Ball python follows owner?

[Kira]

Some of the comments on the video make me rage. Things like "yeah it's cute before it EATS YOU!!". My mind is always blown by how uneducated the general public is. Most snakes that people keep as pets are not capable of harming humans...my 60 lb border collie mix could do way more damage to someone than a snake that probably weighs 4 lbs. UGH.

[Bogertophis]

Some of the comments on the video make me rage. Things like "yeah it's cute before it EATS YOU!!". My mind is always blown by how uneducated the general public is. Most snakes that people keep as pets are not capable of harming humans...my 60 lb border collie mix could do way more damage to someone than a snake that probably weighs 4 lbs. UGH.

I didn't even think to read the comments...thanks for making me glad that I didn't.

[Kira]

I didn't even think to read the comments...thanks for making me glad that I didn't.

Regarding snakes, I usually read the comments. The worst are usually from middle aged people on Facebook. I know that I'm going to get mad but I have no self control...

[Bogertophis]

Regarding snakes, I usually read the comments. The worst are usually from middle aged people on Facebook. I know that I'm going to get mad but I have no self control...

Just too many people that are ignorant & proud of the fact. It's a real shame...

[Luvyna]

It's always cute to see but usually it's the snake feeling most secure with the person so they follow them.
I made posts in the early 2000s about my boa Autumn following me. I'd go outside in the yard, set her down, go to random spots in the yard or the porch and without fail, she would come right over to me. It was really cool to see. But I also realize it wasn't anything more than her just feeling most secure with me when in a new environment. When other people would hold her, she'd either reach back over to me or just go 'up' to try to climb away from the new person. It's easy to read human emotions of trust/love into it but I really feel it's about safety and security/familiarity.

Oh my goodness that is too adorable! Even if snakes don't experience emotions the way humans or mammals do, I still think it's super cute that they perceive their keepers as "safe" and "familiar" and try to stay close to them. She was a great looking snake, by the way, I love boas.

Years ago when I worked with rattlesnakes, a large mellow red diamond rattlesnake came to my "bed & breakfast" after the golf course revoked his membership.
He stayed with me for a brief time, so as to be hydrated & fed to optimize his chances in a new location in the wild, & he also had to wait a bit for the extreme heat
to subside before he could go out safely...but he was certainly never a "pet". So when I went to release him in a nature preserve in his natural range, I was very
surprised when he tried to follow me back to my car! And not in any sort of hostile way either. Say what??? He acted the way the ball python did in the above
video...and truly, I almost took him back home with me, it sorta broke my heart a little to leave him. But he was a big healthy & wild snake that belonged where I
put him...to this day though I have some regrets about it. Most of the snakes I've relocated did no such thing. I had a friend with me that day too...not a "snake-
lover" either...he was just curious about what I did...and he was really blown away too when that red diamond behaved that way. I used my hook to turn the
snake around, but he kept insisting he wanted to come with me. Of course, rattlesnakes aren't fast, anyone can out-walk them, & we did leave him there...

Wow, that is really an incredible story! You did the right thing by leaving him there but man it must have been hard. He sounds like a one-in-a-million snake. I can't think of any other context where "a rattlesnake followed me" wouldn't be at least a little alarming. Makes me wonder how much they really understand, how well they can recognize people, and what they are thinking and feeling.

It's very cool that you used to work with rattlesnakes as well! Were they pets or was it for work?

My ball python has a room to do his missions in and when my husband comes in he follows him around, it's so cute. I believe snakes can be affectionate, I once live in an apartment that flooded so I had to keep my snake at my moms place till I moved, meaning I couldn't spend time with him everyday like I normally do. Once I finally moved to a new place and brought my snake over he was so happy to be with me again that he became a mushy cuddly snake. He would put his head on my nose and stay there just like he was giving me a hug and he stayed there for like 2 minutes just rested up on my nose. It was the cutest most adorable thing my ball python has ever done, and that's why I believe snake really can be affectionate towards humans. I put a lot of love and work into this snake, I take him out for at least an hour a day, lately he's been getting 3 hours of missions a day so to me he is more like a person than a snake. I'm sure he loves his human companions as much as we love him.

Aww, that is so sweet! Ball python's are the best mushy snuggly snakes. Mine loves to press against my hand or arm for warmth and security when I have him out.

Some of the comments on the video make me rage. Things like "yeah it's cute before it EATS YOU!!". My mind is always blown by how uneducated the general public is. Most snakes that people keep as pets are not capable of harming humans...my 60 lb border collie mix could do way more damage to someone than a snake that probably weighs 4 lbs. UGH.

There's always at least one person convinced that snakes are powerful, cunning, scheming animals waiting to strangle someone to death. It's pretty ironic considering in that video you can see at around 0:57 the BP bumps into a leaf and gets startled by it. They're so timid and docile (and also not the brightest bulbs lol), just a little bit of education could go a long way when it comes to public perception of snakes.

[Bogertophis]

...
Wow, that is really an incredible story! You did the right thing by leaving him there but man it must have been hard. He sounds like a one-in-a-million snake. I can't think of any other context where "a rattlesnake followed me" wouldn't be at least a little alarming. Makes me wonder how much they really understand, how well they can recognize people, and what they are thinking and feeling.

It's very cool that you used to work with rattlesnakes as well! Were they pets or was it for work? ....

Strictly a "labor of love" to protect local species -and they don't even tip!* Rattlesnakes are more aware than you might think, & in general, are not out to get people
at all...it's also not in their own best interest to waste venom on non-edible creatures. Of all the ones I've known/worked with over those years, only about 5% were very
hostile & hyper, & for all I know, they might have had previous near-death experiences with humans trying to hurt/kill them (ie. had really good reasons for their "bad
attitudes"). *Sometimes the best things in life are the things you aren't paid for, at least not the kind of "pay" you'd normally think of.