Hello! I recently bought an adorable baby banana ball python a couple days ago, I have been keeping my distance to let her acclimate to the new tank however it’s been around a week that I’ve had her and she ate perfectly fine when I fed her a few days ago, though I’ve noticed that since I put a new hide in her tank (on the cold side) she never leaves it and if she does she only pokes her head out for a few minutes when I’m not near and goes back in. I’ve also never seen her go to the warm side of the tank, I live in Florida so I’m wondering if the hot side may be too hot? Anyways, she always hides when I am around the tank and I want to start handling her but I’ve heard many different things on when I should. She seems terrified whenever I put my hand near her, she will noticeably start breathing heavier and faster and she tenses up when my hand is around her or touching her back. I’ve only held her once at the pet store and since then I haven’t really wanted to touch or play with her because I feel like I’m traumatizing her. How can I make her more comfy with me and less freaked out? And when should I actually begin to try to touch her?

In my tank right now I have 2 hides, one on hot side and one on cool. I have a few fake plants and a couple pieces of driftwood. Of course a water bowl and I got a thermometer recently to watch the temperatures. For heat I use a heat lamp and at night I put on a red heat lamp for a day night cycle... is this setup okay? I’m planning on getting a background for the tank so it feels more closed in for her and hopefully more comfortable.