Your Ball Python Is More Afraid of You Than You Are of It

It is important to fist understand what is driving this behavior.  Fear is at the root of any cranky ball python, not aggression.  Simply shifting your mindset about what is driving the behavior can help alleviate your fear and help smooth the process of gaining your ball python’s trust in order to create a gentle and deliberate animal that will be a pleasant to handle.

Don’t Be Afraid. 

It is essential that you are not afraid while you are handling and working to earn your snake’s trust. While a baby ball python’s bite can be mildly painful it will not cause you any injury.  Understandably though it can be unsettling to be bitten by any reptile and sometimes beginners can be very disheartened by a reptile bite.  If your fear response cannot be completely alleviated, wearing leather work gloves to help conquer your fear.  This is very important because your fear is what is driving your ball python’s fear.  Your ball python is not mean or aggressive, it’s afraid. Understand as far as your new baby ball python is concerned, you are about to eat them.  This is the essence of the ball python’s reluctance to be your friend.  Understanding this can help you overcome your fear.

Removing your snake from the enclosure for a handling session.

When removing your ball python from their enclosure it is very important to be deliberate in your approach.  Just reach right in and pick the snake up before it even realizes what is happening.  Just quickly pick the snake up being careful to not be rough or jostle the snake. After the snake is safely in your hands, be careful to handle it in a gentle way while supporting the entire body.  Dangling by the tail or head should never be done and will terrify your snake. 

How long should a handling session last?

If your ball python is tame, then handling for hours is perfectly fine. If your ball python is still exhibiting fearful behavior then it is best to keep these sessions short, 15 minutes is ideal.  Remember you are trying to earn trust, so it is important to always make sure these sessions end on a positive note. 

Building Trust

Trust is accomplished over time.  Be patient, but firm!  If you have handled your ball python for 15 minutes or so and everything has gone well, put your ball python back in the cage during this time of calm.  Simply place the animal back in the enclosure, close the door and leave the room.  Observing through the glass can cause the snake to start striking.  If you place the snake back in the enclosure and it starts striking, then immediately pick the snake back up and start gently handling again.  It is important to understand that if your ball python is still in a state of fear, they would prefer you never pick them up.  An important element of building trust is reenforcing behavior that you want and discouraging behavior that you do not want.  Many people will say to themselves when a snake strikes “well, I guess he doesn’t want to be handled now so I will just leave him alone.”  This is exactly opposite of what you should do.  Show the snake that biting or striking will just get them picked up again.  Biting or striking should NEVER achieve the snake’s desired result of being left alone.  Ending on a positive note and not allowing for bad behavior will help to quickly build trust between you and your pet ball python.

Taming a frightened ball python into a calm, gentle companion can be a rewarding process and help you build a bond with your snake that will be strong for years to come.  The entire process should not take more than a week or two with daily interactions.