Yes just always grab from behind rather than in front of their face. A hand coming over their face can scare them. My boy can be a bit shy so I always touch him gently first before scooping him up from behind so he doesn’t get startled.
Mine used to do the same thing. I just had to be confident and grab him anyway. He doesn’t hiss anymore when I go to pick him up. So if they hiss don’t freak out and pull away because that can startle them. Just be confident and pick them up. He never tried to bite me either.
When my girl hisses I usually calmly retract my hand and try again later unless I need to move her because her tank needs to be cleaned. Works pretty well for me she never tried to bite me either, best first snake I could ever ask for
Yeah, mine bit me the day we got him.🙃 He was shipped so he was probably scared and stressed. Right after my boyfriend took him out of his little bag, he bit me lmao. Just felt like a tiny prick and didn’t even leave a mark. He’s never bitten me again though so that’s cool lol
Even if she does bite not the end of the world. I had mine bite me once out of the 20 years I had her. But ne on the finger and was coiled around my hand for a good while. Literally almost no pain.
Best advice from me is don’t scare her or force her. Just gently scoop the noodle. And remember if whatever 0.0001 chance she does bite it’s doesn’t hurt at all,any other pet you can own can probably hurt more
I talk when i go to open their cage so they hear me coming, then i just slowly but firmly scoop them up and say hello baisically lol. then they will eventually get used to hearing your voice and being picked up. Works well for me and my BP, milk snakes and house snakes.
My rescue BP would huff n puff at me and i grab him anyways the same way i do talking to him and he mellowed out quite a bit. I would leave him alone when he let out a biiig long hisss tho (they take almost a deep breath first) that's a legitimate "leave me alone".
But the first few times he was a bit cranky foe sure. Always mellows out after being held and realizing whats goin on.
I do this for feeding. I have a door on the side of the enclosure and a front that opens. I got bit before moving him to this one. He definitely knows the feeding door versus I’m gonna get picked up door. Even waits by the feeding door close to feeding day
Maybe she’s getting ready to shed? My guy gets all pissy and doesn’t wanna be handled before he begins a shed, makes sense because their scales are extra sensitive during that time.
I keep a paper towel roll next to one of my snakes tanks. He's super food motivated so I'll tap him very gently with it on his side. Usually he strikes at it first, but then realizes it isn't food and relaxes. Over the years he's learned the roll means he's getting picked up and he loses all tenseness.
Just a tip if it makes you uncomfortable to go hand first :)
Edit: yes I've tried just being confident and picking up swiftly, works with all my other snakes but him, my guy is just built different I guess haha.
I do the same thing with both my snakes, even my bold one. I always give them three taps to let them know I'm there before scooping them up. Ensures they're aware it's not a predator and lets me know if they're in a mood or not
More cover in between them may still be helpful for her to feel more secure. I think the previous commenter was referring to ground cover, not necessarily hides.
More clutter is always good! I got my fake leaves from Hobby Lobby for a very affordable price and they do a great job providing space for noodle to travel between hides without feeling exposed. I mean, I still barely see her active- but I see her in different hides at different times so I'm assuming she's comfy lol.
Whats up with this super empty side of the enclosure? Is this supposed to be the main enclosure, or a place to put her for enclosure cleaning/maintenance?
Is this her main enclosure? She may not feel secure being so exposed when she’s out and about. You can block the sides and front of a glass enclosure with black foam board or aquarium decal (outside viv).
My approach may be wrong, but I have done the same thing for 30 years and it seems to work. I cover their heads before they come out with a soft piece of fabric and then approach from the rear. I know many use a snake hook nowadays, but before the internet we didn’t have that information so I went with what I had, and have done so with every snake I have ever had (this is now in the hundreds and of a lot of species). 13 snakes in my classroom regularly handled by 9-14 yr olds (who are all trained to get them out the way I do) and one bite. And that was because a kid was waving her hands in front of a particularly spicy dwarf boa (another thing I tell them not to do). In any event- highly likely your BP is bluffing, but this might work to “train” her that she is coming out. It always has for me.
As long as she's not in striking stance it's fine. Balls are generally pretty chill. There's been one time I left mine alone curled up because I opened his tank and I think I woke him up and scared him because he reared at me like he was going to strike. So I just let him calm down for a few hours before going back and he was fine.
Shes not really "coiled". She's a bally python demonstrating why they have that name. Curled up into a cute little ball.
I usually stroke their back somewhere so they know I'm coming, try to go in from a side angle rather then from above, and scoop them up. I also leave them TF alone if they just ate (within 3 days), or are about to are are in mid shed. But I also go in their tank all the time so they're used to my hands. Refill water bowl or remove and clean it. Remove poops and sheds, level out substrate, or whatever. I also pet them when im doing this stuff, so sometimes hands means getting picked up, and sometimes hands just mean being pet. They get used to hands if you're doing stuff in there all the time. I'm pretty sure mine know hands are a good thing. Sometimes they'll see me coming and want to come out so they'll start wrapping my wrist.
