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

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)
I want to buy a baby Ball python mostlikly from a pet store, if I cannot find a trusted breeder. Not new-born but mabye a few weeks old. 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.

Any information people can give me on good items to buy for my pre-ball python preep would be great :D ty

also, any cleaning tips? want to stock on cleaning supplies for cage ect.

-TurnTable :snake:

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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)
I want to buy a baby Ball python mostlikly from a pet store, if I cannot find a trusted breeder. Not new-born but mabye a few weeks old. 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.

Any information people can give me on good items to buy for my pre-ball python preep would be great :D ty

also, any cleaning tips? want to stock on cleaning supplies for cage ect.

-TurnTable :snake:

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Just to let you know, females aren't more aggressive than males.. It depends on the individual snake, not the sex. But females do usually get bigger than males. My biggest girl is about 4 feet right now.

Depending on your location there may be reptile shows you can go to and get a snake there (you can talk to the breeder face to face and stuff), or you can find a breeder you like that may not be in your area and have your snake shipped to you. When done properly shipping is very safe. One of the reasons i dont reccomend most big box pet stores is 1. they over charge like crazy, and 2. often they have captive hatched or farm raised babies that may be infested with parasites or not even eating. Always ask the person you're buying from what the snake is eating, etc.

Do you want a display type cage? or a cage thats really made for the snake and may not be as nice looking? Would you be willing to spend the money to get a professionally made cage? Those are all questions you have to ask yourself :)

BPs appreciate small tight fitting hides that they can feel secure in.

You certainly want a thermostat as well. I recommend johnson control, ranco, helix or herpstat (spyder robotics)

right, i definatly try to get a BP from a breeder then, I would like more of a display type cage and custom made seems mabye unneeded but im no expert lol.

I've never heard females being more aggressive than males, and I've never heard males being more aggressive than females. I have a female and she is as sweet as can be, and has never acted aggressive towards me.

The best enclosure, IMO, would be a tub. They are pretty cheap, and you can buy the clear Sterilite or Rubbermaid tubs. All you need to do is put some air holes in it and your good to go. Maybe also buy some clips to keep the lid shut so your snake doesn't get out.

hey thats a decent budget!
someone did the math which was the ESSENTIALS, and they added it up to about $90 not including the ball python of ur choice!

I would realy go for a female as your first BP, in case you decide to breed her down the road, she would be of age when you are ready. Females take a long time to raise to breeding age.

My sweetest BP is a female, so I dont think the sex realy matters, and none of the males are agressive.

Hey ! Like H00blah said ur gunna spend around $90-$120 for the essentials that a BP needs. Theres a really good post here
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=56846
that shows everything u'd ever need for a glass tank

then depending on what morph (color,pattern, mix etc..) u can pay anywhere from $20 up to thousands for the snake itself

personally id get the tank set up run it for a day or two make sure temps and humiditys hold where u want, then bring the lil guy or girl home

search around in this section of the forums at peoples different set ups, get some ideas!

as far as cleaning
http://ball-pythons.net/modules/Sect...warticle&id=26
check out this thread

hope this helped
-james

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Originally Posted by TurnTable

right, i definatly try to get a BP from a breeder then, I would like more of a display type cage and custom made seems mabye unneeded but im no expert lol.

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if you want a professional cage (they tend to hold temps and humidity MUCH better than tanks) you can go with one of many manufactureres: animal plastics, boaphile plastics, http://www.dragons4you.net/, reptilebasics.com, i think those are all i have in my quick book marks but there are MANY more to choose from as far as professional caging goes.

You can also do a 10 or 20 gal tank, but maintaining temps and humidity in those can be harder than in a professionally made housing depending on where you live and your ambient temps and humidity and stuff.

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Originally Posted by TurnTable

right, i definatly try to get a BP from a breeder then, I would like more of a display type cage and custom made seems mabye unneeded but im no expert lol.

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Just as a heads up, ball pythons make pretty crappy display snakes :giggle:

They spend almost all of their time hiding which means you would never see them just "wandering around" in a big pretty cage.

Oh no, I hear its very important to replace your ball python's water bowl every day! Thats a problem for me, I'm out of the house every monday and Tuesday the entire day and do not return till wensday. Unless I got some1 I know to change the water for me would on those days could that really harm my snake?

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Originally Posted by TurnTable

Oh no, I hear its very important to replace your ball python's water bowl every day! Thats a problem for me, I'm out of the house every monday and Tuesday the entire day and do not return till wensday. Unless I got some1 I know to change the water for me would on those days could that really harm my snake?

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I wouldn't worry about it :) I honestly can't think of anything harmful that could happen if it's not absolutely positively refreshed on a daily basis. I check my snakes for water every day, but it usually only needs refilling/replacing every 3 days or so.


Also, welcome to the forums! :D

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Originally Posted by TurnTable

Oh no, I hear its very important to replace your ball python's water bowl every day! Thats a problem for me, I'm out of the house every monday and Tuesday the entire day and do not return till wensday. Unless I got some1 I know to change the water for me would on those days could that really harm my snake?

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Your snake will be fine without fresh water every day. I change out the water every 3-4 days and top off as needed between then. I give the bowl a good scrub once a week.

Good! lets c... I was wondering about how to transition from day time tempature/humid. to night time, If I bought a heat lamp, would I turn it off at night? ( It is important to make it feel like night time for the python right?)

or... is a heating pad better, wouldn't need to change a bulb, or better yet, no real chance of lamp explotions!

