm rather paranoid 😅
@@itsrene___ yes, short handling sessions would be fine in that temperature, just make sure the snake has a solid basking spot to warm up in after being handled
Hey Bob Big fan of yours. Love your channel! Have a question. Not sure if this can be done but it would be great if you had a some kind of clinic that we can send pics of our snakes for advice from you. I know you’re not a veterinarian however I’m sure you know as much or even more than some veterinarians. Reason I ask is I have a ball Python that has developed some discoloration on some of her scales on her head. Would be great to send a picture to you for your thoughts on it.
I always tell people to see a vet because there's no way for me to diagnose a snake just from a picture, plus I don't have the training and background to do a diagnosis. I will say though, that generally scale discoloration, especially on top of the snake, will correct itself on their next shed - but if you're concerned about it, always see a vet.
Thanks Bob. Ya at the end of the day going to a veterinarian would be my last resort however that being said and not patting you on the back here , but I bet you know way more on topics like this than most veterinarians in my area. I appreciate your feedback at once again love your channel. I will keep an eye on my snake and see if it corrects itself next shed.
I got my first ball python 2 weeks ago 12/14/24, the card she came with says she was hatched in May, but when I weighed her she only weighed 129g. Something is not adding up, I need advice. She also has a fantastic appetite, she has eaten twice for me so far with no issues
I sent a message a couple weeks ago about my ball. I work with him by just talking to him when he is out of his hide . He is still very shy and fearful and hasn't bit me yet but he is always in a s position when I talk to him. He does start tongue flicking and then will relax his head on himself. Where I move he is watching the entire time. For a ball he is food motivated. When it's feeding time he will come right out of his hide and takes the rat within 1 sec. He waste no time . I haven't put my hand in yet for him to flick on yet. Am I doing the right thing by just talking to him . He has thought about coming closer to me as his door is open while I talk to him.( He moves a few inches towards me. )
Off topic, sorry, but I thought I‘d post this here rather than on an old video where fewer people would probably read it. My „reptile guy“ told me that his „normal“ ball pythons were much better eaters than the morph ones. Do you have any experience or any thoughts on that subject? I‘ve never heard that yesterday, but I guess it kind of makes sense with more potential inbreeding or something?
Excellent points! Been working with a few of our skittish corns and noticed that handling frequency doesn’t always produce a calmer snake. There are other factors to consider as you mentioned. Good info as always!
I don't know why my brain processes seeing a python bite like that traumatic, but it kinda does. They look like and are powerful snakes and I'm a chicken! My biggest is a gopher snake that might hit 6', but he got a little head and different teefs. Anyway, RIP. No way Kent survived an encounter with that beast.
Hello! I am a new snake mom and have a western hognose. He is a 4 year old male and was previously a breeding snake. I am not sure how much he was handled before but I would like to get him more comfortable in his new space. The current cage he is in makes a lot of noise when you open it and then he gets scared and I get nervous to be in his space. What is the best way to ease him into his new life if he is startled by noise? I have thought of getting a black box enclosure to make life easier hoping that's the answer. He is also always seeking to go out the top (does this mean anything?) Thank you all in advance for your knowledge!
Snakes don't hear very well so it's not the noise but they do pick up on vibration. A cage that opens with less commotion in general would probably be helpful. I have a number of videos on this channel about socialization which will probably help
@ I will be too probably on Saturday would be so cool if I ran into you. My girlfriend and I use your educational aspect and if someone asks us questions we can’t answer we always send them to your channel because you’ve probably covered it.
I’m trying to figure out what kind of heat and lighting to use for my ball pythons tank I have a 50 gallon tank and she is about 1 foot and a half to 2 feet long it’s a little overkill for her size but I I’m thinking of using a uvb light then DHP for heat since they don’t provide light so she can have a day night cycle
@@GreenRoomPythonsI’m also trying to figure out what to feed her because I got her on December 9 so 3 weeks ago and she has been hiding alot not wanting to move around I have no idea how old she is I got her from PetSmart and they told me to feed her pinkies but those are only about the size of her head so I’m wondering to feed her small sized jumbo mice, something the size of her stomach
Hey buddy you should make a video on a what to do when a ball python bites you I have two my baby YB pastel fire cool as a fan but my big buy my cinnamon spider he is a cool but he is scared so you have to be really slow and quiet and I’ve had him quite a long time but I think it’s the spider that is why he is so shy and scared all the time once I get him used to me and he flick a bit at me and on me I can pick him up and he is the chillest ever
I have an adult ball python and I’ve only had him for about a month, this Wednesday, and I make sure to clean and shift things around In his enclosure. He doesn’t hide when I’m near. Sometimes he’s asleep when I’m moving things around. Other times, he’s wide awake and he allows me to shift things around, without running away. I can see he’s beginning to not only trust me, it appears he is not threatened. I pay attention to his body language and I watch your videos to make sure I am providing a safe environment for him. He has helped me access a different level of patience. So I’m not at the point of trying to force him to interact with me. I’d much rather let him decide when he’s ready.
