Congrats on the new snake! I'm so sorry you got a tag... that can't be a good experience for a new-timer. I'm guessing he was abused at some point in his life or he had some really rough experience. Don't judge the species by this snake, most of them are friendly as anything. Heck, I've shoved tubes down my normal girl's throat and into her stomach and she didn't so much as hiss.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...85#post1092885
Here's a biting poll. Well over 50% of ball owners have never been bit.

Quote Originally Posted by NEguywil View Post
One, how often should I be handling him? Not to move him to clean the enclosure, but just to handle him and try and get him used to being handled?
I handle mine every day (excluding feeding days and sheds), but I've had them for a while and they're totally comfortable with it.

The trick is to handle him enough to calm him down while not pushing him. I say start out with handling for a minute or two every day. Sixty seconds, literally. Take him out, no fast movements or loud noises, hold him for a little bit, and put him back. Say you handle him thus for three days. On the fourth day, handle him for five minutes. Very slowly, increase the amount of handling each day.

And how often should I be cleaning the enclosure? Obviously if I see it needs cleaned, I will. But if the temps are good, he's got water and the enclosure looks clean, how often should I be taking out the hides and checking everything out? Is there a schedule you like to follow on cleaning out everything, and replacing the substrate? I'm using some unprinted newsprint and aspen.
Newspaper is so easy to clean, I replace it every week if it hasn't been defecated on. With aspen, monthly. I also bleach everything monthly.

Are you using anything specific to sanitize the hides and enclosure?
Normally, I use a 10% bleach solution to soak everything (including the enclosure) for a few hours. Make sure to rinse thoroughly, bleach is toxic to reptiles. Also let it air dry to get rid of any extra fumes.

Recently, I have been trying out a product called "Healthy Habitat", which is a cleaning spray that causes no harm to reptiles. While it works okay, I'm not sure how it compares to bleach. I still bleach every other month, just to be safe.



Good luck with everything! I really hope he calms down for you!