Will be first time snake owner, hello all

[BryceE]

Hello all. Will be a first time owner Monday. Going to the local reptile store Monday to order my first snake. The store owner said to just tell him which morph I wanted and he'd let me know the price, so any suggestions on that would be awesome. Just having a hard time choosing between a red tailed boa or a ball python. The ball python is a bit more docile according to the reptile store owner but figured I'd see what you all thought would be a good first snake. I've been wanting one for so long now but haven't been able to get one because my family has been scared of them while I was growing up so I'm excited I'm finally able to get one for myself.

Just wanted a bit of information and see which you thought would be best for a beginner. My main question is food, the store owner said Ball Pythons preferred live meals, that's the only thing that freaks me out, live rats. Will they even bother with a dead rat or is it only live they go after? The store owner made it out like it was only live and nothing else, but everywhere else I've checked says it's safer to go the dead route to prevent any damage to the snake, how hard is it to get Ball Pythons or Red Tailed Boas to eat dead meals or do they not care and just go about it like any other meal?

So which would be better, or are neither of them particularity good for beginners? I'm after something that's docile, doesn't get that big, maybe 3-4ft max fully grown. And something that doesn't mind being held a lot, because what's the point of having a snake if you don't hold it and all. Like, have it on the desk while I'm at the computer and what not or just walking around with it in a pet store or something.

Also, any of you with dogs in the house, do they freak out around your snakes just looking at them or they don't care?

Thanks for the help.

[fryedbm]

You are deffinitly gonna want a Royal!!
I will try to answer all ur questions,but feel free to PM me if needed.
Royals are best off learning to feed on frozen.(read up on how) I feed mine on live,but it is very risky!!
Royals are very docile and great for first time. Remember tho, as far as letting them just have free range.....they DONT WANT IT!!! They want to be confined in a 'terarium' that suits their size. (read up on the proper size)
They can be picky eaters and 'take breaks' in feeding.

I cant remember any other of ur questions,so feel free to PM ME with anyting further.



Brian

[Karnage Reptiles]

I went with royals as my first choice and now I have four and counting. Like stated before they are picky eaters, dealing with a picky eater now. Just search the web about them, internet has pretty much everything you need. As far as morphs go if you don't know what you want I would browse world of ball pythons.

Karnage Royals
1.0 Yellow Belly
0.1 Bumble Bee
1.0 Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied

[BryceE]

Wasn't going to let any snake I get be 'free range', they'll definitely have a terrarium. I was just after something that didn't mind being held and what not. I was also looking at things like a separate feeding tank and some people were saying that's a bad idea because it makes the snake more aggressive and prone to biting you when moving it back to their actual habitat tank. And I have seen that some ball pythons go months without eating, so I know that's normal just need to watch em and make sure they're not losing weight, etc. The store owner said they can do forced feedings if it comes down to that but he said they very rarely have to do that.

What are Royals? Royal Ball Python or Royal Red Tailed Boa? I'm going to assume you mean a Royal Ball Python. Correct me if I'm assuming wrong. How expensive are Royals roughly? The store owner was telling me a ball python plus tank and everything would run me about $200 to get started and I can go from there as I get more experience with them and as they grow.

And are all ball pythons nocturnal? I don't want to have to adjust my sleeping pattern just to be able to see my pet active and what not. Or is that what a day/night light combo does, promote activity in the tank?

Do the prices go up the older the snake is or what? Some of the prices I've been seeing for Royals are $300+. The reptile store I visited had a female ball python for $80, but was older then what I wanted. I want to get it while it's young so it would 'bond' to me if that makes sense.

