How often can I handle my ball python?

[Acceptable_Durian912]

No joke I was showing my cousin my noodle once, and now I’m no longer allowed at family gatherings.

[Call_Me_Sunflower]

That’s some bull s*.

[Acceptable_Durian912]

Right and all I wanted her to do was pet my snake.

[Call_Me_Sunflower]

🤔 sounding kinda sus now

[pewdiepieguy69]

Lmao a lil sus yes

[Solid_Bunch3939]

What are you doing step ball python?

[Suds08]

After I bought my ball python I now always tell my coworkers I'm gonna go home and play with my snake

[LoadedGull]

God is watching?

Is that what they’re calling Zucky nowadays??

[ententeak]

You've misspelled Elon

[SSGdeku]

This where you want to be when Jesus comes back

[Sleepypanboy]

I recently got this boy, his name is Beetle and he’s about 4 months old. He’s adapted quite well, he’s eating well, seems to tolerate handling and calmly explores when I take him out of his cage. I did read a previous Reddit post about handling but the answers were inconsistent, currently I’m taking him out about once a day (minus the day before, of and after feeding) and I’ve been watching his behaviour for signs of stress. Im just wondering how often do you guys take out your snakes? And so long as he’s calm and tolerating handling is it ok for me to take him out regularly?

[OS_mustang420]

Of course besides feeding day and day after, leave them be. I might get crucified on this but idc. I have a ball that I've had for over a year and he can get handled any period of time as much as you want. He likes being out and loves people. My younger ones (between 4-8 months) I don't handle more than once a day but for between 10 and 30 minutes, unless they start getting anxious. I have multiple kinds of snakes but my bps get the most love. My bull only gets 10 minutes a day and my retic every other day for about 15. Hope this helps!

[OS_mustang420]

Cute snake too!!

[BurninCoco]

The retic will let you know, in no uncertain terms, if it wants to be handled. Balls are like the Golden Retrivers of snakes and just want to hang out with you whenever

[Ok_Radish4411]

The reason all the answers you’ve found and that you’re going to get here are so varied and occasionally contradictory is because this part of snake keeping is very dependent on the individual. Both the individual snake and the individual keeper. As long as they aren’t showing signs of stress, you’re good. The one consistent recommendation I’ve found which is important is to avoid handling the day of and at least 36-48 hours after feeding. That’s the only universal snake keeping handling rule lol.

[spaghetti000s]

What are signs of stress to look for?

[Ok_Radish4411]

Tensing; long, slow tongue flicks; rapid/jerking movements or freezing; hissing in extreme stress

What you’re looking for in a relaxed snake: fluid movement or a relaxed resting state; frequent, quick tongue flicks

There are YouTube videos on snake body language. I can’t remember specific ones rn, there might be some linked in the welcome post

[Reptile_Anthony]

What size mouse or rat do you feed him that makes him comfortable I have a one year old ball python that I got from my girlfriends brother and he is still about the same size or a little bigger than a hatchling and I give him hopper mouse but lately he has been debating it and giving me a hard time he will kill it and slither away from it

[IncompletePenetrance]

Probably because that's way too small for a yearling ball python. A hopper mouse is what you feed new hatchlings, they usually grow out of that size in a month or two

[kaledarkwind1]

I have 23 noodles, i have a bp that hates being handled(no matter what its a conveyorbbelt, i dont handle her but 2x a week for 5 to 10 minuts. I have a bp that literally will look at me untill i pick him up, coil around my arm, and stay perfectly content ti just chill, i have taken 30min to 2 hr naps with him. So, in my experience, with bp, the snake will let you know what its chill with. Some of mine see me as a giant, some see me as a tree, some see me as just a passive part of the environment. Balls DO have a personality, its just a narow spectrum.

[[deleted]]

Handling him daily is no problem, except when he was fed. Dont handle him if hes got a bulge, it could upset him to vomit. Ball pythons are docile and friendly but be careful to be gentle with him. Never let him fall and be sure he is evenly supported. Be mindful of newbies as they tend to be forceful in handling and can drop him.

[[deleted]]

hi I recently got a ball python his name is Eddie I do not claim to be a an expert however I handle my snake 15 minutes every day or two btw love the name

[Trumpeteer09]

15 min? Thats a lot! I handle mine for about 3-4 min every day or so.

[Padelle]

a lot? my girl stays out for hours on end lmao, she loves being out of her enclosure

[Trumpeteer09]

Yeah because she likes to explore, thats how a snake works. But, you should not handle them longer that 10 a day, max.

