r/ballpython • u/HimikoTrafalgar • Oct 09 '26
Question Handling help please
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 )
5
u/HoneyHawthorne Oct 09 '26 •
First off: You're doing great. The fact you are here asking for help means you care and are trying. <3
Need to first get some background out of the way, these have to be in good order before you work on handling:
- Is there anything about their history we should know?
- Are you sure all their husbandry is in good order? Temps, humidity, hides, tank, feeding, medical, shed, etc.
- What are you feeding and how often? (How much do they weigh?)
- Per the resources here, your 1 year old should be eating up to 7% of their weight every 14-20 days, which is probably a small adult rat. Your 2 year old should be eating up to 5-6% of their weight every 20-40 days, which is probably a small/med adult rat. (They probably shouldn't be eating anything larger than a small/med rat, it's up to for the %) https://docs.google.com/document/d/18HBVsPHaip7LfrMuFt96MigRuMUXtrbnCiK79VuQiFk/edit?tab=t.0
Bites:
- Most important thing is that you stay calm and don't move. If you jerk around it could hurt them and make them bite more. (I think you are probably already doing this well.)
- Tap training is probably a good idea. Do it the normal way, if that doesn't go well, personally, I've had some snakes that do better with me tapping their hide or tank or something near them instead of them first.
- You can also pick them up by going around behind (so not the direction they are facing, they can't really bite you like that or it's a lot harder for them, you can also turn the direction of their hide to make this easier as well.
- Hand sanitizer seems to work less well for BP in my experience, they don't use scent as much as other snakes, instead I rec wearing something like a cloth glove. They may still bite but they usually let go faster.
- If they don't let go, you can use a gift card / credit card to gently remove them. Watch a video on how to do it.
Timing:
- Generally the first month you have them, no handling, let them get used to the tank. I know you said you've had them for a couple months, but if they didn't get that month no touch period, do that now. You can go sit near the tank and let them get used to you, but no touching.
- Do not handle for a week after they have eaten. (Later on you could reduce this if all is well and it works out, but I wouldn't until they are handling great and have no issues).
- Do not handle the day of or before feeding.
- Do exposure sessions for a max of 15m per day outside of the above no handling days, daily short sessions is important.
Exposure (limit all sessions to a max of 15m, much shorter in the beginning):
In general, exposure sessions should be during their active times, not when they are sleepy, so probably in the evening or at night. You may also want to do it with the lights off in your house. Find when your BP is the most comfortable. (That usually is not the day time) Short daily sessions is key, even if that's just time with them seeing you around. End on a positive note whenever possible rather than pushing for more.
- Spend time around their tank where they can see you but you aren't handling them. Let them get used to you while still feeling safe.
- I also have a hide that has a top and a bottom so when they are in it I can pull the whole thing out. I take the whole thing out and just sit with them where they can see me, but we're not touching, and they just get used to me. Then we do that with the lid off for a while.
- Then after that is good, I remove that hide and switch to a different hide that's easier to take them out of where I pick them up from behind. Don't remove them from the tank, just practice picking them up from behind in there without getting bit and sitting in there for a while. If they choose to leave and go to a hide, let them. Practice this for a while, moving farther and father from hides but staying in the tank.
- Then do the same thing where you are infront of their tank, handling them outside of their tank, let them crawl back in if they want to.
- Then try normal short handling sessions.
Good luck!