How long do you give your ball python to settle in

Ahoy Everyone
I just got my first ball python on saturday and he is 3 months old his name is TOKYO and i have seen many different views on how long you should give them to settle in everywhere from a week to 2 days and i was just wondering how long everyone gives there snakes????

cheers
Brixton
p.s will post some pics once i start handling him

Give him at least a week. You are going to own this snake for up to 40 years! The wait will be worth it. I do not handle for a week, then I try to feed them, so in reality it is more like 9-10 days before I handle a newbie. I barely touched my pastel when she came in because she ate, then immediately went into shed 3-4 days after eating. It was SO frustrating! :D
I hope not many people told you to only wait two days? that is not such a good idea, you want to minimize stress to the animal as much as possible. They are in an entirely new environment and need time to settle in. Some people prefer to rush off and do things the second they arrive at a travel destination, but snakes usually not so adventurous!

I gave my first ball python two full weeks, but I admit this was my first snake and i was scared to touch him:P After that I gave all mine one week, and they all turned out fine and ate like champs.

I gave both of my snakes 5 days before their first me meal. Then waited until each had eaten 4 times without refusal before trying to handle them. This is does not include any times I may have to remove the snake for cleaning purposes.

Suggestions for first handling:
do it during the day
make sure the snake is alert and flicking its tongue
make slow movements
avoid touching the head

You havent got the option I would choose. I choose for BP's to default and give them 2 weeks of alone time to acclimate.

I handle them right away a little, like the day I get them- take some pics and stuff. But for the most part, I leave them be for about a week before I really start hanging out with them a lot. Mine are pets above all so I hate not being able to hold a new one but as someone said- it's worth the wait!

I leave my new snakes alone for 2 weeks.

Two weeks.

2 days then I offer a meal... Once they find their hides and go to sleep for awhile theyre usually pretty good. I have this great luck though with getting new snakes and them going right into shed after arriving so they usually dont get messed with for awhile... must be the humidity.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JoshJP7

2 days then I offer a meal... Once they find their hides and go to sleep for awhile theyre usually pretty good. I have this great luck though with getting new snakes and them going right into shed after arriving so they usually dont get messed with for awhile... must be the humidity.

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Many times snakes in a new environment will go into shed, a few of our snakes will even shed the night we get them (from shows). I know I read that in a book, might have been the Barkers book... lol;)

I keep my humidity around 60-65% in my tubs so my guess was that they came from a less humid environment and once they got settled in they were like man this is nice n humid I better get a shed off while I can... Sounds dumb but it was my only explanation.

After getting a new reptile and giving it the usually inspection. I put it in its enclosure and avoid handling until it has had a few meals. A stressed reptile will generally not eat. If it eats a few times, I consider it good to go ;)

I will talk about what I recommend not what I do ;)

I would recommend any new owner with limited experience to give at least 7 to 10 days to their BP to settle before offering the first meal.

I will also recommend to limit handling until the animal is eating with consistency.

I voted for 1 week, but in truth, I left my little guy alone for two and change. I got him when he was just a little under two months old.

It was a long process getting him used to me. At first, I'd only disturb his environment to change the water. Eventually I'd let my hands linger in the enclosure longer, just so he'd know I was there. One day he started poking his head out to watch me change the water, and finally it got to the point where he'd come over and drink even while my hand was in the enclosure doing something else (cleaning, etc.) After this I began to pick him up for short (5 min or so) bouts a couple times a week, followed by slow and steady increases in time. I still only handle him for maybe 30min per week, spread out.

I feel that the reward for my patients is a very calm BP who is well adjusted and very familiar with me. He has never shown any sign of aggression, and I've never even heard him hiss. Although I'm quite curious to! His father was a hisser.

I hope my personal experience will help you.

i waited one week to handle my snakes at all except to change substrate, and waited another week to feed them although only four ate last week, and only three ate today. but i was more comfortable holding them after they'd been here a week, and even now, i dont hold them that much, except to change substrate and clean, and if they seem like they want some exercise (trying to leave the tub when i open the lid) then i will hold them for about five minutes, and put them back and it seems like they feel better. but im still technically a newb haha

i know everybody is saying that you should leave the snake alone for a week or two. but i just dont have the patience! lol... must.... fight... it....

I'm with Connie here. Two weeks.

I am a new BP owner, so my advice may not mean much, but I offered my baby BP food after having him 2 days, and he ate 2 frozen fuzzies immediately.

I wasn't sure how long it had been since he had been fed, and since he was so young I figured if he is hungry I would give him the opportunity to eat.

I also handled him for a few minutes those first two days. If he had refused food then I would have followed the rules and left him alone. Knock on wood I hope he will continue eating well.

I held mine 2 days safter i got him BECAUSE i got him from my moms freind feind and they where moving to Poland so they gave me it, the whole thing, the enclosure, the substrate, the decorations, the hides, the thermostat, the waterdish, and many more stuff for free, but that is not the point, when he got here, he was in his origanal enclousure since they got him, and the same surroundings