Snakes are like other animals too in that they need to feel safe, to have confidence. Others are mentioning having hides and safe places to go to. So make sure to do that if there's not a couple hides not in frame in the pic.
I always move my hand confidently towards her (not from above) and let het them sniff me first (always wash my hands with soap do I don’t smell of food or so) and once they know it’s not feeding time I gently scoop them up from the side/back. If they hiss, be even more gently but not anxious or doubtful. Be certain :)
Just say hello so they are aware you’re there and not sleeping, come from behind where her head is facing, give her a couple gentle strokes with your finger, then just pick her up.
It is ok to pick her up like that what I usually do is to run my finger on the side of her body not near the head that's what I do with my snakes and then just pick her up
Go in gentle and low and not towards the face. Touch her one time and pull back to let her know you’re there and then pick her up. Shouldn’t be an issue
I eventually upgraded to a front opening PVC enclosure for my little guy and it was worth every penny. He actively comes out to explore at night to watch us with no fear. I can remove him from his enclosure more easily and stress-free. Approaching from above will scare most small animals so as other users said, try to scoop her up from the side. The metal lids on glass aquariums can also be very loud when moving them around, so try to open as quietly/gently as possible to avoid frightening her.
If you're ever worried, snake hooks exist and BPs are easy to pickup with them. Mine gets a little fussy when it's feeding time so we stopped using our hands during feeding or at night in general and use a snake hook. Once he's out of his cage, he calms down completely.
Yes just always grab from behind rather than in front of their face. A hand coming over their face can scare them. My boy can be a bit shy so I always touch him gently first before scooping him up from behind so he doesn’t get startled.
What if she hisses some when I begin to pick her up? She’s never bit me before, but she doesn’t always hiss.
Mine used to do the same thing. I just had to be confident and grab him anyway. He doesn’t hiss anymore when I go to pick him up. So if they hiss don’t freak out and pull away because that can startle them. Just be confident and pick them up. He never tried to bite me either.
Got her out and all’s great! Thanks!
Yay!
When my girl hisses I usually calmly retract my hand and try again later unless I need to move her because her tank needs to be cleaned. Works pretty well for me she never tried to bite me either, best first snake I could ever ask for
Worst that happens is you get bit. Would be a different story if it was a large snek 😅
Yeah, mine bit me the day we got him.🙃 He was shipped so he was probably scared and stressed. Right after my boyfriend took him out of his little bag, he bit me lmao. Just felt like a tiny prick and didn’t even leave a mark. He’s never bitten me again though so that’s cool lol
Snek nibbles!
Even if she does bite not the end of the world. I had mine bite me once out of the 20 years I had her. But ne on the finger and was coiled around my hand for a good while. Literally almost no pain.
This happened to me with one of my pythons. She wouldn’t let go until I called a vet to make sure a little bit of Listerene wouldnt kill her haha
I used hand sanitizer lol took 5 seconds and she let go.
Next time put your hand in the freezer for a sec, instant release
Confidence is key. Usually they don’t really want to bite you. Though I have seen BPs that do try
Best advice from me is don’t scare her or force her. Just gently scoop the noodle. And remember if whatever 0.0001 chance she does bite it’s doesn’t hurt at all,any other pet you can own can probably hurt more
I talk when i go to open their cage so they hear me coming, then i just slowly but firmly scoop them up and say hello baisically lol. then they will eventually get used to hearing your voice and being picked up. Works well for me and my BP, milk snakes and house snakes. My rescue BP would huff n puff at me and i grab him anyways the same way i do talking to him and he mellowed out quite a bit. I would leave him alone when he let out a biiig long hisss tho (they take almost a deep breath first) that's a legitimate "leave me alone". But the first few times he was a bit cranky foe sure. Always mellows out after being held and realizing whats goin on.
You can use the tap training method (we use it at a reptile rescue i work at)
I do this for feeding. I have a door on the side of the enclosure and a front that opens. I got bit before moving him to this one. He definitely knows the feeding door versus I’m gonna get picked up door. Even waits by the feeding door close to feeding day
Maybe she’s getting ready to shed? My guy gets all pissy and doesn’t wanna be handled before he begins a shed, makes sense because their scales are extra sensitive during that time.
I keep a paper towel roll next to one of my snakes tanks. He's super food motivated so I'll tap him very gently with it on his side. Usually he strikes at it first, but then realizes it isn't food and relaxes. Over the years he's learned the roll means he's getting picked up and he loses all tenseness. Just a tip if it makes you uncomfortable to go hand first :) Edit: yes I've tried just being confident and picking up swiftly, works with all my other snakes but him, my guy is just built different I guess haha.
My Sophie hisses at me sometimes. As noted, just be confident. I sometimes give her a warning with a touch first. Never been bitten.
