Quote Originally Posted by RColemanVT View Post
I just started working at a Petco, and I went to check on a customer that was being shown a BP and they were holding it quite sloppily and were trying to force it to unball, and of course didn't listen to any warnings or otherwise(why do retail customers think things in their hands are theirs period?).

Anyways, when it uncurled they weren't ready for it and dropped it, I luckily caught it as softly as possible, but on the way back into the cage he took a few strikes at me(understandably of course) and everyone in the aisle acted like it was going to kill me and immediately went into villify mode. It stinks that a defensive gesture caused by poor handling makes everyone else put the snake at fault.
I HATE THAT! "It didn't behave in a way that I deemed appropriate for an animal I am attempting to forcefully dominate, therefore I don't like it." Imagine if we treated children that way! Yeah, if you freak the crap out of a snake IT WILL BITE YOU! I too have noticed that with ball pythons, people tend to be like "well, make it be a ball, I want to see!" I explain that for a ball python to ball up, while outwardly adorable, is a terrible sign. I tell them my snake has NEVER ONCE balled up because I handle her gently and in a way that helps her understand she is never in danger. I would NEVER intentionally do ANYTHING to make her ball up! If someday I accidentally move in a way that sets her off, I will feel TERRIBLE!