snake finally coming out

[Bogertophis]

You should hold off on handling until your spotted python is eating. When you do handle your snake, you'll want to avoid stressing her out and getting bit. To avoid stressing your snake out, I advise you to use choice-based handling approach. Lori Torrini has a great instruction video here. Choice-base handling reduces the stress of handling by allowing your snake to choose whether and to what extent it's handled. This is particularly important for you because stressing your snake will reduce the likelihood that she'll eat.

To avoid getting bitten while working in the enclosure, I advise wearing gloves. Your snake will react to the warmth and movement of your hands. Wearing gloves keeps you from triggering her predatory behavior. I have a Children's python. I used to ball up my fist and let him sniff me before working in his enclosure. That worked pretty well, but I had to do it over and over again every time I put my hand in. Other times, I thought it was safe because I didn't see him only to have him strike from nowhere. Wearing gloves is simpler.

I've never been a fan of wearing gloves, for 2 reasons: (But to anyone reading this- By all means, do what you feel comfortable with & what works best for you.)

For one thing, the thickness of the gloves (assuming they're thick enough to protect your hands from snake teeth) means you lack sensitivity when handling a delicate snake. You can easily use too much force, or not enough grip. To me, gloves are awkward.

For another, the snake never learns your scent, & may still want to bite you whenever it comes across your warm bare skin. Personally, I've never had a problem with my Spotted python biting me. Mine's also a female with a great "never-ending" appetite. But she quickly learned my scent & touch- with many snakes, I prefer to blow air across my hand, in their direction (like thru the screen, or from enough distance) before approaching too close & picking them up; in this way, they're reassured who & what is coming, & also know it's not food. Normally when a snake is thinking "Food?" & they catch my scent, they quickly catch on & quickly back down. Then when I go to pick them up, I gently touch them mid-body since they recognize my touch also- this reinforces the "scent" introduction. Naturally, I watch their reaction closely at each step, to make sure nothing needs repeated- bites are very rare for me, because I "communicate" in ways my snakes understand- scent & touch.

Always remember- most snakes do not positively recognize us visually (using their vision alone)- they NEED these other cues. And if you forget, most will "remind" you... It's common for snakes to chase our motion when they're in their enclosures & we move nearby. They're thinking "Prey incoming? Or predator?" They're NOT thinking "Oh, hey, there's my vertical buddy, coming to hang out with me!" That's because they're only going by vision. If you can manage to remember what your snake is actually thinking, & then communicate​ the information he needs, I think nearly all bites are avoidable.

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One more thing- with a spotted python, just as with a ball python- they have heat-sensing pits- so that's another thing they use besides vision. To put it in their terms, "If it's warm and wiggling, it might be food!" It's up to US to make sure they "get" our scent & our touch. If you're wearing gloves all the time, that hides both your scent AND your body-warmth, so that's another reason your snake may not learn to recognize you as well, & may instead just nip whenever "warmth + motion" is present. And since snakes don't logically know that all of our "moving parts" are part of the same creature, they might not bite your gloved hand, but someday when you least expect it & when you lean too close, they might think your nose looks "do-able"! Or your foot: One time, I was relaxing with a snake on my lap- one with heat-sensing pits- & when I uncrossed & moved my feet around for comfort, that snake started to go after my FOOT! I had a hand partly under the snake though, & quickly refocused their attention so I got no bite, but I share that as an example of how snakes think- or don't. Try to see things as they do- that's how to avoid bites.