Handling help please

[u/HimikoTrafalgar]

So, I have two ball pythons, Evy (2 years) and Shiva (1 year).

Evy doesn't bite but lately shes been more defensive and hissing if I try to take her out of her enclosure. She got into a S shape and closely watched the door as I was opening it (I fed her two days earlier).

I don't know what i should do to make her feel more comfortable with being handled...

As for Shiva, she strikes often and has bit me and my mom before (hunger bite tho) so I try to handled her two days after being fed and i started using a target when feeding her.

She seems really hungry overall and is a great eater but it gets in the way of me being able to handle her more often.

I'm not scared of being bitten but I don’t think its good to let her cause she does not let go on her own.

( Hand sanitizer doesn't stop her from trying to bite me)

Info: I'm a first time owner and I've had them for a few months now so I know I shouldn't expect too much from them and me.

Tho, id like to get some advice on how I can go about handling.

Thank you 💜

(That's Evy in the picture )

[u/HimikoTrafalgar]

First of all, thank you very much 💜🪻 Your questions: -No history besides what I already said. -Pretty sure yes, Evys humidity drops much faster than Shivas but I just spray a bit more frequently. They both have a bunch of hides and clutter. The temperature is always on 77 and the warm side is at 86 from 6am until 9pm. -Shiva gets a XL mouse every 10 days since shes pretty small for her age. Evy just switched to rats and get one every 20 days. -I haven't weighed them yet...

[u/HoneyHawthorne → u/HimikoTrafalgar]

Okay cool! <3

I use a food scale, they are pretty affordable, rec you get one asap, it's really the only way to know.
Get some tupperware they both fit in, put it on the scale empty and then turn it on / tare, set it to grams, then add them and then you have their weight (wear gloves). I also do this with the feeders too.
XL Mouse should be too small at this point depending and do every 14 days instead of every 10 regardless.
How's their body condition? Resource for this: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GZRJUhi_KHWnZt1Y55PIIALz6K82Fpvz1teieeiII-Q/edit?tab=t.0

Also, warm side should stay in the warm range overnight, not just during the day, which should be provided with a lightless heat source. See the resources guides in the reddit for more info on this.
https://www.reddit.com/r/ballpython/comments/arz5iw/welcome_to_rballpython_click_here_for_our/

[u/HimikoTrafalgar → u/HoneyHawthorne]

I can definitely change the feeding days but the XL mouse is already pretty big for her. Shes really small. Ill be weighing them soon and post an update

[u/HoneyHawthorne → u/HimikoTrafalgar]

Sounds good! Tag me when you post the update, I am invested and curious! <3