I cannot tell from the photos, but may I ask, why are you breeding a normal ball python? There are 100s of 1000s already on the earth, many in captivity that are practically unwanted, since there are so many exciting morphs to choose from by human captors these days. Just curious, what are your plans for this animal?
Sonny: Nothing wrong with holding the snake that way for a short time. It won't hurt them one bit.