Opinion about ball python from a first time snake keeper

Not very useful to add convo-wise, but I have a friend whose first snake and first reptile was a hatchling jungle carpet python. And they're doing well, no illness or accidents ever happened, and the JCP should now be 3 or 4 years old. She was actually the one I checked with before I got my first snake, a ball python. And now we're both doing fine and dandy. It's all about research thoroughly and having a bit of a brain, and these snakes are honestly the easiest pet experience I have ever had, with very available resources online as well.

Speaking of, I too prefer snakes that aren't so "flighty".

None of my Ball Pythons are "pet rocks". Most days they aren't even couch potatoes, they still move ! But at least they move slow. I can interact with them in a relaxed way, observe them. The Borneo shorttail I had was the ultimate couch potato, but the Balls aren't far behind.

Personally, I don't enjoy handling super busy, flighty and fast snakes. I don't like doing the windmill with my hands non-stop, to keep them from getting away. Even the Green Tree Pythons I had were nice and relaxed snakes for handling, I didn't handle them often, but they were not flighty/fast.

If I had to pick a good "beginner" snake I would say a Russian Rat Snake. When I say beginner snake, I don't mean one that you can ignore or not do your homework with. They are easy because unless your house is very chilly, you don't even need to bother with heat or thermostats. A "light" is all that is needed, it will provide visibility and the Russians will use it to warm up if they want to. They are also nosy snakes, always up and watching what is going on. Not shy. They will use a BIG cage full of decorations and branches, if given, and they will use that space. They will get pretty big and "hefty" (for a colubrid) and aren't all that flighty, esp. as adults. If there is one type of snake that I would say actually enjoys human interaction, then it is them. They are funny and have a ton of personality. No feeding problems. The thing is, they are hard to find. They are kind of "plain" as babies and some people want the "cool" factor of boids and morphs. And..they still poop ;)

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Originally Posted by zina10

And..they still poop ;)

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I was sold right up until this...

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Originally Posted by 6037201

I don't want to offend anyone but personally I think ball python is not a beginner snake the main reason why its cuz (my opinion) they are the pickiest pet you could possibly get in term of habitat requirements and feeding. They would literally starve them selves to death if they don't get the food they want, I'm not gonna lie its really really frustrating especially for a first time snake keeper to encounter such behavior(me). A lot of people said online that ball python don't smell, well I think a part of it its true they don't but their enclosure does, especially when they pooped and refusing to eat the meal I left there overnight. Because sometimes when you leave the thawed mouse or rat inside the cage overnight the prey item would bleed out and become really sticky to the bedding for me I use paper towels. And this one time I left a weaned rat in the cage but he didn't eat so I went to get the tong to pick it up and half of its body just sliced open all the blood, organs just went out and the smell of it is so bad. Also, they are not like dogs or cats they don't bond with you like how a dog would bond with its owner. I think snake itself its affordable but also depends on morph, mine cost like 80$ or so its a male Mojave. Male is usually lot more picky than female I heard so that could be one of the reasons why. The bedding, hideaway, water bowel, all these only cost me like 8$ so its pretty cheap. The thing that can cost a lot is food (I know a lot of people is gonna disagree with me on this one), heating pat, thermometer and thermostat. Personally, I use zoomed heating pat and also thermometer and whatnot all these cost about close to 50$. And things with food, I think if someone has a really big collection of ball pythons then i think all the money is worth spending because if one doesn't wanna eat then just simply give it to another one so on and so forth. But someone like me we only have one snake, and if he doesn't wanna eat then it just gonna go to waste. If you get it from regular local reptile store one small rat is like 2 bucks after tax, pet smart and Petco has this ridicules price on their rodent its unbelievable. And if someone wanna get it online then there's always shipping, the cheapest shipping i think its 25$. Again, I'm not saying ball python is not a good pet, I'm saying it takes a lot of time, money and patience to really care for one. I would recommend someone to get a corn snake or king snake as their first pet snake because they are not as picky as ball python, some of them still do but its rare. To be honest, I sometimes just wanna give up on him return it whatever, but I love animals deep down that's why i got him in the first place and I will keep trying to make him as happy as possibly. But reality and imagination is different.

