Potential first snake

[oopslala]

So I'm more than likely going to get this snake as my first. Found it at a local shop for $59.99 and fell in love.

Just need to get the tank in order and running with proper temp/humidity for a couple days before I make the plunge.
https://cowcap.net/i/2cc6a.png

[dr del]

Nice little normal.

You could probably get a pastel for the same amount of money but if you have handled the snake and genuinely like it then the paint job is largely irrelevant.

My first snake was a nice normal little female and she still makes me smile.

[oopslala]

The pet stores near me only have that kind and then a boa for $200 and as a first snake I'd rather get a more docile and easy to care for snake that won't reach 10 feet.

As for a pastel, I haven't really looked into any other kinds because I've read they may not be as docile and easy. Plus buying online seems a little sketchy to me

[dr del]

You need to be careful wherever you buy really and there are a lot of very good breeders who sell online.

The problem at this time of year may be the temperatures at all stages of the journey but as long as you research the breeders on here and on fauna's Board of Inquiery you should be able to avoid the scuzzbuckets.

As for temperament and care I haven't really found all that much variation between the morphs.

As for eyecandy check out this site;

http://www.worldofballpythons.com/morphs/

It makes me drool every time.

[oopslala]

I'l definitely keep that in mind while I get my tank set up in the next couple of days before I make the purchase of the snake I want.

I personally am more fond of the darker skinned and patterned snakes at this point. From that link the Acid and the 7 Dollar Ghost have to be my easy favorites.

I haven't really looked up buying online because I've had bad experiences doing so with fish. I like to physically see what I'll be getting before I fork out the dough. Though in this hobby I can see that could be a problem when you want to venture into other morphs than the normal ball python.

Out of curiosity how much does shipping/the snake itself generally cost? Obviously the temperature issue will be the big money eater I'm guessing, does it cost 3-4 times what buying a snake from a local shop would because you have to get it shipped and maintained in such specific conditions?

[T_Sauer]

I have only delt once with the shipping and I was very concerned with the thought of it especially since it was around thanksgiving time before I completed payments and the weather was starting to get bad in our region, but I had a good experience without incident or issues and that was from a member of this forum (Richie_Boo_). To my understanding by my experience and everything I have read from others on here shipping is usually around $50 ... That may fluctuate but that is about average from what I have seen if you order within the United States ... I'm sure some others that have more experience with shipping reptiles will be able to give some more accurate info good luck with whatever you decide and props to you for making sure that you ARE going to have everything in order and ready for your new ball before you take the plung, sounds like you will be a responsible Ball Python parent .... So many people don't do that!!

[Sauzo]

The pet stores near me only have that kind and then a boa for $200 and as a first snake I'd rather get a more docile and easy to care for snake that won't reach 10 feet.

As for a pastel, I haven't really looked into any other kinds because I've read they may not be as docile and easy. Plus buying online seems a little sketchy to me

Boas are generally very docile too. My Colombian red tail girl is like a 5ft+ puppy. She loves to come out and sit on me or sit at the front of the cage with her head on the litter dam for hours while I scratch her head or pet her body. It mostly boils down to how much you socialize with them and a small bit of their born personality but Colombians are generally very mild tempered. And depending on whether its a male or females, it probably wont get over 5ft if its a male. A females gets around 7-8ft average with some reaching 10ft.

What I will say is my boa is much more active than my BP. So I'd keep that in mind too. I love both my little pied bp girl and my normal red tail boa but their personalities are like day and night. My BP comes out at night and really only willingly comes out during the day if she smells a rat, then nothing stops her and she goes apepoo for it. My red tail boa is out a lot during the day and most of the time, she is pacing the front of the cage until I open the door, then she either climbs on me or will put her head on the litter dam and just survey the room and sit there for hours. Regardless though you cant go wrong with either.

[goddessbaby]

I'l definitely keep that in mind while I get my tank set up in the next couple of days before I make the purchase of the snake I want.

I personally am more fond of the darker skinned and patterned snakes at this point. From that link the Acid and the 7 Dollar Ghost have to be my easy favorites.

I haven't really looked up buying online because I've had bad experiences doing so with fish. I like to physically see what I'll be getting before I fork out the dough. Though in this hobby I can see that could be a problem when you want to venture into other morphs than the normal ball python.

Out of curiosity how much does shipping/the snake itself generally cost? Obviously the temperature issue will be the big money eater I'm guessing, does it cost 3-4 times what buying a snake from a local shop would because you have to get it shipped and maintained in such specific conditions?

Well with the shipping yes it normally is around $50 but that tends to be the same no matter what morph your going with $20-$2000.

Pet stores tend to try to get more buck for their bang and a normal around breeders can go as low as $15-$20. The only downside I can personally see is that most breeders won't ship when it's this cold so if you want something RIGHT NOW you may want to search locally.

In the meantime, it would be a great idea to read the stickies posted here to get an idea of what your in for and how to get setup properly.

In other words, welcome!

[trailblazer295]

There are a lot of darker BP morphs out there. Before you pull the trigger on the normal I would suggest looking at some pics and then if you see some you like try and find a more local source. Some people prefer normals over any morphs but I'd recommend at least looking to make the choice for you, a Mojave comes to mind as a darker morph but there are a lot more. Keep in mind that most BPs darken with age as well and lose a lot of colour.

[Sauzo]

Check this site out and look at the morphs. That might help you decide on what you want as well. http://www.worldofballpythons.com/morphs/