That’s so cool. I love it when someone is in tune with their snek
Dan looks SO happy sitting in his plant 😂😂😂
when Kent goes back to filming freakin gets me every time lmaooo. thanks for the vid
The "if you see me, that doesn't mean food," point is very important. My girl learned that lesson when we started a new schedule, I learned what a bite felt like too. That's the only time we've ever had a misunderstanding to that level
Love these types of videos ! My relationship with my snakes has improved a lot since I started watching your videos
I have a 5 month old BP that I had since he was 2 months old. My very first snake. He bit and hissed at me multiple times on the first day, but never again after that. I watched a lot of your videos and understood that I shouldn’t handle him for a couple of weeks as a baby. Now, he “likes” to come out and explore. When I’m changing his water, I don’t interact with him but he’ll pop his head out to see what’s going on. When I work from home, he’ll hang out around my neck or on my desk. I learned when he tenses up or I can see him breathing hard, he’s stressed so I’ll put him back. I don’t handle him everyday but I’m glad he’s learning I’m not a threat lol
Good video. From the scientific perspective, most aspects of socialization, shyness, etc, that is discussed in captive environments can be explained in studies of plasma-corticosterone response. Basically: stress events can create an elevated baseline response, maintained by a higher level of the hormone in the blood. During this time, behavior can change in a variety of ways, depending on species and situation. Given time, they can revert to a more normal level, and act morel like a wild snake. So it's not bad for them, and more or less just what you described here.
This is why the venomous keepers who "read their behavior" are so dangerously wrong, overestimating their understanding and abilities.
That's a great scientific explanation. Thanks for that!... Also, i have an idea for an AZ herping adventure. Maybe we can collab :-)
I agree with 99.9% of what you said. My snakes are "working" animals in that they interact with lots of people. When they are young they are exposed to a lot of different people scents, so they don't freak out when they meet new people.... and the people they are going to meet are warned not to wear strong scents like perfumes, so they smell peopley... pretty much the same sort of methods with different stimuli....
The 0.1% is, I would normally agree with you that snakes would rather not be handled, except for this one ball python I have. He really likes my wife... and I mean really likes her. Understand I do all of the feeding, all of the maintenance, almost all of the training with all our snakes, but whenever she comes around, as soon as he smells her scent he will come up to the glass of his enclosure to look for her... it I open the enclosure, he will immediately come out and interact with her, hang out with her for hours, and he's very reluctant to be put away. It's the strangest thing, and the only time I've seen this.
This is really cool.
My boa acts the same way with me! My husband does all of the husbandry and feeding (I take control of changing water and keeping humidity levels where they need to be) it’s like if he even hears (or shall I say feels) my voice it’s like he is looking for me! My husband and I are the only people he’s been in contact with the past 5 years we’ve had him. He’s just a Momma’s boy!
Lol! Bindi is always in food mode. Right after she eats…food mode. It’s day time…food mode. Night time…food mode. In she’d…food mode. My daughter was here for Xmas & Bindi was very intrigued with her. Lots of tongue flicking and not hesitant at all. That was new and really nice to see. It made Cyonna feel special🥰
Is Bindi a Boa? I know my boa would eat every single day if I offered it to him!
I have so much respect for you Bob, getting bit happens to the best of us, and you're proof. For the record, I too can't break out of food mode especially when there's a porterhouse steak anywhere in my house 😉❤️🐍
😅😅
Kent had me crying when he said put on a blindfold and walk to the edge of the cliff 😂😂😂
Great video Bob! I used to think that l was a bad keeper as l for a short time got lured into believing that handling snakes at any given time and slinging them round your shoulders whenever you wanted was "normal" - while I clearly saw that my snakes were telling me a very different story. Thank you for all your great videos, and l wish you and your snakes a very happy and healthy new year!
Newbie snek momma here but Ive had my bp Nagi for 2.5 months and his engagement level seems to follow my lead. When I have interacted with him he comes out when I come to his tank, and when I did no stimulation when he went off food to ensure he wasnt stressed, he stayed in his hides all the time. The day after I spent a little time with him (after he had gotten back on food consistently and was recovered from shedding) hes back to being interested when I come to his tank again ❤ I love my noodley boi! 🐍
I had no idea their slower realization times! That's good to know.
I just wanted to tell you that I love your videos! I stumbled upon them about a year ago when I was wanting to get a ball python and they are so invaluable. Keep making them. I look forward to your videos each week
Thanks so much, I'm glad you enjoy them!
Forget the handshake, I go straight for the hug! LOL!! Great, great vid by the way - I love these types of videos ❤
I enjoy all your videos and I have a mail ball Python I got him when he was four months old. He’s a year now and he’s very very docile. Very nice to me. What I do is I’ll pick him up slowly and just let him roam around my bed to know my room more
Choice handling is always the best! Mine are babies so that usually means me grabbing them gently. But, when they are bigger and older, I assume they will come out and more.
I have a boa and when I first got him he was 9 months old. I handled him daily. He would lay in a blanket on the couch with me for a couple of hours every evening! Now he is almost 6 years old and he will resist us at all cause from be picked up (a couple of times a month I can open his enclosure while sitting on a stool and he will crawl out onto me) In my case the older he got the less we were able to handle him (mainly because he would grab onto to things!) I know it’s natural for him to resist. Now when he does it takes both my husband and I to get him out! I am hoping that once we have him in his bigger enclosure it will be easier! He’s over 7’ of solid muscle! He can hook onto something just using his head and it’s near impossible to get him off of whatever he’s grabbed onto!
