Hey All!!!

[UrbanSlayer]

I just registered and am hoping I can get some help from some experienced owners.


I am currently a 22 y.o. college student and I am looking at purchasing a Ball Python sometime around August and I am looking for info as to whether or not this is something I can do. As you can imagine I have class for a couple hours most days and a part time job, so I don't know if this would affect owning one as I intend to handle it quite often.

This would be the first snake I have ever owned and some older friends of mine and my parents have said that they are a great starter snake and are fun to own. I am also looking for some recommendations on a book I could buy to give me some tips towards the care and health of a Python. I provided a link below to the one that I am looking at now.

http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Pythons-C...hu-rd_add_1_dp

Hope you guys can help me, glad to be part of the community.

[Simple Man]

I just registered and am hoping I can get some help from some experienced owners.


I am currently a 22 y.o. college student and I am looking at purchasing a Ball Python sometime around August and I am looking for info as to whether or not this is something I can do. As you can imagine I have class for a couple hours most days and a part time job, so I don't know if this would affect owning one as I intend to handle it quite often.

This would be the first snake I have ever owned and some older friends of mine and my parents have said that they are a great starter snake and are fun to own. I am also looking for some recommendations on a book I could buy to give me some tips towards the care and health of a Python. I provided a link below to the one that I am looking at now.

http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Pythons-C...hu-rd_add_1_dp

Hope you guys can help me, glad to be part of the community.

First...

Second... That's awesome that you're doing some research BEFORE buying the snake. Most people have it backwards and buy and then do some research.

Lastly... I don't think you need a book This and other forums will provide you all the info you need. It's a pretty good community and there are countless threads that will provide the info that you need. Just try searching and reading the stickied threads on the different forum sub sections.

Regards,

B

[Jeo123]

Quite honestly, this forum will be more useful to you than any book. Check out the caresheets on here for setting up the tank.

BP's in general are pretty non-agressive(mine's never struck at me even when I've startled her accidently) which makes them good starter snakes. About the only downside is that they're known to be picky eaters and will sometimes go months without food(mine just ate for the first time since October). Not saying it's a reason not to get one, just giving you the heads up now in case it happens to you.

Other than setup and food, they don't require too much effort to care for. Some of the big things to note though:

1. Don't use heat rocks, Under the Tank Heaters(UTH) are ideal
2. Always hook a UTH up to a thermostat. Without something to turn it off automatically, they can reach 140*F
3. Humidity can be tough to keep up if you use heat lamps. With my lamps off, humidity will naturally go to around 70%, if I leave them on, it drops to around 20%.
4. Buy a tempgun, scale, and tongs. Tempguns are relatively cheap and are great for checking surface temperature(different from air temp), scales are great for determining how big your food should be. Digital Kitchen scales work great and can be found at target or similiar stores. Tongs will make sure you never get accidently bit, when a snake smells food and your hand is giving off heat, it makes your hand a very tempting target

[UrbanSlayer]

Thanks for all the quick replies. My main concern is making sure the python stays at the proper temperature, as I live in Iowa and the temperature is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Also I am not too concerned about the temperamental eating habits, I would assume that if you offer them food and they dont take it, then to just try again in a week or two and see what happens?

Thanks again for all the replies so far and any others I keep getting.

[UrbanSlayer]

Also, another thing I wondered was whether or not Ball Pythons are really expensive. I was told by a gentleman today that they cost 600 and up, and from what I am seeing that is not true, unless I am missing something, and like I said I am new to all this. I am seeing them from 75-150 bucks. I am not a big stickler on the price, but 600 is quite a bit.

[UrbanSlayer]

Sorry for so many replies, but one last big concern of mine is that I have two cats who are both very friendly, but one of them is a Bengal and as those who know Bengals, she can be slightly more curious than others. The other is a 20lb Maine Coon and is lazier than hell. Neither have front claws and I would not plan on having "play sessions" for either the snake or the cats. I would keep the python in its cage when I am not around and I would figure the cats would be around when handling the python. So I guess what I am asking is whether or not it is safe for both the cats and the Python concerning handling and the scent of the cat.

[Ashleigh91]

You can definitely get Normal ball pythons for a really low price, 75 and lower depending on your area, but if you want a different colour morph then the prices range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.

As far as the cats go, I have 2 cats as well. My bp has never reacted to the scent of them, and they've come up and sniffed him. If you're going to have a tank/screen top, you might want to have it in a place that you can close off from the cats when you're not home. I'm investing in PVC caging ASAP because my "curious" cats like to sit on the screen when I leave = / My cats are only 10 lbs, but as they get bigger it'll be a problem.

Also, if you have a thermostat it's not hard to keep the temperatures good season to season. I live in Northern Ontario, Canada... so we have quite the temperature swings here too

Edit: I'm sure many people who are far more experienced than myself will chime in. But you'll pick everything up really quickly by being a part of the forum.

[Vypyrz]

Also, another thing I wondered was whether or not Ball Pythons are really expensive. I was told by a gentleman today that they cost 600 and up, and from what I am seeing that is not true, unless I am missing something, and like I said I am new to all this. I am seeing them from 75-150 bucks. I am not a big stickler on the price, but 600 is quite a bit.

Sorry for so many replies, but one last big concern of mine is that I have two cats who are both very friendly, but one of them is a Bengal and as those who know Bengals, she can be slightly more curious than others. The other is a 20lb Maine Coon and is lazier than hell. Neither have front claws and I would not plan on having "play sessions" for either the snake or the cats. I would keep the python in its cage when I am not around and I would figure the cats would be around when handling the python. So I guess what I am asking is whether or not it is safe for both the cats and the Python concerning handling and the scent of the cat.

Hello, and to BP.net. The difference in the prices that you are seeing is due to the different genetic morphs of the color and patterns. You can get normal patterned Ball Pythons for as little as $30-$40 at a show. When you start getting into the different morphs, basically the more rare or complex the genetic soup is, the higher the price. Depending on the morph, they can cost anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. But even the "Normals" come in a wide variety of pattern variations.

Here are a couple threads with alot of photos of normals, to show their variety...

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-beauties!-DUW

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-are-Beautiful!

As for your cats, I would suggest just keeping them in another room when handling the snake, then you won't have to worry about any potential accidents between them...

[UrbanSlayer]

Thanks for all the replies again, they are quite helpful.

I plan on getting a good aquarium before I buy one as a friend owns an exotic fish store so I should be able to get a good one.

As for the price differences I wasn't sure if that depended on whether or not they were born in captivity or from the wild, from what I have seen so far all the cheaper pythons are quite beautiful and will do just fine for me.

[el8ch]

As for the price differences I wasn't sure if that depended on whether or not they were born in captivity or from the wild, from what I have seen so far all the cheaper pythons are quite beautiful and will do just fine for me.

Normal Ball Pythons are beautiful and every one is unique! Most peoples collections started with just one, one normal... and then the addiction starts.

Glad to see that you are doing your research and asking the questions before you purchase!