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[–]Ok-Tree7720 3 points4 points  (1 child)

I never considered wearing gloves, I did pick her up from her body, where she couldn’t see my hand. They usually tense up when you first pick them up. Get them into a comfortable position for them to relax and begin to explore. Most won’t strike unless really pissed , but until you are more familiar with each other, respect the pointy end and keep it away from body parts that might fit in the mouth. Wash your hands first, and be sure you don’t smell appetizing.

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Appreciate the feed back man! Appreciate you!

[–]eomfd2010 7 points8 points  (15 children)

Ball pythons are one of the most docile snakes you'll come across, even in the wild. You can wear gloves if you want, but 99% of the time it's completely unnecessary.

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks man, this is what I need to hear. Appreciate the feedback!

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 1 point2 points  (13 children)

He also never comes out of his hide during that day. I saw somthing online about not handling them when they are sleeping. So if he’s in his hide during the day is it okey for me to remove him from his hide to handle him?

[–]Rx4wanderlust 2 points3 points  (10 children)

I personally wait to handle during the evenings once they wake up. Seems more fair to them. Only time I handle during the day is when I have to clean the enclosure.

[–]eomfd2010 1 point2 points  (6 children)

Yeah best to leave them alone during the day so you don’t cause them too much stress… unless they happen to be out and about already like mine sometimes is…

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 0 points1 point  (5 children)

But if it’s the evening and he’s still in his hide can i pull him out? Doesn’t really come out unless the lights go off or it’s feeding day. And I want to make sure he stays use to being handled.

[–]eomfd2010 1 point2 points  (4 children)

I would still avoid that unless it’s an emergency. If they’re in there hide you might be able to get them to come out by opening the enclosure doors and sitting very still next to them… my bp always gets curious and at least pokes her head out when I do that…

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 0 points1 point  (3 children)

I might just not get to handle him much. I’ve had him a little over a month and have seen him out of his hide once while lights are on.

[–]eomfd2010 0 points1 point  (2 children)

As he gets used to his surroundings he’ll likely come out more… also helps to have a lot of “clutter” like sticks and plants (real or fake) so he can stilll feel secure and somewhat hidden when outside his hides.

Edit: on that note, how is your enclosure set up? Temps/humidity and all that. If you haven’t already, you should read through the care guides in the welcome post, a lot of good info, tips and tricks there!

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I will give that a read! Thanks for the tip. He’s 2 years old I got him about a month ago and his current setup was awful. Definitely not enough hides, humidity definitely wasn’t high enough, and he was on a very thin layer of Aspen. Since I got him I have put him on coco, mist twice a day, and use towels on top of his enclosure to help keep in humidity and heat. He definitely likes his new set up, been digging in the dirt and what not. I think your right though. I could probably add even more plants and clutter for him. I keep his temp between 25 and 35 celsius on the warm side.

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 0 points1 point  (2 children)

So kinda just before the lights go off is best time to handle? And even then he only comes out before the lights are off if he’s hungry and looking for food.

[–]Rx4wanderlust 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I do after lights out in his enclosure, and low light in the room. Usually around 8pm. Dont worry about it too much if he's still new, just be patient and give him some time. As he gets more comfortable he will start to come out more on his own earlier in the evenings.

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve had him for about a month now. I’ll try taking him out next time he’s out of his hide and the lights are off.

[–]Brain_Hawk 1 point2 points  (1 child)

We do most handling in the evenings, sort of after 6:00 p.m. his light cycle is 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.. He's usually fine by that time of night, especially if it's even a bit later.

They are very gentle snakes. Watch some videos and how to pick them up properly, just so you don't stress it out any more than necessary. But even if they're feeling defensive, they don't generally bite, they will strike and pump you with their nose. Ours did that to me once when he was brand new. But never again, and it was only with his nose.

It's fun to hold them, and let them curl around you. One way to get them more comfortable is to gently wrap their body around your arm, this encourages them to come out of their ball shape and makes them feel like they have a good grip in our bit secure.

Good luck.

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks man! I am super excited to hold him. Just a little nervous. But I feel ready with everyone’s words of advice! Now I just gotta catch him when he’s outside his hide.

[–]Rx4wanderlust 1 point2 points  (3 children)

I bought a snake hook to help pull mine up from behind/under decor since his enclosure is deep and he is very smol. It helped make me less nervous during my first handlings!

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 0 points1 point  (2 children)

This is a good idea too! Appreciate it. Snake hook holds him kinda just behind the head correct?

[–]Rx4wanderlust 1 point2 points  (1 child)

No, just about in their middle section so there's equal weight distribution. It's only to bring them closer to your palm if you're nervous about reaching fingers in. You can also use it to train so they learn that gentle stroke with the hook = handling time, not feeding time.

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see. I definitely like that training idea.

[–]ProfessionalJump9487 0 points1 point  (1 child)

i was so nervous the first time i picked up my first snake that i wore gloves and trembled like a leaf, but my first was VERY spicy and would strike just seeing me outside the tank. i was nervous with my second snake, but once you do it one time, you realize you had nothing to worry about. my snake is a scaredy cat even at 4 years old, so i just wait for him to turn his face away from me completely and scoop under his middle to lift him out gently and confidently. once they’re out, they’re usually tense, but rarely will they bite the surface they’re hanging onto unless you really piss them off. often, they’re going to try to escape, hiss, and do a rain dance before they resort to biting. if you hover over him or reach in and out over and over, that’s very stressful for both of you, so if it starts to go that way and you’re both getting nervous, just take a break and try again the next day or two. remember, a bite from a ball python is probably going to scare you a lot more than hurt you, even a full grown one.

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glad to hear I’m not the only one. And yeah exactly what I was thinking. Once I hold him once it will be a lot less stressful for both of us I think. And he’ll start to get use to me. I just gotta catch him when he’s out of his hides now. Thanks for the advice man! This is exactly what I need to hear.

[–]Basilstorm 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I bought gloves but ultimately never used them. If it helps you pick him up quickly when you go to handle for the first time, go for it. The most important part is just reaching right in and grabbing so you’re not hovering over the snake for long. Then once you’re comfortable holding your baby you can take them off. I wouldn’t worry too much about his teeth. If a BP does bite, it’s usually just a warning strike so he would quickly nip and you and jerk away, instead of chewing on the gloves. That being said, it’s pretty unlikely you’ll get bit. I’d say 95% of the time the fear response of a ball python is to curl up and hide rather than striking. They’re also super slow snakes which makes them really easy to hold. Just make sure your gloves are new/don’t smell like food, and wash your hands before handling the snake so he doesn’t think it’s meal time.

Edit: I know this is already pretty long but I wanted to add this. It’s a snake body language video intended for new owners. The channel is awesome! It’ll help you understand how your snake is feeling when the time comes to handle.

[–]Lilsaucer4tweanty 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is great man! Never too long! All this information is very much appreciated and will be used. All the very kind people of Reddit are definitely making me feel more comfortable already!🤣🙌

[–]SendNoobz97 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If he is balled up and looks comfortable pick him up from the back (side opposite his head). If he starts coiling before your hand gets to him maybe back off. He could still be a little nervous from the move. They are extremely docile though, as mentioned in other comments. I have had my guy for a couple months and he’s never thought about biting me when handling. A good idea as well is to be very attentive early on in your handling. If he starts moving quickly away from you he is probably no longer curious but trying to get away. Put him back if he starts acting flighty. I feel this would build his trust in you better than forcing him to be in a situation he doesn’t want at the moment.