Most doctile snakes? I think not.

[frankykeno]

Then idk what a BP would do with all that space in Africa.

Africa is for wild snakes, your livingroom is not Africa. Apples to oranges.

before my Boa was even 4ft long i had him in a 8ft by 4.5ft by 4ft custom tank set up and he loved it! of course he got HUGE! and needed it regardless but it took a while!

Boas are not ball pythons. Most boas are active hunters that naturally hunt both on the ground and in the trees. Ball pythons are ground dwelling, ambush predators. Different species, different needs.

It's not impossible to have a small ball python in a huge enclosure but it is a lot of work and a huge committment from the owner to do it right. You will need multiple hides, you will need to enclose the sides and back of that huge tank, you will struggle with humidity and temperature issues. You will need multiple heating sources, controlling devices for those heating sources and digital monitoring devices to keep track of temps and humidity over that much space. Under tank will be better since overhead lights suck up humidity and with a glass tank of any size retaining humidity is always an issue. This is why it's often suggested to go with smaller tanks or tubs. Ball pythons like small areas plus the owner can care for the enclosure and make it right for the snake. No large enclosure is ever workable if it's unstable and the owner isn't able to manage it properly

As for the snake, you've indicated this is a very young BP. It's likely had very little to no handling before you got it unless you got it from a very small home breeder who has the time to handle every baby they hatch. Even if handled, baby BP's are naturally defensive. Their instincts drive them to be this way since in the wild environment they would be just as much prey as they are a predator at that age. Captive born or not, those age old instincts of self-preservation exist in these snakes. In other words, defensive striking and hissing is pretty much normal in very young snakes.

I would suggest you focus for now on making sure this big environment is stable across the board, holding proper temps and humidity, providing multiple hiding spots and so forth. Make sure there is very little open area. Make sure the tank is not in direct sunlight or in drafts and is not in a busy area of your home. Stop letting your friends handle the baby, it doesn't need that stress. Until it's firmly established in your home and eating well, I wouldn't even suggest you handle it much. That will come later.

Speaking of feeding. What does it eat? How often does it eat? What was it eating and what style of feeding was being used by the previous owner? Did that owner breed this snake personally or was it just the vendor? How much does this snake weigh currently? This information is very helpful when it comes to identifying some of the possible stressors on a very young snake.

As far as being docile, please remember these are never tame pets. They are, captive born or not, wild creatures driven by instinct. They are not pack or herd animals. They can come to accept us in their lives but their instincts do not drive them to need to do that. Respect the snake for what it is but more importantly, for what it is not.