how much handling is too much?
I recently purchased a young ball python that I know was not handled much at all before I got him (very shy and defensive at first, never actually struck but postured to strike frequently).
I'm trying to handle him quite a bit to get him used to people and the presence of a cat in the apartment (they're just noticing each other's existence, there's no interaction). I take him out for half an hour to an hour two times a day.
At first he would stay in a ball or other nervous position for about fifteen minutes before starting to move around and explore. Now it takes about five minutes. Am I doing the right thing to handle him so much? I don't want to over-stress him, but he does seem to be acclimating to being handled. He perches on my shoulder and seems to love getting tangled in my hair, and he doesn't posture to strike anymore unless something unusual happens (ex: somebody else suddenly walks by looming over him, he gets stuck under the couch cushion and I have to move the cushion to get him out).
So am I doing the right thing to handle him so much? How can I tell if I'm over-stressing him?
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