never owned a snake before, really wanting to get a royal python... answers please

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Originally Posted by snakeye

thanks for everybodys opinion but yes I am really set on a ball python, and i'm not a little kid here lol, I want a bigger snake because as I said in my original post I don't like to handle small things, I'm a big guy and I feel like I hurt smaller things without knowing it lol, I rather a boa but being its my first snake after all the researching I have done I decided on a royal, so I just thought I come here and get some great tips and advice from people who know how to care for them.

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I totally understand shying away from anything small. I'm a little girl (size wise, anyway), and any lizard smaller than a beardie doesn't interest me at all, and I can't imagine owning a snake whose adult size is smaller than 2 feet. That being said, you'll be looking at a premium for an actual adult BP's, and most of your options are going to be normals. Nothing wrong with a normal, of course, but if you're interested in variety I'd go for a snake around a year old. Here are some pictures of mine to compare size (mentioning that all snakes grow at different rates);

This is a baby ball, a few months old at best (George is a 2014, the breeder wasn't specific on what month she hatched out). At about 100g, she's very small, probably what it sounds like you're trying to avoid. This is about the size most pet stores will sell BPs at, maybe a bit bigger or smaller;
http://i.imgur.com/QMDCmsA.jpg?1

This is what a BP looks at when they're around a year old. Gio was around 600g when this picture was taken, though my other two yearlings were acquired at about 500, so I would say a yearling is about 5 times the size of a hatchling. I'm very delicate with george, but Gio and the other girls are sturdy.
http://i.imgur.com/MQqQHsO.jpg?1

Lastly we have the adult size. Miranda is a good sized adult BP, just a bit shy of 2000g at the time of this picture. Her size might fluctuate a bit as she goes to lay eggs and whatnot, but on average this is about the size you would expect an adult ball python to reach.
http://i.imgur.com/bnLfzUP.jpg?1

For comparrison sake, george would weigh about a quarter pound and you could easily touch your fingers together around her thickest part (with overlap), a yearling is about a pound (my fingers can't quite touch around the thickest part. Small girl problems), and an adult comes in at a whopping 4(ish) pounds, and thicker around at the thickest than the averages mans wrist. If you want a glass tank, a 40 gallon tank from the petstore should work fine (reptile is best, fish tanks are too tall and thin). Otherwise just paying close attention to the caresheets and advice here is really helpful.

Why not see if there is a reptile rescue in your area? If you can find one there is a good chance they will have an adult or sub adult seeing as how ball pythons are pretty popular pets. They should also be able to tell you its eating preferences and such since you'd like to get one already adjusted to f/t.

thanks daigga pics were a big help :) the second, third pic is more like what I'm looking for, I was actually at petsmart today pricing out everything I would need, they had a nice tank with doors that swing out in the front, also had a screen top though, I was looking at a pastel they had there it was about the size of your first pic, I talked to a few people that worked there and none of them can answer ant question I threw at them, and didn't even know the sex of the ball. but I think I'm gonna pick up the tank there and have everything setup and make sure temps are all good before I bring one home, but I'd rather find a local breeder to get one from.

thanks salt, i'll have to look into that

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Originally Posted by snakeye

thanks daigga pics were a big help :) the second, third pic is more like what I'm looking for, I was actually at petsmart today pricing out everything I would need, they had a nice tank with doors that swing out in the front, also had a screen top though, I was looking at a pastel they had there it was about the size of your first pic, I talked to a few people that worked there and none of them can answer ant question I threw at them, and didn't even know the sex of the ball. but I think I'm gonna pick up the tank there and have everything setup and make sure temps are all good before I bring one home, but I'd rather find a local breeder to get one from.

thanks salt, i'll have to look into that

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One other thing worth mentioning is that any snake, not just royals, are masters of escape. The swing front tanks are very attractive as display tanks, but if you snake can budge it at all you'll probably end up on the hunt (a hefty adult is capable of some impressive things). I really recommend the locking top design zilla makes, since there's very little chance of anything escaping from it. (link to the product on their website here, but petco/petsmart should carry them as well, which is way cheaper than buying from the link)

You were looking at an Exo Terra tank most likely. Its what I have now for my bp and to be honest I wouldn't recommend it for ball pythons unless you dont mind tweaking things up a bit. Glass tanks in general are not recommended because of all those ventilation holes and the giant mesh top, they are absolute HELL for keeping humidity in unless you live in a pretty humid country. For tanks to keep humidity you will have to cover the top mesh with either one of these, fitted plexiglass, plastic wrap or aluminium foil, this is because mesh sucks, it lets out the humidity and heat.

For bp's people would recommend sterile tubs. Just drill in a few holes to control humidity.

Also if you're going for an Under Tank heater (Which is what most people would recommend as it aids in their digestion), its a must that you also get a thermostat to control how hot it gets because they do get over 110f and will burn your snake if they burrow, which they will. And they wont even notice it because they have no pain receptors, theyll let themselves cook.

Another advice when settings things up if you still want to go with a tank. Get Sphagnum moss to put around the tank, damp it down a bit and it'l help with humidity, and also get a substrate like eco earth (coconut) or cypress mulch as they hold humidity a lot better than aspen bedding.

One last advice, dont go for analog hygrometers/thermometers. Go to walmart and get a digital one that measures both, I think its called Acurite or something. Better yet get a temp gun to measure temps, easier more convinient and very accurate.

good luck. Yes Bp's are kinda high maintenance in humidity and temperature lol. And picky eaters sometimes!

My 13 year old ball python has never escaped from his exo terra tank, but maybe he just isn't ambitious enough. He's pretty happy just chillin in his hide with his head sticking out waiting for the sky rodents to fall. But as Borgpython said covering the screen top is pretty much a must.

I had a Exo swing door tank for a short time holding my 6ft BRB. He is super active and loves to explore and burrow. He was never able to escape the tank and he grew up in the tank with his previous owner.

I do prefer the sliding top style. I still use two of them. I have one for my hoggy and one for my ball. The ball needed a bit of work but I cant say that I think it is difficult to keep it right.

yes i know i need to cover the top up, and all that, what do you guys think about the front sliding doors? i just think it would be easier to take the snake out and clean the tank and what not from the front rather than from the top. the tanks i looked at all the locks for the screen.

i was at a petland today they had a one year old normal female that was recently brought back by the owner because the owners parents didnt want the kid to have it, i was told from the worker, she also said it was eating two live mice a week with no problems... only thing i didnt like was the snake was in an empty tank with nothing but newspaper, i didnt notice no hides or water in the tank.. i held it for a while and wated to take it home :D

Wouldn't front opening doors be easier if you have lamps on top? I think it would be less of a hassle to have front opening doors than removing the lamps, the screen, and whatever you use to cover the top. If you don't use overhead lamps though, probably doesn't matter.


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Originally Posted by gameonpython

Wouldn't front opening doors be easier if you have lamps on top? I think it would be less of a hassle to have front opening doors than removing the lamps, the screen, and whatever you use to cover the top. If you don't use overhead lamps though, probably doesn't matter.

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Probably if you put the lamps on the screen.

IMHO the heaters would ideally be hung from above using a lamp stand. That way the lamps never have to move and stay in place keeping the tank warm even while the top is off. This also cancels out the bumping and banging of the bulbs that will extend their life. It also is safer because you are not placing super hot light bulbs and fixtures on other objects around the tank.

I use these and they are about $19-25 at both big box pet stores. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptil...med+lamp+stand