Hey Bob, we enjoyed the very detailed info. Luna would benefit from that. Thanks. So good to see you last week.
Hope you're feeling better mom!
More Pip videos please. Seeing Dan in his favorite plant is so sweet.
Thanks Kent and Bob!
We have 3 bp, all different ages. My baby I handle about once a day but his enclosure is in my bedroom/office area. I great him every morning by speaking to him and I tell him goodnight. He sees and hears me throughout the day. We also practice tap training.
The always entertaining Kent lol.
Thanks for another great, Bob. Doing as much research as I can before I, hopefully, pick up my first snake at the next expo in March.
I do not have a snake
But your lessons have been helpful with other animals
Thank you
I'm currently going through an 'unsocialised' patch woth my corn snake. I boarded him and he ended up missing for 6 months. He is very fearful when being handled now (he whips his body and tail and hides in areas of his viv where he knows we cant reach him). I hope that we will be able to handle him again one day, but for now we're letting him settle into his home again. Thanks for the video 😊
Great Kent intro.
I definitely need to work on patients on the choice thing. I'll do it before I go to work with my BPs. It's a cozy room so I can sit in one place and reach all 3 4x2x2 enclosures.
Waited for the horde of keepers... And didn't see my name 😢 I'll wait for the next video 😂, as always another great video Bob 😁
If you joined on one of the paid tears as of a couple weeks ago, it should be on there
@@GreenRoomPythons Yeah, joined the infallible den of husbandry, but not sure it was three weeks ago might only be two weeks ago 😊 getting ahead of myself, the main thing is it's another great video! I'm going to put my self centeredness away for a while haha ❤
@beckleyland1033 these update every time I edit a video, but this one was done a couple weeks ago so it may have been right before you joined
I noticed this with my baby ball python; she’s been enjoying coming out daily and exploring, and didn’t mind me picking her up to do all this. Yesterday her body language read that she rather I didn’t touch her, so I just let her explore and do her thing, and only stepped in when she was about to fall off a potted plant (some aren’t nearly strong enough to even support a baby BP crawling through them) and she seemed way happier with that than with me handling her
This was amazingly informative video on snakes. I noticed a-lot of snake owners apply human emotion and attributes to their snakes. They dont wrap their heads around the fact reptiles tolerate humans they dont feel love as say a dog does.
We love our snakes, our snakes dont love us.
Great information and good vibes! Love your videos. Super helpful, thank you!
Great topic, thanks for doing this one. Didn't realize how much I missed Kent 😂 Great job!
Glad you liked it!
I have several colubrid species, which I think tend to be a bit flightier than pythons or boas. Most are pretty chill about being picked up, but I still make sure there are times I open their cages just to lift up the hide some, let them see me and flick at me, then put it back down. I also vary the amount of time I hold them when I do get them out. Sometimes it's just a quick hello, let them run through my hands a couple times and tongue flick my shirt, then back in the cage. Other times it is a 15-20 minute walk around the house or outside in the yard. Maybe it makes a difference, maybe it doesn't.
Great info! Bookmarking in case I ever get a snake ☺️
Dude your intros always crack me up
Thank you!
@@GreenRoomPythons Of course brother!!! All the love! Thanks for these kinds of videos! Very useful for anyone who has snakes or wants one!
LOL - at the end of the video, the boa looked like he was aiming at your head & thinkin' about it. 😄
I swear to Medusa, snake lovers are the epitome of "understanding consent".
Love this channel so much.
I'm glad you enjoy it!
I lost my crested gecko for about a month and one day she turned up on the shower curtain. But she was never the same again. She went from being tame and curious and wanting to come out of her enclosure all the time to constantly being bitey and flighty. I ended up rehoming her when I moved from TX to NJ. I don't know if she ever calmed down.
😢
why rehome? You were negligent and almost lost your pet that depends on you and then you have up on her? I hope you don't have other pets. How utterly sad for the gecko
@gamer8622 why remove a pet who had lost its trust with an owner who didn't trust the pet to where the pet and the owner had a chance for better relationships AND spare it a cross-country move? Real mystery /s. I hope you get some empathy for the new year. And I'm going to stop engaging with trolls as my resolution.
@reelburke no. Stop painting this as some righteous thing. She let her gecko escape and almost die and instead of building trust again, she got rid of it. That's disgusting. I have plenty of empathy, but not for ppl like her. I clearly feel for the animal.
@@gamer8622sometimes people can't take their pets with them when moving because of state Laws or the general difficulties tht comes with it also how stressful it is for the animal.
Got my first ball python a month ago. She’s 6 months old and really shy/timid. Gotta give her time to get used to handling
I got 3 snakes and they get a few different kinds of human-exposure.
1.
I offer semi-free-roam .Depending on the snake they get access to areas of the room, to explore at free will where they can return back into their enclosure on their own. I keep a very close eye on them during that time.
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My rosyboa usually just wants to chill next to the window and watch the outdoors.
My hognose usually wants to watch the movie I am watching, which is the coolest time because she will let me to anything with her as long as it doesn't block her view. Sometimes she also wants to watch the ants in the antfarm. Sometimes she even slides onto my lap for a nap.