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I don't want to sound rude or anything but I completely disagree with you on the not beginner snakes. My first snake was a ball python and I did my research on them and I've never had a problem. If you don't do your research on any snake your always going to have a problem. I personally hate corn and milk snakes! But that's just me! Your ball python should never smell by the way. If you choose to leave a thawed mouse in your enclosure for a couple days or don't clean the enclosure then yeah it's going to stink. I have 13 ball pythons and I've never had a problem. Ball pythons are usually called a beginner snake because they usually have amazing temperaments and have an impressive size to them that's still handleable. Have I gotten cranky snakes before? Yes! Have I managed to tame them all in a month? Yes! They're very easy snakes. Yes some of them sometimes are finicky eaters I have two. But if you did your research on them you would know what you signed up for. As for costs pets are always going to be expensive. Heck my dad spent over $7,000 in vet bills for our dog and one of our dogs turned out to be epileptic so that's at least $200 a week in medication. Compared to all the dogs, cats, horses I've owned ball pythons are by far the cheapest. My first ball was a rescue and I had to spend $300 to get him healthy and I'm not complaining. And for gods sake stop complaining about costs you only have one snake. If you can't provide adequate care for him or feel like it's a chore then give it to someone who's experienced in snakes or can provide better care. Again sorry if I sound rude.


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Originally Posted by predatorkeeper87

I was sold right up until this...

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yeah....sorry to burst your bubble :rofl:

The problem is not that BP are not entry level/beginner snake because just like kingsnakes, milksnakes, cornsnakes they are, the problem is the prospective owner.

Just like with dog and cat breeds people buy animals without doing research and knowing if the animal is suited for their lifestyle and or expectations.
When purchasing a snake you need to know how and if you can provide the right environment for them, you need to understand the animal, you need to know what to expect and you need to have expectations that match accordingly.

It’s not like the information is not out there is just that many people will either impulse buy thinking it’s simple I can do it or they get information from only one source the pet store where they acquire the animal or the breeder they get the animal from.

Whether it’s a dog a cat or a snake you have to do your homework if you do your homework properly you will know what to expect and whether the animal is for you or not, if you don’t then comes the frustration and issues.

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Originally Posted by zina10

WHOA!

Where did that come from. LOL

Don't you know...good things are worth waiting for ;)

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lol, It was really just a quick analogy that came to mind.

And, yes, you are totally correct. I have weighed the pros and cons, she's always worth waiting for. ;)

Heck, I want to break this down by sections:

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I don't want to offend anyone but personally I think ball python is not a beginner snake the main reason why its cuz (my opinion) they are the pickiest pet you could possibly get in term of habitat requirements and feeding. They would literally starve themselves to death if they don't get the food they want, I'm not gonna lie its really really frustrating especially for a first time snake keeper to encounter such behavior(me).

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Snakes are not stupid. They do not, in fact, want to starve themselves to death. Do you think they get to pick and choose what to eat in the wild? They are opportunistic ambush predators, and they will eat whatever comes by that they can fit in their mouth. 99.9% of the time, when a snake isn’t eating, it’s either sick, or something is wrong with the husbandry, the food being offered or the way it’s being offered. These are all keeper errors that can be corrected with research and not a flaw in the animal.

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A lot of people said online that ball python don't smell, well I think a part of it its true they don't but their enclosure does, especially when they pooped and refusing to eat the meal I left there overnight. Because sometimes when you leave the thawed mouse or rat inside the cage overnight the prey item would bleed out and become really sticky to the bedding for me I use paper towels. And this one time I left a weaned rat in the cage but he didn't eat so I went to get the tong to pick it up and half of its body just sliced open all the blood, organs just went out and the smell of it is so bad.

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That is not normal for feeders. As someone up thread pointed out, either the rats you are offering have something wrong with them, or you are not preparing them correctly (too hot, thawed too fast, etc). And… literally every pet poops. If you can’t logic out that poop smells and sometimes you will have to clean it, I’m not sure what to tell you there. Ball pythons do not have an odor compared to many, many other commonly kept pet species. Seriously, you want to talk smell, let me tell you about ferrets.

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Also, they are not like dogs or cats they don't bond with you like how a dog would bond with its owner.

