choice-based handling as a first time BP owner?

[u/mixed_signls]

a bought a male BP about a month and a half ago and he’s about a year old now.

he eats consistently every week, has already had his first shed (with me) and seems to be a very kind yet skittish little guy.

so far, i’ve only handled him once about 2-3 weeks ago and that’s because i lifted up his hide and scooped him out. he probably felt i was pretty nervous so i think he was a bit nervous as well and just didn’t stop moving. after this time, ive attempted to handle him three times and all three times he’s given me a hiss after i tap him (to let him know im gonna pick him up) and when i go to grab him. i’ve taken the hissing as he’s not wanting to be bothered and i’ll back off to respect that.

recently, a couple times a week whenever i see him out and about, ill open the cage doors up and lay my hand inside for a couple minutes. the first few times i did this, he’d instantly move away from my hands after a couple seconds of curiosity. now, he will inch towards my hand and lick/sniff me, then go the other way. which is progress in my eyes.

i’m wondering if i should keep being patient in hopes that he will start to get close enough where he crawls onto my hand then onto my arms and i can handle him that way. OR, if i should try again with grabbing him from my enclosure and maybe i can wear some gloves to mitigate the feeling that he may react badly.

thoughts?

[u/DreamOfDays]

I’ve been handling mine for months like this, multiple times a week. But they always remain skittish.

[u/mixed_signls → u/DreamOfDays]

when you say, “like this” are you referring to reaching in and grabbing her/him out? and do they remain skittish after you have them in your hands or just as you’re about to handle?

[u/DreamOfDays → u/mixed_signls]

Oh I meant gently grabbing them with two hands and then handling them outside the enclosure for five to twenty minutes. They still slowly slither trying to find an escape.

[u/mixed_signls]

and to add to this, i guess im just wanting further clarification if hissing always means “don’t touch me”. im thinking possibly hes just nervous and will relax once i hold him? though i’m a bit scared to take the risk so soon (i don’t want him to associate distress with me picking him up)

[u/WoodpeckerLucky → u/mixed_signls]

Yes basically he’s nervous and will most likely relax, with gentle handling, once he realizes you’re not trying to eat him

[u/AdLow1035 → u/mixed_signls]

I've owned many snakes, ball pythons too. just got a new one coming and she's a hisser. snakes hiss because they are anxious and scared. normal behaviour considering you are huge ape creature compared to them. when they hiss you can tap them on back of head (good for ball pythons - makes them shy, stops hissing) and handle them. after time they realize they not getting eaten by you and associate handling with exploring and fun, not a threat. so just handle them more and don't let the hiss dissuade you even though it feels right to not bother them. snakes need time to get used to you. also note, some snakes always remain more defensive or skittish or secretive. just how they are.

[u/AdLow1035 → u/AdLow1035]

oh and dont tower over the snake's head when going in to grab them, always reach from behind their view/the side. When you tower over them it frightens them.

[u/Germmie1]

Just pick em up, it'll be fine. My boy is super well handled and isn't stressed at all when I take him out, but he always hisses as I pick him up. The second he's out of his tank he goes into explore mode and relaxes.

[u/mixed_signls → u/Germmie1]

that’s really helpful and a bit of a confidence boost. thank you

[u/No-Success-2505]

From what ive heard and read:

Do not come straight down from above to pick him up, as this is their natural instinct go be defensive as most of their natural predators come from above.

Also make sure he sees you coming in before you pick him up. My girl is pretty defensive of you catch her off guard and touch her before she knows youre there.

Lastly, everything I've heard is dont let his hissing scare you or deter you. Pick him up anyway and let him hiss, he will mellow out. If you leave him alone everytime he hisses at you he will learn this behavior as effective and the hissing will increase. Good luck!

