I am a 1st time snake owner. We've had our 2 year old BP a little over a month. The guy at the pet store said he wasn't as friendly as the others, not mean just not as relaxed. I let him settle in for a few days (4-5 I think) The first week we started handling him he was shy and tense then his personality started showing and he wasn't being shy as well as didn't try to constantly get away when he was being handled. Suddenly he is back to being really shy.