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You are correct. Snakes are not mammals. You have successfully identified that this is an animal belonging to a different class, and as such, may have different behaviors. Excellent work, detective.
Really though, if you get a snake- or any reptile- thinking it will bond with you like a dog or cat, you have gotten the wrong pet entirely and that is not the snake’s fault. That does not make them a “worse” pet, that makes you an owner that can’t appreciate the needs, behaviors, and natural inclinations of your animal.

Snakes will bond with you, the keeper, in a way that is unlike any mammal. When I have them out, my snakes will calmly cruise my bed, then return to me and chill on me for about 30 minute to an hour before resuming exploration. Let me tell you what that is: TRUST. Trust that transcends species lines.

Through my handling, feeding, and care of these animals, they have come to view me as a source of safety. They can warm themselves on me and even fall asleep without fear of harm. This is no small thing; with many animals, especially ones that evolved alongside of us, we can intuit and communicate things to each other through vocal tone, body language, etc. This is not the case for snakes and many other reptiles, but especially ball pythons. Humans do exists in their natural habitat, and those humans are quite often predators. These are small, cautious prey animals that have no instinctive ability to understand our intentions. AND YET. Here I am, 130 pounds of human, a creature that could easily kill and eat this prey animal if I wanted to, and that the snake has every good reason to not want to interact with, but it is going against instinct because its learned experience is that I will care, provide for, and protect it. That’s incredible to me, and much more impressive than the automatic trust bond I receive unflinchingly from my dog because of his thousands of year of genetic programming.

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I think snake itself its affordable but also depends on morph, mine cost like 80$ or so its a male Mojave. Male is usually lot more picky than female I heard so that could be one of the reasons why.

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Again, this is a misunderstanding of your animal. Males can fast more often than females. That does not make them “more picky”. Fasting (not refusal because of keeper error) is a natural behavior. When you understand when and why they do it (breeding season, winter fast, fasting to slim down because of over feeding) you become less bothered by it. All my snakes fasted this winter. I paid it no mind and simply watched for the change in their behavior that indicated they were ready to eat again (coming out to casually explore, sitting in “wait mode” with head out of hide, slightly lifted up and alert for movement). When each snake started back into this behavior, I started feeding them again. They’re all currently feeding quite happily, and my year old male, Riddle, is my most voracious animal (he took a small adult AND the wean a new girl refused a couple weeks ago).

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The bedding, hideaway, water bowel, all these only cost me like 8$ so its pretty cheap. The thing that can cost a lot is food (I know a lot of people is gonna disagree with me on this one), heating pat, thermometer and thermostat. Personally, I use zoomed heating pat and also thermometer and whatnot all these cost about close to 50$. And things with food, I think if someone has a really big collection of ball pythons then i think all the money is worth spending because if one doesn't wanna eat then just simply give it to another one so on and so forth. But someone like me we only have one snake, and if he doesn't wanna eat then it just gonna go to waste. If you get it from regular local reptile store one small rat is like 2 bucks after tax, pet smart and Petco has this ridicules price on their rodent its unbelievable. And if someone wanna get it online then there's always shipping, the cheapest shipping i think its 25$. Again, I'm not saying ball python is not a good pet, I'm saying it takes a lot of time, money and patience to really care for one.

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Let’s look at a new puppy, shall we? Buying a pure bred animal from a researched line, from a reputable breeder is probably going to put you in the $1500 range, but let’s go the cheaper route here and adopt one of those great dogs in a shelter. Depending on where you live, shelter fees can be anywhere from $30 to $200. Dogs more than a year old are usually cheaper than puppies. That’s about the same range as the initial cost of a ball python, depending on morph. For that price you can find some pretty nice morphs.

Then you need a food and water bowl, not hard, probably $10 for both. Some toys for pupper, let’s be skimpy here and only spend $20. Where you gonna keep it at night or during the day when you aren’t around? Jeez, that nice kennel is kind of expensive, just stick it in the yard without supervision before it’s learned any of the house rules, and let it snuggle with you at night. But maybe don’t just kick it into the yard all day, let’s get a collar and leash for walkies, another $20. Now you need to feed it. Let’s not feed it that crap made from corn, and use the money we saved from the cheap toys and no kennel to get the good stuff. Aaaw ye, $50 on the grain free, all life stages, first three ingredients are meat, dog chow. Is it a long coated dog? Better drop $7 on that brush. And another $10 on nail trimmers.

