how often should i be handling? new to this. need help!

how often should i be handling my 3 month old BP i have had he/she for a week and i have brought him/her out a few times and it is really defensive, would handling more make this better?

When you first bring home a new snake you should give them at least a week to settle in without any handling. It sounds like your new baby is a bit stressed. Leave the snake be alone for a week now without any handling. Only go in the enclsoure to spot clean or give fresh water. After a week, you can try to feed the snake and then it if eats you can start to handle it.

how often? heck take em out everyday if you want, but you gotta observe the snakes behavior if your stressing them out too much.... obviously put them back. I got a ball python that is always tense when she out of her cage, ball up, or runs to a hiding spot, so i just let her be and maybe take her out for 10 minutes at a time hoping she will calm down one day. she still eats good, just wants to sit in her hide all day.

male lesser on the other hand I could take out every day for hours at a time and he would most likely enjoy having something new to explore. observe your snake their all different.

since yours is still young, their going to be threatened/stressed by more things compared to an adult. so don't feel bad that he/shes acting that way, 10-15 minutes at a time, obviously give em a couple days after eating, they will most likely come around.

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Originally Posted by OhhWatALoser

how often? heck take em out everyday if you want, but you gotta observe the snakes behavior if your stressing them out too much.... obviously put them back. I got a ball python that is always tense when she out of her cage, ball up, or runs to a hiding spot, so i just let her be and maybe take her out for 10 minutes at a time hoping she will calm down one day. she still eats good, just wants to sit in her hide all day.

male lesser on the other hand I could take out every day for hours at a time and he would most likely enjoy having something new to explore. observe your snake their all different.

since yours is still young, their going to be threatened/stressed by more things compared to an adult. so don't feel bad that he/shes acting that way, 10-15 minutes at a time, obviously give em a couple days after eating, they will most likely come around.

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when i take mine out he is always exploring when i first got him it was all about rolling into a ball but not anymore! haha so i take it that he's more comfortable with handling now?

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Originally Posted by dembonez

when i take mine out he is always exploring when i first got him it was all about rolling into a ball but not anymore! haha so i take it that he's more comfortable with handling now?

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just note there is a difference between exploring and looking for a place to hide

I would let them settle in for a week with on absolutely required handling for cleaning, that's it. After that week, you could handle them every day or every couple days if they are a more defensive/aggressive snake. I just normally recommend people "read" their snakes behavior and figure out themselves how often the snake should be handled.

You should wait two days after feeding so that the snake can calm down and digest their meal. Other than that, you can hold them as much as you want!

thanks guys

i only handle my 6 month old bp for 15 minutes 2 x's per week.
i dont touch her during a shed or the 3 days following a feeding.

they will calm down more over time, just dont over do it all at one time.;)

There really is no set amount of time for handling your Ball.
However there are a few restriction that should be kept in mind.

1. Don't handle your BP within 24 hours after feeding
2. When your BP is introduced to a new environment try to handle it minimally for two weeks (Leave one to two weeks to settle before first feeding attempt)
3. Try to avoid putting your snake into stressful situations, handling or not.
4. Never drop your BP, as this is the most devastating event possible for any snake. Be sure to have a gentle but secure handle on your BP while handling.

If you follow these guidelines, everything should be fine. It is suggested to start handling at a small amount of time and increasing increments if you like, but this is not necessary. As long as you do not stress out your snake or handle for an unreasonable amount of time, then everything should be fine.

Enjoy your BP :)