Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
It's too early to say he's eating regularly after only 2 meals. Your handling is "pushing your luck" IMO, & might result in him going off eating. Daily handling is not what I'd recommend.

There is also plenty of disagreement about how long to handle a snake- but just keep in mind that the most stressful part of that is being approached & picked up by a giant strange creature (that would be you, lol), so 20 minutes is hardly enough time to feel safe with you- I'd be surprised if his breathing rate even slowed down much in 20 minutes.

Much also depends on how good you are at handling snakes- are you calm, & sitting down? & holding them near you so they feel "sheltered", or holding them at arm's length, essentially "out in the open" where they instinctively feel at risk from predators? Try to be sensitive to how your snake is responding to all this- it's hard with BPs, because most are fairly stoic, but that still doesn't mean they're comfortable with you yet.
Ok thanks, should I handle every other day then and if he stops eating regularly then stop the handling, or is every other day still too much? As for the length of the handling, are you saying I should handle for longer periods of time? Also, I am very comfortable with my ball python and try to make him feel as comfortable as he can be. I stay away from his head, let him move where he wants to, and support the middle of his body. I’m not afraid of him at all, I’m not afraid of getting bitten, but definitely want to avoid it (of course). It’s crazy how everyone’s opinions are so different. It makes it hard to know what’s right to do. I know the safest option is to not handle, but I’d like to handle him as much as possible where he’s still comfortable.


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