Violent?

[foreverwithoutyou]

So, I got my first ball python. My dad's had snakes since he was young and even owned a pet shop, so my pet is well taken care of. His (I use this term loosly as I do not know the snake's gender) tank is just as it should be with a couple diffrent hides, aspen bedding, a water dish, proper humidity and temperature, and it's a 20L tank.
Unfortunetly, I purchased the snake from a pet store where he wasn't handled right. As opposed to my poor snake (I've named him Julius Caesar) being picked up the proper way, the store staff would throw a towel over him and then pick him up without any regard for him.
He's very active. He comes out at around ten pm and goes back into his favorite hide (a hollow bamboo pipe) around three am. I've given him a week to adjust and am due to feed him tommorow. He's drinken from his water dish and defecated and seems generally comfortable.
Unfortunetly, I wanted him to start getting used to me. He's still a baby, only about fifteen inches and maybe half a year old. But, last night, I was petting his body. He seemed okay, until I moved just a little. He spotted my hand and struck at me, bumping my fingers and scaring the bejeezus out of me but didn't bite.
Just now I went to change his water while he was basking under his lamp, which is on the other side of the tank. I went to undo the bungee chords I use to secure the lid (as he likes playing with it) and he immediately started balling up, took a striking pose, and made several strikes at the lid of the tank.
I know this is strange behavior, as ball pythons are supposed to be docile. How can I start handeling such a violent snake? I really don't want to fear getting my fingers bit every time I get him fresh water/ change his bedding/ feed him/ want to try holding him. Any suggestions from more experienced snake keepers?
My father had no advise, as all his snakes were docile.

[Kinra]

Some of them are bitey when they are young. I don't like getting bit, so I'm a big chicken and use gloves to handle my BP that loves to bite me. I've heard they grow out of it, and I keep hoping mine will, but I've only had him a little over a month. You basically have to handle them for them to mellow out. Try gloves if you don't want to get bit, and once he/she settles down you can try without the gloves.

[boafa]

yeah throw a towel over him. or make a divider to slide in between the two of you, you could use some of these materials, ply wood, cardboard, or plexl glass, or just throw in the towel......

[bobmurffy]

The reason ball pythons strike alot of the time when they are baby is for a defense response. They arent use to being handled so they strike in hopes you will be scared and put them down. Honestly if you get bit (especially by a young ball python) it wont hurt... it is more of a scare factor than anything that gets to you... But if you keep handling your new little guy he will eventually realize that striking at you wont work and will start to settle down... my advice to you would be to give him about a week to settle in and dont mess with him... and after that start holding him for 10 min increments and hopefully he will get use to you and settle down

[Angiebeast]

I work in a pet shop myself, and every now and then we too get in a baby who's more ballistic than he is a ball Though you're right, BPs are generally docile, aggression can and does happen even when they're well-treated. As others said it's more common in babies and doesn't mean anything's wrong. Just work with him slowly, and be gentle but firm. After our more aggressive hatchlings have been with us for a while I try to go in if I can and hold my hand palm-up in the cage somewhat close to them, letting them strike all they want, but after a while they see that though this might make me flinch it will not drive me out of the terrarium. Nor are they forced to come to me if they don't want to. Usually after anywhere from a couple to half a dozen quick sessions of this (no more than five to ten minutes at a time), most have stopped striking. At this point I make the first attempt to pick them up. If they strike again, I stop and hold my hand there for another minute before pulling out. Rinse and repeat as needed until they allow themselves to be picked up safely. Personally, I really wouldn't recommend forcing the snake out via towel or some other instrument (except for feeding if you feed in a separate container or other obviously necessary tasks), as that'll just reinforce his dislike of human contact. It might subdue him enough to get him out, but if his aggression is extending beyond his terrarium he'll likely still be frightened of you, and it sounds like your ultimate goal here is to have a snake that you can handle, not just transport from point A to point B.

I've only actually been struck once when I forgot to wash my hands between handling my own little girl's food and putting her in her feeding tank, and there was literally zero pain. It felt more like someone with a stubbly chin briefly pressed against my knuckle than anything The most serious bites I've heard of coming from BPs have never been described as being worse than a moderate cat scratch, with the possible exception of those where the snake was either very large or actually latched on and started to coil--which yours is VERY unlikely to do if it's striking defensively. So certainly wear gloves if that's what makes you comfortable, but ninety-nine times out of a hundred it's far more scary than it is painful, and the sooner you can get him used to your personal scent the better. You might have to play the do-not-bite-me dance when you go in to change his water for a while, but after he's had his share of handling sessions with you, however long that may take, he should learn to settle down Time and patience are the biggest factors here.

[loonunit]

Actually, at his size, he might just be hungry. My pastel chewed on me non-stop for the first two days I had her, ate two mice on the third day, and hasn't bitten me since.

But yeah, about 20-30% of hatchlings are nippy, or hissy, or neurotic. Almost all of them grow out of it in 6 months to a year. Usually the nippy ones are good eaters, though!

[foreverwithoutyou]

I've managed to get a couple meals in him and he even shed last week. However, I was petting him while he was half in his hide and when he stuck his head out the other side I actually managed to get pretty close to him. Unfortunetly I kicked somethign and scared him so he bit me. I will agree on the point that it didn't really hurt, or break the skin.

All of your advice ahs been helpful however and much thanks. Before I could barely get my hand in the tank.

[AkHerps]

Well, for one thing, he probably doesn't enjoy being pet, nor does he like you coming at his face. That is one of his most vulnerable areas. Let him settle in, get a good amount of meals in him. Then try short and sweet handeling sessions.

What are your temps?
How are you controlling them?
How are you measuring them?

Are the back and sides of your tank blacked out?

[foreverwithoutyou]

Yes, I realize, but he had a good portion of his body out so I picked him up.

Warm side is between ninety and ninety five, depending on the rooms temeprature. Cool side is roughly eighty-eighty eight, again, depending on the rooms temeprature.
The room he's is generally warm, so I have a heat lamp over the warm side and that keeps the temeprature consistent, although because it's getting warm and the room is not air conditioned I ahd to turn said lamp off for a few days to try and keep the tank from growing to warm.

I'm using two reptile thermometers, one on each end.

No, I don't.

And unfortunetly he refuses to eat any adult mice, he'll only eat hoppers. And today was his feed day, but my father accidently got him two fuzzies. He ate one, but it's been a good twelve others and he hasn't touched the other.