Sounds like a wee little baby snake that is just really scared. I'm glad he's eating for you and seems to be settling in. Just be patient. It could take weeks or even months before he begins to feel truly comfortable in your hands. Remember that they live life at a much, much slower pace than we do so any change can take a great deal of time to get used to. Not to mention the fact that the little babies are hard-wired to be wary of predators because they're pretty darn close to the bottom of the food chain at that age.


I would suggest that you keep the handling sessions short, as you are already doing. Just sit quietly with him in your hands and let him decide when he's ready to begin moving around and exploring. Don't force it.

I would also recommend that you don't handle him every day, but start out just once or twice a week at the most, until the little one has a very solidly established eating routine. And even then, handling every day is not ideal for ball pythons. Some will adjust to it, but it can create a stressful environment for most and could cause them to stop eating.