Thinking about getting a ball python. Warnings? Tips?

I am considering getting a ball python, a female, but I have read a couple conflicting care guides online and decided to just come to a place where current owners of these snakes can tell me what they do. My main questions are:
1.What size enclosure? I was told by a local pet shop owner that a 40gal breeder tank" was right. Mine is 36' long, 18' deep,and 12' high with a sliding mesh top. I have seen and read about people using long, 20gal fish tanks also.

2.What kind of heat and lighting? I watched a video on youtube that said a fish tank was ONLY for fish and just let too much heat out and all we were doing using a tank like that was broiling our snake. Some people say to "black out" the tank. Does this mean to make it completely dark and black inside? I would really like to see my snake if thats possible...

3.Is there any gender specific attitude, handling, or other traits?

Anything else you know that would help a beginner would be great! I have had reptiles for a little while now but its only been leopard geckos and similar (desert-like climate, texas kind of) lizards.
For now I will NOT breed this snake. It is just for a pet. Something to learn about, feed, interact with, and show off.

Please don't tell me not to get it just because I will be proud of it. I know some irresponsible people get big snakes to look "cool" and then get in WAY over their heads, the snake suffers because of it, and might die, or be dumped. I am NOT one of those people. If I were I would not be here researching the animal months before I would like to purchase it, now would I? ;)

If I can, I will always research an animal BEFORE I purchase it. The only times I haven't studied before aquiring an animal is when I go to an out-of-state relative's home and, not knowing what I would find, caught them wild. Like with my striped lizards, vinegroon, blue tailed skink, and darkling beetles. Though, obviously, as soon as I could I did research on them. :)

So, in summary, I am coming into the snake community with limmited knowledge (more than the average non-herper, but not especially experienced) of these reptiles, though with a decent background with reptiles in a general sense. If you think a ball python is not a good choice, why? If you believe I might be able to properly care for this animal, what are some concerns or warnings you have for me? Also, just because I'm curious, how do you feed your snake? Live or frozen? maybe a mix of the two? What (if any) do you give as treats?

A huge thank you to everyone!

Hi,

The care sheet will answer some of those questions and narrow down what you want to ask in some other areas. :)


dr del

1st warning: There will be poop
2nd warning: There will be about 105 teeth.
:)

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Originally Posted by inari rose

1.What size enclosure? I was told by a local pet shop owner that a 40gal breeder tank" was right. Mine is 36' long, 18' deep,and 12' high with a sliding mesh top. I have seen and read about people using long, 20gal fish tanks also.

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Really depends on if the snake is a baby or adult. Bigger is not always better when it comes to tanks for ball pythons.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by inari rose

2.What kind of heat and lighting? I watched a video on youtube that said a fish tank was ONLY for fish and just let too much heat out and all we were doing using a tank like that was broiling our snake. Some people say to "black out" the tank. Does this mean to make it completely dark and black inside? I would really like to see my snake if thats possible...

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An UTH works fine. Not sure about the lightning though, other than it is not necessary for their health. If you get a fish tank (which I don't recommend because they do let out heat) you should black out all sides except the front.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by inari rose

3.Is there any gender specific attitude, handling, or other traits?

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Hm, not really. Females get larger.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by inari rose

Anything else you know that would help a beginner would be great!

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If you have more questions, ask people on this forum. That's my best advice I have. And of course, enjoy and have fun with your ball python ;)

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

The care sheet will answer some of those questions and narrow down what you want to ask in some other areas. :)


dr del

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Thank you! There was a lot of information there that was not clear in other care sheets :) very helpful!

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Originally Posted by TheSnakeGuy

1st warning: There will be poop
2nd warning: There will be about 105 teeth.
:)

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Yes XD after reading about burmese pythons I figured there would be a good deal of poop. (What I read about burmese pythons said "Do you really want an animal that urinates and defecates like a St.Bernard?")
I did not know how many teeth they had. Though I do know that they do not always strike to bite. They can seem like they are just moving along but then they just slide their mouth open and clomp down. I read that using cold water or rubbing alcohol will get them to let go?

