What got you started/ addicted to Ball Pythons

I don't keep BPs anymore but I'll ALWAYS love them for introducing me to snake keeping. Two normal BPs opened up a whole new amazing world to me. BIG Shout Outs to my Serpent Originals- Maximillian and Amadeus! Gone but NEVER forgotten. :snake: :snake:

I’m a first time poster here. As I was growing up I used to love going to pet stores and asking to hold the snakes. My local AW Brown pet store would always let me hold their ball pythons. I would always ask if I could get one but the answer was no. Fast forward to December 2019 where I won a $100 petsmart gift card. I wanted to buy cat food and at least try to be a responsible adult. But I left there with a snake, tank and mice, (please no hate I had no clue I was being a bad person for buying a pet store snake, yes I’ve been told I am). That one snake was all it took to start my addiction. Since that day I have gotten three more and I’m actively looking for a new one to breed with one of my females.

mom to

Koda-wild morph 9month old male
Korra- banana pastel (poss) spider 6month old Female
Ezri-wild morph 6 week old female
T’Pol-wild morph (rescue) 3 year old female

I always liked critters. I got my first tarantula in college and then didn't get anymore non dog/cat animals for a few years because I lived with roommates who were really afraid of them. I moved to a new city for work and my new roommate's cat knocked over my T's enclosure and killed her. I went to Repticon and bought a new T and was in aww of all the critters.

About a year later, I kind of realized I wanted a pet snake (I had always thought they were cute, but also thought "no one will be my friend if I have a snake, they already hate my spiders") and my friend from run club was looking to rehome a ball python that he had rescued years before, so I got him and just fell in love.

Almost a year later, i got my bearded dragon and then my blood python, both of them came from owners who could no longer keep them. I got three new animals in about 18 months, so I'm wary of taking on any more for the time being, but I would love to have a larger snake and a colubrid.

My bp was the first though, and he is darling and special and I love him so much. Long term I want to continue to take care of animals that need homes and am saving for a house so I can adopt a sulcata tortoise.

Well I've always loved animals and my who life I've always had a pet (now in early 20's) and I had just lost my beta fish, who I got from my friend who was graduating college and didn't want her anymore, and was looking for another pet to get. I had a dog at the time (he passed recently at 13 years old) and I'd already owned or been around someone who owned gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, and cats, so I wasn't really interested in getting another one of those and I was also looking for a pet that could just be mine and not a family pet, that would live a long time because losing a pet every few years really sucks and a pet that wouldn't mind being alone because I was really busy with college, a research internship, and 2 jobs. Then I went to a wildlife sanctuary and was looking at the snakes and it just clicked. After that I spent 2 weeks researching everything about snakes came across ball pythons which were recommended as great beginner snakes, set up a terrarium, and bought my ball python. Her name is Lady :) best decision EVER!

Hopefully 5 years from now I'll get a Jungle Carpet when I've gained more experience and done a bit more research than just 2 weeks lol

I saw cinnamons around the time they first came out in a ball python care book. One of my classmates also had one at the time. I decided I wanted a cinnamon, but had to wait years to find one that suited my tastes.

While on a trip my wife and I stopped into a large pet store. It had so many snakes in it. I told my wife that snakes were the only pets I wasn't allowed to have at home because my Mom was scared of them. So she said she wouldn't mind. So once we got home the search began. I researched for months. I knew I didn't what anything that would get so big I'd need a second person or have to feed rabbits to. in the end I narrowed it down the Ball Python or Kingsnake. And from there chose BP because they were not fast and therefore less likely to disappear into the couch while you have your head turned.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deanna

I always liked critters. I got my first tarantula in college and then didn't get anymore non dog/cat animals for a few years because I lived with roommates who were really afraid of them. I moved to a new city for work and my new roommate's cat knocked over my T's enclosure and killed her. I went to Repticon and bought a new T and was in aww of all the critters.

About a year later, I kind of realized I wanted a pet snake (I had always thought they were cute, but also thought "no one will be my friend if I have a snake, they already hate my spiders") and my friend from run club was looking to rehome a ball python that he had rescued years before, so I got him and just fell in love.

Almost a year later, i got my bearded dragon and then my blood python, both of them came from owners who could no longer keep them. I got three new animals in about 18 months, so I'm wary of taking on any more for the time being, but I would love to have a larger snake and a colubrid.

My bp was the first though, and he is darling and special and I love him so much. Long term I want to continue to take care of animals that need homes and am saving for a house so I can adopt a sulcata tortoise.

---

Tarantulas were my first love too. Had dozens over the years. My last and oldest red knee just past this spring. Had her for 16 years and was full grown when I got her. Lived longer then my dog even. Anyway nobody liked my t's either but don't let em get to you, they're awesome. Also always wanted a big tortoise and just got to feed someones sulcata a couple weeks ag but could never do it and eventually have to re home it. Anyway glad to hear you love your bp and enjoyed hearing your story. We sound a lot alike lol.

Sean

I wanted one for a VERY long time! I remember when I was around 4 years I old, I caught a garter snake and showed it to my mother. She was NOT pleased. I wasn't allowed to have a snake, then when I moved out on my own, I just couldn't afford it. Early this year I realized that my finances are in order, I'm my own person, and I can do what I please!!! So I bought my super pastel, Persephone.... and I plan on collecting SO many more hehehe! :P

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stewart_Reptiles

Seeing a Pied for the first time is what really did it, the only problem they were $10000 so at the time I bought a pair of hets for $1200 and made my own, and the rest is history.

---

I have a similar story... Saw a bumblebee... $15k..... and well... here were now.

I used to be very afraid of snakes untill I saw a snake in real life for the first time. It was friend's ball python. The more I look at him the more I liked him. So eventually we decided to go to reptile expo in LA. We drove 20+ hours to get there on time. We looked at all reptiles and friend got another snake. I wasn't sure if I was gonna get one but right before we were gonna leave i saw a lesser boy that stole my heart. And thats how my addiction started.