Finaly, I read that if a snake's water bowl is large enough I dont need to "spray" to cage to maintain humid. Ill mostlikely just attempt this for myself when I buy the cage and monitering tools but always want a second opion, like b4, I cant spray the cage daily all the time.

Ty for welcoming me to the forums and Ive really used your information so far :D
-TurnTable

I have to agree with everyone else on this. Ball pythons do not like being on display. They live most of their life in a borrow deep under ground. They are naturally shy. They do not do well in large cages. The wrong enclosure can cause a stressed unhealthy ball that will not eat. They need multiple tight fitting hides. Wooden cages are not very good since they are hard to maintain temps and humidity in without creating a breeding ground for bacteria, mold and fungus.

Females are not more aggressive than males. It totally deoends on the ball. They are generally very docile no matter age or sex.

I dont mean to ramble on but be sure you do your homework before getting a ball. Otherwise you may end up with a very expensive vet bill or a dead snake. Definately look for one through a known breeder. There are lots a scam artists out there. Even at shows.

A friend purchased a surinam boa (female) from a show that turned out to be a male which died less than 2 months after. He later found out it was from a group of imports that were unsexed and obviously sick.

Research prospective breeders/sellers by looking at the feedback thread here and the BOI on fauna classifieds.

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Originally Posted by TurnTable

Good! lets c... I was wondering about how to transition from day time tempature/humid. to night time, If I bought a heat lamp, would I turn it off at night? ( It is important to make it feel like night time for the python right?)

or... is a heating pad better, wouldn't need to change a bulb, or better yet, no real chance of lamp explotions!

Finaly, I read that if a snake's water bowl is large enough I dont need to "spray" to cage to maintain humid. Ill mostlikely just attempt this for myself when I buy the cage and monitering tools but always want a second opion, like b4, I cant spray the cage daily all the time.

Ty for welcoming me to the forums and Ive really used your information so far :D
-TurnTable

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IF you used a heat light you would not want to turn it off at night. Temps would fall too much. This would be very annoying for a dark loving ball. Its best if it will not be kept in a rack/tub, to have it in a completely enclosed tank or cage with a few ventilation holes. Heat coming from underneath and if you want a display light it would be a good idea to add an extra heat source like a ceramic heat emmitter. So the temps never fall drastically.

If the cage is large or tall rather than short and wide it will be very hard to keep the temps and humidity right. Most of us who breed or keep many of these snakes do not let temps fluctuate at all unless it is breeding season. Then some breeders will "cool down". Or if the snake is sick temps will be raised slightly above normal. Otherwise they should be kept consistant.

Read the "Sticky" threads about housing and husbandry here. There are some on shedding, covering tanks etc.. You can find out all you need to know right here.

Their is a reptile show on Nov. 14 here in Colorado. As far as breeders I do have one I have bought from and have been very happy with. If you would like I can give you the name and number.

As everyone else has said, they dont make good display animals at all. I only see my snake sometimes at night and thats because im usually not in my room and I have the lights off and my door closed. During the days shes under her water dish all the time.

Get a female because... theyre bigger then males but theyre still not that big and if you ever decide to breed them you will have a snake ready to go. I use a glass tank just because I never got my second snake to put in tubs so ive just left my first snake in her tank. I was planning on moving both into tubs... glass would be the best display tank. I cant imagine anything home made being to good of a display case unless your a good wood worker or something. And it still probably wouldnt hold temp and humidity well. I also have to spray my tank daily.

Its really not that much for the bare minimum stuff. The most expensive thing will probably be the thermostat. I have a repti temp 500r on a UTH, along with a 75 watt bulb during a few hours of the day.

Thermostat $30
UTH $15-30
Glass tank?
Screen top
Lid clips
Hides
Water dish
and it would be smart to have a fake plant or something to clutter up the tank and make the snake feel more secure.

Start with a 10g and move up to a 20g as it gets older.

Get a UTH with a thermostat, a couple thermometers with probes, two good hides (no log hides!) and aspen, cypress mulch, newspaper, or paper towels for bedding. (no cedar, pine, or sand!)

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Start with a 10g and move up to a 20g as it gets older.

Get a UTH with a thermostat, a couple thermometers with probes, two good hides (no log hides!) and aspen, cypress mulch, newspaper, or paper towels for bedding. (no cedar, pine, or sand!)

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... yep thermometer/hydrometer seemed to have slipped my mind on list of things to get.

I would get newspaper because other beddings are not worth the hassle if your going to feed in the enclosure. Neither are that hard to clean but eh. some beddings are dusty even though they say they arent...

BPs may not be the best "display" reptiles, but if you have to keep them in a public area, you still have to look at all their crap. My BP's enclosure is in the living room, so whether we get to see him or not, I still want the thing to be attractive. He's got "rock" hides, a "rock" water bowl, artificial vines, branches, logs, rocks, and Repti Bark (to clutter his cage in support of his antisocial tendencies). Even if he's not gracing us with his presence, his enclosure is still pleasant to look at.

I don't think for one minute that he appreciates the aesthetics, and my priority is his health, safety, and comfort, but there's no harm in attempting to avoid an eyesore in a public part of your home. If I get more snakes, I'll most likely switch to tubs and/or a rack (in an out of the way location), but with one snake, it's not *that* hard to balance aesthetics and proper husbandry.

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!