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Originally Posted by Blubb

Really depends on if the snake is a baby or adult. Bigger is not always better when it comes to tanks for ball pythons.



An UTH works fine. Not sure about the lightning though, other than it is not necessary for their health. If you get a fish tank (which I don't recommend because they do let out heat) you should black out all sides except the front.



Hm, not really. Females get larger.



If you have more questions, ask people on this forum. That's my best advice I have. And of course, enjoy and have fun with your ball python ;)

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I have a 36" x 18" x 12" tank, though you said (and everywhere I have read agrees) it is not good at holding humidity and heat. I am thinking about making an Acrylic container with the same dimensions. Do I need to make 3-4 different sized containers? Or would using rubbermaid containers be easier and less expensive? I will be buying a baby and I kind of want a female, because I like the bigger size and for if I decide to breed them in the future (1-2+ years from now).

I will use a heat pad or flexwatt. I am not sure which one yet, it depends on a few different things. Thank you :)
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In The care guide it said over-handling can be a problem. How much is over-handling? I have a bearded dragon so I will use that to measure. I take my beardie out of his tank and carry him around for a few minutes, sometimes take him outside, and pick him up for short periods (2 mins or less) regularly. Will I not be able to do that with a ball python? I do know not to handle it for 48 hours after it eats and not while, or right before it sheds.

Also, what kind of bedding do you (anyone who reads this) use and like best? I use paper towels for everything, rat, lizards, bugs, if it lives in a cage or tank it has paper towels. Would paper towels be okay for a ball python? i read that they like a bedding that "hugs" them a bit, not flat like newspaper or paper towels. What is your experience with different beddings?

Warning: You don't stop at 1. :colbert: They are addictive.
Tip: Work on self control now. :snake::snake::snake:

BPs are great beginner snakes, in my opinion! They do require a little bit more tweaking of their environment than say, a corn, and can sometimes go on hunger strikes, but overall are pretty good.

The cage you have now is a good start, but you'll probably want to eventually get a professional type cage like a Boaphile or Animal Plastics. 4 foot is generally the recommended size for a BP. If you start with a baby, you'll want to close off most of the tank so they feel snug and secure, or just use a small tub. You can put lots of decorations or crumpled newspaper in as well to take up space.

One thing to know is that BPs are not very good "display" snakes. A happy BP is a hiding one, and if you see yours out and about a lot, there's something going on, ie, they are hungry, too hot, sick, etc.

You can modify the lid of a tank by placing an acrylic panel on top with only a few holes for ventilation. Typically, you shouldn't need a light for heating, unless the room gets too cold. An UTH regulated by a thermostat is all I use for my snakes, and everyone seems happy with that. You MUST use a thermostat with a UTH! They can get hot enough to burn without it.

Don't buy from a pet store! If you have reptile shows in your area, you can get a much healthier snake for a better price.

I am a fan of F/T, mostly because as a vet tech for an exotics vet, I have seen first hand the damage a single rodent bite can do! It's just not worth the risk of maiming or even possibly killing your snake (I have seen bad bites that if they had been a centimeter to one side they would have punctured the snake's brain and killed it.) Plus, instead of going out to the store every time you have to feed, just go to the freezer. Frozen is usually cheaper than live as well.

For the over-handling question, it all depends on the snake. Don't handle at all for the first week, and only handle minimally (to clean tank for example) until it's fed reliably 3-4 times. Then you can start with a couple times a week and see if it does alright. If the snake stops eating, that sometimes can be a sign of over-handling. I have friends that have their BPs out for an hour or two every day, except 2 days after feeding, and it's fine. They have another one that they can only handle once or twice a week though, otherwise he stops eating. It's weird.

Please feel free to ask any questions here. We welcome people who actually want to know how to take care of their snakes!

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Originally Posted by ARamos8

Warning: You don't stop at 1. :colbert: They are addictive.
Tip: Work on self control now. :snake::snake::snake:

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Ah, okay. Thank you for the warning :)
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Originally Posted by Sita

BPs are great beginner snakes, in my opinion! They do require a little bit more tweaking of their environment than say, a corn, and can sometimes go on hunger strikes, but overall are pretty good.

