Quote Originally Posted by RiA MaU View Post
Based on the fact that daily handling stresses them out and you even said yourself, the care sheet has good advice. 2-4 times a week is good for handling if you want to keep stress at a minimum.
This is what the care sheet says

Over Handling -- Frequent intrusions into the enclosure, changes to the enclosure, and/or long frequent handling sessions can cause a shy snake to feel vulnerable and refuse to eat.

Notice that words like frequent, long, can and feel are used. None of these things are absolutes. If what you are saying is true I would have a room full of biting, non-feeding, and sick animals. This is not the case. Out of the just south of 60 animals I have right now one animal is not eating. He is a breeding male that was fasting when I got him. Oddly enough he is the only animal that is not being handled. I have two that like to strike. These two were purchased with attitude problems. They are improving and were actually selected partially because they have attitude problems and I wanted to see if they could be calmed. As a rule the only animals I do not handle for extended periods are heavily gravid females and even these will be touched frequently in their tubs. I have found that the animals that adjust the worst are adult animals that have not been extensively handled. They require a lot more work and patience. I grew up working with animals. My animals must allow me to touch them anywhere at any time. Believe it or not I treat my snakes just like horses. Horses are naturally shy fearful animals just like ball pythons. You begin desensitizing horses from the moment they hit the ground. At any rate, my animals are doing fine and I absolutely do not follow your school of thought for the majority of the animals I know. If you have success with other methods more power to you.