Hello, all.

I'm starting this with a sad story. I am a belly dancer, and for a couple of years, I had a beautiful ball python pet who would occasionally dance with me at performances. He developed a massive bacterial infection and died suddenly a couple of years ago. He was a beloved pet, so I still struggle with his death to this day.

When he died, I took him to his herp vet for an autopsy to figure out what happened. After the vet gave his diagnosis, he stated that ball pythons become sick very easily when stressed, and that BPs can be stressed by loud noise, sudden movements, etc. I told him that I am a belly dancer and that my snake was sometimes a companion of mine onstage. I am not a BP behavioural expert, but my snake did not seem to exhibit the typical signs of stress during these performances (though he did take a few moments to come out of his ball before we went onstage in a new environment, which was why I took time to get him comfortable on my shoulders and 'unwound' before attempting to perform with him.)

The vet didn't quite scold me, but it was clear that he did not approve. He told me that snakes were not performance creatures, especially ball pythons. He told me that loud music and crowds would be a very stressful environment for ball pythons, and that BPs in fact should be handled minimally and treated more as an "observational" pet, like a fish, rather than handled regularly or taken outside the home.

I had never heard this before, and I know of fellow performers who also dance with ball pythons, so I was inclined no to believe him, but he is a herp vet, with far more extensive knowledge about BP behaviour than I certainly have. Now that I am considering getting another BP, I would love to hear from all of you long-experienced BP owners about this. Do BPs lack the constitution to perform with a dancer, even with "training?" (controlled exposure to people, loud noises like music, and dance movements) If I wanted to perform with my new BP, would I be putting their health at risk? Did my performing with my snake contribute to his death? (don't worry about hurting my feelings on this one--I already blame myself for not getting him to the vet in time to save him. If I contributed to his death in another way, I want to know so I don't repeat this with another pet.)

Any insight is much appreciated. I would love to have a BP again, even if I don't perform with them.

Thank you so much!

~Siren