Will my ball python ever be tame?

Don't rub the rat on your cloths or contact it much or at all use tongs, it will keep your scent off food. The mechanics of a snake are easy, food, sex, challenge or predation. You are too big for food, not a snake (sex and challenge) so that makes you a predator. The response fight (strike) flight, or defence (ball up). The introduction of a scent is in theory you are not new and do start a typical predation response. What you become is anyones guess but not something to bother with is my thoughts. My snakes have no reaction (oops not the new one... he is still cautious it has been 2 weeks) to me poking around the cage at all, if they are hiding or out in the evening that includes feeding day I can change the water just before feeding I am not associated with food in anyway. As I stated it can't hurt the tee shirt thing even if it doesn't change anything no harm no foul.

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Originally Posted by EvesFriend

Explain to me from a logical point of view how the tshirt trick works. I'm sure you will mention words like "association" so lets say I feed my snake in its cage, by that logic it should begin to associate feeding/eating/mice with the "scent" of my clothes. Thus, it will associate eating when it is wrapped around my neck.

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There is a big difference in associating you with calmness by your scent and associating you with their food. They know what their food smells like. It's not going to change. You could rub rats with strawberries ever day for two years, and your bp is not going to eat a strawberry.

You on the other hand are a strange smell, so get him used it.

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"Will my ball python ever be tame?"

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No, never.

i had a hatching that i bought from guardian reptiles at the mobile, AL show. this snake was very very aggressive. but with time and a little TLC he chilled out very very fast now he chills on my neck for hours.

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TAME
Pronunciation: \ˈtām\
Function: adjective
Date: before 12th century
1 : reduced from a state of native wildness especially so as to be tractable and useful to humans : domesticated <tame animals>
2 : made docile and submissive : subdued
3 : lacking spirit, zest, interest, or the capacity to excite : insipid <a tame campaign

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No, never.

Hatchlings tend to be nervous and nippy. They usually outgrow it by the time they are 3 to 6 months old.

If they don't, then it's going to take some patience and regular handling--that will work for some of them. There will always be a few that are just naturally prone to defend themselves with their teeth, and don't care for being messed with.