New to site and thinking about getting a ball python

Hi everyone! Stopped by petco today and saw a ball python and wanted to get it so bad! Haha. Anyways i have wanted to get a snake for a long time and was wondering if a ball python is good to start with? Any tips or info would be most grateful. Thank you all!

Yes absolutely! Welcome to bp.net! But not one from petco lol.

Hang around here for awhile and do some research before deciding. Do some homework and then you'll still probably fall in love with them. :gj:

I live in Alaska, so its either petco or one of craigslist. Unless there is the off chance i find a breeder here.

I do think they're good starter snakes as long as you have the proper setup/husbandry and know that some balls will not take f/t and getting live food might be an option you'll need to accommodate.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Yes absolutely! Welcome to bp.net! But not one from petco lol.

Hang around here for awhile and do some research before deciding. Do some homework and then you'll still probably fall in love with them. :gj:

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Welcome and you came to the right place.

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

I do think they're good starter snakes as long as you have the proper setup/husbandry and know that some balls will not take f/t and getting live food might be an option you'll need to accommodate.

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I think i have come to the right place to learn then! :sweeet:

Welcome to bp.net and yes Bp are great starter snakes. Make sure you do your research on them and hang around on here you will learn a lot in no time.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

But not one from petco lol. :gj:

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Why not Petco .. if anything save the darn snake from their mediocre care.
and FYI my first Bp was from petco LOL and I still got him and love him as much as the rest of mine. He is the only one I trust and the only one that will tolerate little kids to hold.

Hello, and :welcome: to BP.net. It is great that you decided to do your research before getting the snake. That will make things go alot smoother...

Sent from my Motorola ATRIX using Tapatalk 2.

Thanks everyone. Yeah ive started researching them. Once i get free time im gonna sit down and research my butt off. How were peoples experiences when you got your first ball python?

Ball pythons are great first snakes. They are generally the couch potatoes of the snake world, and once established love vegging with you on the couch watching TV or on your shoulders while you read more about them here. :P

Off the top of my head I don't know if there are any breeders in Alaska or not, I'd ask around. However, most any breeder in the US will ship to you, so your options just got a whole lot bigger!

Spend some time studying here, it will save you a lot of headache later, trust me on that one. I did everything the hard way, and ended up ruining my first two snakes. Since I came here though, I am successfully keeping a total of 33 ball pythons, and I've even started breeding them. :D

One word of very necessary warning: You will never be able to stop at just one. I am serious. These things are more addicting than potato chips or chocolates.

Gale

Well i went to a petshop to get a lizard the guy talked me into holding a ball python, i held it then my girlfriend held it and well he shot right for her cleavage and i said i'll take him.:8: but to worn you after getting my first im now looking into a boa lol. They are a gateway snake.

My first ball python was a rescue. She was very underweight, very dehydrated, and had a retained skin. But, she's been with me for a month now and she's gained 10g, eats every 5 days, and looks healthier. I can't see her spine anymore. I've had a good experience with her. I'm already plotting to get my 2nd and 3rd ball python in August once my snake rack is done being built (I just ordered the heat tape, thermostats, and thermometers tonight)!

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Originally Posted by tmurph17

Thanks everyone. Yeah ive started researching them. Once i get free time im gonna sit down and research my butt off. How were peoples experiences when you got your first ball python?

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Amazing. I couldnt have been happier when I got my first! But its true you can not stop at one its impossible. In as little as 3-4 months I have 5 ball pythons now.

Haha i dont want to get in over my head. Im sure one will be just fine but im sure all you thought that at first. But once ive done my research i want to figure out cost for everything i need to start with and then monthly costs. I only want the best for my python! :D

Do your homework, they are wonderful addictive snakes but they can be easily stressed if their husbandry is not correct. Really the biggest issues with them are they can be finicky eaters. Some are awesome eaters and some will go on strike every year, many do a bit of both. If that doen't dissuade you, thank goodness. They are amazing pets with a ton of different color and pattern morphs, I find a wide range of attitudes, and once you have them set up they are very easy to keep. They are heavy bodied enough to be weighty and impressive looking/feeling snakes and mellow enough to just sit on your arm or neck while you watch tv or read. I went from 1 to 11 snakes and 12 eggs in just a few years because I fell in love with these big couch potatoes, and I don't plan to stop here! Good luck! And keep us posted, we love hearing about everyone babies and we love pictures when you find the one, or the first of many!

