Greetings!
Congrats on your new ball python!
As you mentioned ball python bites are usually either Feeding or Defensive. Hunger bites are understandable, Defensive bites are less predictable: sometimes when they are in shed they have extremely limited vision and if they are sleeping they may be startled awake and immediately strike. When I am performing husbandry: I am on a mission-and I don't want to have to try and figure out what sort of mood every snakes is in... I will borrow a small plastic lid off a bin and hold it up as a mini-shield in front of the snakes nose when I open the enclosure and then reach around the shield and pick them up from behind. Unless it is a hatchling it will realize as soon as I touch it that it is not feeding time and I can easily lift them up without a second-thought. It helps if you are quick because the ball python does not have time to realize the distraction.
As for owner recognition: my ball pythons recognize my foot steps and if a stranger comes in the room they retreat into their hides. They also realize a variety of cues when a different person handles them-and this can otherwise calm ball python a bit agitated.
Reply With Quote