Quote Originally Posted by cchardwick View Post
A couple years ago I bought a ball python hatchling that was super aggressive. I would open the tub and she would give me the evil eye and snap at me so hard she would flip upside down. I handled her for short sessions but it didn't seem to help. Even now when I try to feed frozen thawed or fresh killed she gets scared of me and is a problem feeder, she will usually only take live, I believe because if she sees me she is very scared, too scared to eat.

So after that experience I got another ball python hatchling just this year (a female Clown) and the guy said that she was super aggressive, the most aggressive hatchling he has ever seen. So this time I decided to handle her right off the bat for about an hour. She was coiled up in a ball for about 20 minutes, then slowly came out of her shell and by the end of about an hour she was totally relaxed and crawling through my fingers. I haven't handled her since but after that one positive experience she has never snapped at me and I'm comfortable picking her up. I think the handling session timer should start the minute they come out of their ball and relax. It doesn't do any good to handle for short 15 minute sessions if they are all balled up and scared to death, you are just reinforcing that fear.
omg! I had this EXACT same experience with Snappy my het piebald male! He gives me the evil stink-eye every time I look at him. He turns his head towards me really slowly like the exorcist demon, and he's all tensed up in s-shapes all the time. I have to turn his face away from me, and come from above to make him ball up, when I pick him up. His eyes seriously look evil! I thought maybe I was just projecting, but I swear he makes this evil eye expression to intimidate me. it is kind of cute, in a mean, funny way.

I will get a picture of his mean eye, because someone is coming to buy him in a couple of hours, so it will be my last chance to see his evil eye face!