Quote Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2 View Post
My first suggestion that you might be doing or not doing I don't know is always take them out in the evening or night NOT the day time. I always let my snake alone in the day so it can get it's needed and wanted sleep.

I figure out which hide it is in and then I knock on it. I have the plastic black type like Reptile Basics sells. So when you knock the snake knows it is you. Slow is the main technique you want to use in handling. Slowly lift the hide up and set aside. Your BP will be most likely be curled up. I stroke the side gently then lift my snake slowly gently out.

Once I am holding the snake you might want to do no petting or caressing. Just hold it and let it do what it wants to do. I can now stroke or touch the snake but they are they're most comfortable if you don't touch them especially the head area and neck area. Light touching on the side near the middle might be OK for you but the best is to just hold and let the snake look around and explore. That helps soothe their fear.

Then keep handling to 15 min. max or shorter it the snakes darts about and shows you they want back in. I think your snake will eventually come around to your handling.


I have a few issues with the advice given here.

1.) I have never had issues handling ball pythons during the day. I would say the advice of holding the animal during a time it is searching for food would be misleading and probably add another reason for the OP to be struck at as the animal has already shown signs of defensive behavior.

2.) "Knocking on the animals hide" probably isn't a great idea either seeing as how that is its form of defense and place of comfort. To me that's like saying "shake the beehive before you pick it up..."

3.) The "stroking" you are referring to after you have knocked on its hide, upset it and caused it to be defensive will only piss a BP off more. I have found that simply taking a pen or whatever you have near you and gently tapping the animal on the head to take it out of food mode (which could be what is wrong with the OPs animal) works better. **I DO NOT MEAN BEAT THE ANIMAL OVER THE HEAD... It's literally touching the top of its head.. I know someone will think I'm advocating hitting it in the head and that's not accurate.** Rubbing their sides will only cause them to be more defensive and cause for the snake to sense the heat of the handler and lunge at it. That's actually a great way of getting bit to be honest.