How do ball pythons compare to other pythons & boas?

Just looking for your general experience with other booids and ball pythons. So far, I'm a novice to snakes and only have dealt with ball pythons, but looking into another snake, I'm wondering if I should pick a different species. How does their care, behavior, and activity level differ from the ball, and what major difference does it make. Just any other python and boa, be it boa constrictor, rosy boa, carpet python, reticulated python, blood python, short tailed python, etc. So far, I heard rosy boas behave like miniature ball pythons; sluggish, slow, and secretive.
Also, how does the activity level of ball pythons differ from my season to season? Do ball pythons usually lie around and do nothing during the colder months as opposed to more activity in the summer, or is it just me and my ball?

Love to help! I've found that my Ball doesnt care how often he is fed, if he's shedding, what season, time of day, or how often I handle him. He does what he wants as far as activity goes, He'll run all over his cage while in mid-shed and then hide for two months.

Rosy and Sand Boas are very secretive, sluggish, and pretty to boot. However, mine have all been a little aggressive, I've yet to even been hissed at by my Ball but my Sand used to bite me every other handling.

Carpet Pythons are beautiful creatures.

For activity, my balls seem to be active sporadically. I don't drop temps in the winter months though, so the snake room stays at the same temps year round.

For species, what you're asking is very broad. Care and requirements are different species to species, but here's some generalities I can give with the species I keep vs the bps:

Boas (I have Argentines, Colombians, and a Hog Island): very easy to care for (like bps) that don't usually need the same security requirements that most bps need: do well in more open cages/tubs/vivs and very good eaters. Not nearly as picky as the balls are. Plan on 4 foot and up cages for females/the bigger boa species.

Colubrids (I have Cali Kings and corn snakes): very easy to care for as well, easier than balls IMO. Very hardy and great eaters as well. The kings can be hissy pissy but it depends on the individual, but my corns are really friendly and easy to handle (though they are a lot quicker than the balls when they want to be).

Blood pythons (I have a Sumatran Short tail black blood and a T pos albino): needs more care requirements than balls IMO: like cooler temps and higher humidity. Very heavily bodied snakes that are super strong so you need to understand what you may be getting into when adults. Large tubs/vivs are needed.

Retic (I have a mainland super tiger female, in my avatar): More care requirements as well and you MUST know what it will take to take on an adult retic before jumping in to get one (would take note of the dwarf retics, they'll stay much smaller usually). Should definitely do some homework before getting into any giant IMO, they sure aren't ball pythons.

I also have Angolan pythons, a coastal carpet python, and a bull snake. I adore each and they're fairly easy to keep also IMO.

In my experience, balls are great to start with because they allow you to get familiar with handling and basic care before moving into something more advanced, faster moving, or slender bodied.

As far as other snake species go, it really depends on what you like. I personally am extremely fond of African House Snakes, a small little species from Africa that is ridiculously easy to care for, small, and super smart and adorable. I also keep pituophis, or gopher/pine/bullsnakes, and adore their attitudes. If you are not too confident with snakes yet, it may be better to steer towards the house snakes or more commonly kept North American colubrids such as cornsnakes or kingsnakes.

Rosies are kind of like ball pythons; the only thing I don't personally enjoy about them is that the ones I encounter are pretty prone to "side biting", where they will crawl over you and while you're holding them, just turn and chow down. The majority of them don't do this, but a fair few of the ones I've encountered do, enough to where I am not personally very fond of them!

Sand Boas mature small and are similar to rosies in temperament; they burrow beneath sand 99% of the time so you almost never see them. They do mature at 24" or less, though, so if small is what you want, they're great.

Carpet pythons are fun snakes, not much harder to care for than ball pythons, just more active. Give them more space, tinker with humidity a bit more, and prepare for a longer adult animal. Girth wise, they do not get much thicker than balls, just longer. They're smart and inquisitive, and babies can start out nippy, so be prepared for that.

If you can, check out as many snakes as you can at a reptile show. Or come visit us at our stores if you're local - the best way to find out about new species is to play with them! :)

-Jen

Lots has already been said. I would like to ad that out of all the boas and pythons I've kept and had experience with, a ball pythons temperament (if they have a good temperament to begin with) always seems to stay the same (unless they have a clutch). I have noticed over the years that most boas I have kept always seem to get aggressive upon entering their tanks. I don't handle my snakes very much, and that could be the reason. But my balls never seem to turn on me, so to speak.

Ball Pythons > Other snakes!

Alright guys, I appreciate the input! I couldn't get better replies elsewhere; literally! :)
One of my main points with balls is their secretive habits; their tendency to hide well over half the time has left me a bit bored with my scaly friend, but I love him nonetheless. But now that you all have told me this, how would these other boids compare as far as their in-cage activity goes? I'm a big fan of display animals and fancy, natural tanks. I find that I appreciate the animal more if it is readily viewable when peering in the tank. I understand that all snakes have their private time, but I'd like to look into a species that doesn't celebrate that 24/7.

I say go with a boa if you want a snake you can put in a nice display cage. They don't get as easily stressed by being handled also. You could put a nice ledge/branch in there and I bet it would use it too. Central American/Nics and other dwarf boas are good if you don't want something too big or choose a male Colombian. Big female Colombians, Argentines, and BCCs will get on the larger side as adults, so I recommend at least a 6' cage for those.

What about carpet pythons or bloods? How do these compare? I don't need something that will be cruising around all the time- although that would be appreciated- just something that will make an open appearance at least once a day or the like. Is it normal for a ball python to hide at night as well?

