are ball pythons dangerous to children.

my sons mother is finding it difficult to understand that ball pythons do not pose the same kind of danger towards children that a burmese or reticulated python would.

just looking for some comments from others who have raised children around ball pythons and some other info which mite help ease her mind on the topic.

all replies will b greatly appreciated.

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1.1 yellow belly royal python (osiris & isis)
0.1 pastel royal python (artemis)
1.1 hermans tortoise (dylan & gilmour)

My 3 year old is in love with mine. all the other kids in the yard are always petting her and holding her when i bring her out to. Its great


http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n..._0173-Copy.jpg

one problem she has is that she thinks that if it escapes it will attack and kill my son. are these fears justified or not, i believe they would rather curl up in some corner and wouldn't go near him but am open to any other theorys or advice.

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1.1 yellow belly royal python (osiris & isis)
0.1 pastel royal python (artemis)
1.1 hermans tortoise (dylan & gilmour)

I know he's not full grown but......
http://adventurousguy.com/WallE/reiandwalle.jpg

What reason would a ball python have to kill a sleeping kid. even an awake one. They can't eat it and they don't kill in defense. worst would be a bite witch is no big deal. it might startle the kid and hurt a little.

I would just show her this site. You have to remember that these are FEARS that she has. They can't be easily corrected, but with some time, and some REAL KNOWLEDGE you can show her that they are pretty much harmless.

Yes, children are dangerous to Ball Pythons. (dyslexia FTW!) :P

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All of my kids were raised with snakes & Pit Bulls.

I would almost think the snake would be safer to have around than either a cat or a dog. A cat scratch is possible to get cat scratch fever, especially if the cat goes outdoors along with their bites more likely to get infected. Dogs you have to worry about needing a rabies shot. Snakes you only have to worry about getting sick but that's if you're the smart type to lick your hands and the snake. :D

Since I've been around all three I've been bitten by a snake once that drew blood, gotten bit on the butt, toes and fingers by a dog and had scratches up and down my arms from cats. If anything try to convince her to petting or holding the snake. Most people around here don't understand much about them and believe they are evil slimey creatures. After some explaining about their care and how tough their cages are for them to get out of. Most agree to at least touching the tail after several minutes but are surprised how friendly she is. Keeping in mind this is a 7ft RTB we take out along with a toddler but the reactions people had when she was under 9 months aren't as bad as she's gotten older and bigger.

No, they pose no danger to a child at all.
However, a small child does pose a danger to a ball python depending on the child's age. (I've seen kids drop animals!:mad:)

Dogs and cats are far more dangerous to children than ball pythons. There's never been a recorded case of a ball python causing permanent injury or death to anyone, children or adults.

My sister has permanent scars on her face and chest from a friend's very trusted and "friendly" pet cat.

Life is full of little risks....we don't even think about them when considering a pet dog or cat...the risk that comes with them seems natural and easily accepted. The risks of injury from a ball python are almost nonexistent....just not so easily accepted, for whatever reason.

I concur with what has been said above, your ball python would be in more danger than your son. If anything, your snake would seek out some dark cramped corner of your house to curl up in. I trust my snakes around my kids alot more than I do my mom's 140+ pound mastiff! I've seen the damage a dog can do as well and it is far worse than any ball python!

I have had my BP's for almost 3 years now and I have never once been bitten.
I had a roomate with a cat and I have 5 different scars on my leg because the cat attacked me without reason twice.

BP's are FAR less dangerous to anyone, not even just children, than your houshold cat or dog.

The children actually pose a risk of injury to the BP :P Not the other way around.

Agree with everything mentioned.
Big snakes require supervision with children, but to have a ball python actually leave it's home and seek out and hurt a child is pretty unrealistic, they tend to curl up and hide when they get loose.
My daughter LOVES this big male.
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My Daughter was 5 when I started getting into ball pythons. She now 9 and since she was 6 she has been keeping Kenyan Sand Boas of her own and they live in tanks in her room. She has been nipped by her kenyan sand boas, we wash the wound (pin pricks basically) with dial and water and she doesn't even need a band-aid. She knows how to wash her hands properly and she does so after she cleans, feeds and handles her snakes or mine. Education is the key. If your child is an infant/toddler I would not let them hold the snakes but I would say from the time you can teach them to be gentle holding the snake with supervision shouldn't be a problem at all. Just make sure that you wash your kids hands after touching the snake.