Ive read that they can fast. You just have to watch their health and weight if they decide to do it. Also read to try to avoid anything side mice or rats. Like bigger rodents so they dont totally refuse mice again. Also starting with a young one whats the best for them? Frozen or live? Also do you guys feed them in their cages or in a separate area?

Ive had mine for a little over a month and i couldnt be happoer, he is a complete jpy. I llove getting home grom work and chillin out with him on my bed. He makes me happy. Im wanting another so bad.but my husbands making me wait a year.

I feed mine live rats in hos enclosure, itss a myth that they will get cage aggressive. Also moving them to feed them.is just stressful.on them.
try f/t first though because live can be dangerous.

you came to the right place. you will get sucked into the world of ball pythons quick then you will be looking for more ball pythons to get. but welcome to bp.net

I am new myself, but welcome.

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Originally Posted by PolishPython

Welcome to bp.net and yes Bp are great starter snakes. Make sure you do your research on them and hang around on here you will learn a lot in no time.


Why not Petco .. if anything save the darn snake from their mediocre care.
and FYI my first Bp was from petco LOL and I still got him and love him as much as the rest of mine. He is the only one I trust and the only one that will tolerate little kids to hold.

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The problem with saving the snake, is that it gives them more business. They'll immediately replace it, and it just keeps going and going.
Collateral damage is inevitable and your one purchase just adds to the millions more.

Also, to the OP: WELCOME!
Bps are awesome pets, I'm sure you'll love them.
Have you ever considered adopting a rescue BP from the site, that way you'll be saving one that came from a bad home or was abandoned and won't be supporting a company who doesn't care for them properly and gets them from sources that are far from a healthy environment for the animals.

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Originally Posted by tmurph17

Ive read that they can fast. You just have to watch their health and weight if they decide to do it. Also read to try to avoid anything side mice or rats. Like bigger rodents so they dont totally refuse mice again. Also starting with a young one whats the best for them? Frozen or live? Also do you guys feed them in their cages or in a separate area?

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Welcome! I totally agree that these snakes are the "gateway" snake. I'm all about only having one of each animal and am now plotting my 2nd snake. :rolleyes: Addictive for sure. They do fast but there are TONS of posts on here about how to handle that. This is a great place for hands on advice you can't get from any caresheet. I've actually never really heard of feeding BPs anything other than mice or rats. The frozen/live debate is honestly a personal preference thing. I like live because for me, part of owning the snake is watching it's natural behavior. You don't get much more natural than feeding time. I agree with what someone else said though; being from Alaska, feeding live may be an issue due to availability. The big box stores like Petsmart/Petco only have frozen available. You would have to find like a Ma and Pa or just locally owned chain store that sold them. F/T you can buy via the WWW and have shipped which therefore provides an unlimited food source. It's generally cheaper as well. Also, I agree with purchasing your snake via a breeder. BTW, snakes can be shipped via Fedex so there's no need to find a local breeder. :gj: A reputable breeder will generally provide healthier animals and for most people it's important knowing the general background of the animal. With big box stores you don't get that peace of mind. I think most would agree proper husbandry is the key here. The best research you could ever do is for proper enclosure set up IMO. Good luck to you.

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Originally Posted by reptiliachnids

Amazing. I couldnt have been happier when I got my first! But its true you can not stop at one its impossible. In as little as 3-4 months I have 5 ball pythons now.

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I'm just going to add, your fine with one until you join a reptile forum lol

Thanks for all the advice guys! I will look into where i want to get the snake then. I do want to start with a pretty young one so i can watch it grow over the years. Im currently looking for a vehicle to buy but once i have that my sights are all on getting my first bp. Till then ill just keep researching and checking the awesome advice i am getting here. I feel i did the right thing when i found this site!!! :rolleyes:

I work in receiving for a place in alaska so i know the rates for fedex shipping to here and its a ghastly cost. I think im gonna take my chance at petco and nuture my new love as much as possible. If i lived in the lower 48 i would think more about it.