Handling a mover

[Theely]

I have had my ball for roughly 3 weeks now? I already forgot. The handling has been pretty minimal. Mostly due to the following...
Recently she has become a mover. As soon as I pick her up she tries to get away from me. No balling up. Or if she does ball up it isn't for very long before she starts trying to get away from me again.

This wouldn't be to much of a problem but we are suppose to follow a pretty good rule of no quick moments. I don't know how to hold her with out moving quickly to let her continue crawling through my hands. When she starts getting like this I put her back. I don't want to drop she and I don't want to squeeze her.

I guess my main question is how would you go about handling her? What do you do when handling your balls? (har har har). I just don't want to hurt her.

Some quick facts about the last event like this.
During the afternoon (3pm).
Right after tank upkeep (refilling water, misting).
Younger ball. 10-11 months old.
Day before feeding.

A different time this happened was at night a day or two after the 2day-after-feed-wait.

[LadyOhh]

Hold her firmly. Don't squeeze.

Or... let her wiggle around for a while, then try and hold her.

Or... let her be until she gets less figity.

It's up to you...

[Windridge Kennels]

Several of mine like to move about and explore when I hold them. I let them... they crawl around my clothes and neck and from hand to hand. They don't seem upset. They are good eaters and happy little guys. I would be careful with one that liked to strike, but with a really nice snake I don't see it as a problem. Just my experience

[tideguyinva]

we have 2 babies like that, they are always on the move when you get them out. I have 2 that also like to ball up and then uncurl and move about just not so rapidly. I just let them do their thing. I mostly put the fast movers up after about 5-10 minutes because i dont wanna stress them out.

[Theely]

Thanks guys. I'm really hoping that one day she will be the kind that doesn't mind hanging out on my neck! I'll just have to be patient.... which is hard!

[autumn75]

My first ball was like that in the beginning. I would usually sit at my desk and let him move away from me, continually moving a hand under him, raising and pulling him back toward me. It didn't take long for him to figure out my hands were "safe." Now he just grabs on and doesn't move much at all unless I encourage him to explore.

Try not to move quickly around his head. If someone else is in the room and moves about, try to move the snake so he's not facing that movement directly. If you keep moving your hands under him, you shouldn't have a problem (he won't see it coming).

I saw a huge improvement when I increased handling time from 15-30 minutes up to a full hour.

If you put him back while he's being crazy, he may start associating it and do it more just to get put back. Try not putting him back until he settles.

[Theely]

Ah good advise Autumn! I have been putting her back. I'll try not to. I've been trying the hand to hand thing but sometimes its hard to no move my hand quickly to keep up. If she had leg this movement is somewhere between jogging and running lol.

I'll try my best though. Thanks!

[Motorr]

Let me start by saying i'm no expert in any way with snakes i've had mine about 3 weeks also hehe. I kind of do what autum explained by passing hand to hand and redirecting by turning my hand or arm over to make Vader head back the other way. Just a slow turn of the wrist usally does it. Vader wants to come by my head alot but i'm not comfortable yet with all that lol. Don't like not seeing whats he's looking at. I also would like to be able to hang him from my neck someday but i need to get rid of my insecurities first

[SPJ]

I also would like to be able to hang him from my neck someday

Why?

[Dvas_Romeo]

When I first acquired my ball as a baby, he would also try fleeing whenever he was in my hands. I had to basically keep putting one of my hands in front of the other in order not to drop the little fella. I would handle the snake very briefly - just a few minutes - once a day (except for the 2 days after feeding). Over a period of a few months, he settled down and that natural fleeing response hasn't happened thereafter in the approx. year that I've had him.

Just give your ball time to get use to being handled...but of course stop all handling if your ball also stops eating due to stress. Good luck!