My 2 year old bredli has no real interest in semifreeroam yet, but she gets it offered.
2.
Outdoortime! I take my transportbox/bag which can be turned into a hide with a fabric-gaze-enclosure, a chair, a tempgun and at least one hide, to chill in the courtyard. There we chill with the snake either on my lap or in the transportbag until they signal it's time to go back inside.
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My rosyboa only really shows interest in staying outside when there are ppl he gets to touch, so he doesn't get a lot og outdoortime.
My hognose turns into a total lapdog. She just losely curls up on my lap, watching the world, unbothered by touch and sometimes falls fast asleep.
My bredli prefers the transportbag, but she occassionally comes out to toungeflick me or ppl I am sitting with, considers whether or not a lap it a safe spot and then usually retreats to the transportbag.
3.
do stuff in their enclosure without directly interacting with them. Which includes redecorating half their enclosure to give them new stuff.
All three of them love exploring new stuff as long as their currently favorite spots stay untouched.
4.
Touching inside the enclosure without pickup.
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The rosy couldn't care less and just pushes me away with minimal effort if its to much. If I do it with a wet, slightly warm towel, then he will shove his face into it and lets me rub him. He also loves drinking water from a held glass more than from his waterbowl, even if his waterbowl is freshly cleaned and filled.
The hoggy let's me know befor I open the enclsoure what her mood is. If it's a very tolerant mood I pet her in her enclsoure, ideally with chinrubs because she tolerates those the longest.
The bredli is almost always looking for food, so 70% of the time I open the enclosure she comes running, checking for food. So the first minute is just me holding my hand in, letting her come closer and check it out. Once she notices it's not food she usually turns away. Sometimes I boop her snoot, but never befor letting her figure out that I am not food.
5.
Handling. Sometimes I just really wanna hold my snakes, check which one is in the most tolerant mood, get a cuddleblanket and improve my mood. Sometimes they take a lot of time to go back into their enclosure, or just put half ther body back on my arm. So I dare hope my handling doesn't bother them to much as long as I respect their moods.
6.
simply being in the room.
Their enclosures are in the livingroom. They see me several hours a day just doing my thing without paying attention to them.
I think one of the best things I have done with my defensive ball female is open her enclosure and just do "stuff". She's learning that I am safe and not just a food delivery system. Target training has also helped a ton, however she is not the best at it yet. She killed three homemade disks. So we are using a lollypop style now and letting her get her excitement out before she gets food. He hit the target 3 times today and didn't launch herself 3 feet over the prey!
We do 75% choice-based with the younger male. He asks (very incessantly) to be out most nights. But he can move out and onto a cat tree without being touched. He usually crawls onto my daughter. She's his person. He will even seek out her laundry or blanket when she's not there.
But Ssusan also stays in food mode for about 12 hours. So we have an agreement that she has to stay in her enclosure and I don't mess with anything until the next day. My thumb got tired of being a rat substitute.
And I have a Question! If you feed in the morning and your snake is in it's "out" spot that evening, do you let them roam? We let the guy out. Minimal handling other than putting away. Never had a regurgitation but wow..folks are angry when I say I allow him out after eating.
Don’t you just love the comments you get sometimes from people! I just laugh! Not every snake reacts the same in certain situations! While I typically leave my boa be for a couple of days after feeding (he’s typically in his warm end hide digesting anyway) that’s my decision. You do you! You know your snake better than anyone!
Don’t you just love the comments you get sometimes from people! I just laugh! Not every snake reacts the same in certain situations! While I typically leave my boa be for a couple of days after feeding (he’s typically in his warm end hide digesting anyway) that’s my decision. You do you! You know your snake better than anyone!
And what is this target training? I’ll have to look for a video. I assume it’s to help the snake actually hit their meal when they strike at feeding. I know my boa has had several misses lately (which I don’t know how it misses an XL rat (f/t)! I’m sure he’s given himself several headaches from striking and hitting the side of the enclosure instead of the rat dangling in front of him! I hate when it happens! He shakes his head something awful!
Love your video!! I am a subscriber for life now!! My boa’s enclosure is in one of my spare bedrooms (I’m an empty nester. While most empty nester make a craft room or man cave out of an empty bedroom, I change a guest room into a room for my boa!) anyway, every time I’m upstairs I peek in his room. When he finally wakes up at night I go in his room and open the enclosure and put my fist up to him to let him smell me, then I give him a little rub on top of his head. Usually he will back away and I know that means he doesn’t want bothered. Now if he S’s up on me and does not back away I know that time to close up his enclosure! (I’ve been bit 1 time in the 5 years I’ve had him. He was only maybe 3’ then. He’s over 7’ now so I’m sure a bite would really hurt now!) As I just mentioned he is over 7’. His enclosure is 6’ long. I’ve discovered that the only time he wants to leave his enclosure is when he is due for a poop💩! He will crawl out onto me and I usually let him crawl around for about 15-20 mins on my bed (it’s usually the middle of the night). When he curls up either on me or against me I know it’s time to put him back (it’s like he’s thanking me!) He will typically 💩 with the next 12 hours. And sometimes he just wants out to roam! I’ve noticed that whoever the one is that takes him out of the enclosure (either me or my husband) that is the person he tends to want to be with. If I take him out and give him to my husband, he comes right back to me!