[Tash]

Royal Pythons are just another name for Ball Pythons. It really depends on where you come from but it's the same snake. And I think by, free range, he meant, don't put your new baby snake in a huge enclosure. Balls can get stressed out and are not as active as other snakes. They are pretty docile and calm when held but for the most part they just like to curl up and hide. They also stay a nice size if you don't want a 'big' snake. However if you're looking for a bit bigger and more active I'd take a look at boas. They get much bigger in comparison but not so much that one person couldn't handle them. They have amazing temperaments and move around a bit more. I currently only have ball pythons atm and I love them but I do miss having my red tail boas. My boas never actually bit me but were pretty nippy when they were babes. All baby snakes can be nippy at first though. Good luck in your decision, both are amazing snakes. Ball pythons are great if you want a bit smaller, more docile snake, and boas are great if you looking for more active and a bigger size.

[Karnage Reptiles]

Wasn't going to let any snake I get be 'free range', they'll definitely have a terrarium. I was just after something that didn't mind being held and what not. I was also looking at things like a separate feeding tank and some people were saying that's a bad idea because it makes the snake more aggressive and prone to biting you when moving it back to their actual habitat tank. And I have seen that some ball pythons go months without eating, so I know that's normal just need to watch em and make sure they're not losing weight, etc. The store owner said they can do forced feedings if it comes down to that but he said they very rarely have to do that.

What are Royals? Royal Ball Python or Royal Red Tailed Boa? I'm going to assume you mean a Royal Ball Python. Correct me if I'm assuming wrong. How expensive are Royals roughly? The store owner was telling me a ball python plus tank and everything would run me about $200 to get started and I can go from there as I get more experience with them and as they grow.

And are all ball pythons nocturnal? I don't want to have to adjust my sleeping pattern just to be able to see my pet active and what not. Or is that what a day/night light combo does, promote activity in the tank?

Do the prices go up the older the snake is or what? Some of the prices I've been seeing for Royals are $300+. The reptile store I visited had a female ball python for $80, but was older then what I wanted. I want to get it while it's young so it would 'bond' to me if that makes sense.

I'll try to answer as much as I know.

I personally feed in the tank and haven't had any aggressive behavior yet.
all ball pythons are nocturnal some come out during the day some don't. I personally just have a heat light on 12hrs a day. As far as pricing goes, it all depends where you live at and the morph you want. I would suggest try searching online for some breeders to get your snake from, if you don't mind waiting for it to get shipped.
Yes it's a royal ball python.
and I completely understand about getting it while it's young.


Hoped I helped a little bit, I'm fairly new to this my self and still learning.

Karnage Royals
1.0 Yellow Belly
0.1 Bumble Bee
1.0 Het Albino
0.1 Het Pied

[BryceE]

I'm going to go back to the reptile store since it's local and talk with the owner more, he seems knowledgeable, which is a good thing I think lol. He mentioned he's got over 100 ball pythons/boas so not sure if that means he knows what he's doing or just doing it to breed and sell em off or something.

And every snake will need a heating element under the tank correct or is it just some types? Getting excited over this already. I'm definitely going to have to have one shipped, but that will mean I have time to setup the tank and let it 'dry' from everything and the first wash, etc before putting the snake in there.

So would the easier route be frozen/thawed then since I'm new to this and to protect the snake or should I go live and get over a fear of handling live rodents lol.

@Tash, thanks for mentioning that about the ball pythons vs boas. I'm leaning towards a red tailed boa now just for the activity you mentioned.

[Tash]

Yes under tank heaters are needed for belly heat and digestion but make sure you get a thermostat to hook it up to! It is a must so you can control Temps and prevent a bad burn if the heater malfunctions. Keep it on the hot side of your enclosure. Royals are great but I just love boas. It sounds silly but I love the shape of their heads and the look of their eyes. Very pretty markings too, even on the normals. Royals are more of a beginner snake but boas an be just as great if you do your homework and know what you're getting into. Good luck, can't wait to see what you choose.

[Jamiesniper]

If you're worried about live rats, I only feed mine frozen/thawed rodents, live is hard to get in Ireland unless you breed your own or know someone that breeds feeders.

Ball pythons can be picky eaters at times but that's just how they are, I find with mine that they eat really well for a good while then they go on a fast then when they decide to start eating again they absolutely pound down food, but don't let that put you off.

