Ive been bit!

By the snake bug ;)
Went to my friends house and saw that their buddy literally dumped a full grown ball in their house, with a 75 gal tank and a heat lamp, but thats it. No decor, no heating pad, no water, humidity guage, and no thermometer.
My question, i feel bad for mr squeezy, what else does that snake need?

Also, now i want one, they wont sell theirs (go figure, there terrified of it, and know nothing about it!)
So what can you guys help me out with here
Temps, ways to heat.
How good are the heat pads, do i need to keep a constant temp, what about humidity, how to do that?
Ball pythons have blown my mind, and now i want to ensure one a very happy life..
Also, there is also at least 8 cig. Smokers inside my friends and they cant open widows cause of cats

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Originally Posted by serpent fan

By the snake bug ;)
Went to my friends house and saw that their buddy literally dumped a full grown ball in their house, with a 75 gal tank and a heat lamp, but thats it. No decor, no heating pad, no water, humidity guage, and no thermometer.
My question, i feel bad for mr squeezy, what else does that snake need?

Also, now i want one, they wont sell theirs (go figure, there terrified of it, and know nothing about it!)
So what can you guys help me out with here
Temps, ways to heat.
How good are the heat pads, do i need to keep a constant temp, what about humidity, how to do that?
Ball pythons have blown my mind, and now i want to ensure one a very happy life..
Also, there is also at least 8 cig. Smokers inside my friends and they cant open widows cause of cats

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Hello, and :welcome: to BP.net...

Here is the best place to start:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

Thaaaaankyou.
Guna do research research research, then maybe a bit more, thaaan ill get my snakey :)

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Originally Posted by serpent fan

Thaaaaankyou.
Guna do research research research, then maybe a bit more, thaaan ill get my snakey :)

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That's the best way to do it. It's alot less stressful if you have the vivarium up, running, and stablilized before getting the animal, as opposed to getting the animal, and then trying to figure everything out in a rush.
I would also suggest introducing your friends to this forum. If they decide to keep the Ball Python that was "dumped" on them, we can help them as well...:gj:

Welcome to the addiction!! Good to see you are doing your research first before you get your new friend :D

Snake fever is the best virus to have ;3

Good to see you're doing your research. Your snake will be much more comfortable and settle in better if you manage to get the tank perfect a few days before arrival. Just remember to steer clear of pet stores; when it comes to bps the best information on them seems to be all online.

Well, as far as research, im a hardcore aquarist, and have a few (5) fish tanks, and i understand reachng and maintaining homeostasis before anything van be introduced. Heck a couple a days is nothing, a fishless cycle (the safe way to establish aquariums) can take months of waiting, and NOTHING will speed that up, so i dont mind waiting until i can give my snale what he needs AND wants.
As for my friends, the guy that dumped the snake said he wants it back, not to sell, move, touch or anything till hes back from his tour (band tour)
But thats fudged up, snakes gota eat, be heater, humidity,and i feel thats just the beggining of it all, because i only started reading on snakes today. :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r:, ive never handled a snake till a week ago practically.
Iduno the guy is a total tool, and ii told the guys to just rehome it on craigslist for free, since they didnt pay for it. the guy threatened legal action, but the court wont make us pay him for negligant actions, so flip that mess!

Anyways, im pretty sure the ball python is guna be my first, and im thinking as close to hatchling as possible. Benifits/downs of getting em young?
Also, are there any other lap snakes like the ball python?
I guess a sand boa wouldnt be like that.... lol there neat though
I love snakes!

Welcome! First of all, here is a link to the BP.net care sheet. It's really inclusive and helpful! :D -> http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

I think hatchlings are great. Some of them are nippy, but many aren't and they settle very quickly with consistent and gentle handling. Some boa are actually really fantastic and calm, actually! Rosey boas, for instance. I've got a rainbow boa who is just wonderful, but you have to get past a bit of baby defensive bites. Heh.

Glad you found a snake to start your addiction and welcome to the community. People are amazing nice, knowledgeable and helpful here. ;)

I prefer to get young snakes, that way i know how they were brought up and it is really cool to see them grow. adults are also going to cost more.

