Snake people - need some advice

[Crazy4Chicks]

I work at a pet store and take care of 3 snakes and all the other little critters - I LOVE my job -- but some people make me wonder why they bother coming in the pet store in the first place


a guy came in a few weeks back wanting me to speacil order him a baby ball python female -- no problem I placed the order on tuesday and all the critters came in thursday - baby snake included

she is a beauty !!!! I was able to handle her the day she came in with no problems - she never once tried to strike at me -- a few other people in the store have been able to handle her also with no problems

I feed her on friday she took 2 small rats about the size of my thumb and settled in for a rest after eating -- later that day I had to move her back to her tank and she had no problem with being handled after eating

the guy who ordered her finally picked her up on sunday - I got my little beauty out of the tank to show him that she was a calm little girl he went to pet her and she tried to bite him - but DID NOT bite me and I was holding her !!

he than walked past me and her to look at the rats and she try to strike him as he walked by !!!

he said he wanted her anyway -

well today ( my day off ) he comes in the store with the snake back in her little travel box demanding a refund and he is pretty p***Y about it - my boss was able to reach in the box bring out Beauty without getting bitten - but this guy went to touch her and she tried to bite him again !!

so boss called me too see what I wanted to do about it - I told her to give the guy a feeder rat take Beauty home and feed her - see if that is her deal

this guy said he has had snakes for yrs and has never had an aggressive one - and he has kids and this snake is too aggressive to keep

no one at the store has ever been bitten by her and she has never even tried to bite us


Does this snake know something aout this guy we dont ?

what would make her act like that toward him ?

if we take her back will she stay like this or calm back down ?

our other 3 snakes are also very calm with all the people at the store and they are MUCH BIGGER and could do some real damage if they wanted to.

 

[ladycrotalus]

I have a 5 ft boa that i can hold and he will strike at anyone walking buy. I dont take it as he hates them because he will take a strike at my face as well. Its the movement, the ball is striking at what she perceives as potential predators.
I used to like working at a petstore, but customers ruin it for you. I have tons of horror stories.


Did the guy let the snake settle in before trying to handle her?
Was her cage kept in a spot away from high traffic? Does this guy have rambunctious little kids who were tormenting her?

What i tell people when they buy a snake is to dont handle them at all until they eat for them atleast 3 times. I also make them understand that snakes are wild animals and dont have the mental capacity as a dog and dont like being handled.
This guy bought a ball python which was a great feeder, took a mouse every saterday. He bought him, didnt listen to me and handled it constantly, it never ate for him, he called me up 6 months down the road tellin me it never ate for him, i went over every detail with him as far as his husbandry, and it was good but he constantly handled the snake every day. I told him to knock it off, not eating is a sign of stress. He gave me stupid lines that the snake liked being handled. Well eventually the snake died and he came in to buy another ball python.

 

[gypsy2621]

The snake very well may know something no one else senses,
weakness would be one of them.
He may also have a chemical coming off his skin the snake is reacting to.
there could also be a pheromone it is reacting to.
its hard to tell .
You could try him with another snake and see if it is just the one snake or if they all react this way with him.

Where you stated you and others can hold this python, I would guess its something the snake is picking up on.
I had a red Tail that was my daughters boyfriends, That snake bit him consistantly, eveytime he would open the top the snake would strike, I had the snake here for years and never once did she strike at Me or My child or Husband, but when the Boyfriend would come over she was constantly strikeing the glass, it was very worrysome.


My thought was the Boyfriend was afraid of the snake after the first bite and gave off a chemical smell the snake reacted to.
I may be wrong but at the time it made sense.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

well since I was not at work today I was not able to give him the lecture on my little friend - but my boss was able to pick the snake up right in front of him and the snake was fine in her hands

I do know this guy has other snakes and that he does have young kids

he took her home around noon on sunday and brought her back monday morning - hardly anytime for the snake to settle in

I am waiting to see if he brings her back in the morning ( tuesday ) with the same complaints

he took home a baby rat even though she ate 2 on friday - so we will see what happens

thank you all for the replies I was just pretty stumped as to why 3-4 people at the shop could handle her and I feed her with no problems this guy she is trying to kill LOL

 

[WalkingWolf]

If the guy has other snakes and he handles the food without washing his hands or changing his clothes would explain her behavior. The only times I was bit by a snake was after handling their food. I had a young rock at one time that could eat several mice and still would strike at the smell of food.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

I learned the hard way a long time ago to not handle the mice/rats when feeding snakes LOL

at the store I never touch the feeder critters on feeding day I have a pair of pliers I use to hold the mice/rats by the tail ( even with the pinkies and the fuzzies ) so my hands dont come in contact with the food

I told this guy how we got her to eat - but I doubt he paid attetion

we have extra - feeding tanks that we move our snakes to when it is time to eat and I hold the rat/mice over thier head alittle and they reach up and grab it ( I started doing this after my King Boa friend kept hitting the side of tank going after his food )

if this guy brings her back again - I am pretty sure we will refund his money and take " Beauty " back and see if we can find a better match for her - if not I might have to take her home LOL

of course my DH is scared of snakes

 

[theOEGBman]

Quote:
Same here, the only time I've ever been bitten is while feeding. That could very well be his problem, especially if he owns multiple snakes and doesnt wash his hands after handling the food.

 

[Skyesrocket]

That sounds strange. Ball pythons are such docile snakes. I have four of them here. They are usually good beginner snakes for people.
I suspect it is something the snake is smelling on the guy. For the snakes sake, I would give him a refund...or merchandise voucher. Usually pet shops don't do that for special orders though.