Quote Originally Posted by Danounet View Post
What I am trying to say is that every snake has its personality and while some things hold truth in this site (example: temperatures, meal sizes), some things are just standards (like how often to feed your snake), and you need to adjust to your snake as you see fit.
I would agree with this. I only have 3 BPs so far, and they have distinct personalities and levels of tolerance... therefore I treat them each a little differently, at least when it comes to handling. Delilah is the most cranky, so I only take her out a few times a week for 10-15 minutes. Mona is outgoing but very active and large/strong, so I'm keeping her handling to a minimum until we're used to each other (she's still new). Then there's Toby, who'd chill on me for HOURS if I let him. They are unique, and you have to get to know them before deciding what's best.

As for your other question - I handled mine for a few minutes when they first came home, just to make sure everything was alright. Then I left them completely alone for a week before offering food, after which they can be handled 48 hours later. Toby and Mona ate within a week of arriving, so that formula worked fine... Delilah took almost a month to eat, but we did give in and hold her after about 10 days. Turns out she's just a mouse-only snake (we were offering rats), so the handling didn't affect her feeding either way. So once again, you just have to feel out the personality of your individual snake... they should let you know if they aren't comfortable, and then you need to back off for a while. Good luck!