I handle all of my ball pythons on a regular basis, trust all of them 100% with my 4 year old son, they are all calm and very friendly (with the exception of one, he's a little paranoid and head shy). All of them with the exception of 1 are aggressive and great eaters and put on weight quickly. They are all in excellent health and from what I can tell, are very happy with their environment. I don't know why anyone would recommend "leaving them alone" when they can thrive just as well being pets.