Looking to make first snake purchase..

So I have ALWAYS been fascinated with snakes.. Ever since I was a kid I loved watching snakes and could watch them roam around for hours.. Thats all I did when my parents took me to the pet shops.. Anyway.. I am finally looking to make the jump and purchase one.. I have done a little research and pretty set on a Ball Python.. Still a little nervous on the idea of handling but I am sure it is something that will be gone after the first few times of handling.. But my main problem with snake ownership comes from family members that I live with.. They are not exactly 100% supportive.. The main reason being that they say that all snakes escape out of their tanks.. I was wondering if there is any 100% escape proof tank that can be purchased.. I know there will always be the small chance of escape if I leave the tank open or unlocked or whatnot.. but is there any tank that when secured has a 0% chance of escape or is it just one of those "they will always find a way"??

If its a adult get a 30 gallon breeder with metal mesh cage top... inever use anything less than 5-6 top clips.. impossible to escape unless u didn't clip them

it doesnt matter what kind of tank you use... just make sure it has a lid and put cinder blocks on all 4 corners :)

You could always do a tub setup as well. I've only had one escape in 3 years out of a tub, and that was because I left it open...go me! But if you want to do a tank, just make sure you always have heavy things on top of the tank to keep the lid on.

Don't worry about handling a BP. Trust me, if you've been bit by a kitten, you have received a far worse bite than a BP will give you ;)

zoo med makes some pretty good tanks for first time owners. they have locking tops so it is impossible for the snake to get out. Almost every pet store has one, like petco, or petsmart. You can also look on craigslist and find the same zoo med tank at a quarter of the price, my girlfriend justgot a 40 gal breeder zoo med with locking tops, and two light fixtures for $50 the thing was practically brand new... Also you can find ball pythons, and there whole setup on craigslist for pretty cheap, baby usually have babies they have lost interest in or they have to many, either way i would think adopting or buying one of those before the pet store.... Also look online get something other then a normal if your set on a bp, you won't regret buying online and picking up a nice pastel or yellowbelly for the same price as a normal in a petstore... good luck :)

As long as it's a good, secure top on the enclosure there should be a minimal risk of escape. Either you can get a tank with a locking lid as mentioned, or you could just weigh down the sides of it like others have pointed out with cinderblocks or anything else that you have that's really heavy.

The handling is no big deal, I was nervous with my first ball python too, but it's something you really get warmed up to quickly. Your ball python will learn to trust you and you will learn to trust him, and you'll be a happy snake owner! :)

I use tubs and keep my lids secured with binder clips and luggage straps.

The Zilla glass tanks have sliding screen lids with locking tabs, and they also have a place to use a small padlock, or you can just stick something like a nail or golf tee in the holes.

Another option, that is a bit more expensive, is to get a PVC or Melamine tank with keylocks on it.

Thanks for all the input.. I just want to make sure I get a good tank that will keep the snake in.. Dont want to go giving my mother a heart attack by getting a tank where he/she can get out easily... also want to make sure i get a good tank for the snake to grow up in...

is there any link between tank size and growth rate in snakes?? If i do get a snake I want to do ti right and want to get a great tank and the ones I have been looking at look a little big for a baby but dont want to be buying different tanks every so often.. was thinking of getting one of these below...

the plain black one has sliding front doors that has a key lock to prevent them from unwanted sliding and also has security tabs for the top of the cage which has the mesh screen...

the first wooden one i like partially because it has a divider.. i thought that maybe i could make one said his "living" side and the other use as like a feeding tank unless its too close to his normal habitat to be a feeding area..

last one is pretty much the same as the one above only no center divider..

What do you guys think.....

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...isinc/tank.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...c/earlam02.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r...8x18x18_01.jpg

They are all good options, I think for that it would be more of a matter of personal taste and budget. The way a lot of people size their enclosures is to see that the measure of the front and one side is at least equal to the total length of the snake. That being said, you don't want to go too large because it will most likely intimidate a new snake in a new environment. If you want to get am enclosure that your snake can grow into, get one that will suit the adult size of the snake American then when the snake is young, fill it up with lots of clutter (fake plants, extra hides, rocks, crumpled up newspaper, etc.) To take up space in the enclosure and make it seem smaller. Then as the snake grows you can gradually remove the stuff you had in there.

For the tank with the divider: you don't need to feed the snake in a separate enclosure. Feeding in the enclosure does not cause cage aggression, that is mostly a myth (i say mostly because some snakes will be cage aggressive on their own, though that is rare with ball pythons).

Whichever one you choose will be a good choice for the snake, and I'm glad you're doing your homework and learning this all before bringing home baby.

I think the one with the divider is great if you are planning on picking up 2 snakes. This way you can keep them separately. The other two are pretty nice though. You have a link as to where you found them?