For novice ball python owners, handling your snake for the first time can be very exciting. Give him a few days to settle into his new home before you start picking him up.
Since ball pythons are generally timid, don’t force your snake to be handled right away if it doesn’t seem up to it yet. When you try to pick him up and he walks away, he will trick you with hissing and threatening with his tail. Be persistent but gentle.
With daily contact sessions with your snake, however brief, you will establish trust between the two of you. Once he is comfortable with her presence, he can begin walking her around your house. However, he does not immediately assume allegiance. Seeing an opportunity, he will slip and run away from you.
Just be gentle, avoiding sudden movements. If it wraps around your neck or arms, carefully unwind it by panting on the tail. Then carefully unwrap it from around your arms or neck. Never unwrap your snake by moving its head. There are sensitive snakes with a bad temper after eating. Return the python to its tank after feeding it.
IBD or Inclusion Body Disease is a type of virus that affects most boids (pythons and boas). It is fatal on pythons. Some stores still carry pythons and boas even with IBD due to the high demand for these pets. Therefore, be careful what you buy. Here are basic guidelines to help you spot healthy bodies.
Spend some time first looking at them in a store. Observe the movements, eyes, scales and tongue. When adding a new Boid to your other snakes, please observe strict quarantine procedures. IBD can take a few months before it starts to show up.
Take your Boid to a reptile vet if you notice that he is not performing very well. Symptoms include regurgitation of food, loss of appetite, respiratory infection, mouth rot, stargazing, and contorted body positions. Warn your vet that you suspect your snake has IBD. This way, the vet can secure the facility for other Boids that may become infected.
It is important to know more about IBD. This way you will understand what triggers it and how deadly it is to your Boids. It does not involve snake-to-snake contact for IBD to spread.
Most viruses are airborne, so think twice before taking your Boids to places where you might find snakes with careless owners.
When you are infected with IBD, try using nolvasan or chlorhexidine diacetate. It is used to deep clean enclosures and disinfect food and water bowls, sinks, bathtubs and hands, among other areas.
Use betadine (povidone/iodine) to clean cuts and scratches.
Always set aside feeding and water bowls, as well as any food storage bowls, tubs or soaking bowls, and even any sponges your snake uses.