For the snake killing the child fear it is really unfounded. If you are on here you should know how to keep your snake in a proper enclosure which prevents escapes. Even in the event of an escape I just can't see the snake seeking out the child to hurt it. Honestly snakes in general are safer than pretty much any other household pet (as people have already stated.).

one amazing characteristic of a BP is its being docile. that is why this species is popular and is claimed to be "the best beginner snake".

should a BP escapes, it will only look for a dark hiding place and will only attack if it feels threatened or is hungry, otherwise, it will just curl into a ball. that is why they are called BALL PYTHONS :D

yeah, it is safe for children, go and grab one now! :gj:

Get one. I think its a great pet for a kid, I wish my parents had got me one when I was younger instead of rodents. Extremely docile, good size, not skittish like a corn snake. IMO, if your going to get your kid a snake, get a ball, not a corn snake. Corn snakes are a lot more flighty in my opinion, ball pythons are very chill, hangout in your laps. There excellent! I got my first one a few months back, a month later got another...and now I'm in the process of getting a third. Catch my drift? ;)

Which one has the size advantage...
A: a bp
or
B: a child.... I would think the child, just a creative guess:gj:

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Originally Posted by allyfair

one problem she has is that she thinks that if it escapes it will attack and kill my son. are these fears justified or not, i believe they would rather curl up in some corner and wouldn't go near him but am open to any other theorys or advice.

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Tell her that a ball python is not a burmese. From the sounds of it, she is freaked because of what happened to the 2 year old little girl down here who was killed by a burmese. What the news stories don't say is that the snake was not in a secured tank and had not been fed in over 2 months as per my source at the local police department here. Here are the links to the story, the second one has a picture of the snake and you can tell its a little on the thin side. the parents are now being charged with first degree manslaughter according to my source.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...by.html?cat=53

http://stupidcelebrities.net/2009/07...a-hare-photos/

Ball Pythons are not dangerous to anybody, they're quite possibly the most benign snake you can find anywhere.

Ball pythons may get to four feet easily, but in reality, they are not powerful to a healthy person (hell, I might have rheumatoid arthritis real bad, but I can pull both my BPs off me if needed) or child who has good co-ordination (7 years and older is what I'm thinking).

There is a risk of salmonella with reptiles, but you can easily get over this by keeping their cage clean and washing your hands. All animals can bite, but BPs obviously don't very often, and when my male tagged me, it hurt because of how hard he hit, not because of the three little scratches and drop or two I bled; my corn snake of the same length has caused more damage with a bite, and a mouse put scars on my finger (they might be temporary, as those bites were only a month or so ago).

I personally think a cat or dog bite is more likely to become infected, as all the times I've been bitten, the wounds have gotten red and inflamed, same with when our cat had claws. The biggest problem I had with any snake bite was a small amount of blood.

(I still think the Burm was innocent, and was framed--too much doesn't add up, especially the size of the snake).

No, ball pythons aren't going to attack children. I still think it's not bright to put one around your neck, but they are safer than a dog or cat.

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Originally Posted by llovelace

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...ma100_2606.jpg

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All of my kids were raised with snakes & Pit Bulls.

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Mine will be also nothing better than a pitbull...........Since I have my first snake I'm pretty sure he will be into them also just like daddy LOL....

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Originally Posted by BLMinFL

Tell her that a ball python is not a burmese. From the sounds of it, she is freaked because of what happened to the 2 year old little girl down here who was killed by a burmese. What the news stories don't say is that the snake was not in a secured tank and had not been fed in over 2 months as per my source at the local police department here. Here are the links to the story, the second one has a picture of the snake and you can tell its a little on the thin side. the parents are now being charged with first degree manslaughter according to my source.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...by.html?cat=53

http://stupidcelebrities.net/2009/07...a-hare-photos/

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Man that snake was very skinny.... any animal can be dangerous when owned by and irresponsible Human..... Tell be this all the time about my pitbulls

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Originally Posted by glk832

Man that snake was very skinny.... any animal can be dangerous when owned by and irresponsible Human..... Tell be this all the time about my pitbulls