I was excited when I came across this video because I call my boa my gentle giant and I always hope he stays that way! Turns out that all of the advice you have given, I am already doing! Yay! We are in the process of making him a bigger enclosure; one that is 8x4x4. I hope he likes it! Right now he has the 6x2x2 and only has 2 hides and a water bowl. With his size that doesn’t leave much room to stretch out!
By the way, if anyone knows if they make one of those rock like hides for a snake 7-8’ long, please let me know! I have what is referred to as a turtle hide on one end and one of the black plastic hides on the other end, but I prefer a more natural look! His turtle hide is an XXL and he has that filled to capacity! He’s almost 6 years old so he should grow much more. I think he about maxed out his length! They told me he would get to 5-5 1/2’. He’s a common boa. Pastel het Blood
"You can't comeoutnif you're gunna act like that that, that’s not cool; you already bit me today! We’re gunna talk about that…” 😭
😅😅
Hi. I just discovered this channel. I have a corn snake, but I have had ball pythons and love all snakes.
My snakes lift their tail in the air when I pick them up (not all of them). I think it's plenty of contact and making sure your helping them get what they want as much as possible.
Before mine got too long for it to be comfortable for her I would put my hand down she'd wrap her tail around part of my hand and then let me scoop her, but as she got longer even this became uncomfortable and her behaviors made that pretty clear.
Great video, Bob, I also like this type of videos. The other night when I was taking pictures of Maxine, I noticed the shutter noise makes her jump back, so I just mute it now
That may have been a coincidence. Snakes don't have good hearing and probably would not be able to hear the shutter noise
Most points you're good on, and some of your past videos have helped me work with a snake who was mistreated before I adopted her. I'm going to disagree all snakes never enjoy being picked up. I might have misunderstood as consent based handling is based on snakes mutually wanting to interact. Many snakes might not like being picked up, but my Scoria will wait for me nearly every morning to be picked up. (not on days after feeding where she just wants to sleep and digest.) It's a routine for us, I pick her up and then we spend a half hour to an hour just snuggling with each other. I use to wait for her to slither over to me and into my hand, but it's no secret at this point we both enjoy spending our mornings with each other- if her sister is out she's pretty insistent on getting alone time with me. (I can't blame her, I dote on her and tell her why she is wonderful and she does slow intensely happy tongue flicks.) I'm not sure if you are one of the folks who think snakes only tolerate being pet and will never enjoy it- but that's completely wrong as not only do some snakes pet each other (my hognoses do this) but my snake will communicate with me to ask to be pet. I have a video of her doing this on my channel as some didn't believe me - if I stop gently petting her she will begin to pet herself with her chin then look expectantly at me. Sometimes after I pet her she will pet me too - I haven't seen this specific behavior in other snakes so I think it might be something she learned while adapting her natural behavior (normally they pet each other with their full body for a number of reasons. Babies do this to their moms and friends, even adult snakes will do this as part of their reproductive activities.)
Anyway, aside from her enjoying snuggle time and being pet, I worked incredibly hard at creating a positive association with being picked up. It's like if you have a child that hates car rides- if most of the time car rides take you to the park, suddenly car rides are great! With my snake, being picked up means good things happen- usually enrichment activity time. Climbing on vines, exploring a box of cork bark, seeing new things she's never seen before, playing in crumpled up wrapping paper... These things are just the best!
Maybe most snakes don't like being picked up most of the time, but not all snakes dislike it all of the time. My baby girl is living proof, and I'm sure there are many others who look forward to the time they spend with their pet human who puts their needs and happiness first
I'm at home most days and I am always in and out of the reptile room, the snakes are not always out but I like to sit and talk to them so they know I'm there. I don't pick them up unless I need to, we let them make their own decision on whether or not they want to come out. Our new 5 month girl is very active when we are in her room (quarantine) she more often than not will try and climb on our hand if we open her cage, it appears she reacts to our voices, if I just sit and don't speak she will generally just have a peek but stay in her hide but if I start talking she will come out up to the glass. She's seems happy to just climb on our hands and relax, she does not seem worried, again she chooses to climb on our hands. Our 6 year old is a bit less confidant but will come out if I open her cage, sometimes just half of her body and then other times completely out, however, she doesn't seem overly threatened if I need to lift her out but I always make sure she knows I'm there rather than just grab her with my big monkey hands.
My boy Apollo stays in food mode. Every time I enter the room he pops out of this hide ready to eat. I talk to him and do my water changes and cleaning and he just slips back inside and I’m certain rolls his eyes. I just got him in Nov and I’m beginning to notice him watching me during the day when I’m working. I think he feels safe with me. Just slightly disgruntled that I don’t have rats everyday 😂
I’m still working on choice based handling but he only comes out at night and that limits the amount of choice based interaction we can get. I feel we have an unspoken agreement that I will only grab him out if he’s in a particular spot (separate from his warm and cool hide). It’s a good spot because its one of the only places I’m not coming directly at him to pick him up. I feel that’s the closest I can get to him being willing for socialization aside from choice based. I guess I’m hoping he’ll build an association with it like “she always bothers me when I’m here so if I don’t want her to bother me I should pick a different spot.” I notice some days when he’s not there but I’m around in the room, the next day he’ll be in that spot. Maybe it’s in my head but I like to think we’re on the same page haha.
