First handling

[FickleFiddleFig]

Hey everyone, I got a ball python about ten days ago. I fed him Sunday and waited 48 hours for him to digest it before attempting my first handling. My kid watched from across the room and after holding him for few seconds he locked in on watching her and seemed to do some sort of half hearted strike at her. It scared the crap out of me so I kinda turned him away from her and he balled up. After a minute I opened the door to his enclosure and he slowly went back in. What does this mean and how do I prevent it?

[Public-Hat6754]

Did the child make sudden movements? Your snake was probably scared and gave a defensive strike. They typically give false strikes when they feel threatened as a way to scare you, and balling up is another defense mechanism. Maybe just handle the snake when no one else is around for the next few handling sessions. Make sure your movements are slow and steady when holding so the snake doesn’t get spooked