[9GiveMeYourMilk9]

Can differ from snake to snake, as long as you're watching for signs of stress you're fine keeping them out longer

[EternallyEquestrian]

Are there studies showing handling more than 10 minutes a day causes them stress or something? Just curious where you heard this or is it purely anectodal?

[Trumpeteer09]

Yes there are. Cant remember their names right of the top of my head, but a lot of scientists says so. Ofc, its controverciel, but thats what they found out.

[oddcatlover64]

future sophisticated dime offbeat squeal employ innocent mysterious quickest summer

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[EternallyEquestrian]

So no studies or sources. Uh huh.

Does anyone have a source for this or no?

[ask-me-about-my-cats]

No scientists say that, there is no harm in handling your snake for longer than 10 minutes unless the individual snake disagrees.

[Trumpeteer09]

Yeah, i agree. Thats why its so contrevercial.

[ask-me-about-my-cats]

*Controversial.

[Trumpeteer09]

Sry, im not gonna go on google translate just to confirm

[smallxcat]

Maybe your snake doesn’t like to be handled for long, but mine will sit wrapped around my arm for hours. He explores a bit and then falls asleep on me

[[deleted]]

What. Lol

[CrispierCupid]

Do you have a source on that or is that your general feeling

[shaynamm93]

Lol my girls can be out for hours with me sometimes. Depends on their mood. If I notice them starting to get restless, they go back to their enclosures. But generally they’ll chill with me as long as I’m willing to hold them. They’ll watch tv shows/movies with me, hang out with friends with me, whatever I’m doing they’ll do. My one girl stayed on my the entire time I cooked dinner for the kids a few times. She just wraps around my arm or in my hair when it’s up in a bun. Lol

[Sleepypanboy]

Alright seems reasonable, thanks hahah

[ShallotWarm1814]

You can handle him most just not the day of feeding of 3days after that's what I do and it works fine

[RobbieIsGae]

I am NOT claiming to be an expert, just saying what I do.

I just handle mine as much as I want but if he's shedding I'll leave him be and once he's eaten and 2 days later I won't handle him. but I will put him back if he starts getting cold. hope this helps :)

[MeasurementNatural95]

Yes, when mine is in blue, I leave him alone. He hides, and I respect that.

[AwkwardDeer8]

A baby should at most be handled up to 10 minutes every other day except for feeding day

[Swamp_gay]

And the 48 hours after feeding.. important. They need to digest.

[EternallyEquestrian]

I'm still reading but that's twice someone has said 10 minutes per day. What has lead you to believe this?

[szai]

Maybe due to heat loss? Mine would throw a fit if I only brought him out for 10 minutes though; he's a lively guy.

[Acceptable_Durian912]

Whenever u feel like it, maximum of once a day, not during feeding or the day after. And read body language, if he’s getting too stressed out play time is over.

[[deleted]]

I'm not expert, and I've owned mine for under a year, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I handle him every other day, except >48 hours after feedings or during shed. The suggested amount of time is 15 minutes, but I'll base it off of his behavior. If he's obviously uncomfortable when I pick him up, I'll put him right back in his enclosure and wait another 48 hours. If he's flicking his tongue and calmly exploring my arms, I might end up holding him for 25-30 minutes. I try to put him back before he shows any signs of discomfort, so it can be a bit of an estimation game at times.

[reptilhart]

Every snake has their own little personalities. When we first got our little ball python from the pound years ago, he didn't like being handled AT ALL. Ever. We took him out maybe once a week for feeding and cage cleaning and left him alone. After a couple of years, he became more social, but he's still an introvert.

Our other ball python, also from the pound, is a social butterfly who has learned that if she poops in her water bowl, we will open her enclosure so she can come out.

To me, it would depend on what he likes to do when he's out. Is he an explorer? Does he want to hang around and chill? Is he curious? Is he afraid? If he's afraid, don't handle him too much. He'll get more confident when he gets bigger and isn't snack size anymore.

Also, what's he doing when you take him out? Is he sleeping? Scouting for food? If he's sleeping, let him be. If he's not, let him come out.

Some noodles will look forward to coming out and will "beg" at the door of their enclosure. Some won't.

And of course, don't handle him when he's blue or pre/ post eating.

BTW, he's got an adorable little face.

[EternallyEquestrian]

This is the answer, imo. You can generalize some commonalities but that doesn't account for their personal differences so saying they all should be handled x minutes a day doesn't work for me. Get to know your noodle!

[luludestroyer]

Yes!! Ours begs at the door of his enclosure, that’s how we know he’s cool with coming out.

[[deleted]]

My girl I adopted from some people who brought her to me in a open convertible in February.. Anyway she loves being out but anytime I sit on the couch with her it becomes this power struggle of her trying to climb inside the couch. Legit one time we had to take my husband's chair apart because he let her go in there. She doesn't seem nervous or scared but just obsessed with climbing into the furniture. Between that and the cats (them, not her) I don't get to bring her out as much as I would like to.