The cage you have now is a good start, but you'll probably want to eventually get a professional type cage like a Boaphile or Animal Plastics. 4 foot is generally the recommended size for a BP. If you start with a baby, you'll want to close off most of the tank so they feel snug and secure, or just use a small tub. You can put lots of decorations or crumpled newspaper in as well to take up space.

One thing to know is that BPs are not very good "display" snakes. A happy BP is a hiding one, and if you see yours out and about a lot, there's something going on, ie, they are hungry, too hot, sick, etc.

You can modify the lid of a tank by placing an acrylic panel on top with only a few holes for ventilation. Typically, you shouldn't need a light for heating, unless the room gets too cold. An UTH regulated by a thermostat is all I use for my snakes, and everyone seems happy with that. You MUST use a thermostat with a UTH! They can get hot enough to burn without it.

Don't buy from a pet store! If you have reptile shows in your area, you can get a much healthier snake for a better price.

I am a fan of F/T, mostly because as a vet tech for an exotics vet, I have seen first hand the damage a single rodent bite can do! It's just not worth the risk of maiming or even possibly killing your snake (I have seen bad bites that if they had been a centimeter to one side they would have punctured the snake's brain and killed it.) Plus, instead of going out to the store every time you have to feed, just go to the freezer. Frozen is usually cheaper than live as well.

For the over-handling question, it all depends on the snake. Don't handle at all for the first week, and only handle minimally (to clean tank for example) until it's fed reliably 3-4 times. Then you can start with a couple times a week and see if it does alright. If the snake stops eating, that sometimes can be a sign of over-handling. I have friends that have their BPs out for an hour or two every day, except 2 days after feeding, and it's fine. They have another one that they can only handle once or twice a week though, otherwise he stops eating. It's weird.

Please feel free to ask any questions here. We welcome people who actually want to know how to take care of their snakes!

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As I am waiting for replys, which dosent take long here :D, I am doing more looking around for prices, styles, and sizes of tanks. The Vision Products tanks look really nice and the one I am looking at is the Model #400, 48" wide - 26 " deep - 14 " high.http://visionproducts.us/images7/400.jpghttp://visionproducts.us/images7/400-back.jpg for $288
or the Animal Plastics T20 48"L x 24"D x 15"H with either 2 sliding acrylic doors http://www.animalplastics.com/terres...view_small.jpg or with 2 swinging doors http://www.animalplastics.com/terres...wing_crop2.jpg for $255 (currently on sale for $195 but I don't know how long that will last)
Both of those are mostly "blacked out" (or something that is not clear).

I have searched around a lot and havent found any reptile shows, exotic animal shows, or anything that MIGHT have snakes in Oklahoma, so my next option is the local pet store or ordering online.

As for activity and show, what kind of snake would be good? Because I am still in school and living with my parents I have to go by their rules of no huge snakes, nothing over 7'. Are there any snakes that get about 5' that are more active? Possibly a male red tail boa? I have gone though all the snake care sheets on this site and looked at size, housing, and care level (beginner, intermediate, advanced, etc) and Ball pythons and boas seem to be the best. What are some pros and cons for boas?


I am working towards being an exotic vet :). fast food is my first job, and as soon as the nearby hospital is hiring I am going to apply to be a pharmacy tech till I finish highschool. I might stay as a tech till I can find a job that is closer to my goal. There is one exotic vet near me that works at a petsmart. I know it's off topic, but what is it like? What kinds of animals and problems do you usually see? Is it mostly hands on or mostly desk work? ( I know there will be both, especially for a liscenced vet but what dominates the job?) and how did you find the job? Online? job fair? or just walk in and ask if they were hiring? Sorry if I'm not allowed to ask this. Just let me know if I'm not allowed to and I'll stop.

