Help a newbie out please???

[Jptowner]

Hey everyone I recently just got a ball python and this is all new to me. I want to handle her but she's hiding all day and night. Even at night when she ces out the second I come up to her enclosure she literally freezes and stops flicking her tongue. I've already had one feeding with her but I want to know if that's normal behavior or of she's scared of me still. I've had her for a week now.

[Aaron_S]

They are a tiny little snake in this very large world. You will need a couple more meals under your belt then begin handling sessions for a bit. The snake will realize you aren't going to eat it and will calm down and stop the scared behaviour.

[LISA127]

Yes, it's normal. With any species of reptile we need to be patient and give them time. Enjoy them for the animals they are. And all of them when young and small are more scared and less tame. Part of the enjoyment of keeping reptiles is providing the enrichment and environment for them that helps them feel secure.

I think with age and growth your snake will come around.

[MnGuy]

Like others said, new and young snakes will be fearful for awhile.

That said, there are things you can do to minimize the fear and begin the taming process:

-Put your snake's tank in a busy-ish place in your home. You don't want to stress it out by putting it in the middle of chaos, but keep it in a corner of the living room or dining room where it can see people coming and going. That will acquaint them to your presence.

-Block out the back and sides of the enclosure with aquarium backing if it's glass. It'll make your snake feel less exposed.

-Provide a few hides and a lot of real or fake plants and leaves throughout the enclosure so the snake doesn't feel overly exposed when it's out.

-Don't only go into your snake's enclosure to yank it out to handle it.

-I've had my two garters for two years, but one of them (the first one) is still super skittish because I didn't know how to build trust when she was young. Now I desensitize her by randomly placing my hand in the tank for several seconds to a few minutes every day several times a day so she knows it's not going to harm her. I move it around a little sometimes. Other times I stay still and she comes up and smells me. I only remove my hand when she's calm. This builds a sense of trust between you and the snake.

-Spend time near your snake's enclosure without accessing the enclosure so it can see you and get acquainted with you beyond physical handling.

Good luck.

[Nahesaball]

Yes this is normal. Especially with balls. I am still a newbie myself, but my ball striking the first few days then hiding the next. Now she is super chill and I have only had her for two weeks. I would recommend feeding her a few more times before handling of the is super skittish.