HELP with old spotted python!!

Hello all,

I'm fairly new here but I always learn a lot from the threads and posts and now I wish to ask this knowledgeable community for advice.

I recently rescued/adopted an adult female spotted python. The previous owner told me today he couldn't feed or heat the poor girl and she sat neglected in a cool garage in the Pacific Northwest without heat for a few months before I was notified and came to help.

She is supposedly 18 years old! Two references tell me she was from a 1998 or 1999 clutch. That's an impressive age for a snake.

Mix the age, neglect of food and heat, and naturally I wouldn't be surprised if she was a bit nervous and possibly cage territorial.

First day I handled her with relative ease getting her into her enclosure (this time with proper thermal gradient) and she seemed to acclimate well. Enjoyed her 90° warm side as well as climbed around and hung out on her hide in the cool side around 77°. Day 3 I decided to attempt to feed her, she wasn't too cage aggressive and I got her out, in to her feed tub, she ate like a pro, then back in the cage, easy peasy.

Now, this didn't continue. She then showed lots of cage aggression about 5 days after eating. She pooped and i went in to clean up. She was not happy, struck many times and when I attempted to hook her with my snake hook and move her away she proceeded to bite and constrict the hook! Luckily it's rubber coated, however she literally almost tried to eat it.

Fast forward a few days later, this would be 10 days after last feeding, and I open the cage to get out the hook because she's hiding in her log, I grab the hook and wham! She strikes, hitting a log next to the snake hook. I try not to jerk and I slowly back out with my hook. She then follows me, I thought it better to feed inside her cage to minimize stress (even though I already stressed her out) so I put the mouse in a little 6qt tub in her cage and she pays no mind to her food and proceeds to strike relentlessly at me, I wrangle her back into her cage without either of us getting hurt. But then she smells her food, then strikes at the cage about 5 times. I just left her alone and now after about 15 minutes she's starting to eat.

I have so many questions, and sorry about this long rant. I've had many snakes, I've had nervous snakes, scared snakes, angry snakes and snakes with strong feeding responses, but this spotted takes it all to a new level.

I don't really mind getting bit, I don't mind giving her space or changing my habits to keep her comfortable.

What I do worry about is her stress. I hate to be defeated but damn, I don't know how to give this snake a happy life, I just seem to stress her out and anger her.

Maybe time will help, maybe she's old and has 18 years of previous life conditioning and she won't change. I just don't want her to hurt herself if I can help it.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Or comments in general? If really appreciate some insight.

Thanks for reading this long post,

Much love,

Curtis

Hi there. Kudos for taking her on, she sounds like a trip.

First tip: feed all snakes in the enclosure, period. There is absolutely no good reason to move it to a feeding tub, and as you discovered, there are a lot of good reasons - including not getting bit - to feed the snake in its home where it is comfortable. Ask how many owners of adult giant pythons or venomous snakes use a separate feeding tub...

So, you've just moved the snake from a crappy cold environment where it was starved, to one with proper temps and humidity, and you fed it. I'm not surprised it was chill when you first got it, as it was cold and likely weak from not eating for months. Correct husbandry and a good meal, and it's now raring to go. I'd be glad she bounced back and that despite being neglected I wasn't dealing with a slithering vet bill.

The bite/wrap was a food response, not cage aggression. This lady's metabolism has kicked into gear now that she's warm and she's had a meal. Plus summertime is pack away the food time for many snake species, so they are ready to fast over the winter. I don't know what the normal feeding regimen is for this species but once she's had a few meals to ensure that her lack of food from her prior owner hasn't caused any issues, perhaps a more aggressive feeding schedule than normal would help settle her down.

At 18 years old someone hopefully gave her some tap/hook training; if not, it's time for her to learn it. If she bites and wraps the hook, well, all the easier to move her to a temporary tub if you have to clean her enclosure, right? And better the hook than you, if she strikes.

Good luck and I'd love to get updates on her progress.

Spotted pythons are generally ravenous feeders, especially when the temperature goes up. Accordingly, they can be prone to grab first and it decide if it is food later; and are quick to develop a crazy feeding response. In short, nothing that you described was unusual.
That said, they are great snakes to work with, once you figure them out. Enjoy!

Thanks so much for the feedback!

Bcr229 I do agree that I'm very happy she is eating, has strength and vigor to her, and generally does not look or act like the previous situation would imply. She's a beast and I'm impressed and stoked that besides a crazy feeding response, she's healthy in every other way with eating, sheds and poops.

The feeding in tub I feel like is an old style with little evidence to prove it's worth. I'll take note and phase out that habit with all my snakes as well as this girl.

I'll keep in touch about her progress and maybe someday get pictures. Haha my 2 sand boas and baby rosy boa are currently more photogenic

Hhmoore I appreciate the specific insight, I'm glad to hear from someone who knows about the personalities and characteristics of spotted pythons. I'll keep that in mind going forward.

One more thought. The hook training. I tried to check and she super attacked it, AND constricted for about 5 minutes. I get that it's a feeding response, but doesn't smell come into account anywhere? The day she did that I hadn't touched a rodent in a few days and my hook for sure hasn't touched a rodent. My question is why would she devote so much time into almost eating something that clearly isn't food? Usually If I'm bit by a feeding response they let go quickly after realizing they can't eat me, or its just a snap with no real grab. And the hook? Sorry, it's just crazy to me.

Any specific hook training advice in this situation?

You guys are awesome!

Thanks so much again!

And yes Hhmoore, I'm still beyond happy, I've always lusted after all anteresia from afar, I someday intended to buy one, not find out one desperately needing rehoming. In any case, I'm stoked to help a herp in need and at the same time finally work with this species!

From your opening post, it sounds is if she likely went a few months without eating; that, combined with this being prime feeding season (for US captives, at least), helps explain the behavior. As I mentioned, they develop a crazy feeding response; and many will grab first, and figure it out later. One of my females would regularly grab a hook - sometimes she would quickly let it go, sometimes she would constrict it. I housed them in different ways over the years; but my normal approach was to open the enclosure with a hook. Frequently, they would lunge out as it was opened (hence the hook) If it wasn't feeding time, I would leave it open and move on to something else...let the snake settle for a few. If the snake started to wander out, I would intercept it...watching its response. Often, by the time they were exploring, they were out of "that mode", and could be approached and removed easily. If time was a factor, I often didn't bother with the open and wait method - and just reached in and picked them up. For the most part, they responded better to that than the hook.
Right now you need to figure each other out - it takes a bit of time. As you research, you'll likely find it mentioned that they do fine kept in small groups. I did that for a while; but I found it easier (ok - necessary) to separate them for feeding. Too many instances of one snake dropping its mouse and going for the one in another snakes mouth...or just grabbing the other snake (that never happened when I wasn't feeding, for the record).

Originally Posted by hhmoore

Spotted pythons are generally ravenous feeders, especially when the temperature goes up. Accordingly, they can be prone to grab first and it decide if it is food later; and are quick to develop a crazy feeding response.

I have a female Savu python just like this. Despite being only 4.5 feet long I hook her because she has the same "strike first and see if it's edible later" attitude. She has grabbed and wrapped the hook, the water bottle, my hand (several times), paper towel rolls, the edge of the tub... Fortunately she has tiny teeth!

Something I found that helped is using lemon-scent hand sanitizer on my hands/arms and the hook - she doesn't like sharp smells and will back off. If she does grab despite it, a few drops of white vinegar on a paper towel waved under her nose will get her to turn me loose.