That intro is hilarious😂
My take away is that Stella has a fear of werewolves
You got it!
So funny to see a young Bob on an episode of Good Luck Charlie 😂😂
😅😉
@GreenRoomPythons Like literally had to rewind it because I was like, "Wait is that... he sounds like.... (squinting) IT IS!!!" 🤣🤣
I have one that perks up when he sees me and will always crawl out on me. In fact if he's watching a rat at meal time and sees me, he stops watching the rat and crawls out to me. And he won't eat frozen so I feel like I need to be at least nearby.
Wow! Bear is amazing as well!
glad I found you - I havent had a snake since the Y2K era, and my daughter BEGGED Santa for a ball python.
There is a LOT of new information out there, and right now I'm watching you instead of Squid Game Season 2.
What does Kent think about the new Squid Game?
Hey Bob! I was eager to see your next video. As always I enjoy very much your approach, thinking process and advices.
Last week I got a new snake. It's a beautiful African File Snake (Limaformosa Crossi or previously Melehya Crossi) that is unfortunately a wild caught animal (there's no breeders of this very still unknown species where I live, and I couldn't let her sit in that small rack...). All of this to say that she came with a few scars and bruises (recent ones too), and I suspect a possible start of scale rot. Now the problem is, scale rot early stages or possible forms are really hard to find on good pictures on the internet, and descriptions are sometimes contradictory.
Also I've tried to feed her frozen thawed preys that she refused so far. I'm not too worry because my timing was a bit bad, I need to let her settle down a bit more but I wanted to try anyways (and the preys don't go wasted because I give them to my other snake). Anyways, little challenges in my husbandry skills because it's easy to keep a snake healthy when it is healthy, but a bit more complicated to heal it when it's needed. I thought one of these topics (how to find good reliable info on health care for those who don't live in a country super adapted to snakes and vets are not super trained, or how to help transitioning live/thawed) could be interested to cover if you have any tips.
God I love Kent. Thanks for the info. I have found with mine, like Handsome Dan they will come around and even crawl from the floor up near me. In a year and a half Ive only been but once and it was own stupidity sticking my hand under a stand and my poor BEL was so startled he bit me and himself. Then just wrapped around me and hid his head in my hair. Poor guy.
How do a make a room completely safe for my bp to free roam? I know I can't at the moment because it's my bedroom he's in, but I would really like to at least know how I can make it more safe for him.
I have a couple videos on that exact subject. Just search the channel and you'll see them
Continuous reinforcements necessary in the majority of species including cats and dogs. If an animal goes through something traumatic or is socially isolated for an extended period of time they usually do not come out unscathed unfortunately. Sometimes I feel like people forget these are living creatures with actual independence thinking minds. I always enjoy seeing when somebody decides to make a video just to remind everyone of this 😁
.... Also the news that an animal with a really long extended spine that is super flappy does not like being randomly lifted off the ground with no anchor points is amazing. I can't imagine why that would be a thing that is unpleasant for them 😂. I do think there are ones that are cool with being offered a lift out, but I'm pretty sure most of them would prefer not to have to go through the lift procedure, especially as they get longer. Mine was okay with it while she was short but once she started to get a bit longer it bothered her more and I'm working on building a side door so she does not have to crawl up my arm anymore cuz I can tell that it makes her uncomfortable.
Every bite I've ever had is because I'm managing something else at the same time or somebody just sort of hands me a snake when I'm not expecting it😂 oh no wait there was once when I was experiencing had tremors where I shoved my hand in my snake's mouth instead of putting her food in it but to her credit she actually tried to not bite me. I had done some experimental bite inhibition training with her as a baby but I didn't think it would actually work. She's a hognose though and they don't have the same type of feeding reflex that some snakes do and she's a sample size of one though so I do not know how frequently they learn this. Also she's been formally trained by me as a cognition model which means she's had pretty extensive training overall.
I announce myself when I visit my snake room and then as I open each drawer, I talk to each of them, calling them by name and asking them questions. I figure that if they can hear, then they must have some recognition of certain voices and maybe have gotten used to mine. They never seem startled and several of them (I have 26) come to the front of their bins and want to come out. The rats are another story...
I am very impressed at how you reacted when you were bitten. So cool and mellow 😎. When my snakes bite me, it’s like a damned molten chainsaw punching a million tiny holes into me, and I scream like a bitch 🫤.
Great video thank you for the advice. I have a trinket snake who I've had for coming up to a year and I just wanted to know how or even if I can prevent being bit and how would I know if she would bite me
I suspect the real reason the audio was messed up is b/c Kent screamed like Dickinson in # of the Beast, & hauled ass outta there! ;);) Oh, and I enjoyed that line... "They like to keep hope alive". Hey Bob, some of us just really like food ya know... like... could be one of our favorite things:) BTW, I want to see what Kent looks like as he enters your home. Does he have a sneak peek routine just to see if your setting him up for a fall. LOL
Bob, Eko played you. You were on the menu. Sorry you got bit, but this is the perfect food response bite video. Not a defensive bite at all. She was confidently holding on and like, "Mine!, your going in my belly." How long does it take for her to realize, darn it, your not food and release?