^ Carpets make good display snakes as well and with my experience with my two bloods they're pretty shy and like their privacy so I wouldn't have them as a display snake. Carpets will make use of ledges/branches too and you can give them taller cages to put lots of decoration and the like in, most I see will chill out and look pretty. Most of my balls hide at night, I hardly ever see them roaming around unless I'm heating up f/t feeders.

If it's just display your concerned with, I would get a green tree python. Beautiful, and they always hang under a display/heat lamp.
Not recommended for begginers, because of the humidity requirments and they like to bite a lot, but nice to look at none the less. :)

Bloods spend all their time burrowed under the substrate, so if you want something more active than a ball python, steer away from those!

Carpet pythons are a happy mix of ball python and green tree python - given the option, they'll perch like a green tree python, but they're thicker bodied and less stressed by handling, so they make good pets. Try getting an irian jaya or a jungle, those tend to mature smaller (under 7 feet) and are often nice and sweet. Like I said, babies can start out nippy, but they mellow out 99% of the time with age and occasional handling.

-Jen

carpet python all the way. they are beautiful snakes, active, great temprement, open to handling and make great display animals. they are easy to keep/care for also. my IJ perches 100% of the time. she never hides. she is active at times and perches the rest of the time but is always seen in her setup. NEVER hides.

I have 2 rosy boas and 6 ball pythons. One rosy boa does hide all the time, rarely comes out. The other hides only sometimes, but spends an awful lot of time moving around and exploring his enclosure. These are siblings, and have always been this way from birth on. So far neither has shown any aggression either. One was a little harder to get started feeding, but now both are very eager feeders. Compared to my ball pythons... most of the balls like to hide, but half of them will come out and explore at night, and at least half of them seem to have their heads sticking out of a hide to see what's going on. One or two of them has hissed on regular basis, but not otherwise acted aggressively. I figure this is just babies trying to be tough so I don't eat them, and they'll mellow out with age. So far haven't had any feeding problems with, they've all been pretty easy feeders. All of my established snakes are taking f/t, the two newest ones (just arrived on Wednesday) were on live, so I'll have to see how easy they convert.

As for care requirements... I don't find either one particularly difficult, but the rosy boas are just a tad easier because they do not require as much humidity as the balls. Since rosy boas are native to this area, , it is pretty easy for me to replicate what they would have in the wild.

So from what I'm getting from what I'm reading here and elsewhere, I might do well having a boa. I'm currently looking into amazon tree boas and rough scaled sand boas. I'm quite confident about snake handling, so I was thinking of taking a step up and try taming an amazon tree boa. Also, what I'm hearing, sand boas are kind of a hit and miss when it comes to visibility- some are seen, some are not. If these are not available though, I might just settle for a rainbow boa or BCI, or take a dive for colubrids and get a corn snake. (Not because they're easy, but because they're active and look cool. ;))

Ammies are not the fondest of handling - it is not so much an issue of taming them as an issue of the stress of handling on them. As an arboreal species, they just plain don't appreciate handling and it can stress them out enough to cause feeding issues or just a slow growing, non-thriving snake.

I love ATBs (I have a pair at home), but if you want to handle them you would be much better off getting a different species. Mine are fairly even tempered for ATBs and even so, I rarely handle them, as they do much, much better being left alone in their cage.

-Jen

I would go carpet aswell if I wanted a handable snake. As mentioned multiple times before they make good display animals aswell. I keep 2 mcdowellis and they spend more time on their branches tha downn on the ground. They arent adult yet though so their inclination to climb may change over time, ive read that adults coastals are less arboreal then the rest of the subspecies. So OP is it gonna be a IJ or a jungle?;)

I jumped into this BP arena going on 9 months....such sweet bliss I am in! I have up to six BPs and one Red corn Breeder female. All the BPs are wonderful with their own personalities. From my ADHD active girl to the shy boy in his hide. My Corn female is fabulous with such a sweet docile nature. She is 16 years young and was given to me by my friend 7 months ago. My BPs are from 3months to 5 years. One of these years I will entertain a Chondro. I know a breeder friend of mine who says they are a challenge but well worth it.

Suz:D

1.0 Spider
1.0 Pinstripe
1.0 Lemon Pastel - Flamed out
0.1 Lemon pastel
0.2 Normals
0.1 Red Corn Snake
1 Oscar Fish

My coastal carpet is my only snake I don't keep in my rack. She's always out and about and almost never hides. And if you use a basking lamp they will sit out in the open and bask. I'm moving my girl up to a larger enclosure soon because unlike a ball python in a huge set up, they'll use any extra space you give them.
Another big difference is if you do something they don't like they'll let you know, they aren't going to just roll up in a ball. My girls never bit me or struck at me but you and tell by her body language how she's feeling and I don't push it if I think she's not happy. Also, when you hold a bp, you handle it. When you hold a carpet it handles you. You'll know what I mean if you're ever around one.
Like the others have said too, a Jungle or Irian Jaya will stay smaller, 4-6'. Coastal's for example can reach 7-9' and apparently they've been know to reach up to 13' in the wild but snakes in the US apparently don't grow as large as their Aussie counterparts.

The blood I had was a gorgeous snake. But, was my most aggressive snake I've ever had. Never enjoyed handling, very jumpy, quick to strike. This was with frequent handling.
I love my boas. More active than a ball but just as sweet =)