Angry female ball python?

This is my first season breeding ball pythons! i paired up my male(banana yb het pied) with my female (mahogany pied) to test the eaters of breeding! both are of size and age and my female had folicles present so i figured now would be the perfect time to pair. I left them together and there was no problem and they had no aggression towards each other. I checked on them when I could and everything seemed fine. I took out my male and he was fine and happy and happy. Then when i tried to check on my female she hissed at my and got into a defensive stance. Ive never been hissed at by a ball python before, I just wanted to give her hide back. Does anyone have any idea on why she seems so angry?

It’ll happen. Some of the sweetest girls I own get huffy when they’re in season.
Males will sometimes go through some phases where they will thrash and hiss when you handle them.

Females are known to get moody when ovulating or when gravid and close to laying. Hissing is common. Sometimes they’ll buck or strike at you. Definitely stay alert when they have laid eggs. BP moms aren’t as defensive as some species but they can be very defensive on eggs.

6 Likes

Thank you so much! I was worried, it is my first time pairing and I didn’t see a lock. I plan on pairing them again next month! Perhaps she is getting into a more breeding mood.

1 Like

Its definitely common lol

(She struck at my phone before taking this photo)

This girl in my collection is normally extremely sweet and laid back, I let my 5 year old nephew hold her often. However this is her first season and she’s completely flipped personality wise, during breeding and egg development she was a grumpy terror. Never bit me but there were a few moments were I genuinely thought I was going to get bit…

Very huffy, hissy and grumpy. Its been 37 days since she laid and is coming out of it, but she still hisses at me when I open her enclosure or pick her up.

5 Likes

I just have to chime in here and brag a bit :blush:All of my 21 ball pythons, all ages, are sweet. Some are a little shy but not defensive at all. My oldest one, a female, was a little spitfire when I got her. She wanted to eat my face at first but she quickly settled down to become a sweetheart!

Edit to add: How’s I am not breeding anybody so I am sure that is the reason for the good behavior??? :woman_shrugging:

1 Like