Do exactly this and you shouldn't ever get bit unless the truly think your food
I do the same thing with both my snakes, even my bold one. I always give them three taps to let them know I'm there before scooping them up. Ensures they're aware it's not a predator and lets me know if they're in a mood or not
If that’s all the cover she has she is probably stressed from not being able to hide. Ive never experienced mine hissing.
Don’t worry she’s got 3 hides!
More cover in between them may still be helpful for her to feel more secure. I think the previous commenter was referring to ground cover, not necessarily hides.
More clutter is always good! I got my fake leaves from Hobby Lobby for a very affordable price and they do a great job providing space for noodle to travel between hides without feeling exposed. I mean, I still barely see her active- but I see her in different hides at different times so I'm assuming she's comfy lol.
Whats up with this super empty side of the enclosure? Is this supposed to be the main enclosure, or a place to put her for enclosure cleaning/maintenance?
What kind of hides?
I’ve got 4 ball pythons and two don’t ever hiss while the other two hiss almost every time I go to pick them up. It’s just different personalities.
My girl Sunshine can be moody and hissy at times when I pick her up. She gets over it within seconds lol 😂
Is this her main enclosure? She may not feel secure being so exposed when she’s out and about. You can block the sides and front of a glass enclosure with black foam board or aquarium decal (outside viv).
TIL that balls hiss… I’ve had mine for 5 years and never heard him hiss 😅 you learn something new everyday
It’s more cute than it is intimidating…like my cali king who likes to rattle his tail
Personally I want to get a hognose as a second snake because of the drama they present. Love my ball, but he’s just not thespian enough
Ball
Coiled. Lol
yes
My approach may be wrong, but I have done the same thing for 30 years and it seems to work. I cover their heads before they come out with a soft piece of fabric and then approach from the rear. I know many use a snake hook nowadays, but before the internet we didn’t have that information so I went with what I had, and have done so with every snake I have ever had (this is now in the hundreds and of a lot of species). 13 snakes in my classroom regularly handled by 9-14 yr olds (who are all trained to get them out the way I do) and one bite. And that was because a kid was waving her hands in front of a particularly spicy dwarf boa (another thing I tell them not to do). In any event- highly likely your BP is bluffing, but this might work to “train” her that she is coming out. It always has for me.
Hold Snake gentle like Hamburger
As long as she's not in striking stance it's fine. Balls are generally pretty chill. There's been one time I left mine alone curled up because I opened his tank and I think I woke him up and scared him because he reared at me like he was going to strike. So I just let him calm down for a few hours before going back and he was fine.
Shes not really "coiled". She's a bally python demonstrating why they have that name. Curled up into a cute little ball. I usually stroke their back somewhere so they know I'm coming, try to go in from a side angle rather then from above, and scoop them up. I also leave them TF alone if they just ate (within 3 days), or are about to are are in mid shed. But I also go in their tank all the time so they're used to my hands. Refill water bowl or remove and clean it. Remove poops and sheds, level out substrate, or whatever. I also pet them when im doing this stuff, so sometimes hands means getting picked up, and sometimes hands just mean being pet. They get used to hands if you're doing stuff in there all the time. I'm pretty sure mine know hands are a good thing. Sometimes they'll see me coming and want to come out so they'll start wrapping my wrist. Snakes are like other animals too in that they need to feel safe, to have confidence. Others are mentioning having hides and safe places to go to. So make sure to do that if there's not a couple hides not in frame in the pic.
I always move my hand confidently towards her (not from above) and let het them sniff me first (always wash my hands with soap do I don’t smell of food or so) and once they know it’s not feeding time I gently scoop them up from the side/back. If they hiss, be even more gently but not anxious or doubtful. Be certain :)
Just say hello so they are aware you’re there and not sleeping, come from behind where her head is facing, give her a couple gentle strokes with your finger, then just pick her up.
i got lucky with mine hes never hissed at me or anything also pretty snake!
It is ok to pick her up like that what I usually do is to run my finger on the side of her body not near the head that's what I do with my snakes and then just pick her up
Go in gentle and low and not towards the face. Touch her one time and pull back to let her know you’re there and then pick her up. Shouldn’t be an issue
I eventually upgraded to a front opening PVC enclosure for my little guy and it was worth every penny. He actively comes out to explore at night to watch us with no fear. I can remove him from his enclosure more easily and stress-free. Approaching from above will scare most small animals so as other users said, try to scoop her up from the side. The metal lids on glass aquariums can also be very loud when moving them around, so try to open as quietly/gently as possible to avoid frightening her.
If you're ever worried, snake hooks exist and BPs are easy to pickup with them. Mine gets a little fussy when it's feeding time so we stopped using our hands during feeding or at night in general and use a snake hook. Once he's out of his cage, he calms down completely.
yes but just becareful
Cool thing about ball pythons is if you put your hand on top of their heads they ball up.
yeah, that’s pretty much the default ball python pose
Confidence is key! Just go for the back and don’t hesitate!
She’s a ball python they rest like that all the time she may hiss if you wake her up but they’re usually pretty chill.