extremely friendly snake??

[carcrshbf]

I'm not sure if this a kind of a stupid thread but I've seen so many other people discuss having defensive snakes so I'd figure I'd ask. Anyways, I got a ball python a little over a week ago (see my other post for tank/husbandry info on him) and ever since I got him he has never balled up, hissed, bit, struck or anything. I've picked him up and held him a couple times (needed to tweak stuff in his tank, im aware you shouldn't handle until they eat a couple times but he didn't seem to mind being picked up at all) I'm not sure if I just got lucky with his personality or it's unusual for a new BP, especially one I've started handling so soon.

[Bogertophis]

If you handle a snake respectfully, & gently (so they don't perceive you as a predator that's about to eat them), many snakes accept handling & seem "friendly". They don't show their emotions all that well though (other than "self-defense") so you're better off assuming he is still afraid of you. BPs tend to be mellow snakes anyway- that's why they're popular pets.

[Armiyana]

Out of my 20 ball Pythons, only 2 of mine are very defensive.
Out of the others, at least 12 are friendly and curious and will never ball up when taken out of their enclosures.
A few are shy and will huff a bit and ball or at the least hide their heads, but are not usually that way for long.

It really is how Bogertophis says it is.
But also the energy that you put into holding them matters as well. If someone very timid about handling who's shaking or moving too quickly were to hold some of the more shy ones? They would definitely be one more defensive.

And then there's being able to understand the body posture or movements. Or timing. If you try to go and handle a BP when it's between blue and shedding they can be much more shy than usual. Sometimes I may miss a particular snake in blue and catch them just as they're cleared up again but I'll notice that they're being a bit more tightly coiled or secretive about their hides and choose to avoid upsetting them.

Other things can be like mating times. A normally sweet female may be more defensive because of ovulation. One of my sweetest males recently caught scent of another active male on the female I paired him to and became very nervous. Jumpy, trying to run, false strikes... Another couple of days he was just fine.


They're great little guys.
And negative experience will always be something that is remembered or spread around far more than good ones. So that may be why you see more about the defensive ones.

Or also many new owners will not understand stress with new hatchlings and mistake scared babies as being mean snakes. Especially when breeders say they're tame or well handled and they get a huffy ball or spitfire instead.

[Bogertophis]

I've lost count of how many "mean" "aggressive" snakes I've taken in over the years that owners (or in one case, a PET STORE!) had given up on, that never bit me...

The Golden Rule applies heavily to snakes: Just treat them as you'd want to be treated if you were in their place.

And remember they don't rely much on vision to identify things, & have very little hearing, so your cues are pretty much limited to scent, touch, & body heat for those with heat-sensing pits.

"Touch" is the most important one. Try hard not to startle them & always do your best to identify yourself when you approach & interact with them- they'll show their appreciation by being calmer.

[BeansTheDerp]

I once did a presentation on handling snakes in my school and I made a good effort to explain body language and even explained that snakes are afraid and even terrified of us, they are not aggressive or mean they are simply defending themselves from a possible predator. I used the example of, "Imagine if you were just a head with a long body without any way to defend yourself than with your teeth, and a giant scary thing picked you up and started doing whatever it wanted with you. You would panic and be scared and because you have no arms or legs to kick or claw, and you would probably yell (hiss) and bite!"
I would say it's a good thing for both snake owners and every other person who doesn't already know and is afraid or mean to snakes.

[Zincubus]

Well in all my years I’ve never had a tetchy Royal ( Ball) python ) … some are more food oriented than others but all have been so calm
and friendly .


They are perfect for / nervous folk / newbies or children to hold .. with obvious care taken by all


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