Now what? Oh, you need to take your dog for a new animal vet check. Sometimes that’s covered in the adoption fee, but often only with vets that the shelter you got the animal from have some sort of agreement with/approval of. So you get Rover checked out, with a clean bill of health this time… but wait, he’s up to date on his vaccinations now, but what about next year or the year after that? And is it spayed/neutered? If not, that’s gonna cost you a couple hundred in a few months. Oh, and you need to get it licensed. In my area that $30.

Fast forward 6 months, you now have a dog that: has destroyed all those toys you initially bought it which you now have to replace, is a nuisance barker that annoys the neighbors because he’s left to be bored in a yard all day with no structure, drools and farts on you in bed at night. You have to drop more money on getting them fixed, more toys… if it’s a large breed, it went through that bag of dog food in a month (that’s about how much my 79 pound shelter mutt eats), so feed costs are at least $50 per month or you’re gonna have to compromise on quality over savings. Did you pay for training classes or are you training it yourself? If you’re doing it yourself, are you doing it the right way, and being consistent? Because if not, now you have a bunch of potentially destructive problem behaviors. Digging up the yard, chewing electronics and furniture… that all costs money to fix or replace.

Are you keeping up on its grooming? If not, you might need to go pay a professional to do it, or if the dog has a particularly thick or unique coat, you’ll need that anyway (my mutt is a long, densely coated Fluffer McFluff, and even though I brush him regularly, we still like to take him down to a groomer for a complete wash, blow out and trim around May so he’s comfortable in the summer. At his size and coat density, that usually sets us back $100. He’s friendly and well behaved, but they WILL charge extra for unruly or aggressive animals).

You still need to do yearly checkups, get updates on vaccinations, re-license, and oh. Right. You still have to clean up its poop.

An $80 snake, with $200 in equipment at that point has probably cost you about $50 in feed for the last 6 months, and you probably haven’t even used up the first bag of bedding. Sounds like a heck of a bargain to me. But the fact is, all pets cost money, and if you don’t have it to spend, or just plain don’t want to spend it, then you shouldn’t be keeping a pet.

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I would recommend someone to get a corn snake or king snake as their first pet snake because they are not as picky as ball python, some of them still do but its rare. To be honest, I sometimes just wanna give up on him return it whatever, but I love animals deep down that's why i got him in the first place and I will keep trying to make him as happy as possibly. But reality and imagination is different.

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^^^ And that right there is your problem. It has nothing to do with how difficult ball pythons are to keep (which turns out to be not very, if you’re willing to research, understand, and accommodate their needs) and everything to do with you having a picture of what you want in your head and not getting the animal that matches. The animal failing to meet your expectations is hardly the animal’s problem. That will screw you up with ANY and EVERY animal, whether snake, dog, cat, turtle, or gold fish. If you had an expectation for a pet, you should have done your research and found the critter that fit into your needs, instead of trying to force one that doesn’t. When I recommend an animal to someone, I take time to talk with them and evaluate what they want out of their pet ownership experience, then take time to educate them about the animal's needs. Not everyone will hold your hand and walk you through it, though, and it's up to you, the keeper, to gather information and make an informed decision.

Corns and Kings have their drawbacks too. If you were a beginner like 11 year old me, you bought your baby corn snake from a chain pet store, along with the clerk recommended screen top terrarium and comprehensive owner's guide. Even with the screen "lock" in place, the little guy can and will open enough of a corner gap to get out and end up cat food.

There is no such thing as a beginner pet. If you go into it without understanding, accepting, and preparing for its needs and quirks, you will both suffer for it.

In your case, as others have mentioned, I'd change rodent sources and/or look at your heating methods. A fresh rodent wouldn't become sticky or fall apart overnight unless it was cooked. Your BP would naturally turn away from rotten or cooked meat.

I am a first time BP owner and I don't see why someone who has never had a snake shouldn't consider getting one..I did my research, had an enclosure built, and followed the instructions of many people on here , and people that I know that have snakes.. I did this of course BEFORE I got him.. Will I do everything perfect from day 1 ? Probably not.. But the mistakes I may make wont put the animal in grave danger though.. I don't see how anyone can be an expert at something that they have never done, and you can't learn how to do something unless you do it.. General knowledge and caring about these animals is how I would guess a lot of us started out..