The Devils Baby

[stano40]

Since starting with ball pythons this is the first time I have run across an aggressive bp, let alone being a baby bp.

My wife adopted this latest one, which would make seven in her herd of bp's,the latest adoption being from petco. She was told this one was brought back 3 times for being overly aggressive and has not eaten since being returned. I wonder in the month's time while this baby was being taken back and forth, has it ever eaten?

She asked to see the bp. (Problem 1) is the way petco handled the bp. They would use the hide on the bp to hold down the snakes head and then grab the bp from behind. To me that's a big no-no.

Well, Michelle brought home the bp and it was doing pretty good sitting in her hand while talking to the bp gently and rubbing the bp's body. I know that sounds silly but at first it seemed to calm the bp down.

That was a mistake, it lunged for her and missed her thumb. Figuring the bp was hungry she put the bp back in its house & tried a f/t fuzzy mouse (thawed in warm water). The snake literally struck passed the mouse, out at her and tagged her finger which drew blood. She left the mouse hoping the snake will go for it. I told her she should use tongs to feed El Diablo, she said she did.

Later she took the F/T mouse out and tried talking gently to the bp, but all it did was sit in its enclosure coiled up and ready to strike at her. It missed this time, I guess it's aim was off or it's getting tired. I told Michelle if it were venomous she would be dead a few times over.

This is where we are with the terror baby bp and looking for hints on maybe what to do to calm it down. Future plans are on using the bp for breeding. Michelle is new at popping hemipenes but believes its a male. She has a video on how to pop hemipenes and looked at this procedure on the internet.

We don't want to give up on the snake but if it's doing this now, being a baby what's it going to be like when it grows up.

Any advise would be helpful.

bob and michelle :med3eye: