BP puffing air

[Bogertophis]

Just to clarify, Laura1467: the "puffing" you described is most likely that your snake is fearful & defensive (completely normal, all things considered) but I also said
it might be the start of an RI partly because you described his heat pad being installed (incorrectly) on the side, where the heat mostly goes up & away, not where
the snake can receive optimal "belly-heat" he needs for digestion. You would not be the first to underestimate their temperature & humidity requirements.

We can only go by what you tell us here...we aren't seeing him & know little of your set-up, as far as the actual temperatures...that stuff is very important for snakes,
especially ball pythons; also there is a lot of variation in the way people may describe the very same thing they're seeing, so with an abundance of caution & the health
of your snake in mind, I also suggested he might have the start of an RI (respiratory infection), but it's ONLY a "possibility", and even if he doesn't, I would urge you
to consider suggestions to verify (& improve as needed) his set-up to keep him healthy. BPs are fairly prone to RI's- we hope to prevent them.

In all likelihood he's just nervous...snakes are shy & many are good bluffers. Most snakes (including ball pythons) are fairly sweet creatures that prefer not to bite.
In any event, we just want to give you the best advise to keep him healthy & both of you happy... If you've never kept or researched keeping a snake before,
this can all seem overwhelming. The more information we have- the better (more relevant & accurate) our advise can be.

You confessed to feeling timid about handling Link...just remember he feels much the same about you. To a snake, we're a huge & scary potential predator. The only
thing that picks up a snake in the wild is a predator about to eat them, so that pretty much explains their fear & self-defense. It helps to remember that snakes are
nearsighted & don't really identify us visually: when they see motion nearby, it suggests "prey" to go after...they do NOT consider it's a friend coming to visit them.

This is why some snakes that are frightened react with open hostility when someone comes near them, or why when they're hungry they may chase the motion of a
person near their enclosure, thinking it might be dinner. While BPs rarely exhibit either behavior (they're so laid-back & actually they're "ambush predators") it may
help you to better understand snakes & how to handle them. When you want to handle & reassure a snake, use their best senses: touch & scent. (BPs also rely on
their heat-sensing pits to detect prey warmth, so that's where it can get confusing for them...it's up to US to prevent their confusion & bites by mistake.) Snakes do
learn to recognize us & just like us, the familiar is reassuring. Even though covered with scales, their sense of touch either says "predator" or "pal", so many use a
"snake hook" (or just a padded stick) in lieu of risking their hand to just touch a snake & remind them that they know you. This works very well. Depending on what
kind of snake you're trying to handle, scent is also very helpful: when my rat snakes are hungry & expecting dinner, their disappointment @ finding it's only me is
immediate & obvious: by blowing air across my hand in their direction, or even offering a shirt sleeve with my scent on it, they know quickly it's not incoming food.

Since you & Link are "new" to each other, it would probably be best if you didn't handle him much until he has eaten at least twice for you, but don't let that
keep you from cleaning his cage as best you can.

Questions???