Statistically a dog is twice as likely to hurt you than a snake is, and a dog bite/cat bite/cat scratch is going to hurt far more than anything a Ball Python can do to you is going too.
They are very calm and mostly slow moving animals that are naturally wired to run rather that fight. It takes a lot to get a Ball Python to even take a swing at you. And if they do a bee sting hurts more than their bite does. Even full grown they pose no threat to you, they aren't strong enough or big enough to do any damage.
I strongly suggest handling one but don't just run to petsmart/petco to do so... they keep their animals in terrible conditions so the animals are far more likely to be aggressive. See if there is a breeder local to you or if there is going to be a reptile show in your area.
These are amazing animals, and they make really good pets.
These 2 threads are a great start for a beginner:
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...04#post1845904
Reply With Quote