Quote Originally Posted by PCOOLEY13 View Post
How do I gain more confidence with handling my BP? I've always been a littler nervous around snakes however I have always found them to be so beautiful and interesting and I have always wanted one so my wife bought us a 1.0 Coral Glow "Sunny" who is now about 6weeks old and 100g. I don't have an issue picking him up from his enclosure and holding him for a few minutes however now he is getting more comfortable and doesn't stay in a ball. He is starting to explore and be more active when I handle him and this is when I get a little uncomfortable and I guess nervous about him biting me even though he has never struck at my wife or I. He use to hiss when we would grab him from his enclosure however he doesn't really do that anymore in the 3 weeks i've had him. Any tips on overcoming this nervousness and being more comfortable?
Congrats on your new snake... he is absolutely stunning!!
It actually sounds like you're doing really well with him, the fact that he's more comfortable with you is very promising. If he's never stuck or shown aggression thus far, he probably won't unless he feels threatened. Try to avoid reaching toward his head etc. unexpectedly or making fast movements. You mentioned "grabbing" him from the enclosure - this probably isn't what you meant, but the word "grab" seems to indicate a fast movement. If you DO grab at him quickly and he hasn't struck at you, it's not likely he every will. I'm assuming though that this is not the case. When I reach in for my snakes I always try to take them by the middle of their body (for smaller ones) and then slide that hand up closer to their head and use my other hand to support the back of their body as I'm lifting them out.
As others have mentioned, always be sure you haven't handled prey etc. before offering your hand to your snake. I will often put a TINY amount of hand cleanser on my hands first, there is NO mistaking the smell of hand cleanser and prey.
Honestly though, it sounds like you're coming along just fine, as you get used to the movement of your snake on your hands and arms, you'll gain confidence and you and your little buddy can learn to be completely comfortable with each other.