A snake has such a small head, I wonder about its brain

[j_h_smith]

Would you say, then, that a ball python that has not been fully tamed (can't trust it around your kids) by the age of a year will never be fully tamed? Or can a snake still calm down with frequent, gentle handling even past the age of one year? I'm just curious because the little guy I have still goes into strike mode when I open his tub. He's better about hissing and he's ok when I hold him, but he's fast approaching his first birthday and I doubt I'll have him at the level my other snake is by then.

That's just cage agression or a feeding response. Many times if you just tap the snake with a probe or hook, the snake realizes it's not feeding time or things are going to be okay. Then you can usually grasp the snake gentle and remove the snake from the enclosure.

I always touch/rub the snake along it's back before I pick them up. It's just a thing I do to let them know something is about to happen.

If the snake is in the strike position when you open the enclosure, just gently tap them somewhere along the head/behind the head. This lets them know something is about to happen.

You will need to work with the snake and eventually, the snake should calm down and not be so agressive.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

ps Never give up on the snake, sometimes it will start to work when you think it's never going to change.