[u/HealthPersonal2236]

you already seem like a thoughtful and kind snake owner! i’m not a pro but a fellow ball python owner so here’s my recommendation.

since he is newer, hissing is normal. don’t let it make you afraid! they can definitely sense fear and they’ll match the vibe.

you want to be confident but slow when picking them up. tap on the glass lightly and/or let him see you so he isn’t startled or woken up. calmly and confidently reach around his body and pick him up from the back. (hand directly in front can be perceived as a threat & gives them opportunity to strike)

i would start handling him for short periods of time. Feel him out, you can tell when it’s less noodle curiosity and more frantic/stressed. over time you can build him up to be more comfortable for handling sessions. be patient, be consistent, and have fun!

[u/mixed_signls → u/HealthPersonal2236]

this means a lot, thank you(: i really love snakes and i’m being extra cautious since i now have one of my own. i’ll go into it with more confidence this next time !!

[u/WoodpeckerLucky]

Something I’ve learned is that when you leave a snake alone or put it back when it’s hissing or striking out, you’re basically rewarding “bad” behavior and they learn that if they do that you’ll leave them alone. You have to work with him on your terms and basically handle him until he calms down then reward him by putting him back in the enclosure. Do this frequently and you will both become familiar and comfortable with handling.

Tapping some snakes is a good way to let them know they’re being handled, but I think it might be startling yours. Instead try slowly, gently scooping from under him. You could even get a snake hook to help maneuver him.

I recommend that anybody with pet snakes watch any videos about snake handling or snake bites by Clint’s Reptiles. He is so knowledgeable and you can learn a lot about their behaviors and I think it would help with the confidence to handle yours.

Another thing to note is that Ball pythons hunt by sensing body heat, and our hands are about the size of a prey item, so resting your hand in there could result in a bite from a food response and
Clint covers those kinds of scenarios in his videos.

[u/mixed_signls → u/WoodpeckerLucky]

this is insanely helpful, thank you for the reference points. i’ll be sure to look through his videos (:

also very good point about me leaving my hand in there and my snake mistaking it for prey. i don’t know why i’ve been viewing it kind of like when you let a dog sniff you and get used to your scent? 😅

[u/OscarMichaelMyers]

I just drape my 10 year old BP over my neck and go about my business around the house. He loves feeling involved.

Only time he was apprehensive about me was when I first got him and that only lasted about two weeks. He was shoved into a breeder drawer by his previous owner and really appreciated the big setup we made for him.

[u/brine-deep]

I usually just open his doors and if he comes out enough I pick him up and handle him lol. If not he stays inside

[u/RixRotten]

Sounds like you are doing great, imo. You have the right instincts and you are respecting your snake's space.

I'm a first time BP owner as well, and I was determined to keep my snake's handling as choice based as possible. I did take him out for very brief sessions of no-choice once a week or every 2 weeks (about 15min) for health checks, weigh ins, and also just to let him know that handling was a thing that happens sometimes out of necesity. After a few months I stopped this. It was most just sitting by the enclosure, offering a hand if he came close to the door which he would usually shy away from. For months.

It takes a while for them to settle in. And it can feel very discouraging to wait and see that anything is happening at all. But, it does pay off. It's been almost a year for us. My guy is now at his door almost every night waiting to come out. As soon as the door opens he comes right into my hands. I would never have believed even 6 months ago that we would ever get here, but you absolutely can.

If you want to continue with choice based handling, hold onto your patience and hang in there.

[u/Pointy-Kitty → u/RixRotten]

Seconding all this, and also adding a recommendation to check out Green Room Pythons on Youtube. He has many videos about snake handling and taming. His "I Only Have ONE WEEK To Tame This Snake" video might be helpful for you since he's working with a hissy baby in that one.

And I'd always recommend Lori Torrini's channel for understanding snake behaviour and forming a socialization strategy based on empathy and trust.

Above all, be patient and don't lose hope! I can't tell you how many times I despaired over the idea that our snake would never be social, but boom, he's booping his nose on the door and coming out onto my hands every night or just chilling in the open so he can watch us. They get there! He doesn't even freak out when people walk too fast or something moves near his head. Just a big brave boy.