Hello,

I just received a new Jayapura scrub python last week. I was told she was about 2 years old (I would say 6 ft.) and feeding weekly on small rats. When I first got her out of the box, she was very frightened and tried to escape, peeing and pooping. Pretty normal, though my emerald tree boa was a lot less nervous when I got her. Sometimes when I enter the room, I see her dart back into her hide. She will not leave the hide when I am in the room, but she will explore when I am not. I figured it was a long shot, but I tried to feed her this weekend. No dice, but I figure it was probably too early to try that.

My question is what's the proper methods and timeline for trying to get her to warm up to me? Should I leave her to hide? Should I handle her regularly even though she's desperate to escape? I was thinking maybe leaving the f/t rat during the night, so she could eat without me being there. I have never seen a snake so frightened before, so I'm just not sure what the best strategy is. With scrubs reputation, I definitely want to get her used to me as much as possible before she grows up.

Considering I just got her, I am sure her temperament will change, but I want to make the right moves early.

Thank you.