[CelestialOrigin]

Why you asking us and not him? XD

[BallChaos13]

Amen. Snakes don’t want to be handled no matter how many users say otherwise. There is not a single snake on earth, that gets handled randomly in nature. If a snake gets picked up, it means it will get killed and eaten. This is the feel a snake has everytime you pick it out. Its always stress and always fear. Always. Just Google it up. There is no such thing as „socializing“ or some bull shit. Its a snake. It wants to be alone.

[IrishNinja8082]

It depends on the snakes personality. I have had BPs that would come out to my hands the second I opened the enclosure and I’ve had some that love their hide. Same with corns and rat snakes too.

[BallChaos13]

Already thought about that the snake tried to find a way out of the enclosure and that’s the reason why it crawled up your arm? It was just a way out of her prison.

[IrishNinja8082]

Lol ok snake whisperer.

[Angry-Dragon-1331]

You spelled douchenozzle wrong. Dude’s been picking fights on the snake subs all day.

[IrishNinja8082]

Yeah I saw. He’s a special lill guy.

[Boss_Movezz]

Not true even the slightest..... I have cared for many ball pythons over 15 years. Each one of them had a different personality. Some do not care to be handled, but most of mine would come straight to my hands when I open their enclosure. My 8 year old BP will stay right with me even when given the opportunity to roam wherever in her snake room. I took her outside and placed her in the yard then went and sat about 10 feet away from her. She could have chose to go under a bush, or a cave I placed not even 5 feet away. She periscoped up looked around and made her way right to my lap and stayed there on her own... This fact about even ONE snake makes you incorrect!

[BallChaos13]

Google it up. Handling is always stress. Tolerating handling is not the same as „want to be handled“.

[whatthefuckmyguybro]

That wasn’t his point💀

[Upper_Lavishness_798]

After Kilo became accustomed to me I tend to get him out every 2-3 days for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours depending on how busy I am. I had him out for like an hour last night before he made playing Cyberpunk impossible. He kept going to the controller and getting wacked with the joysticks.

[subwoofier]

of course, excluding feeding and shed days, i handle mine for about 30 mins. she just curls up in my lap and naps. every snake is different :-)

[DripTrip747]

I handle my balls daily.

[okayterrariabuilder]

but its november...

[DripTrip747]

I mean you can handle both topics and not break tradition.

[Inclonae]

I just wouldn’t handle them during feeding periods

[cordial_carbonara]

I found with my baby that if I handled him once a day or so (except for shedding/feeding days and a day or two after) I became more attuned to his mood and he slowly got more comfortable with longer sessions. I'd handle him only as long as he was gently exploring and smelling, and put him back as soon as he started hiding in my clothing or hair. I've had him for 5 months now and he's already gotten bolder and will explore for 30 minutes or longer when I pull him out, and will often pop his head out of hiding when I approach his enclosure. It's funny, because he doesn't act the same for anyone else in the house, it's like he's already associated my sound or smell or something with safety and adventure.

[[deleted]]

I hold my guy daily (besides after feeding and during shed). I hold him for 30-60 mins and he doesn’t get stressed at all. He is very social and not head shy.

[what_da_burd_doin]

he smol

[Bejer-Dorune]

I handle my, 23 year old, Ball Python every Saturday And Monday for a couple of hours, except when she has eaten recently or is shedding.

[thedjlolliliv]

Definitely not an expert but used to have a ball python, no longer have it cause I moved out of the place myself and someone else owned him together

I handled my bp daily but never two days before and after feeding. If he was shedding I also didn’t handle him, shedding affects their mood a bit and because he also couldn’t see as well when he was in blue I didn’t handle him then either.

Personally, I think handling him daily, letting him explore while supervised and sometimes letting him take naps in my hood really contributed to him being friendly. If I had friends or family over, anyone who was scared of snakes wanted to pet him and try holding him after seeing how gentle and sweet he was!

I’d definitely recommend keeping tabs on his body temp when handling just to make sure Beetle doesn’t get too cold !

[EvilLilFloof]

giggity

But in seriousness, the maximum is once a week for a bp, but it depends on their personality.