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you hit it right on the nose...it boils down to irresponsible humans. our first snake was Jax and its my boyfriends 7 year old son's snake. he got it because here in florida, he wanted his son to be educated about snakes (since there are many in the wild) and what ones he could and could not touch. On a further note, my boyfriend's ex is a social worker and has no problem with her son holding snakes at all. :D

Never heard of a ball hurting a child real bad. I figure life gets you one way or another... I am not saying that people shouldnt use safety features in life in general. But Ive been bitten by the neighbors dog few times ... never my snakes...... although my baby gecko bit me once... LOL didnt notice it until I saw her mouth clamped on my finger...

Ball Pythons are as close to harmless as you can get when dealing with an animal that possesses a mouth. ;) Anything with a mouth can bite, the question is how prone are they to doing so and how damaging can it be?

I work in a grooming salon. My arms and hands are covered in scars. I just got a new one a few weeks ago...a Scottie put a canine tooth into my palm to the bone. I have several more scratches and bites that are healing right now, no way to tell yet if they'll scar over...some of the worst bites heal without a scar and some of the most tiny, light scratches scar up the worst.

I also keep a fair number of constrictor snakes. At work, some people know me as "that guy with snakes." :P I'm occasionally called out into the store proper to help with the snakes or to assist a customer who wants information on snakes.

Someone at work once asked if I was afraid of being bitten by my snakes. I laughed at her a little and said no. After some discussion by everyone else on how much it would hurt to be bit by a Ball Python, I declared (and still stand by) this: "I would rather be bitten by EVERY SINGLE SNAKE I OWN than take one bite from an eight week old Cocker Spaniel puppy. Heck I'd rather get bit IN THE FACE by my BIGGEST PYTHON than get bit by a dog. Dog bites actually HURT."

I've since been trying to get my co-workers who fear snakes to get more comfortable with my Balls, with RAGING success. One who was totally phobic will run over and practically grab them out of my hands now...she just LOVES my snakes. And just last night we had a breakthrough with another phobic co-worker...she was having a stressful day and pulled me aside, and asked if I could bring the "big smooshy" one (my Mojave male) in for her to hold, that it would make her day better. This, from someone terrified of snakes just a few months ago!!!

As others have said, your Ball will be more at risk from being hurt by you child than the other way around. ;)

The salmonella risk is really it. And while I wouldn't put a 4 lb. snake in with a 7 lb. baby kind of on principle, it's pretty tough for a 4 lb. snake to kill anything larger than a rat. Even if they were inclined, which ball pythons are really not--when they escape, they generally go looking for good hiding spots, not humans.

Ditto what everybody else says about dropping. Also squeezing.

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Originally Posted by allyfair

one problem she has is that she thinks that if it escapes it will attack and kill my son.

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I've left the tops of my cages off many times to come back to the snakes curled up under there hides sleeping. But you can buy cage clips to hold the tops on anyways.

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Originally Posted by brikimura

I've left the tops of my cages off many times to come back to the snakes curled up under there hides sleeping. But you can buy cage clips to hold the tops on anyways.

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Actually with children involved I'd recommend cage locks...for the safety of the snake, so the kids don't handle it without supervision. :) Safer for the snake!

BP's Safe

Kids Dangerous

Uneducated people MORE DANGEROUS

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Originally Posted by onna_shinigami

I would almost think the snake would be safer to have around than either a cat or a dog. A cat scratch is possible to get cat scratch fever, especially if the cat goes outdoors along with their bites more likely to get infected. Dogs you have to worry about needing a rabies shot. Snakes you only have.

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I've had cat scratch fever. It is horrible!!! It affected my lypmph nodes, gave me a cyst and left me with a scar. The doctors said it could have killed me had I not gone to the doctor for it. I am still fearful of cat scratches. But a ball python sized non-venomous snake is nothing to worry about. I am seeing it as if the snake doesn't see you as food, he would have no reason to strangle you. If he is afraid he would bite, or in a ball's case just roll up. I am getting it from my step-dad and my grandma. My husband's parents don't even know I have a snake, so I am sure I will get it real bad from them.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...n/DSC04262.jpg
My 12 year old with my 2 year old ball.

