How to Handle an "Aggressive" Ball Python

[@macyfiscus4491]

I really liked how you put how ball pythons are. They aren’t aggressive or show ill will, they just are very anxious creatures. As someone who owns 7 of them, even this makes me feel better and understand them more. Loved the video!!

[@iamrobertpeston6368]

7 dam ! Any other snakes apart from balls ?

[@hannahwynne1922]

I have 2 and I am purchasing my 3rd Wednesday!

[@DestinieNurmikkk-v6s]

@@macyfiscus4491 I just got mine yesterday it tried to attack me cause I ended up being nervous idk why usually I’m not afraid of snakes but because its bigger maybe thats why I’m nervous does getting bit hurt though?

[@NewSmithsonian]

@@DestinieNurmikkk-v6s its like being booped by velcro lol

[@DarkseidTCG]

Another protip: Getting bit doesn't hurt so if it happens it won't ruin your day.

[@luotingkun]

It hurts if you are going to wash dishes😂

[@gg-_-3382]

Unless the snake hang onto your hand and you’re stupid enough and try to pull the snake away.

[@NattyUniversity]

Little bit of hand sanitizer does the trick for release

[@yuugizera]

@@NattyUniversity can you actually do that? It won't harm the snake?

[@NattyUniversity]

@@yuugizera yeah it’s fine , look up some vids to know how to do it , don’t put it in Their eyes or anything of course

[@AlexsAgamids]

Hey Justin. Thank you for making this video. I work at my local reptile store and once in a while I get a customer with a ball python that is "aggressive". Thanks to this video it'll be a lot easier to explain to the pet side of the ball python keepers on how to work with any snakes that are on the anxious side. I know this information will help a lot of people!

[@amelia875]

This was extremely helpful. My ball python has a huge biting problem and he’s bitten three people in the last six months. My cousin started this issue by poking him until my snake bit him. Since then, he has bitten my dad and grandpa. I have faith in these techniques and they look very good. Thank you!

[@anonymoose116]

I have an adult female that will always ball up when I take her out. I just sit with her in my lap until she un-balls herself, and then she's SUPER inquisitive about her environment. Over time, the amount of time needed for her to relax has reduced significantly. These animals are intelligent enough to learn over time that you're not a threat to them. Regular handling is necessary.

[@lonesteelwolfjacksonlonewo3412]

This was very informative thanks for posting this up specialty for us beginners

[@lorib4407]

I never thought about owning a snake until your videos. I was known to handle snakes as a kid and even into adulthood as the person they would send to deal with snakes on whatever golf course I was working at, but your ball pythons are simply amazing and I am soaking up your content so if I do purchase I can be a better pet owner. Thank you for producing educational content rather than clickbait! I would definitely choose to purchase from you

[@c1h2r3i4s56987]

6 months later I have to ask, have you started the addiction yet?

[@timfoil2319]

Love this kind of stuff. Pro tips and morph 101s are great. I love learning from the man himself.

[@AkxHaZeE]

They way you explain how the snake feels, and explaining how you need to act throughout handling is so much better

[@michaelrushing5584]

My BP and I are currently at a stale mate I try to hold it and it gets scared and when it's scared I'm scared 😂

[@m5dez833]

😂😂😂😂

[@xXFatboyXx3021]

😂😂😂

[@07862820]

Welcome to the club sir 😂 sometimes I'm abit scared, touch him, he twitches, I twitch and it's just a moment where we both back off 😂

[@blacksunreptiles3482]

Love the break down !! Good work per usual!

[@michellecrutchfield8701]

Justin that was such an awesome video... your such the master. I could relate so much to your words of: "Oh no, I don't know what it's thinking."

[@jacobkrell5047]

Another excellent video. Really enjoy learning from you knowledge and experiences.

[@jayspetsandhobbies2952]

So much learning! Thanks jkobylkareptiles ❤️❤️❤️

[@Sor1ner]

Thank you Justin for another great video.

[@danielleburbery8082]

I got my first ball python a week ago. I've held snakes before but they were much older then he is. This is brilliant advice and made it easy to understand so now I know for when I hold him for the first time thank you

[@herno1]

I’m thinking in getting a ball Python and your videos are very helpful and informative! Thank you so much!

[@KINOVAReptiles]

Happy to help!

[@JasperH16]

Your video really helped me a lot. I used to fear snakes but since my friends had pet snakes I got used to them. And I have a ball python of my own now. But he recently bit me in my nose when. I got to close to his tank when. I took him out to put him in his feeding container. and I've been hesitant to hold him for awhile cause of the fear of getting bit again. But because of your video it helped me so I held my baby boy for the first time in awhile and I'm so happy 🥰🥰

[@jacksbps]

Awesome videos literally the best demonstration you could've given in my opinion please keep it up

[@maxh6061]

Oh my God this actually worked like a gem

[@nextgenpythons7108]

love the tips!! thanks man!!