Yes of course, Eko has never defensively bit me. It's always a food response. It takes a minute or two usually before she lets go
for a half a second, Kent's beard tie looked like a zip tie and now I can't unsee it
Thank you for the video and all the useful information. I have Kenyan sand, boas and it’s hard not to startle them when they’re always hidden. What would you suggest I do to keep them tame?
Sooo I’m curious…. How did you snake proof your room to allow them to roam, without going somewhere you can never find them again…? Sorry if this is a repeated question, I have just found your channel a few weeks ago and I kinda like how you allow them to free roam. Thanks for answering my question… could you do a video on this subject?
I have several videos on the subject. Just do a search on my channel and you'll find videos on how to snake proof a room for free roaming
@ Perfect thank you! Keep up the great content. I’ve definitely been learning from you.
Good video thx! I am now trying the being near but not always handing to continue building trust. My baby is well socialized & would like to keep it that way as he grows….thx!
Can you show us how you make a sky hide and how you install it in the enclosure?
It's just a bracket that you can buy from reptile basics and it screws to the top of the cage
@GreenRoomPythons oh ok. I'll Google it
i have to constantly fix the plants my boy mushu knocks over
My boa gets like an angry teenager if we are even one day late feeding! He will unplug his heater (which has an alarm) and he pushes his substrate into piles making bare spots all over!
Me to my snakes: I paid for you, so “yoink” 😂
Great video, as always. How do you get Handsome Dan out of the plant?
Thanks, glad you liked it! I just pick him up when I'm ready to put him back in his cage :-)
Should have said "slither away" in the beginning there😂😂
echo, stella, and maya know that the probability of you having food EVERY time you see them is low, but never zero.
Dolly is absolutely, undeniably gorgeous!
My issue is that my BP never comes out until it’s very late. Might see her head poke out briefly, but she’s very happy in her hide. If I don’t move her hide and pick her up, she will never get any socialising. I try to make sure she sees me changing her water, and I tidy up her vivarium and move things around, but the choice based handling doesn’t seem an option sadly. I do worry that I’m making her safe place not feel safe
Check out the video I posted on November 4th. And addresses that exact issue
I've had this same problem. My first BP that I got seems to be a fluke -- she's got multiple hides but she's still out and about surprisingly often, so I've never had to take her out of a hide to interact with her.
I ended up getting two more, I guess kind of with the unconscious assumption that they'd be like her (despite hearing that many of them stay in their hides all day and only come out at night). Unfortunately, they're both hiders.
Although when I've interacted with them, like if I have to take them out to add water to their substrate or do some cleaning and stuff, they've both been really sweet and chill. But still, like you said, I never want to feel like our only interactions all start with me disrupting them from their hides.
I saw someone suggest once to put a dirty (i.e. worn) t-shirt or something in their enclosure, that way they can get used to your smell more in a way where they're still comfortable and in their safe space, ya know?
I tried that with my older male (who apparently used to be super social, according to his previous owner), and I noticed that the next day when I went in to change his water, he actually came out of his hide to check out what I was doing (which was quite a surprise).
So I can't guarantee that that works, but it may at least help a little bit, in terms of getting them more used to your scent in a safe and stress-free way.
Don't worry! Mine is the same. Her favorite time to come out of her hide and roam her terrarium is between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.
Always has been like this.
That means if I did choice based handling I would never even touch her😂
I just handle her like I handle all my other pets.
I just take her out when I want to handle her .
I have had her now for 2years and she is totally o.k. with it.
A snake can also learn easily that nothing bad happens when it is woken up and lifted.😀
hi bob, i had a quesiton for you! i was planning on getting a ball python this summer and have done plently of research on them. i couldnt however find any videos on a very specific and odd question - do i need to keep my room a certain temperature for the snake? like besides heating the enclosure (obviously). i tend to keep my room rather cold - between 56 and 69 F° - otherwise i can have medical episodes. i have an enclosure set up that can maintain proper temperatures for the snake, but i also wanted to allow him to free roam. would this be a problem?
That's a little cold for the snake to free roam in but as long as their enclosure is the right temperature, it will be fine in that room.
@GreenRoomPythons thank you! can I still have him out and being handled for an hour or so? this is going to be my first reptile and I'm rather paranoid 😅
@@itsrene___ yes, short handling sessions would be fine in that temperature, just make sure the snake has a solid basking spot to warm up in after being handled
@GreenRoomPythons thank you so much!! huge fan by the way - your content convinced my parents on getting a snake
Hey Bob
Big fan of yours. Love your channel!
Have a question. Not sure if this can be done but it would be great if you had a some kind of clinic that we can send pics of our snakes for advice from you. I know you’re not a veterinarian however I’m sure you know as much or even more than some veterinarians. Reason I ask is I have a ball Python that has developed some discoloration on some of her scales on her head. Would be great to send a picture to you for your thoughts on it.
I always tell people to see a vet because there's no way for me to diagnose a snake just from a picture, plus I don't have the training and background to do a diagnosis. I will say though, that generally scale discoloration, especially on top of the snake, will correct itself on their next shed - but if you're concerned about it, always see a vet.
