Spotted python help

Gday I am new to keeping snakes I have a 11 month old spotted python that I am having trouble with every time I get it out of his container it strikes at me and who ever is near me is there some thing I can do so he stops this will he grow out of it

Bulldog79 said:

Gday I am new to keeping snakes I have a 11 month old spotted python that I am having trouble with every time I get it out of his container it strikes at me and who ever is near me is there some thing I can do so he stops this will he grow out of it

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hi there, I'm not hugely experienced with snakes, having only one spotty myself, however this is what worked for me.
once i got mine home i let him settle for a few days. after that i would always talk to him when i was in the room so he would come to recognize my voice and not feel threatened. I kept his tub by my bed and when i would read at night Id take his lid off and made no efforts to touch him, but then he got used to seeing me around, and again realize i wasnt a threat. after a few days he 'stood' up and came over to edge of tub and had a 'taste' of my scent, then i progressed to putting my hand in the opposite side of his tub, so he could sniff me if he wanted...i always waited for him to approach me...it took nearly a month but I was able to pick him up eventually with no problems. now he's great! but i always talk to him when approaching his home and when i pick him up. he's happy to sit with me now while i read and sometimes sits in my hair. when i got him originally he was extremely snappy because he hadnt been handled except for feeding...he struck at me constantly (i got a few good bites)..until i watched a video by SoftKiss on you tube and she had a video on taming pythons so I followed her method...it took a while but it was worth it as my Nagini is very trusting and easy to handle now...he went from super aggressive to a sooky baby in about a month...he was born in Feb this year so ours are similar ages...i hope this helps

I'm so sorry but had to have bit of a laugh :lol:

Augieboogie said:

after that i would always talk to him when i was in the room so he would come to recognize my voice and not feel threatened.

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Thanks for the advice.I think I will try it with one of mine that is very nippy.
Is there anything in particular that I should talk to him about?

Ramsayi said:

Thanks for the advice.I think I will try it with one of mine that is very nippy.
Is there anything in particular that I should talk to him about?

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i heard singing soothes them, not sure what song tho .

Umm... Porkbones, ramsayi, not trying to be rude, but snakes have no ear holes and are COMPLETELY and utterly deaf. :facepalm:

Given their level of experience, there's a strong chance both of them knew that already. Although "completely and utterly deaf" is not correct

Jazeew said:

Umm... Porkbones, ramsayi, not trying to be rude, but snakes have no ear holes and are COMPLETELY and utterly deaf. :facepalm:

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They have internal 'ears'.

I got the same advice from a friend who worked in a reptile zoo in the US. talking to the snake was mainly so it could learn to recognize your 'sound vibration' as each humans is unique, whether the snake can pick individuals i don't necessarily know. but it certainly alerts them to your presence and not to identify that presence with harm. lol I just told my Nagini that he had to be friendly if he wants to grow big like his namesake, alas I dont want to shatter his dreams...

I know they can can hear vibrations, but can you really count that as hearing? also I didn't know how speaking can calm and relax them, so thanks for the info

We have a full grown Spotted. We acquired her(not sure) full grown. The only times she has bitten or struck is when hands have been in the cage . My son went to move a rat closer for her and got bitten. I was trying to get her out of her cave hide and got struck at. We feed her in the cage as I believe this is the natural way they feed ie waiting at the entrance at night for something to come along. For maintenance and handling we remove the whole cave hide with her inside to another part of the house. She doesn't like coming out but once out is very amenable to handling and my son will "put her on" and walk to the park and back. She has never struck during these times and loves to explore. That includes when we show her to other people. They definitely prefer hiding.Good luck.

How long have you had it? How is it being housed? How often/much are you feeding? All of these things can affect how your animal behaves.

Some snakes grow out of being aggressive with time, handling and proper housing & feeding. Some snakes don't. Not every snake is going to end up being a lap snake and sometimes you just need to appreciate your animal for what it is.

that counts as hearing because thats how every living animal hears, sounds are 'waves' hence sound waves, which is a form of vibration, some animals have external ears some have internal but at the end of the day its all a sound wave/vibration that gets interpreted as sound by the brain...

I raffed out roud

This would have to be the funniest thread I've read so far, good work guys!!! bahahahaha.

As tempting as it is to make a medly list of songs to/not to sing to your snake (although I would assume that his/her favourite band would have to be Whitesnake) and appropriate topics for debate and discussion when getting your snake's trust, I'll be a bit of a spoil sport and say one or two serious things for the OP to consider.

Firstly all snakes are different and as placid as many in a given species are there is always a Spawn of Satan in the mix who just wants to tag anything that comes near it. Sometimes they grow out of it or are just cage defensive until they have been gotten out, others will always want to ingest your thumb as a reasonable facsimile of a rat.

How long have you had the snake and did you allow it time to settle in or did you just dive in there because you got a slightly bigger than hatchling snake?

Finally try to be species sensitive and don't discuss the role the snake played in Genesis... and I don't mean lead guitar (if you remember the 80's) 8)

Other than that enjoy your snake for what he is, a stunning and marvelous creature.

I think it's worth noting that for the most part (as others have already mentioned) snakes are deaf, it's also unlikely that they even have the cognition to recognize an individual! So i'd say, leave some of the unorthodox methods acquaintance behind and focus on the solid facts like getting a range of secure and varied sized hides, appropriately sized feed items proper temps, and a good period of time (2 weeks) to settle into surroundings. Then, start off small with with handling sessions a few minutes long and a couple of times a week in between feeds and slough and you may have a good chance of settling him down in the future

All a bit of a mute point bdav70 without knowing how the snake is housed, how long they've owned it, settling in routine etc.