how does he know i'm not food?

Had to clean out Jacksons tank- he soiled his substrate. It does make me a little nervous when his biting end gets close to my hands. He hasn't struck at me or even been the least bit threatening, I'm just not used to holding snakes! How does he know that my thumbs or other appendages arent edible?
Also, I just got him yesterday, and I really don't want to stress him out. I didn't plan on handling him until after he had at least one meal down in his new home, but then I realized that his tank would need to be cleaned- and he would need to be out of it. If I only pick him up to take him out for cleaning, is that going to be ok? Is there some other way of doing this that would be less stressful for him?

Limiting contact to cleaning is fine until he starts eating for you. As for how he knows your not food, you don't smell like a rodent. If you were to handle a rat or mouse than try to handle him there is a good chance he might think you were food. Sizes I think also plays a factor in their determination of food.

It's also important to note that there two different types of bites. Biting and constricting is a feeding response, just biting is a defensive action and tends to be over before you even realize you got bit.

Taking him out for cleaning won't be an issue, you just don't want to take him out for extended play time during the settling in phase.

The answer to your question about your thumb is he may not know the difference when he's hungry, you'll learn to read his body language as he grows and when he shows that he's hungry you'll know better than to stick your thumb down in front of him.
Although sometimes you learn they are hungry by taking a bite, kind of an initiation into the world of ball python ownership :P

haha! i have a new tube of neosporin... yipes!

I get what you're thinking, about him maybe mistaking your finger for a small mouse because everyone's saying how they don't have very good eyesight and such, but the fact of the matter is that since they don't have very good eyesight, they don't use vision so much when they hunt. You don't give off the scent of a rodent or prey item, and you don't move like one, so he doesn't go after you as food. The main triggers for a feeding response for a ball python are scent and heat signature.

So avoid smelling like a rat and I'm golden! Will do... I think I do give off heat though... I haven't tried to feed him (Wednesday's the day, as long as he's shed by then) but I hear they can be fussy eaters. I just can't help but get a little stiff when he turns his head suddenly towards me!

(He's actually in shed now, eyes just turned blue today, I'm not just randomly waiting for him to shed to feed him. Sorry, felt the need to clarify)

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Originally Posted by blueberrypancakes

So avoid smelling like a rat and I'm golden! Will do... I think I do give off heat though... I haven't tried to feed him (Wednesday's the day, as long as he's shed by then) but I hear they can be fussy eaters. I just can't help but get a little stiff when he turns his head suddenly towards me!

(He's actually in shed now, eyes just turned blue today, I'm not just randomly waiting for him to shed to feed him. Sorry, felt the need to clarify)

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We do give off heat, but the heat that your hand (and you) give off is in a different shape and different intensity than that of a prey item, so your heat signature is different from something that he would instinctually try to eat.

Also the size of you deters him from thinking your food...unless he is really hungry!
His eyes will turn blue and then back to normal for a day or so before the shed comes off, you can try to feed him then. Some eat, some don't. None of my Pythons or Boas have ever refused or skipped a meal

Just so you don't feel nervous when it comes time to feed him, do you have tongs?

Honestly, if you ever do get bit by accident, you will look back at this thread and probably laugh... Honestly. I felt the same way until I got tagged a couple of times. It honestly is not a big deal at all. Doesn't hurt.

BUT! I am guilty of being a little jumpy....still, with a un-expected strike every once and a while. Hey, just look at it as a cheap adrenaline fix! haha