Under tank heaters are best but as Tash says, you NEEDa thermostat, some people will say you don't, some say you do... I've seen some of the burns that bps have got from people not using thermostats and although stats might seem expensive, they are a hell of a lot cheaper than the cost of vet treatment for burns, so it's a vital piece of equipment

Hopefully this helps in answering some of your questions

[anicatgirl]

OOOKAY. Opened a new tab to type in to answer all your ?'s. Pardon the long post

Size. RTBs are going to be bigger both in girth and probably in length. The BP is smaller and a male would be smaller than a female.

Food. I would argue that MOST BPs can be fed f/t. I had a few issues with my girl when she was younger but once we figured out her quirk (if she used the bathroom it had to be cleaned before she would eat again) it was not a problem. And yes, f/t (frozen thawed) is the safest route for the snake. RTBs are known to be more of the garbage disposal type in that they will almost always eat.

A male BP or a Corn are my recommendations for a first snake. Males will stay smaller. Reasons I would not recommend a RTB is that they get bigger (thus bigger enclosure) and they require a higher level of humidity which I would not try to create in a fish tank type enclosure. They are a mid level experience snake in my opinion.

Handling is something which will come with time. You have to build up trust. And handling is a no-go unless the baby is eating for you. Food = more important. I do take my girl to her breeder's place to pick up her ratcicles. She hangs out while I watch shows sometimes. We have worked it up to maybe 2 hours max a day. Now that will need to depend on your snake's stress level. There are some signs and you will learn to read when you snake is relaxed or anxious. Corns are more active and would make better animals for you to watch, and boas do more too. BPs are the pet rock of the snake world they are chill and like to stay in their hiding caves.

As for dogs, umm, just don't. I have very well behaved cats which are semi trained and I still do not allow them near reptiles. They may ignore it but they may try to get it and hurt it, and that would be bad. If the dog looking at the enclosure bothered the snake you can cover the sides with paper on the outside.

POST 2

I would say in like 95% of cases with BPs and RTBs you should not find cage aggression to be an issue. Moving the snake to feed it is just a stressful experience for the snake. I the case of retics and such it can be a problem as they are more territorial. I would hook train a RTB anyway.

It isn't exactly "normal" for BPs to go off feed. In our temperature controlled environments they do not have the nature induced need to fast really, though many do when being bred. But yes, you keep an eye on their weight, offer food on feeding day only, and just keep an eye on them.

Royals yes, are BPs. What all did the guy tell you that you would need? There is a link here

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-With-Pictures!

which details what you will need. You miiight be able to keep it under $200 but... you don't want to limit what you need to get to keep the animal happy and healthy, ya know? Heating element is necessary most of the time. Along with a thermostat to monitor and control the temp. Some UTHs get upwards of 100+ degrees Hot enough to burn a snake badly, causing some serious health issues. I would suggest getting a tank all set up (I would get an enclosure with doors that open on the side, not the top, if you can. Or at least not a screen top) a week in advance so you can keep an eye on temps and make sure everything is OK for your new friend.

BPs are nocturnal, although they do very little moving. I sometimes "catch my girl in the act" of moving from one side to the other or getting a drink. Day/night combo is not needed for any of these snakes really. As long as they get some feel of passing time by ambient light from your room, it will not matter much to them. Unlike lizards, they don't need the UVB rays to produce calcium and keep them healthy. Any light pointed into the enclosure is almost exclusively for your benefit.

Prices go up depending on the morph (if you think $300 is a lot, you need to keep looking ) and if a snake is a proven breeder which has successfully bred that adds to value as well.

Feel free to check up on your guy on Fauna Classifieds. See if he's on there. But also don't be afraid to ask allllll the questions of him. I do. If he has a question which he cannot answer to your satisfaction, he may not be your best choice. He may also just be selling them, not breeding, but I would still be cautious. You want to acquire a healthy animal.

Because I can't tell how young you may be, I will simply end with this. Remember that these animals can live in excess of 20+ years, during which they will need some of your time and money. Make sure you're ready for the long term commitment

If any more questions, ask away