Question about BP's

Everytime i go to the pet store with my daughter she just stands in front of the snakles and looks at them. for about the past month, she has been asking for a snake and always points at the BP's that the store has. I have never had a snake, never really wanted to either. But i did some reading up on the BP's and they don't sound as bad as i once thought them to be. The wife is ok with it but she has said she want no part in feeding them. my question is would a BP be ok for someone that has never owned a snake. My biggest fear is being bit. is there a way to handle a snake to build up trust? are gloves ok to us for a wuss like me until i build up enough confedence to pick it up with out gloves. i held my first snake last week at a pet smart, it wasn't to bad.

thanks

I was the same way as you about a month ago, then My friend (who I bought his collection and setup) let me hold one of his BP's, I was scared at first but after a bit he was fine, very gentle actually and calm. Ever since them I have done so much research and been absolutely in love with them. I never wore gloves holding a snake but I dont think I would, the snakes are very clean and feel really cool, you don't need gloves. Feeding them is pretty intense IMO. They can be very gentle and calm animals if treated right. Make sure you do alot of research before buying one, I could not have cared for one if I did not do as much research as I did.

Unless your daughter is capable of taking care of the snake on her own I would not buy any snake. All too often a child loses interest in a new pet and the responsibility of caring for the animal falls on the parents. Your wife has said that she is not interested in feeding the snake and since that's pretty important that means you will most likely be the one who has to take care of the animal. Pets are hard enough to take care of when you love them. If this is going to be a burden and not a love then the animal is the one who will suffer. Owning a snake without getting bit is like, owning a dog without your stuff shoes getting chewed, or owning a cat without getting your furniture scratched. Its certainly possible that you can get your new snake and never get bit, but you should not go into snake husbandry with that expectation. A ball python bite is nothing. I am twice as afraid of getting a flu shot, paper cut, or stubbing my toe.

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Originally Posted by matt08

Everytime i go to the pet store with my daughter she just stands in front of the snakles and looks at them. for about the past month, she has been asking for a snake and always points at the BP's that the store has. I have never had a snake, never really wanted to either. But i did some reading up on the BP's and they don't sound as bad as i once thought them to be. The wife is ok with it but she has said she want no part in feeding them. my question is would a BP be ok for someone that has never owned a snake. My biggest fear is being bit. is there a way to handle a snake to build up trust? are gloves ok to us for a wuss like me until i build up enough confedence to pick it up with out gloves. i held my first snake last week at a pet smart, it wasn't to bad.

thanks

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I was was like you once, I got my frist snake ever a BP and was scared of it. lol sept mine tried to take my hand off every minute it could. but about 800 grams later shes a sweet heart, I just got done cleaning here tub with her around my neck. BPs are great frist time snakes you just gotta learn that they are more scared of you then you are of them, just reach in pick them up and dont think about getting bit its what I've done for three years and I've never been tagged

Ball Pythons can be a bit more work to get set up properly than some others (like corns). They require temprature gradiants (warm on one end of the enclosure and cooler on the other end). The best way to do this is with under tank heat like flexwatt, and it must be regulated with a thermostat. Humidity is also a big issue with BPs. They like 60% and higher. If you decide on a BP make sure you have a set-up already maintaining proper temps (80 cool side 90 warm side) and stable humidity BEFORE you get the snake. This is the biggest mistake people make. Don't let the snake suffer while you figure it out.

As far as biting goes... It doesn't hurt. And the odds of you getting bit when you only own one BP are very slim. It usually only happens when someone has been handling rodents or petting the cat and then forget to wash the smell off before reaching for the snake. BP's are about the most gentle creatures on the planet.

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Originally Posted by Egapal

Unless your daughter is capable of taking care of the snake on her own I would not buy any snake. All too often a child loses interest in a new pet and the responsibility of caring for the animal falls on the parents. Your wife has said that she is not interested in feeding the snake and since that's pretty important that means you will most likely be the one who has to take care of the animal. Pets are hard enough to take care of when you love them. If this is going to be a burden and not a love then the animal is the one who will suffer. Owning a snake without getting bit is like, owning a dog without your stuff shoes getting chewed, or owning a cat without getting your furniture scratched. Its certainly possible that you can get your new snake and never get bit, but you should not go into snake husbandry with that expectation. A ball python bite is nothing. I am twice as afraid of getting a flu shot, paper cut, or stubbing my toe.

