I can honestly tell you that I was scared to death when I acquired my first BP. I was soooooooooo afraid of being bitten. What helped me to get over this fear was to just gradually start handling the snake for a few minutes a day until I felt confident. I have two bp's now that get a little grumpy when they are in shed and hungry. I like to make sure they are well fed and I try not to handle them when they are in shed unless I absolutley have to. You will be just fine. These snakes are incredible animals! Once you have your confidence, you are truly going to enjoy your BP!