[@philwoodby7138]

That first make that you brought out that is absolutely beautiful

[@TuttiFruttiSnakes]

Thanks Justin! Love the pro-tip video's-- so helpful especially for us newer breeders who are still learning a lot of stuff!

[@papigunchulo8380]

I kept trying to hit the like button over and over again. I wish I had this knowledge 10 years ago when I had a ball python.

[@S0lar_E]

Justin you are cracked my guy. Thank you

[@skylermartz947]

Great tips! These techniques also work with defensive Blood Pythons as well.

[@fredenglish9431]

Great info thanks ✌️

[@rockyspone1772]

Thank you for this video!

[@johnnyg.snakes3901]

Good stuff man! 🔥

[@Karthunk]

The coloration on that second snake is amazing

[@elvisstankovic206]

Very good explanation 👍💯

[@catfur9215]

Nice video, that second snake is gorgeous. I'm still building my morph I'd skills but it looks like mojave pied with something making the head darker than usual?

[@sammythai99]

Excellent video! Thanks for making it.

[@KINOVAReptiles]

Our pleasure!

[@robertearwood6756]

Thank you for the great video. Very informative.

[@westcountryreptiles8132]

Brilliant video, really useful

[@juliandominguez391]

Great job. Good video. Very informative.

[@KINOVAReptiles]

Glad it was helpful!

[@hamzaalmaimani535]

Really really helpful thanks man🙏🏻

[@zzcrazzprozz]

One of my ball pythons is even more afraid, and larger! She always tries to 'run' away from me, making it very difficult for me to try to handle her. Any advice?

[@jackclark1994]

there's a video on choice based handling from lori torrini. you might could try that and see if it helps

[@JK-vy8vh]

Get a boa they don’t mind being handled and if they do they calm down fast. Really forgiving too they don’t stay mad at you for long.

[@DrAnderson1]

I had a Burmese Python that wasn’t crazy about being handled, but once she was out of her enclosure, and in my hands, she was fine. The act of picking her up & taking her out would trigger a strike. I started using one of my drumsticks to kind of pet her a little & lift her up…then I’d just use my hands to take her out & she was totally fine. I also set up an alarm that would vibrate when I opened the sliding window on the front of the enclosure, hoping she’d associate the sensation with being removed & prepare herself for it, because i think a lot of her immediate aggression stemmed from poor eyesight. It seemed to really help. I’m certainly not a professional, and my advice is only based on my own experiences, but I would say to just be patient with her, try not to show fear, it will just make her feel more fearful, find a way to let her know you’re going to be picking her up, and try to handle her as much as possible so that she gets used it & learns that she doesn’t have to be afraid of you. Repetition has always worked for me! Good luck! Ball pythons have always been my absolute favorite to own

[@uneonie2279]

This is an amazing tip 👍

[@patrickalilbitofeverything5181]

Very informative video 💯💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽🔥🔥🔥

[@coreymac2381]

Good information! Thanks.

[@vett0111]

Thanks for the informative video.

[@levipugh1995]

Great information 👌

[@806pythons7]

Great video! Stay Safe!

[@SapphirasMama]

Thanks for the tips, hopefully, this helps some people that have anxious BP or anxious around them to be better at handling them

[@hannahwynne1922]

Those were both stunning snakes!! Thank you so much for this! My new baby arrived in the mail 10 days ago and I want to hold her but she was quite defensive!

[@mainesmorphcreations8620]

Great tips

[@jaibrooks_12]

Thank you for this info. I feel better about getting my first ball python.

[@bronwenjackson1093]

Lmao why did I jump when the python striked😂

[@torimilks4913]

@@bronwenjackson1093 Same, both times 😂 I made myself go back and watch it again lol

[@DegenerateSpeculator]

What was the pied morph @ 5:00

[@romecallo9006]

I'm currently taking in a ball python from my work who is extremely anxious and this is like a god send

[@robert1899-e1d]

Very helpful thank you

[@afsahschool4530]

Very educational video

[@myherpshed1298]

Great video ,thank you for sharing.👊👊👊👊

[@myherpshed1298]

@@KINOVAReptiles always a pleasure....👊👊👊👊

[@colinhaworth3980]

Excellent video nice quality snake excellent information

[@donutcat3853]

Thank you so much this video really helped me because I am a beginner snake owner and it just really helped me to know there body language now.

[@KINOVAReptiles]

So glad it was helpful!

