Ball python aggression?

Question

I bought a ball python yesterday (approx. 1 year old) from a breeder. During the evening last night, while handling him during a movie, he started moving quickly away from me as if to escape from my hands. During my attempt to regain control of him, he struck at me. When I set him down he proceeded to hiss at me. Once again when I attempted to pick him back up to put him in his tank. I ended up getting him back successfully, but the slight moment of aggression kind of bothered me. Should I give him a little more time to get acclimated to the new environment, or are there things I can be doing to improve his disposition? Thanks for any help.

Answer 1

just give it time to settle in to his environment, after this he should be fine to handle, just give him a couple of days

Answer 2

give him some time to settal in and he might have cought a wiff of a rat or somthing

Answer 3

You should give him about a week before you try more frequent handling. After about a week you can increase the amount of time you hold him.

Answer 4

You should give him a few days to a week in order to get acclimated to his new environment. After that handle him gradually more and he should be fine because they are pretty easy-going snakes. Make sure when you feed him that you do so in another enclosure too so that he doesn't relate you opening the cage to a feeding when you go to handle him. Other than socializing him, you should get a vitamin spray from a pet store to ease shedding and make sure you feed him on a schedule because they are finicky eaters and might r****d to eating for up to a year (not good). These things should keep him happy and more comfortable around people.