My 2 month old banana was the same way with stress due to shipping, which is of course to be expected! He struck about 5 times the first day he was with me, gave him about 5 days to settle, fed him, and he's very good at being handled! I am a first time bp owner, so picking him up was nerve wracking! But I've read some ways to pick him up if you're really hesitant. You could put a towel over his head so he goes into a ball which gives owners more confidence in picking their snakes up. Or you could wait until he's out and about to try and handle him