Old ball acting wild

[tjtreefrog]

Ah, here is something I really know. There is psychological phenomenon in which captive snakes will revert back to their wild behavior due to changes to their enclosure. The snake believes it has been released back into the wild, and will try to defend itself from people. After a while, your snake will get accustomed to you again. Now, I haven't had this happen to my ball pythons, but I have had my snakes get mites. When ball pythons have mites, they are easily irritables and will strike at you. You can look for mites by running your snake through your hands,and then look for tiny brown bugs crawling on your hands. Also look for raised scales all over the body. If your snakes have mights, their are special reptile mite and tick sprays you can buy at petshops. I think the kind I use is Mite Be Gone. Good luck with your pythons.

[Leefrogs]

no mites. I helped a wild baby bird one time. That's bout my olny experiance with them. Gross!!! The bird nest was infested. No wonder the poor thing jumped out. But none on snake. Reorganized heat rock to go behind his bark, psyically put him in his waterbowl today. I think he's just so old, he's senile. LOL

[Leefrogs]

I'd hate to take his rock away. He's had it for almost 20 years. It's got coco husk all over it now. He loves that drift bark too!!! But after one sniff, wild man, watch out!!! Maybe it perked him up a bit. Ever since he's been in Wisconsin(10 years) he hasn't been eating well durring winter. Maybe 3 times nov to April. Maybe he'll eat monthy now. Maybe a good thing, I hear they eat less the older they get.

[tjtreefrog]

You talked about him being old and senile. In captivity, ball pythons have a lifespan of up to 45 years. I have mixed feelings about heat rocks. I've used them for years with no ill effects, but not as the main source of heat. I use a heat lamp most of the time, but in the summer, if the house is really hot I just use the heat rock.

[Leefrogs]

he actually stays 5 degrees warmer than the house. The cabnet traps allot of floor heat. No light, natural light gets to him 4 hours south sun in winter, and 2 hours west in summer. No blinds at all on my 9 ft windows. And I don't use AC. I think it's just wild smell from outdoors. Funny story, he's escaped his old cage(now frog cage) many times. The lid has 6 turn locks. He'd work on 2 locks for days, hitting them with his nose, and would pick the right two to get out. My smart baby!! Let's hope the froggies don't learn to use their thumbs!!!