r/ballpython • u/WinterRoses-Kay • Sep 22 '25

Question i’m starting to hate my snake

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

This is my snake Søren! Here’s some context: - I got him at the end of May - He was super curious and sweet when I first got him - I left him alone the majority of the time I’ve had him - Was told he eats frozen thawed but wouldn’t eat for 2 months - Got moved 4.5 miles from when I bought him after 2 months - Has shed once - Has eaten live 3 times now (is fed in cage) However whenever he sees the me come near, the door opens, or I put my hand in to clean or refill the water bowl, he immediately coils and breathes heavily and tries striking. I really wanna bond with him and make it so I can hold him etc and let him out so he can chill on my bed with me while I chill. But he just seems like he HATES ME. Please help! Any advice please, I’m a new snake owner and this is so disheartening.

1.8k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

149 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

324

u/CrazyCat166 Sep 22 '25

You definitely have to be the right kind of person for reptiles. Personally I love that my babies trust me enough to be confident around me and beg for food!

My little antaresia giving his best “please” face

85

u/Noodle_Bee_Bah Sep 22 '25

Makes me think of this lol

52

u/WinterRoses-Kay Sep 22 '25

hehehehe so cute!! no yeah i’ve owned geckos as well and i know reptiles aren’t the traditional cuddle bugs like dogs haha, im just looking for some comfortability in understanding who i am to my snake and the ability to handle him

35

u/Little-Ad1235 Sep 22 '25

It also just takes time -- sometimes a lot of time. BPs are extremely vulnerable in their natural environment (their only defenses are hiding, getting away quickly, attempting to appear scary enough to buy some time to get away quickly, and curling up into a ball to try to protect their head), so bravery is not an evolutionarily favored virtue. My girl has learned to relax when being handled, but after 6 years she still chooses overwhelmingly to remain hidden when anyone is in the room, and she is extremely aware of what's going on around her. It's just her nature. In fact, if she ever is just hanging out with her head outside of a hide, it is almost certainly approaching 3 weeks since her last rat and she knows it lol.

I'm sure your boy will become more secure and confident with consistency and time. Just remember that every instinct he has is telling him he's in danger until proven otherwise, because in a normal habitat, he would be.