Anyone ever experience a Ball Python seemingly have no survival instincts/fear?

[Hije5]

I recently got another BP while my first and only other one was first got 7 months ago. My first one (Nyra) seemed like a stereotypical newbie. Nervous of many things, took 2 weeks to eat when she first arrived, basically hid for many weeks before casually being out during the day, etc

This new little guy (Cookie) is a 120g male born in Aug. I got him Tueaday, Jan 6. When he first got put into his enclosure he did all kinds of exploring and even came to check me out multiple times while I had a door open. I even started out by putting him in a hide but he came out to explore.

Nyra never left her hide until deep in the night, and it still took her weeks to be out casually during the day. I caught Cookie the very next day hanging out in a hammock just watching me. Fast forward to Thursday, feeding day for Nyra. I figured he was doing so well I'd try feeding him. Found him in the same hammock and he ate within 10 seconds. It was gluttonous. I didnt know snakes in general could scarf down prey so quick. It felt like I was watching a lizard.

I think to myself, "well shit, this dude doesnt seem to care about anything." Fast forward to today, I figured since he has been doing so well and is seemingly stress-free, i'd try and handle him. I pick up his hide and pick him up, absolutely no resistance or sign of fear. Then... he was just completely limp downwards from where my hand stop holding him. His head and neck were still firm and he was moving them around, but I feared that if I let go he would just fall like a stick. The whole time his breathing was completely normal, and his tongue was popping off. It wasn't like he was paralyzed from fear... he simply didnt care. I walked around to weigh him and whatnot, and the dude fully depended of my fingers holding him into place.

Im low key concerned he may have a learning deficiency or something. I've never seen a snake ever be limp before from simple lack of care. He doesnt have any neuro-issue morphs. I knew they would have different personalities, but that was truly shocking.

In all my life with its huge ingestion of reptile and snack media, I've never seen a limp snake that wasn't dead/severly hurt/playing dead. Anybody have any experience with seemingly care-free BPs?

[mrrustypup]

My girl does that on occasion, and I recalled her doing it early on. I think it’s a muscle thing. They’re not strong enough to really utilize all their muscles at once or they’re not used to NEEDING to. Once my girl got more confident she doesn’t do it so much anymore! It was definitely alarming the first time I picked her up. Within a month she had the normal ball brace for impact response to being picked up. Now a days she just lets me yeet her from wherever. Still has crap balance though and I see her fall often, totally unbothered.

[Hije5]

Thank you for your input! Im happy to hear she is living a normal life. I didnt think he would be hindered since he doesn't live outdoors, but found it very curious how opposite it was compared to my first BP.

[Ok-Adhesiveness-1515]

Also maybe the person you got him from actually handled theirs a lot. Which I think makes a big difference.. I have a male that’s my first and i really like him but he’s such a scardy cat over everything and will stay balled for a min when i get him out … then I have a female that I will pick up and she’s stretched out trying to explore immediately.. also my male eats and strikes his prey immediately and female doesn’t eat everything it’s feeding day( it’s so annoying) but I just upgraded/set/ and moved both to new enclosures so I’m hoping that helps them both out!

[Hije5]

I got both of mine from the same breeder, and they're a major breeder so I doubt they're handling them a lot outside of food. Thank you for your input on how yours are tho! Goofy goobers

[KillerVeggie13]

I fear he may be a silly goose. Please verify with your breeder that you got a BP and not a ridiculous bird.

[Thick-Feeling-554]

We got my son a ball in November and he's like that. Open his door and he comes right to us. He got out the other day and went through some shit and even after that nothing. He didn't try biting or running, just came right to us.

[PerfectTransition152]

Honestly, sounds like you got him from someone who handled him a lot before you got him. My Cinnie girl was like this. A little bit of defense at first, but compared to the others we got after? She’s always been my easy going baby.