BTW, for anyone who thinks that a spray of cool water in the face of a confused snake is somehow "mean": First off, snakes in the "real world" get rained on, & secondly, I have snakes that will literally drink from a spray of water. But all it does (when a snake is defensive or thinks you're edible) is to "change their channel" of thinking...like immediately & without harm.They also don't associate that with you...it's just water, & rain happens. I've had BPs in the past & don't recall ever needing the technique with any of them, but I've used it now & then for various other kinds of snakes.
I currently have large FL rat snakes that are always thinking "food!" so if I need to spot-clean their tanks, I use a ping-pong paddle to block the door-way of their hides (with them inside, of course) as otherwise they'd charge out & grab my moving hand (assuming "prey") & "ask questions later" lol. They're all quite safe to handle, but if I want to take them out, & they give me a questioning look ("got food?") I answer with a mist of water, so they know "NOT food". It's the same idea as "tap training" that many others here do...but I favor using a water spray because I've had feisty snakes that grab the snake hook & I do NOT want them to hurt their mouth on a metal hook...water is safer, & just as effective, in my experience. (I used this technique with the large BCI I had for many years too, & never had even one bite from her.) My little Aussie spotted python is another one I have to watch out for: once in hand, she's a total sweetheart, but she's always hoping for incoming prey too.
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