So I'm new to the forum (if you couldn't tell) as well as ball pythons. I bought mine about four days ago. I know about tank setup, humidity, feeding, etc. That's not the problem. Now a bit about the background of the snake. I bought him from a previous owner, family of three, with the snake well taken care of for two years. Upon initially handing him, the snake was overall calm, but then again so was I having been handed to me. He is about a yard and took to feeding easily which was actually what I was the most worried about. Now the process of handling...

I understand that the snake is not the one with the problem. Its me. One of us has to get over his fear of the other and its not going to be my lil' guy anytime soon. What I want to know is just how am I supposed to get over my fear of handling him. I've looked online, and most of the time its an aggressive baby, which seem easier to 'tame'. This guy has reach though. He's about a yard long. Even when he tenses, I flinch. When he hisses, I flinch. I'm not going to give up on this snake, but is there anyway to make this easier besides being desensitized to his defensiveness? Whens a good time to put him down? Should I try holding him in the tank, let him climb up my arm, let him bite me and get it over with? What? Or was my biggest mistake buying a snake that wasn't juvenile? How do I conquer my fear? Is there a simple way of preventing him from striking? Advice would be grealty appreciated...