Never owned a BP, I got some questions

Hey guys! Im new here and I have some questions about ball pythons. I used to have a corn snake but he died like a month and a half after I got him, I think he was sick because I got him at petco. Anyways, on to the questions

1.where should I buy it from? There is a pet store near me that seems good and a snake breeder works there.

2. Is it safe to order them online? I have seen unboxing videos of BP's so it seems to be safe

3. Do they like being held often?

4. what sized cage do they need if they are small?

5. Could I use the hide, branch, and water bowl from my corn snakes old cage if I cleaned them?

6. what are some morphs for under $100(not including shipping if I get it online)?

Thanks for reading, I will ask more if I think of anything.

You can buy them anywhere, just make sure you check the nostrils for swelling or mucus, check their chin and belly thoroughly for mites.
If buying online, check out where these breeders are located. Yes, Ball pythons "like" to be held, their very docile, friendly animals, just make sure it isn't TOO cold in the house. For a small BP a 20 Gallon tank is perfect, you can always just put him/her in a Rubbermaid. Yes those will work fine, again make sure there aren't any mites.

As for morphs, under 100 dollars will only get you a Normal Ball python, pastel males can be bought for $120-150. Morphs don't come cheap.

Where are you located?

1. online or local breeder or a good pet shop
2. yes
3. yes but overhandling can stress them out
4. for babies a 10 gallon tank would work then something bigger as they grow.
5. yes but clean them well. boil or clean with bleach and rinse good.
6 about the only morph you will get for under $100 would be a male pastel

Im located near Dallas Texas. My room is pretty cold but that is because its still kind of cold now, I was gonna wait like a month so it has time to warm up. What do mites look like? Im not sure if I have seen them before.
Also, do they get stressed by music or tv if its played too loud?

http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=ball+p...0&tx=126&ty=52

That's mites.

Their hearing isn't too great, they wouldn't be bothered by any noise.

If you up your price range up a little bit to $150 you could find a male: pastel, spider, cinnamon, het albino, mojave...
Keeping them in a tub is usually easiest. Loud music or tv wont bother them too much as long as you dont have it going all day.

You can get a pastel male for $75 sometimes even including shipping. But thats about it as far a <$100 morphs go.

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Originally Posted by nathang1234

Im located near Dallas Texas. My room is pretty cold but that is because its still kind of cold now, I was gonna wait like a month so it has time to warm up.

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Remember, your room will get cold again when next fall rolls around, so you need to figure out how you will keep ambient temps high enough.

One other option for buying a BP is to find a local reptile show. That way, you can actually see and handle him before you buy, and you may be able to get a better deal on a morph than online (and definitely better than a pet store).

thanks guys! I could probably bump up my price range to like 150-200, but I would have to wait longer to get it. I will look for some reptile shows near me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hurricaNe

http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=ball+p...0&tx=126&ty=52

That's mites.

Their hearing isn't too great, they wouldn't be bothered by any noise.

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I disagree; I believe the vibrations from loud music could be stressful to them. But I don't know if there is any scientific evidence one way or another.

As with any animal, do your research make sure you can properly care for them and NEVER NEVER relese them into the wild. If and when you decide to get a snake, i would buy local its easier to see where they came from and to get your new baby checked by a vet. Proper handling is also key. You might want to give your new baby a few weeks to settle in to his/her new enviorment. Make sure you have proper heating and bedding along with a hiding spot and a climbing spot thermeters are also key. You will want ones that can be safely inside the cage as well as a "hot spot" and a "cool spot" for the snake to move around comfortably. I personally have a 5ft 2 story custom built cage but i had a 20 gallon tank at first. They need to be able to stretch with out hitting the sides of the cage. Feeding is also a important topic. Make sure you know if they fed live or frozen most pet stores feed frozen when buying online you might not know. Also NEVER handle very much after feeding. Allow time for digestion. I give about two weeks my ball's eat rats. When he was smaller i would give a week or so. Make sure you NEVER EVER EVER feed him/her in their housing tank. You can get a plastic container or a smaller tank for feeding. This teaches the snake that when he/she is removed and placed in said container that it is time for feeding. This way they will be less likely to strike when you go to handle them. Hope this was helpful!:)

I'd stay away from pet stores altogether personally. There are so many reputable and respected breeders out there there isn't any reason IMO to not buy from them. The last ball python I got from from Gerrick Demeyer from Royal Constrictor Designs, awesome guy, huge selection and my snake came perfectly healthy and is to this day doing great.


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