In shedding process.

[Craiga 01453]

that is all I wanted was a clear, concise, and educated answer. When I notice he is showing signs of shed, until his skin is off, I will not handle him. Now I am comfortable doing that because of the clarification. You guys have to remember that much of what seems basic and obvious to you guys is not at all for begginers.

And to to clarify to you guys, I meant to not tell me it was bad to handle him on a regular basis when he is not in shed cycle, not during his shed cycle. Some people have said hold them no more than once or twice a week, others say as much as you want if they show no signs of stress. I will have many more snakes and I'm sure some will only be once a week handlers, whereas I am intuitive enough, even though he is my first, to see that this guy is relaxed when handled. Not to mention as my first python the initial excitement is still there.

So thanks for the clarification and actually explaining it to me. Now I understand, unlike before where I didn't see any issue with holding him between his eyes returning to normal and his skin coming off. Now I don't have to wonder and am left with no unanswered part of my question.

I certainly see your point, and I hope you know that the vast majority of the community on this forum truly wants to help. I can't speak for everybody, and I know there are exceptions, but I can safely say most of us want to help because we are passionate about these animals. We want what's best for the animals AND their keepers. I personally love keeping snakes as pets for many reasons, but it can be tricky and a bit discouraging at first. This forum is great for getting people over that tricky/discouraging hump and to the point where they aren't stressing over their new animal and are enjoying the animal.

That being said, I also understand your initial excitement, believe me, I get it. But the reasons people advise letting new snakes settle in for a while is long-term. Trust me, I love having my snakes out so I can hang out with them and enjoy them, that's a big part of why I got back into keeping them. I need to show some restraint with new snakes though, for their benefit. It gets easier when it's not your first, but it's still tempting. And once you have a few, it's easier because when the temptation kicks in you can just grab another. This comes into play with shedding, feeding, etc...

I certainly didn't mean to get off on the wrong foot with helping you out. I honestly do care and want to see you enjoy your snake (snakes, when the time is right to add another, or three, or six...hahaha). You're doing fine and I think you're going to enjoy this hobby for many years to come.
Good luck, we're here to help if you need us.