[@Wummel_1st]

Hello, what is the exact name of the morph in 4:54? I think it's beautiful.

[@charlestaulbee9605]

Pied

[@802reptiles4]

Nice job.

[@lauraumpherville4964]

Wow that pied is amazing

[@JTWarnerJT]

I have a ball python that was gifted to me from the parents of an 8 year old that wasn't taking care of it. Great snake. For never owning or being around snakes it actually made me feel comfortable. Its been about a month and he shed about a week ago and it's stuck on it's head. It seems like it's blinding him. Obviously he's very defensive. Now being such a rookie snake owner i have a lot of anxiety about getting in there to help him. He tried to strike at me which really surprised me. I hope nobody puts me down for this. I really just want to help him. I already completely cleaned his tank and made it a much more enjoyable place for him to be. Any words of wisdom or guidance would be appreciated cause i feel terrible that i can't build the courage to help him and he really is a fantastic beautiful snake. I hope someone sees my comment and give me a hand here. Thank you.

[@geneticpaletteoutpost7194]

Omg Justin come stay at my house to help us with our female Arroyo. Lol 🤣😂I thought Miguel’s Viper Boa was the Devil. I’m convinced at this point if I let her tag me she’d regularly eat. Got our new Pastel Vanilla Cypress girl today. Awesome video from the #Brofessor himself mad ❤️ for JKR.

[@ssbbutthead8862]

Yo I’ve had Rico for about year and a half and he’s pretty chill it’s a vibe whenever I have him out

[@KINOVAReptiles]

That's awesome!

[@lilbrotharetro2018]

Thanks man

[@raydogpr1]

Hetflix king and snake charmer all in one 😁! Great vid!

[@ibuprofenBAN]

So snakes are just like dogs then you have to train the owner more than you have to train the pet.

[@KINOVAReptiles]

Yes, 100%. Most animals follow very similar laws of behavior!

[@nebulathegoat.2793]

THE MEN THE BE KILLING THE GAME OF THE SNAKE 🐍🐍 WORLD 🌍🌍 REAL TALK 🇵🇷💪🙏🏽👍🔥💯#TEAMJUSTIN

[@Benirked472]

What morph is that ball python at 5:00

[@catherinehubbard1167]

You had another excellent video which described how ball pythons wedge themselves into small hidden spaces like inside termite mounds or rock crevices in the wild, and how this affected their stress level in different kinds of captive living spaces. It helped me understood why they are calmest hidden away in rather small spaces like different sizes of drawers rather than in large lit open spaces. No wonder they are known for pulling themselves into small, defensive balls. So it’s not surprising that standing over a snake exposed on an open, flat surface iwaving hot hands over it would terrify them. You describe the situation well. Just because we big, confident primates prefer lighted open space to small dark closets doesn’t mean they feel the same way. The key is to learn about them and their preferences and act based on that rather than on our own psychology. A good lesson.

[@KINOVAReptiles]

Well said!

[@DegenerateSpeculator]

​@@KINOVAReptileswhats the pied morph @5:00

[@samw742]

great video , what's the genes on the pied you showed?

[@Hirsbrochannel]

Hi Justin.. great stuff. I searched through your videos, do you have on about picky/not eating balls?

[@jennvollenweider8969]

What type of snake is at the 5:00 minute mark

[@jefflingle8795]

Great tips. I used to volunteer at jay brewers prehistoric pets. Worked with jumbo retics. Yes touch soon impose your will not the other way.

[@markadams5009]

Great video! Now I'm curious as to why some animals are more defensive than others lol. For example in general lepoard geckos are quite docile and easy to handle vs say tokay geckos which are much much more defensive lol.

[@SparkyRaegun]

Often with animals that don’t particularly have natural predators and/or have been captive bred for long amounts of time are bred to have less defensive behavior.

[@jackclark1994]

IMHO, it mainly comes down to what kind of natural predators they have in their native region. I would think that a reptile with no real predators would be more laid back than one that's ALWAYS hunted.

[@carsandguitars88]

Great advice, thanks. And thank goodness you don't wear a backwards baseball cap like most of the others!

[@porsh2716]

Hi Justin are you coming to the next BBEP in Thailand?

[@jaynecobb5207]

I got this bp girl and her name is lemon because she is just downright sour. She's probably the most aggressive snake I've ever handled and she's only getting worse with age. Got my first clutch from her tho the other day

[@mariannasimon9366]

Snake Whisperer!!! 🐍💛🐍💛🐍💛

[@galeiawilliams7341]

Hey Justin. How are u. My 1st clutch hatched today i was so happy.