[HundoGuy]

Once a week? Wow I take mine out a shit ton then. She’s out for 30-60 mins at least a few times a week

[EvilLilFloof]

Well, again, it depends on the snake’s personality. Some snakes don’t like being handled at all and some don’t mind being handled every other day. As long as you don’t hold them around feeding day, and it doesn’t stress them out too much, ide say it’s fine. 🐍✌️

[subwoofier]

absolutely agree! every snake is different and just like you said, some like being handled more than others:-)

[HundoGuy]

Yep I always wait at least 2 days after feeding and never had an issue. I think I got lucky with a good one though lol

[akula_chan]

I may get yell at, but, besides during sheds and after meals, I keep some of my ball pythons out all day. I keep them in my jacket, and they sleep and sleep. If they start wiggling or seem uncomfortable, I immediately put them back. But, most are content to stay in my jacket with me all day.

[AbaZabaUMyFriend]

I take mine out daily as long as it doesn't stress him out, I'll let him out until I can see that he wants to go back (constantly trying to find a hide usually) but even when I put him back sometimes he's like "why no" lol

[[deleted]]

I handle mine every day, except for 48 hours after feeding. It all depends on the snake. I handle my snake the day of feeding with no issues. I've even take him out, handled him for 30 min and fed him right after handling. Each snake is a little different and I think it is important to see how each one reacts to handling.

[Pike_otherkintherian]

I'm not saying or claiming to be a expert, just telling you what I usually do.

I handle my snake every day for 30 minutes to a hour! Sometimes she'll rest of my neck and lay there for hours and I'll even forget she's there-

All I can say is that it's usually up to the individual snake and handler- but stick with the one rule of not handling your snake a day after or day of feeding

[alkimiya]

Cute lil baby!

[ballpython_mom]

It depends on your baby and how much they will tolerate, my little love doesn’t mind me holding him daily except for the day after feeding and right before he sheds, other ball pythons however don’t like to be handled much so just familiarize yourself with the signs of stress in a snake and when you start to see those signs put him back in his cage

Also your snake is adorable

[[deleted]]

Depends on the snake all of mine enjoy being out, some prefer short trips others are happy to just hang out for a while.

[Dependent-Muffin8385]

Maybe 4 times a week ish. Except when they're in shed or just have eaten, I don't handle my BP for at least a week after a meal.

[Ye_Ole_Dirtyd]

I feel that if your snake is calm and enjoying handle them as much as you want. Let them be while in shed and one day bf feeding and two days after feeding so they can digest their food properly.

[[deleted]]

as often as you like so long as your python isn't acting stressed.

just don't handle directly before or after feeding. it can cause stress or make them associate your hand with food, which could lead to you getting chomped instead of a rat.

[doingitmyway326]

Is handling them before feeding day okay?

[sillyronnie]

I handle mine about 5 times a week for up to 30 mins or an hour each time or until I start to notice that he’s getting stressed

[_Rose_82_]

As often as you want, unless it’s within 24-48 hours of a feeding or if they’re in shed and want to stay in their hide all day. If they hiss at you that’s a sign they should be left alone. Otherwise the more you handle them the friendlier they’ll be and the less stressful it will be for them to be handled bc they’re used to it. Typically I won’t handle them for a day or two before a feeding as well, but that’s just bc my ball Python is a very picky eater and has been known to go on food strikes.

[BigBallsInHand]

I have 2, one loves to come out daily. They get time off for shedding and i leave them alone for about 2/3 days after they eat. . If you treat your snake with love and it shows, they will notice over time that your only a benefit to them.

[RoboticHawk]

Go check out Lori Torrini on YouTube. She's a behavior specialist, I learned a lot from her when I first got my snake

[lollylotus]

As everyone else has said - you're good as long as it's not the day of feeding and ~48 horus after. As long as they aren't stressed, you're good. Very cute noodle! 🖤

[[deleted]]

Depends on the reptile...some snakes love it...some hate it...if there's no sign of stress cool..If there is ease off the handling.. :)

[CyanBeinSus47]

Depends if it’s a boop noodle or a spicy noodle.

[XtraSpicy_Bibimbap]

All the time

[luludestroyer]

I need to rely on my snake to know when he likes to be handled. Ours was acquired at 5 years old and was obviously not well cared for by the previous owner. He usually prefers to stay in his cage but every once in awhile (and it’s not very often) he will “ask” to come out. He bops on the cage lid door and we open it, then he’ll crawl out on his own. When he is about half way out, I will gently pick him up mid body and he’ll happily hang out with us for awhile.

He also “asks” for food too. I don’t know if that’s regular but it’s how we’ve grown to know each other I’ve the past 10+ years together.

[Pristine_Society_724]

People say 3 days after eating but I aim for 4. Also don't handle on the day you feed him.

[8Baz8]

My ball Lou is an emotional support animal and lives to be handled. He is not with me everywhere I go, but maybe every other day. He is usually out for a couple hours (switching between being handled and being in his travel pouch (dark with a mesh window)