Ball Pythons are as close to harmless as you can get when dealing with an animal that possesses a mouth. Anything with a mouth can bite, the question is how prone are they to doing so and how damaging can it be?

I work in a grooming salon. My arms and hands are covered in scars. I just got a new one a few weeks ago...a Scottie put a canine tooth into my palm to the bone. I have several more scratches and bites that are healing right now, no way to tell yet if they'll scar over...some of the worst bites heal without a scar and some of the most tiny, light scratches scar up the worst.

I also keep a fair number of constrictor snakes. At work, some people know me as "that guy with snakes." I'm occasionally called out into the store proper to help with the snakes or to assist a customer who wants information on snakes.

Someone at work once asked if I was afraid of being bitten by my snakes. I laughed at her a little and said no. After some discussion by everyone else on how much it would hurt to be bit by a Ball Python, I declared (and still stand by) this: "I would rather be bitten by EVERY SINGLE SNAKE I OWN than take one bite from an eight week old Cocker Spaniel puppy. Heck I'd rather get bit IN THE FACE by my BIGGEST PYTHON than get bit by a dog. Dog bites actually HURT."

I've since been trying to get my co-workers who fear snakes to get more comfortable with my Balls, with RAGING success. One who was totally phobic will run over and practically grab them out of my hands now...she just LOVES my snakes. And just last night we had a breakthrough with another phobic co-worker...she was having a stressful day and pulled me aside, and asked if I could bring the "big smooshy" one (my Mojave male) in for her to hold, that it would make her day better. This, from someone terrified of snakes just a few months ago!!!

As others have said, your Ball will be more at risk from being hurt by you child than the other way around.