Want to be a new baby python's owner :D

Alright! this is great, im now definatly out of questions involving how I want my cage to be.
The info of the reptile show on the 14th is fantastic! ill cheak that out and really start reading more and asking less I bet my questions have been asked a TON of times b4.

The last thing I really want to know is feeding, depending on the size of snake should be equal to the mice size, is there a measuring system to match BP with mouse size, last thing I want to do is choak my snake

Thats all! ty for the welcomes and info on my future pet!

Happy Hollows Eve :D ( not quite )

-TurnTable

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Originally Posted by TurnTable

Hello, just joined this community for quick and interesting info on Ball Pythons. I plan to buy and house a ball python as a pet in the near future, but for now, I working on building a good cage/habitat for him( yes I will most certinly buy a male, female I hear are more agressive and grow larger)

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It's already been said, but I'll repeat that females aren't necessarily more "aggressive" - in fact, my two big (4-5ft) girls are absolute sweethearts! :) And two of my boys were real jerks at first, so there's no rhyme or reason with that. But yes, the females do tend to grow larger... they're still a manageable size, though.

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I want to buy a baby Ball python mostlikly from a pet store, if I cannot find a trusted breeder.

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I'd recommend an online breeder, unless you have a REALLY good reptile specialty shop nearby... we only have one I'd trust around here (East Bay Vivarium), where I got my first BP, and the rest are from online breeders. There are lots of good breeders on this website, or you can browse Fauna & Kingsnake classifieds.

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What kind of cage should I br prepare to make? ive seen tons on information on cages regulating heat/humid., a "Hidey hole/cave," climbing branch (I do know they tend to like the ground)
My budget right now for materials is about 220$, money isint the issue, just dont want to got splurge on items that may seem like a waste.

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Honestly, most of what you'll buy is a waste of money. :D Mine all live in Sterilite tubs (in a rack) with a water bowl, one snug hide, and newspaper or paper towel bedding. If you want something nicer to look at, just build the equivalent of a 10gal tank - unless you want it to last for their life, in which case I'd build a 20gal. But if you do that, you might have to fill it up with stuff, so the baby isn't intimidated by the space.

Climbing branches aren't necessary, although some BPs will lounge on them... really the accessories are up to you, aside from the basics of a hide/s, water bowl and heating source. Btw, if you build something with a wooden base, it means you'll have trouble using an UTH (which is better than an overhead light). So if possible, try to make the cage with a glass bottom.

Good luck, and welcome to the addiction that is Ball Pythons! :P

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Originally Posted by TurnTable

The last thing I really want to know is feeding, depending on the size of snake should be equal to the mice size, is there a measuring system to match BP with mouse size, last thing I want to do is choak my snake

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A general rule-of-thumb is that prey should be 10-15% of their body weight, or no more than 1.5 times their width. Generally you can feed hopper mice for a couple of meals, and then move right up to adult mice... eventually you'll start offering rats (small-medium), or multiple mice per feeding.

TurnTable, you asked about humidity.
Humidity here in Colorado can be tricky, especially if you are going to be housing in a tank.
There are a few cages out there that will help with humidity.
Vision cages are good because they're enclosed, http://www.visionproducts.us/htm7/cages.html
Locally, Boas and Balls sells some cages, they’re typically for boas, but I think they would be pretty good for an adult female.
They're not listed on their website, but they usually have them for sale at the expos.
These cages can be pretty expensive, but when housing 1 snake it's a good investment for your pet (Which could live for 30 years).

Before I switched to the caging system I have now I used 10 gallons for babies. I put them on their sides and made plexi-glass doors for them. This maintained humidity VERY WELL. I concern of mine is that the bigger the tank the harder to secure the plexi-glass doors. These snakes are very strong.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../pinny_009.jpg

We have a lot of GREAT breeders in the area, I would be able to recommend one if you'd like. I would prefer to buy from a breeder rather than store. Some of the stores actually buy from the breeders, so you can't avoid the mark up by going straight to the breeder.

Good luck and I commend you on asking questions before jumping in!!!
Let us know if you have any other questions, a lot of us are local and can help you find what you need right here!