I don't have any experience with the boas and pythons, but I would assume (and someone correct me if I'm wrong) that you would condition them much the same ways as rat snakes and kingsnakes.

Mfoux is right - snakes don't understand the idea of reward/punishment for good and bad behavior respectively. You will always have the animals that will never calm down, but I would say that most should, at the very least, become handleable.

If the snakes haven't been handled much, I would suggest a snake hook. A hook allows you to remove the snake without grabbing it, which can stress the animal further. Also, try to be consistent when you remove the snakes from their enclosures, and don't back off if the snake becomes defensive. Once you have the snake out of the enclosure, let it crawl through your fingers while you support its body.

Very important: if the snake bites you, don't try to pry it off. You can actually hurt the animal by doing this. Being around snakes means that you will eventually be bitten, and most bites are nothing to worry about. If the snake doesn't release, running water on the snake should make it let go.

Good luck!

Orocosos

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