After letting your new baby come home, and not handle them for a week and after a couple of days after their meal in their new place, Has anyone ever heard of putting a defensive ball python baby in a mesh bag and let it sit in your lap while you watch TV and it gets use to your scent? Does anyone else have any tricks to bond with defensive babies?
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That sounds kind of cruel and stressful, I recommend just giving them plenty of time to settle in and adjust with occasional short handling sessions in which they don’t feel confined or trapped. Start by picking them up for a minute or two when you go in to change the water, or if you see them out and about, and then keep handling sessions short and sweet. They’re not really going to bond with you, at best I think you can hope for calm acceptance and lack of stress when handling, a dog or a cat would be a better choice to build a bond and snuggle up on your lap
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Honestly I think most of my BPs tolerate handling fairly well. I have a few that are just sweet little lap snakes when handling and 3 that just refuse. I think each one has their own personality and I try to respect it.
My second oldest will refuse handling. Super defensive. Will just warily watch until she sees something to strike at. This has been 8 years and many handling sessions. She just is that way.
It’s frustrating when you have just the one snake and want to have that handling ability. As Hilary said, giving them time to settle in and then short handling sessions are a good way to start.
When trying to work with a young snake I like to sit with them and let them climb out of the enclosure on their own to my hand. That way you can try to build confidence with the snake. Sometimes the confidence is the bigger issue.
I wouldn’t do the bag thing because they’re enclosed. It’s like having that defense for them or being captive depending on how the snake’s personality is. If you want to try getting them used to things I like to use a small light towel or a pillowcase with no pillow. I don’t wrap them, just sit with the fabric over them. They can stay or slither around if they like. It’s another way to offer some of that confidence building for them.
I just try not to push any of them that seem to be on the extra defensive side. It’s more stressful than enriching.
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You can try leaving something with your own scent in the cage. A lightly used shirt, perhaps
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