Well baby snake it is! I did notice babies were cheaper, about 70 on one site. Whats the preferred place of purchqse for regular old ball pythons, not morphs or anything?

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Originally Posted by serpent fan

Whats the preferred place of purchqse for regular old ball pythons, not morphs or anything?

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The same place you buy morphs, a reputable breeder. There are many on this forum. Just look for their websites in their signature lines.

Well there are many good breeders, $70 is high (unless that includes shipping)

pretty much a place that sells morphs is going to sell normals as well.

Here are a few good breeders that I have worked with and have a good reputation

keep in mind that they cannot post all of their available animals on their sites so you will need to call/email them if you are looking for a normal.

http://www.jkobylkareptiles.com/index.php

http://floridareptileroom.com/

http://www.ralphdavisreptiles.com/

http://pythonregius.com/

You really can't go wrong with any of the breeders I just linked too, there are also a good number of people right here in this site who breed and have great reputations.

Locally, in reptile stores in my area, normal babies are offered for $30 - $40 dollars. The shops are Ben Siegel Reptiles, Underground Reptiles and Snakes at Sunset. All out of south Florida, but they all ship, too, if you wanted to look into those.

Id love to support local breeders vs. Stores. Serpant merchant, do you sell boas?

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Originally Posted by serpent fan

Id love to support local breeders vs. Stores. Serpant merchant, do you sell boas?

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I have a boa, and in the future I plan on getting more/breeding them, but for now I am not breeding and don't have anything for sale.

I'm hoping to get some ball pythons up by 2013.

If you are looking for boas I recommend a Dumeril's Boa

This is mine:

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...l/IMG_0481.jpg

She is just a baby, about 5 months old I picked her up for a little over $100 from a local reptile shop.

Beautiful snake. Im thinkin pythons though, because there not as active and i like the idea of a lap snake lol.
How much more active do boas get vs pythons

There is a noticble difference, not all pythons are rocks like BP's are. Carpet pythons are more active than ball Pythons but less active than most boas. And not all Boas are super active. My Dumeril's will just sit in my hand.

Here is some info on carpets

http://www.acreptiles.com/main/index...=81&Itemid=140

Ball Pythons, Boas, and Carpet Pythons are all great. Individuals from all 3 can be aggressive or extremely docile. You can't go wrong with any of them you just have to find what you want (size, how active, looks, and care requirements) that fit you

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

There is a noticble difference, not all pythons are rocks like BP's are. Carpet pythons are more active than ball Pythons but less active than most boas. And not all Boas are super active. My Dumeril's will just sit in my hand.

Here is some info on carpets

http://www.acreptiles.com/main/index...=81&Itemid=140

Ball Pythons, Boas, and Carpet Pythons are all great. Individuals from all 3 can be aggressive or extremely docile. You can't go wrong with any of them you just have to find what you want (size, how active, looks, and care requirements) that fit you

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Thanks for the link! It actually brought some new facts to light for me about carpets that were really so called myths.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Thanks for the link! It actually brought some new facts to light for me about carpets that were really so called myths.

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Yeah, I find that carpets are very misunderstood by most people, they really are great snakes to have.

here is a great video that I feel sums up owning a carpet

*not my video*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVAC7mDBLgw

Welcome to the forums!! Glad to see you doing your research. It is refreshing to see someone new to snakes fully understand they are living creatures whos needs must be met in order to be happy and healthy! :gj:

I have to put a plug in for a nice Colombian boa! My Peaches is the best lap snake I could ask for. She loves just hanging out over my shoulders and she'll watch tv with me for hours. My BP, on the other hand, will stress a bit if she's out for more than 30min or so and is constantly roaming trying to find a place to hole up. Boas are amazing animals to hold and "play" with. BUT they do get much bigger than a BP! ;)

I have a ball and a carpet, The carpet is more active but still a good lap snake!!

Hmm i feel like a bp might be a good first snake, because of the 3 they seem the most docile, and a good starter snake. Heck i can always get more :)

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Originally Posted by serpent fan

Hmm i feel like a bp might be a good first snake, because of the 3 they seem the most docile, and a good starter snake. Heck i can always get more :)

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Sounds like a plan!

Ive made a new post. Got a snake cage n all youz guys.