NEW to BPs

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Originally Posted by Shera

My advice would be to start with a morph because if you start with a normal, and you are on here a lot looking at people posting all of their beautiful snakes, you will want one. There are some fairly inexpensive single gene morphs, like butters, or pinstripes etc. Unless of course you prefer the look of normals, then by all means save yourself a few bucks ;) Also this might be a moot point since you already have a corn, and are buying feeders, but don't waste your money buying feeders from those big pet stores, try to find someone local with better prices. Oh and start with rats, or if it's on mice, start with those but as soon as it's feeding reliably, make the switch to suitably sized rats.

I'm actually really new to this too (I've had her for 3-4 weeks), but I'm just loving my normal girl, I hold her for about an hour a night (while I watch TV), and not so much for her benefit, but just because I love holding her; she's so calm, but still inquisitive, and not boring.

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This is fairly true for me. I had a choice of pastel or normal at the time and I choose normal over pastel. I never regretes it but I gotta say I want another one with morph haha

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If you are up to it, check Craigslist. I know our local CL is fullll of ball pythons that people just don't want anymore. :-( It really breaks my heart, too, because an animal is alnost like a child to me. Once you make a commitment, you need to do everything in your power to stand by that commitment. I know there are some instances where the animal has to be given up, but most of the examples I've seen are just people who have gotten bored of caring for the animal. My mom actually found my snake on there and got her for me. I absolutely love her, too!!! :-)

Anyway, it's a place to start if you don't have a lot of cash to work with at the moment.

I didn't read through all these comments(in case I repeat), but my advice is learn your Ball python. A corn snake and Ball python are two very different creatures. My corn snake has never been aggressive and never struck at me. Of course I realize your snake may have a differently personality. But when I got my ball, I thought it would be the same. I learned quickly that was not the case. Learn to know when it's okay to reach in his tank and when it is not. They're very moody. Mine will even not talk to me for two weeks after I helped him shed (had to, didn't want to, but he's shedding on his own now)! By not talking I mean he stays in his hides and sits in my hands when I hold him when he normally moves around. Not happy with me! Haha. But make sure you can tell his moods.

Thank you everyone for the comments/concerns!

I do plan on setting up my enclosure well before I get my ball python :) and yes, I am actually looking forward to them being different than corn snakes. I got my corn snake as a sort of "rescue" from a closing pet shop, she's over a year old... and fiesty. Wasn't handled properly and so she bites. She's calming down, slowly, but very nervous girl. We're working it out ;)

I would LOVE to get a morph if I can, and actually there is the Canadian National Breeders Exhibition coming to Toronto in two weeks that I will attend. I'd like to get a young python there, from a local breeder, who has her/him on f/t rats (perfect scenerio).
Being in Canada, I don't really use Craigs List... we have Kijiji. But I don't think I'd ever get a snake from there, simply because I am too inexperienced to deal with the possible issues that other's pets may come with.

I do like the idea of feeding the snake outside of the enclosure, because that is what I do with my corn and it is working for her - then again, I know ball pythons are not as hardy as corns...
I really just want a good "lap snake" (as I have heard some people call BPs), one that doesn't bite.

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Originally Posted by CrazySnakeLady0

They're very moody.

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I do not agree with this. Ball pythons tend to be calm and shy, not moody. But yes, every snake has its own personality.