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I guess I wasn't clear in the first post. I was asking with the intent of me being the one that would care for the BP. Like i said early, I never gave any thought to owning a snake. but once i started reading up on the BP i have become open minded to owning one.

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Originally Posted by matt08

Everytime i go to the pet store with my daughter she just stands in front of the snakles and looks at them. for about the past month, she has been asking for a snake and always points at the BP's that the store has. I have never had a snake, never really wanted to either. But i did some reading up on the BP's and they don't sound as bad as i once thought them to be. The wife is ok with it but she has said she want no part in feeding them. my question is would a BP be ok for someone that has never owned a snake. My biggest fear is being bit. is there a way to handle a snake to build up trust? are gloves ok to us for a wuss like me until i build up enough confedence to pick it up with out gloves. i held my first snake last week at a pet smart, it wasn't to bad.

thanks

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OK this my experience.

Ball Pythons are great snakes for beginners, just do some research before you buy one. Do your self a huge favor and stay away from petsmart. A lot of people like the glass tanks. A lot of people hate them with a passion. Rich at reptilebasiscs.com can hook you up with a great cage at a reasonable price.

You must have a thermostat on what ever you use to heat the cage. The cheapest one i would buy is $119 at reptile basics.

Remember that they can live up to 30+ years... how old is your daughter? What happens when she goes to college. Are you willing to care for the animal if she looses interest? Play what if for about 45 days while you get all the necessary supplies.

There is less of a chance for you to get bit by a BP then most other snakes. They get their name from the fact that they ball up and hide their head when scared. You will get bit. Every one does. After the first time you realize its not that bad. Does it feel good? No, but it aint the end of the world. Some people do wear gloves just don't use the gloves you use for feeding.

You can buy your BP from any reputable breeder. Adam at 8ballpythons.com is who I have gotten my snakes from. Do your research on what kind you want. It would be a shame to buy a normal when what you really want is a spider or pastel or lucy or mojave or albino or lavender or.... Well you get the point!

Also you can get the majority of snakes on F/T (frozen/thawed) so you don't have to feed live mice or rats. You just have to deal with mice in the freezer. Some people empty out an ice cream tub and put the bag in there so you don't see them every time you reach in there.

Learn what you want, the caging, the snake, the breeder, where you will keep the animal, what will you do if the snake gets sick, and any thing else any one can think of.

All in all you can't go wrong with getting a ball python, just one last warning...

They are addictive, you wont just stop with one.

Sorry if I missed anything, I am still really new and know very little.

if you feel that you will be comfortable caring for it then get one, just make sure your tank is setup properly and running before you bring it home, good luck with one if you decide on it.

Hoax, it funny you said petsmart. that was one of the places i did check out. The reason i looked at petsmart was it was captive hatched not import. I also like the idea that they are already being feed F/T which is what i would prefer to feed them. There is another pet store that has BP's in the next town over, but all the pet stores around this area get them from the same breeder in Richmond VA. The petco said they feed them live, but there sign on the glass said F/T, so maybe i spoke to the wrong person over the phone. I haven't been to the petco to see them yet. as for Vet's i checked last week and we have a great vet about 20 miles from where i live. He is mainly a reptile vet and some other exotic pets too.

Hello and Welcome,

I am new to snake ownership - for the past 6 months I have had my normal ball and have really enjoyed her. I wouldn't get the snake if you yourself don't really want it - because like stated before, your daughter will grow tired of it and then who will care for it.

I have to say that when I bought my normal ball for $50 - but also spent upwards of $500 to get her all outfitted with everything she would need, cage, thermostat, RHP, bedding, food, etc..... I never realized just how much money I would be spending to keep her comfortable.

Good luck with your decision, just go into with the attitude that it will be your snake and your responsibility for many years to come.