Thanks Bob. Ya at the end of the day going to a veterinarian would be my last resort however that being said and not patting you on the back here , but I bet you know way more on topics like this than most veterinarians in my area. I appreciate your feedback at once again love your channel. I will keep an eye on my snake and see if it corrects itself next shed.
I got my first ball python 2 weeks ago 12/14/24, the card she came with says she was hatched in May, but when I weighed her she only weighed 129g. Something is not adding up, I need advice. She also has a fantastic appetite, she has eaten twice for me so far with no issues
Breeders often do the opposite of power feeding for ones they're selling, mine was a similar weight and age when I got her and she's growing fine now.
The snake probably just has not been fed very much. They'll catch up as you feed it appropriately
As far as the bite goes, do you just wait until they release? or help them release?
It doesn't really hurt so I just wait for them to release on their own
Gotta love Kent 😂❤
Great video ❤ where are your enclosures from
Glad you liked it! Black Box Cages. I talk about them and show the discount code mid video :-)
@ I seen lol I commented too soon 😂
I sent a message a couple weeks ago about my ball. I work with him by just talking to him when he is out of his hide . He is still very shy and fearful and hasn't bit me yet but he is always in a s position when I talk to him. He does start tongue flicking and then will relax his head on himself. Where I move he is watching the entire time. For a ball he is food motivated. When it's feeding time he will come right out of his hide and takes the rat within 1 sec. He waste no time . I haven't put my hand in yet for him to flick on yet. Am I doing the right thing by just talking to him . He has thought about coming closer to me as his door is open while I talk to him.( He moves a few inches towards me. )
You might try a little bit of contact at this point
Off topic, sorry, but I thought I‘d post this here rather than on an old video where fewer people would probably read it. My „reptile guy“ told me that his „normal“ ball pythons were much better eaters than the morph ones. Do you have any experience or any thoughts on that subject? I‘ve never heard that yesterday, but I guess it kind of makes sense with more potential inbreeding or something?
No, I wouldn't say that's true at all
I’m looking into getting a ball python strictly as a pet, not for breeding. Do you have a preference on male vs female temperament?
Nope, there's no difference
Excellent points! Been working with a few of our skittish corns and noticed that handling frequency doesn’t always produce a calmer snake. There are other factors to consider as you mentioned. Good info as always!
I don't know why my brain processes seeing a python bite like that traumatic, but it kinda does. They look like and are powerful snakes and I'm a chicken! My biggest is a gopher snake that might hit 6', but he got a little head and different teefs. Anyway, RIP. No way Kent survived an encounter with that beast.
Hello! I am a new snake mom and have a western hognose. He is a 4 year old male and was previously a breeding snake. I am not sure how much he was handled before but I would like to get him more comfortable in his new space. The current cage he is in makes a lot of noise when you open it and then he gets scared and I get nervous to be in his space. What is the best way to ease him into his new life if he is startled by noise? I have thought of getting a black box enclosure to make life easier hoping that's the answer. He is also always seeking to go out the top (does this mean anything?) Thank you all in advance for your knowledge!
Snakes don't hear very well so it's not the noise but they do pick up on vibration. A cage that opens with less commotion in general would probably be helpful. I have a number of videos on this channel about socialization which will probably help
@@GreenRoomPythons Thank you! I have been working through your videos and I appreciate them so much. You have given me so much confidence.
Ive inadvertently target trained my Ball for feeding
Will you be at the reptile expo?
I will be at the Pomona show
@ I will be too probably on Saturday would be so cool if I ran into you. My girlfriend and I use your educational aspect and if someone asks us questions we can’t answer we always send them to your channel because you’ve probably covered it.
What kind of ball is Handsome Dan? Thanks.
Handsome Dan is not a ball python. He is a boa
Thanks for the response.
Do you have a false water cobra? Or do plan to get one?
Nope. I love those snakes but no plans as of now
my ball python it's afraid of everything i can let the window open and she dont get out
I’m trying to figure out what kind of heat and lighting to use for my ball pythons tank I have a 50 gallon tank and she is about 1 foot and a half to 2 feet long it’s a little overkill for her size but I I’m thinking of using a uvb light then DHP for heat since they don’t provide light so she can have a day night cycle
That would probably work well
@@GreenRoomPythonsI’m also trying to figure out what to feed her because I got her on December 9 so 3 weeks ago and she has been hiding alot not wanting to move around I have no idea how old she is I got her from PetSmart and they told me to feed her pinkies but those are only about the size of her head so I’m wondering to feed her small sized jumbo mice, something the size of her stomach
@@TRIXKED I have a number of videos on feeding that will help you figure that out
Hey buddy you should make a video on a what to do when a ball python bites you I have two my baby YB pastel fire cool as a fan but my big buy my cinnamon spider he is a cool but he is scared so you have to be really slow and quiet and I’ve had him quite a long time but I think it’s the spider that is why he is so shy and scared all the time once I get him used to me and he flick a bit at me and on me I can pick him up and he is the chillest ever
My girl destroyed one of my favourite plants. It's part of the price you pay for a happy free-roaming snake XD
Do your beard help with keeping the snake tamed?
Oh Eko.... 😂🤣😂🤣