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Balls = Head Shy Snakes

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Posted by: DexterPython at Fri Jan 30 15:57:48 2004   [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by DexterPython ]  
   

This is why they ball up, hiding their head and tail in the center. They're pretty much the most unlikely-to-bite python, instead they hide. Everything mentioned so far is great and this is my method towards Ball taming.

If the snake will already crawl on your hands, great. Now, using the general holdng method, palm up toward belly of snake, let your snake slither so one hand is just about at the end of its first 1/3. Move your other hand, slowly and from underneath, as far forward as your snake is comfortable with. This is your baseline or starting point. Slowling start working with the snake until both of your hands can be within inches of its head. From there, take the index finger on your forward moving hand and while the snake is slithering forward, just gently touch just in front of the neck and rotate your hand so the snake is in your palm. Do this open-palmed several times, as your snake will mostly likely recoil from this for a while. Shortly, you'll notice it'll have no problem with feeling your hand on its chin and lifting it up. Now, you can start closing your hand around the neck, just behind the head. Same thing, do it really loose at first in case your snake wants to recoil from it. Once you get that down, start gently touching it on top of the head with your thumbs and/or index fingers. Eventually, your snake will let you close your entire hand around its head without any struggle. This will take time though, at least a month and sometimes longer, so be extremely patient and keep it short at first. Once you get to this point, you can start touching your snake while it's in its cage...like gently petting its neck and doing most of the same things. After that, you've got yourself a great and tame pet that will actually recognize you as its owner...or it'll seem like it anyway. The absolute key is to be slow, smooth and deliberate with your actions. It's a fun process and you'll learn a lot about your snake. Have fun and good luck.


   

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