Taming and handling a ball python is one of the main things that every owners looks up to when getting a pet. If you have just got your ball python or if your ball python is aggressive, you need tips on how to tame down a ball python. In this post, you will find a handling guide and tips, how to tame an aggressive ball python baby or adult, how to handle an aggressive ball python.
To tame an aggressive ball python, make sure to follow this:
- Setup an enclosure and check that husbandry is ideal
- Let your ball python get used to its new home for few days before offering its first meal
- Feed for 2-4 times and let the food digest for 2-3 days before handing.
- Make sure it’s not shedding before you start handling
- Always wash hands before handling to avoid bites (can confuse with food due to smells)
- Handle correctly not to cause stress (see how to handle correctly below)
- Wear gloves/use a hook in the beginning
- Dominate when handling, don’t be scared
Tip 1: Let your ball python get used to its new home
The first step to build trust is to let your ball python get used to its new home and get comfortable. You must not handle or your python during this time (apart from maintenance etc.).
The best thing is to allow your ball python to eat 2-4 times consecutively (2-4 weeks), before you start any handling sessions. This will help avoid any stress and your ball python going off feed.
Before you bring your ball python home, you must make sure everything is set up properly. Check temperatures, humidity, add clutter and hides and so on. Make sure you have at least 2 tight hides that your ball python can fully get inside of. Cage should not be too open and reflective (cover sides if it’s made of glass).
During these first few weeks, watch your ball python and learn more about its behaviors. Ball pythons are mostly nocturnal, so will hide and rest a lot during the day and come out at night. It will be especially active when hungry, watching your moves and roaming the cage.
You can read more about ball python behaviors and what they mean here (new tab). Learning about ball python behavior is very helpful for taming and building trust.
Tip 2: Handle with gloves/hook until it calms down
Once your ball python has eaten few times and digested its meal for 3 days, you can start getting closer to your ball python. Make sure it’s not shedding.
Start approaching its tank more, and put your hand inside of the cage. Your ball python might be cage aggressive, raise its body and even strike. If that’s the case, you can wear welding gloves like this to protect your hands and make you feel more confident. You can also use a snake hook like this.
For the first few days, approach slowly, change its water and generally put your hand inside. Once it is more comfortable with this, you can pick your ball python up (at mid-body) and take it out of the cage while supporting its body with both hands.
If it wants to strike at you, cover its body (including head) with a fast motion. This will make your ball python retreat, and hide its head under its body. It will understand that defensive behavior does not work, and will try to coil up instead. After that, you can handle it more freely.
Continue working with your ball python until it calms down. Start with 5-10 minutes, and then increase to 15-20 minutes. Most ball pythons become tame and docile with time, but not all. Younger ball pythons tend to be more defensive, and usually tame down with age (year and over). Handling, over time, often solves this problem.
You can also view a helpful video on how to tame an aggressive ball python below:
Of course, apart from handling your ball python, you need to make sure its cage setup is ideal. Don’t handle when it is more stressed or has eaten.
How to handle a ball python correctly?
After your bring your ball python home, leave it alone for few days before offering a first meal. Let it eat its first 2-4 meals before you start handling sessions. Then, allow it to digest the meal for 3 days before you start handling.
If it doesn’t eat for some time, give it more time and be patient. Also, don’t start handling sessions if your ball python is showing shedding signs/is shedding. During shedding, ball python’s vision reduces greatly, so it will be defensive.
Once everything is ready, handle your ball python for the first time, for around 5-10 minutes (depending on behavior).
- Wash your hands before handling (any rodent smell can make your ball python strike and bite).
- When entering the room with the cage, make sure your ball python can see you.
- During handling sessions, support your ball python’s body fully. It’s a good idea to sit down.
- Pick your ball python up at the middle of its body only. Support it with both hands (under head and mid-body).
- Don’t grab or touch your ball python’s head, it will not like it and can become stressed/aggressive.
- Let your ball python move around freely.
If you are worried or scared to handle your ball python (new owner, ball python is aggressive), then you can use a snake hook like this. A hook will help you handle your ball python from the distance and control its movements for peace of mind.
If you wish, you can even wear welding gloves. However, even if a ball python is to latch at you (only if it’s very stressed or confuses with food), bite will be very superficial. If your ball python does bite you, please do not yank it from your hand, this can damage its teeth and gums (and lead to infections).
Handling mistakes – avoid
- Keep your hands away from your ball python head – it might get agitated easily (head shy).
- Don’t restrict your ball python’s movements – let it move around freely.
- Support its body properly, otherwise it will get stressed.
- Don’t pull your ball python out of its hide or force handling.
- Make sure your ball python sees you when you approach, otherwise you will scare it and it might become more aggressive.
- Don’t handle your ball python for 3 days after feeding (stress, regurgitation).
- Avoid handling your ball python at all during shedding (vision is reduced, so it feels vulnerable and can snap).
- Don’t handle too often (1-2 times a week once docile is ideal)
- Never grab your ball python by its tail (can cause spinal injuries).
How often can I handle my ball python?
When taming your ball python, especially if it’s aggressive, you will have better results with handling your ball python for 5-10 minutes daily. Then, slowly increase to 10-20 minutes, but only to 1-2 times a week (too much handing can be harmful).
How long to handle a ball python?
While taming an aggressive ball python – 5-10 minute handling sessions once a day are ideal. Once it calms down, gradually work to 10-20 minutes once a day, up to 1-3 times a week.
Ball pythons are generally shy and don’t like handing. You can handle 2-3 times a week to keep your ball python tolerant to handling, but there’s no need to handle too often.
How long to handle a ball python after feeding?
You should wait for around 2, but better 3 days to handle your ball python after feeding. That’s because too much movement will disturb digestion, can cause regurgitation and stress.
Please do not move your ball python to a separate container to feed, either. Moving your ball python to a different tub will stress it out, and moving right after feed can cause regurgitation.
Can you take your ball python outside?
Generally, you should avoid taking your ball python outside. That’s because ball python is more comfortable in its cage and would prefer to rest during the day.
If you really wish, you could take it out for a short period of time to your backyard, garden or friend’s/relative’s house when it’s warm. However, make sure that members of public cannot see your ball python.
That’s because many people view snakes negatively and this might cause others to complain. Complaints can further lead to your state/city banning pet snakes.
Thank you for reading this post! If you would like to learn more about dealing with aggressive ball pythons, please see this post.