[@ApatheticBlogger]

2:40..."im a scary snake " yup too bad ball pythons are horrible actors ,far too cute to be a scary snake , a few smothering / cuddling sessions should sort that snoot out

[@leese27canadian]

That pied is gorgeous

[@HanleysHatchlings]

I think this video needs another episode purely for hatchlings as they are ferocious 😂

[@scottlucidi6476]

cool vid. wish more people wouldnt fear snakes as much. they are so cool.

[@Unmaleable]

Ball pythons are super chill. Only been bitten by baby corn snakes. There is a video of a ball python that hatched out of the egg striking relentlessly though….maybe a neurological thing or was probably just ready to feed!

[@bkm2797]

Was wondering if you would do a class on biting, and from what I have seen so far, because you handle them gently they seem to understand no harm will come to them. I have seen others just grab them out of their bin, and I'm thinking if I were the snake I would strike. God is in the details as they say, and this class should help others understand better how to handle their reptile friends. Thank you for the class, see you soon!

[@plazacat1610]

This was a great video! Works on one of my snakes not my other ball. She bites no matter what I do lol. I've never had such a pissed off ball python in my life.

[@nessa8615]

Question, what about when you’re holding them and they start to wrap around and squeeze your hand? It’s a new behavior we’re trying to break but he’s progressively getting more defensive

[@guapbandzentertainment8380]

I got a lesser spider 5.5 ft female Ball python she’s a little aggressive getting her out soon as I open her lid she kinda coils up and lifts her head out of middle and just tracks my movements like she is in strike mode show us how to do it with bigger ones

[@Amieesivddcare]

OK, so my ball python acts like that every time I’m trying to take him out of his enclosure recently I was handling him and he tried to strike at me three times as he was in my hands. Do you have any advice on what I should do

[@motkceb1635]

All the videos i find are when the snake is like this= easy peasy.. BUT what about runners that make serious effort very fast hand over hand to hold on to that WILL turn and bite whatever that can turn back and WHACK!? touching the head wont make them recoil either- i'm talking about 100% fight or flight only...any advice?

[@lamont5050]

Thanks i have a pythons a couple months old and she spikes all the time . this did help[

[@krytios1]

I had a ball python that I took in because it was being passed around a friend group. Big female, older, would bite anyone that took her out of the tank. I wish I could have had a professional handle her so she could have destressed. Ending up rehoming her to a veteran snake owner so hopefully she's doing okay

[@ShyGotta_a3]

I usually touch my bp with the hook to let him know , but I got him from someone so i don’t know his temperament. But his tenses up quickly and will sometimes hiss or try to strike n will try n slither away from me. He’s my first snake so he kinda scares me jus bcuz I don’t wanna get bit but Ik it’s gonna happen.

[@delilahzx10r47]

I have a new to me 2 month old baby leopard albino female and she strikes at me constantly even when holding her, and calmy/gently.. petting her she doesn't ball up.. is there something else I am supposed to do?

[@nathanielpiquet5818]

Did i do something wrong? I tried this on my cousins ball python thats a little bigger than that one but when i went to pick it up from behind it just whipped around and bit my thumb.

[@acevenchurro8716]

this is helping a little but i still can’t hype myself up to pick up my bp from her tank. she was given to me and i have been trying to ease my anxiety in picking her up since everyone always says they reflect your anxiety. she’s 3ft long tho and so she’s a big boi, did you get this kinda nerves when you first started handling snakes or do you know how to go about scooping her from the tank in the most effective way? i want to give her the best care and being an anxious owner doesn’t seem to be cutting it

[@ironkid8836]

What morph was that? I have agreed to take a male firebee that's super aggressive from a lady a few hundred km away apparently he strikes at everything looking forward to working with him even tho I don't have alot of experience

[@serarityphillips9923]

Also mine doesn't stay in a ball, we tried the cover tequnic to get him in a ball and he just comes out two seconds after idk if he is paranoid or what

[@serarityphillips9923]

I got a 1 and a half year old , pastel spotnose male ball, and he was very docile and calm when we got him at a reptile expo but since we brought him home he has tried to tap us eventide we go to feed him and my mom said if he doesn't stop I should sell him, so I'm watching alot of videos trying to find out how to deal with him and have him be calm again

[@macyllewellyn7735]

How would you recommend getting a ball python that displays the anxious behaviour out of a front opening enclosure ?

[@KINOVAReptiles]

Snake hook :)

[@mikezimmer2586]

Love your Protips! I hold my OD Fire male almost everyday but it continues to flee from me after it calms down from the defensive mode. It will not hold still. I've tried to see if it would run out of energy and I get tired, but had to give up after about 10-15 mins of constant quick movement trying to get away. All my other ball pythons move slowly and calmly seeming to explore their surroundings when I hold them. What's up with this guy?