Not sure if I should get a ball python

I am newer to snake keeping (2 years in). I have two balls, separate tanks of course. Both my balls are pet store snakes. It really, REALLY depends on the individual location. Seriously. Some of them take horrible care of them, others take great care, even within the same store chain (Petsmart or Petco). Our particular Petsmart kept detailed logs on their snake feeding and shedding schedules, which you take with you when you bring home the snake. My papers had the acquisition date, sale date, and a full chart of all his behavior until I bought him.

My other snake did NOT come with all of that (different location), and I was concerned about that particular pet store, but I absolutely fell in love with this one snake and decided to take the risk as I had grown attached to her.

I would ask for logs on their snakes, and over time keep going back and looking at the setups to see if the snakes are being kept at proper temps and humidity. Look at the condition of the snakes there to make sure they aren't dehydrated or retaining sheds. That will tell you a lot.

We have tanks for ours too. We knew the drawbacks going into the purchase, but wanted something that we could see through and view our snake whenever. We modified the screen tops so they hold in humidity and have an under tank heater on a thermostat and a basking lamp to keep the appropriate environment. It CAN be done, just do your research before choosing your cage setup.

Ah, as for biting... I got bitten once when our snake was too hungry and my hands were not washed well. He bit and immediately released when he realized I am not a mouse. It didn't really hurt IMO, just startling more than anything. He has never bitten again, and my other snake has never bitten us.

Pet stores here have baby normals for $80 plus tax which is robbery. Plus they shrug at any questions about them. No age, no sex, no feeding or shedding records. I think less populated areas have more passionate employees.

Spiffy, that's a shame. I think I paid $60-80 for mine too, which actually was MUCH cheaper than a lot of the breeders I have seen around here (they were a few months old when I got them). I am in a big city, so I have a LOT of access to a LOT of pet stores, and it is really hit or miss here. The good store I purchased from didn't know the sex, but they did know hatch date, acquisition date, and had detailed records. I know that's not the norm, and I wonder if my store had a reptile enthusiast working in that dept. that made some changes.

I didn't read all of the replies, but I've never been bit by a ball python. It's pretty easy to tell when picking them out which ones will be trouble and which ones are calm. I have 4 at the moment and none have them have ever made even a hint that they had any intent to bite me. I HAVE however, been bit by my boa, which is much scarier than a ball python, and on a scale of 1-10 it was less than 1. I didn't even notice he tagged me until I saw my blood. Absolutely nothing to fear, unless it's a "food bite". I've seen some bad food bites (where they think your food), but from what I've heard that doesn't happen often.

I don't advised getting it from Petco...Even if there isn't a breeder in your exact area, there are a ton of reputable breeders on here that have websites with pictures and everything, you can easily have one shipped to you. I use aspen for substrate in my one tank.

OP - where do you live? Do you have a reptile show that comes around? That's a great place to find one. Research the breeders that will be there ahead of time and then go and pick one out between those booths. We are lucky that we have one twice a month about 1 hour from my place. I get all my feeder animals and a lot of other equipment there.

Don't worry about being bitten. Once it happens, you won't be bothered by it so much. Most BPs are so docile, they can't even be provoked to bite and most bites are the result of feeding error.

I use cypress mulch as substrate - it seems to hold humidity better than aspen and I use a vivarium so it looks better than paper towels. I would use paper towels in a tub though. If you go with a tank, you should think about covering the top with foil or wax paper - there's a how-to thread about that in the stickies - it helps hold in the humidity.

One more place to look for a BP is from a rescue group. There are some very good groups out there and you should be able to connect with one no matter where you live. Many rescue folks are willing to meet you 1/2 way too. I adopted Ella from a rescue for a $25 adoption fee which went toward their costs and helped them rescue other animals in need. She was about 1 1/2 years old and they kept meticulous records. When I picked her up, I knew when she'd last eaten and exactly what she'd eaten and how she'd been fed, when she'd last shed, and where she had come from. They also sexed her for me and told me lots about her personality. Getting a slightly older snake was a really good desicion for my first snake too - she was a well-established feeder before I got her. Just my thoughts! :gj:

I've had two snakes in my days, one corn and one BP. They are both awesome pets to have, and to this day, I have yet to get bitten by a snake. Each of them have their own personalities and are equally fun to handle. My current snake is a ball and he's chillin in his 20L tank. I will probably get another one when he gets bigger, but this will suit him for a while to come. BP's tend to not roam as much (my corn was always on the move), but my ball has been known to make his rounds exploring. The only glaring differences in the husbandry are getting a UTH and keeping better track of the humidity.

Moral of the story, go with whichever one you are feeling better about. After having one of each within the last 12 months, I would personally stick with the BP. Happy choosings!

I've been bitten many times, but only once by an animal older than 1 year, and that was a stupid feeding mistake. Hatchling bites are negligible. I confess to a desire to avoid being bitten by an adult, but that's what snake hooks or tap-sticks are for, and while I know it will happen one day, I hope that it will be far-off. lol.
Also, the worst bite I've ever received from an animal was a hamster.

whenever i go to a petco or a petsmart the first thing i do is look at the bp's, i agree that every place is different with how they take care of them, the petsmart by me has there humity gauge showing it at 20 and the temp around 80 during the day. I went to the petco by me while my mom was getting cat food, and 1 of the bp's were dead.. it look like it died from starvation but the sad thing is, i had to tell someone about it.. When i was looking for a snake, i was looking up like reptile shows in illinois or reptile shops in illinois or anything, theres 2 reptile places about 30-50 minutes away and an expo that is every other week and is about 30 min away. I bought my female normal hatchling from the expo for $20, compared to petsmart/petco's 60-80 dollars. soo try everything first and if you have to, then go with petco/petsmart but make sure it looks healthy and ask several questions about it, and treat it better then they do. :p

I'd have to agree with some of the pet store debate comments. I got my BP at petsmart, and this particular location had feeding logs and shedding schedules for all of their snakes. I even got to talking to the employees who were reptile certified and were in charge of feeding/ handling. They were able to give me a better idea of their personalities and feeding habits. I've had nothing bad to say about my choice so far. (Of course, you also have to check out their scales, responsiveness, etc to see if they are healthy). The only bad thing I had to say was that they were feeding him mice fuzzies, but he was still nice and plump.

Yet again I have heard horror stories about chain stores. Use your judgment and I'm sure you'll be able to make a good call.