handling???

My suggestion? Get bit. It's better to find out now what it feels like so you know it is nothing to worry about. That way you're not constantly approaching your snake with apprehension. It's not as painful as you think it will be, and once you've been bitten you never really worry about it again. You'll just brush it off if it happens in the future. In fact you'll probably end up taking pictures and posting them here. To me it is kind of a running joke if and when I get bit. I always take a picture and text my mom of the snake holding onto me to freak her out!

Most ball pythons are very laid back, and as long as you take a few simple precautions it is doubtful you'll have much of a problem once they've become accustomed to being handled. Everyone pretty much posted the precautions to take, but I'll give a run down of the ones I follow:

1) Never hand feed. Always use tongs so the snake doesn't confuse your hand with its food.
2) Avoid holding while in shed (they get easily aggravated during this time), and for a day or two after feeding.
3) Always pick up by the largest part of the body and provide a stable hold. If they feel like they're falling they might bite and constrict. Pure instinct.
4) Wash hands after handling any prey items so you don't carry the scent.
5) Get over it. Getting bit is the reality of snakes. Sooner or later it is going to happen so don't freak out about it.

Also, and I can't stress this enough, if and when you do get bit DO NOT TRY TO PULL THE SNAKE OFF! You could do some major damage to his/her mouth. Just sit for a minute and he/she will either figure out you are too big to be eaten, or will simply stop feeling threatened and let go. Or you could hold him/her under running water where they're biting you and that should do it. JUST DON'T PULL! Remember, you are far more capable of hurting your ball than he/she is of hurting you!

Also, don't be mad when your snake bites you. They are not highly intelligent creatures, and if you've been bitten? It was your fault. You either made the snake feel threatened in some way, or you did something that made the snake mistake you for food. Snakes act on pure instinct, so if you've been bitten it's because you did something to trigger those instincts. So get over it, and don't hold it against your snake in the future.

As for names? I don't think I'll be much help. My balls have names ranging from Fluffykins to Boo Boo.

I never had my ball strike at me or tag me, I don't expect him to bite me if he does oh well clearly i did something wrong, its nature and instinct for them to bite it happens and I've accepted that and I'm actually looking forward to finally get tagged, I have handled many snakes from many different species and never have I handled one that felt threatened and struck, I know it will happen one day

The more you handle (over time), the more comfortable you will be. :)
I don't think you should walk into it thinking "Am I going to get bit today?" because that just sets you up for it. When you are nervous and hesitate, the snake sees/feels that. They become nervous too... probably assuming you're going to eat them. That's why they strike; they think you are a predator. So, if you don't act like one, they might not see you as one.
Anything with teeth can bite. When you go to pet a dog or cat, most of the time (I assume) we don't think, "Will it bite me?". We usually just pet it because we know them. So, I think the same goes for snakes.
As with my first sentence, it will become easier over time.

Best of luck, and welcome :)


P.S.
Paul Bython is a good name. I like that it has a first and last.

thanks everyone i appreciate it!

Support the bulk of the snakes body. I like to have them lie along the length of my arm if they're not balled up.
The point is to make them feel secure and not like they're going to fall.

Also, don't worry about bites. A paper cut hurts worse in my opinion. I've been bitten a few times and I didn't even notice I was bitten until I saw the blood on my fingers. And wash hands after handling prey. As long as you don't startle your snake, it's husbandry is good, and you don't smell like food, you are not going to get bit.

With some time you will learn to trust your snake and you will be more comfortable. The more comfortable you are the more secure your snake should feel when you handle it. Lots of good suggestions. Also, go surf some YouTube. Look for kids showing off their snakes. There are many videos that do a good job showing the basics of handling.

We're new to having snakes too. But I can tell when William Snakespeare has had enough. He isn't as relaxed as he normally is, not just chillin and exploring. He startles fairly easily when he's had enough. Like a shadow will have him running for cover kind of thing. But we're very gentle with him and he seems to enjoy being held. Especially since I have super warm hands. I don't let him interact with my dog or cats but that's because he's so very small. Weighed him for the first time and he was only 150g. I can totally see him getting scared and hurt. So I don't even take him down stairs where the dog is.

I pick him up gently, supporting his heaviest parts and then I let him chose how he wants to be held. I don't like him near my face or in my hair. But that's just me. If he's going to bite me, I prefer it to be on my hands or arms and not my face.

Best of luck to you!