Placid snake turns into striker

[lizzypython]

I have a 2yr old woma python who is normally very placid and tame and easy to handle. I treated her for mites about 4 days ago and gave her enclosure a clean out etc. She's normally not very active and either basking or hiding and when she does get active it's usually coz she's looking for food. Before I cleaned her enclosure I had sand as a substrate and the the tank looking very much like a natural habitat but after the mite problem I've just put newspaper as substrate, a ceramic bowl for water and an icecream contaner for a hide. Any how yesterday she suddenly started striking at the glass at any sort of movement and she on guard non stop and as soon as she notices any movement in the room she rears up ready to strike. I covered her tank up for few hours to let her settle down as I thought I may have frightened her accidenlty when tidying up around her enclosure but usually it doesn't bother her. I uncovered her and she still very hostile. I'm wondering what could cause such a change in her temperament ?

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

could it just be the change inside her tank? Like when you move a snake to a new house?

 

[Khagan]

Maybe the enclosure being very different could seem like a whole new place to her. Give her a few days to settle into her new environment.

 

[lizzypython]

I was thinking that could be the case as her enclosure is very different to what it was. I'm going to get some clean desert sand for her enclosure from the pet shop sometime this week and a few other bits and peices and try to make her tank look natural again as she seems alot happier with it like that

 

[waruikazi]

What did you use to treat for mites?

Has it been doing anything else unusual? Like stargazing, twisting, showing poor motor control etc?

 

[lizzypython]

I'm not sure what the treatment was called, a friend who also has snakes lend it to me. I don't know what you mean by stargazing. but her motor controls seem to be perfectly fine. Before the mite treatment she would twist and rub the glass and objects in her cage and spend hours soaking in the water dish. I wasn't aware she had mites until she was quite infested with them but I did notice something was wrong when she was spending so much time in the water. Right now and for last half an hour I've been sitting at my dinning room tablle which is about 2 meters from her enclosure and she's in the s shape and watching every move I make and if I get up and move around the room she follows me ready to strike. Even striking at reflections on the glass.

 

[waruikazi]

Stargazing is staring at nothing. If she starts showing any signs like i mentioned it could be an indication that she has been poisoned by the insecticide you've used. But for the mean time cover he enclosure with a cloth so she can't see you or anything else and let her destress a little.

 

[lizzypython]

I'm going to try feeding her in a couple of days and see if that calms her down a bit. I'd feed her now but gotta get her some rats from in town. But what should I do if she doesn't calm down because I don't want to keep her covered up all the time and I'm worried about her injuring herself on the glass when she strikes. I have covered her tank up but she's still in striking position and wont bask or hide and she's been in strike position since yesterday. She's even striking at her own reflection.

 

[Renenet]

As mentioned above she's probably freaked out from the changes to her enclosure. It's likely that feeding will only stress her more. She can go without food for a while so don't worry about starving her. It's more important to let her adjust, not least because you are right that she could injure herself if she keeps up the mindless striking.

Cover her up for a couple of weeks and see if she calms down. But do check on her discreetly to make sure that she isn't showing any of those signs that Waruikazi mentioned.

Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[SpilotaFreak78]

Thanks for asking this, it gives me a heads up if my own python will play up in the future, so far mine has adapted to changes, in fact she has taken to new things like a curious little child

 

[lizzypython]

Well "Stripes" my woma seems to be fine this morning all curled up in her basking spot and acting normally. Yay no more head butting the glass. I was also able to put my hand in the enclosure to change her water with out her worrying about it.