My ball python is a male retired breeder. We adopted him for $50, it was a bit steep. He is about 8 years old now. His self awareness was startling at first, but as he got accustomed to us and the house he relaxed. He will rest his head in our hands, flick his tongue down our ears, rub his neck against our hair, and entangle his body around our necks. But it did take a year for him to fully unclench. He is the biggest drama queen I've ever encountered and I've always had cats.
"Hiss, stop hissing in my ear!" :grin01: He sounds charming! I do agree though, corns are my snake and I wouldn't trade them for anything.