snake trying to strike at me?

[Godzilla78]

In my experience, you have to tame a snake, like any other animal. To tame a snake, learn how to handle it. This means you can pick it up without getting bit, without scaring the animal, and without harming the animal. Get the snake accustomed to your scent, and your presence being non-threatening. My first ball is very tame and very friendly with people, because I spent hours and hours handling him and caring for him for a couple of years, and now when I open his enclosure, he comes right out and greets me, climbs on me as if I am just his buddy. He feels almost zero threat from me, and therefore is "tame".

On the other scale, I recently acquired a small hatching. The hatchling is scared of me, tries to bite me, gets defensive, tenses up and wiggles his tail to signal his ferocity!

I attribute this to
1) he is a baby, and all babies are rightfully anxious about being killed.
2) he is not tamed at all. He has very little experience with humans handling him.
3) I WILL tame him over time, I have only had him 2 weeks.

I pick him up to clean his cage, I have to be very careful picking him up, as he strikes. I have not been bit yet, but I have to avoid his head, and grab him gently from behind. Once I have him in my hand, I am very gentle and he usually balls up, hiding his head. Eventually he will realize I don't want to hurt him and be will stop freaking out.

Hope this helps.