new to the world

hello. i am new to the world of ball pythons. i just received a baby girl. her name is Raja (it means royal, and i read that some people call them royal pythons). anyways, i was looking into getting a piebald ball python. i am amazed with them. they are absolutely beautiful. is there a gender preference? for instance, is there a difference in their temperament or the willingness to eat? :confused:
-katie

Not that I have noticed. Male or female both are going to vary from snake to snake.

There is no difference between the sexes in their appetite. Snakes are individuals, and while one pied may eat every rat you have in the house, another may be a picky eater. As for a gender preference, it really depends on your personal goals. Do you plan on breeding in the future? If so, then I'd recommend getting a female. Females take longer to reach sexual maturity ( roughly around their 2nd winter). If you are looking for just a pet, the females do tend to get a little larger than the males. Keep in mind, a ball python has the potential to reach 5 1/2- 6 ft long, but the majority stays within the 4 1/2-5 1/2 ft length range.

:welcome: Katie! Males stay smaller than females and may eat a little less because of this as they get older. It really depends on the prey size and feeding schedule. I have not noticed any difference in attitude between males and female. Most are docile, some are a little nippy, while a few are downright nasty. Most will calm down with religious handling though.

thank all of you for the helpful information. if there is anything else anyone thinks i should know about ball pythons in general, please feel free to inform me.
thanks again
-katie

Buy a female.

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Originally Posted by katiebug1990

thank all of you for the helpful information. if there is anything else anyone thinks i should know about ball pythons in general, please feel free to inform me.
thanks again
-katie

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Yes-
What is often overlooked is what a BP feeds on. If you have a preference, look closely at this. I say this having a female in my collection that only eats mice- wouldn't be a problem if she'd eat more than one at a time. She's doing ok but growing very slowly compared with other girls even 1/2 her age. :(

In a perfect world, all my snakes would be FT rat feeders. Most of mine are, then some are live or PK feeders. So if what your snake will feed on matters, make sure to let the breeder know. This can add to your enjoyment of your snake IMHO. Especailly when keeping small numbers of snakes. ;)

Well out of my 4 BPs. My first BP has NEVER missed a meal, she is a pig. I've had her about 7 months, She has grown big for her age. She is about 700g, She doesnt look fat, But I bet she would be If I offer her more food than usual.

i feed the one that i curently have small mice. it takes her a few seconds to get it, but it is gone within a matter of minutes. thanks agian for the info.
katie

is there a difference in how they breed? a friend told me that sometimes a male of some pythons will be a higher carrier of a certian trait. is that true for piebalds?