"Tank aggression" (a strong feeding response whenever the cage is opened) is rare, but it is not a myth. I've had a corn snake and a bullsnake that were tank aggressive. The corn was a bit over 3 feet long. When the cage top was taken off, he'd throw head and 8 inches of body over the tank edge, open his mouth and eagerly wait to have a dead mouse plugged into his mouth. The bull was nearly 6 feet long and sometimes sailed right out of his cage. I've never heard of a cage aggressive ball python, though.
IMO, swallowing substrate along with prey is a bigger worry than tank aggression.
Rodent bite trauma is the worst worry. This is potentially fatal. I was once given a boa that mice had chewed on. The snake healed, but the scars were really nasty. Nasty as in dead white skin, without scales, nearly 2 inches across. Feeding dead prey is the safest way.
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