From the sounds of it she hasn't been exposed to ball pythons. Most of the people I know are afraid of snakes, but once they meet my baby male they all sort of calm down, seeing how gentle and not psycho-I'm-gonna-kill-you he is. I'd say let her meet one before she forms too concrete of an opinion.

As far as ball pythons with kids, a ball python couldn't kill a child, even if it wanted to. Snakes aren't dumb, and they aren't going to risk their well-being to kill something that they can't even eat. As long as the child is well-educated on the do's and dont's of handling snakes I would say that the risk of even a bite is small.

I babysit my cousins every other day, and they're 5 and 7 years old. Sometimes I'll let them pet my baby, and the seven year old can hold him for a little while, but I still don't recommend leaving a kid alone with a ball python because kids can get spooked and drop or harm the snake by accident. It's just like when you get a new dog: you don't leave the kid alone around it, but it's all very safe as long as you watch to make sure things don't take a wrong turn.

i think it is kind of a trick question in the fact that if the ball was lets say draped around a child's neck and gets scared yes it could kill them (is that likely to happen not really but there is always a chance of it if the ball is a adult who lets say hasn't eaten in awhile then got scared so wrapped around then it's instincts kicked in cause it feels the heart beat) even if all that happened the kids could more then likely get the snake off there neck> no even the largest ball python couldn't eat even a preemie

We have a ball python and have 5 children, ages 11, 7, 6, 6, & 1. The only real risk a ball python has is they do carry salmonella, which is why our 1 year old doesn't touch the snake just yet. All of the other children love her to death and like everyone else has said, the children are more of a threat to the snake than the snake is to them. I hear the same things from my mom too...."that snake is going to escape one night and hunt down the baby and try to eat him". I think the problem is people are so uneducated on ball pythons and don't realize that they really do make excellent pets, even for children. I don't think there's ever been a case recorded of a ball python killing a human. I wouldn't even think that's possible. A lot of people get balls confused with burmese...they just hear the "python" part and assume it's one of the large constrictors. Tell your son's mother that not all snakes are bad and evil....that's what I had to tell my fiance so he'd finally let us get a snake, although now, he loves her as much as the kids and I do. And if it will ease her mind, have a locking enclosure to keep the snake in, so you know it can't escape. Good luck!

I have a 6 year old step daughter, and she LOVES our ball. He seems to enjoy being handled by her (likes to get in her hair!) and is quite tolerant. He's never been aggressive toward her in any way despite the occasional accidental poke in the face she's given him. (oops)
Her mom, however, HATES that we have the ball. Not for safety reasons, but simply because to her it's "weird" to have a snake as a pet and she doesn't want us making her daughter "weird" like us. I could totally see her making up some stupid safety reason as an excuse to control our home.
She did the same thing with our cats - claimed for months that Stepdaughter is allergic to them (she's not) because the mom hates cats, too.

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Originally Posted by Allegre Nee

I have a 6 year old step daughter, and she LOVES our ball. He seems to enjoy being handled by her (likes to get in her hair!) and is quite tolerant. He's never been aggressive toward her in any way despite the occasional accidental poke in the face she's given him. (oops)
Her mom, however, HATES that we have the ball. Not for safety reasons, but simply because to her it's "weird" to have a snake as a pet and she doesn't want us making her daughter "weird" like us. I could totally see her making up some stupid safety reason as an excuse to control our home.
She did the same thing with our cats - claimed for months that Stepdaughter is allergic to them (she's not) because the mom hates cats, too.

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Your step daughter's mom sounds just like my stepchildren's mom. She told my step daughter that it was "creepy" to have a pet snake. Truth is, their MOM is the one who's creepy LOL. She is the same way...I look for her to try to use our snake in court to make us look unfit. I'm already a step ahead of her though. Our county does not restrict or prohibit ball pythons (only burmese), so basically, there's nothing that can be said about it. Plus we'll show the judge the pics of our children happily holding the snake. If she says it's a "safety issue", we'll use a locking enclosure. And if the psycho ex you're dealing with tries to use allergies as an excuse like she did with your cats, she'll probably be laughed at.

Nope. Not dangerous at all. My 6 year old brother holds mine all the time, no problem. She just has an irrational fear of any snake that has the name "python".