I would pick up a pair of steel mesh gloves, Ball Pythons are ferocious little creatures and have really big teeth. :)

http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9cb66e25.jpg

I like my boas better than the BPs I've fostered (there's a reason I don't have a pet BP, lol), just because they seem to have more personality. Boas do get larger than BPs, but if 7 foot is your limit, a male common "red-tail" is usually within that range. Even if he does technically get over 7, just tell them it's hard to measure them exactly, and say "he's about 6 foot or so", :D

Two of the boas and the BP are in display type cages (the 3rd boa is in a tub), and I just see my boa much more than the BP. Oliver likes to stay in his hides pretty much 24/7, unless he's hungry, then he's roaming. The boas seem to roam a little bit every day, randomly throughout the day, unless they've eaten in the past 3-4 days. They both have hides they could stay in all the time, but they tend to hang out either half in/half out, or just sitting on top.

Pharm tech is a good jump off point, in my opinion. A lot of vet stuff is knowing drugs and how they work. I have a Bachelor's in Biology, and originally never thought I'd end up in the vet field (because I don't really like people and knew I'd have to deal with stupid owners). I still really want to work with wildlife, but I do like what I do now. I did a couple internships banding birds and nest searching after college, mostly because they were easiest to find and near family, then applied to a vet clinic in NW Indiana. Got the job and pretty much learned everything on the job. That was back in 2007. I was there 3 years, moved to Evansville, got a job with a clinic down here, but didn't like one of the doctors and the administrator, so applied for a temp position at Bristol-Myers Squibb caring for the study animals. Was really awesome, despite reservations about the treatment of the animals (BMS takes great care of their critters), then after that ended, applied to my current place, and have been here a little over a year.

Unlike a few "exotic" vets I shadowed and worked for that would maybe see a rabbit here and there, we see exotics of all sorts several times a week. Our exotic vet used to work at the zoo, and is still a consultant and the relief vet when the main vet goes on vacation. We see snakes or lizards most days he works, often see deer/skunks/possums/raccoons from a wildlife rehabber that comes to us, all sorts of pockets pets (rats, hamsters, sugar gliders), pigs, goats, turtles, etc. We're supposed to be seeing a wallaby sometime, but they keep rescheduling! What else? Baby black bears, caiman, hedgehogs, tons of birds (had a baby vulture in a couple weeks ago!), rabbits....yeah, pretty much everything.

The problems we see all depend on the animal; unfortunately with the majority of the exotics, the problems are caused by bad husbandry. We schedule those exams for an hour rather than 30 minutes because we know a lot of it will be discussing habitat, food, etc. Rocky the boa I have now was through the clinic, and I've taken care of a couple other reptiles that the only options were a very large vet bill or euthanize because they were so sick, and the owners relinquished them to me rather than euthanize, but so far they've all been too sick to get better. Very sad to know that 99% die because of bad owners.

My particular job is very hands on. I get the client into the room, get history, sometimes answer simple questions they have that I know the Dr. doesn't have time to discuss, get samples (stool samples, draw blood, take temps, etc.), and pretty much do everything the Dr. asks me to. :) What you do as a tech/assistant will differ from state to state based on laws. If I lived in California, I couldn't do most of the things I do, because I am not a certified technician. But in Indiana, the laws aren't so strict, which is both good and bad. Some computer work, since with our clinic all records are digital.

But yeah...I really like it. And SO MUCH of liking this job is my relationship with the doctors. I LOVE our exotics vet, he's a great guy and really knows his stuff. I've worked with not necessarily "bad" doctors, but ones that I didn't get along with, and it made it so much harder to like the job. So yeah, when you become a vet, don't be a jerk, and don't forget that without techs to support you, you would be a really crappy doctor! :D

Thanks martin XD made me laugh :)

If my parents dont have to see the snake too often and I get it when it is a baby, the size wont be as visually intimidating. :) maybe? Like how we don't notice how fast something/someone grows when we spend a lot of time around it. that kind of logic :)


What size container would you suggest for a male boa? and what kind of decor and bedding is best?

That's what I figure. Any type of doctor, be it for humans or animals, will need knowledge of medicine, vitamins, and how to stock, read long and difficult med names, be able to deal with difficult people, and use a computer. I doubt I will have a problem with people. Aside from the owners who obviously should not have the animals. Like my parents for example. The dogs actually are my parents so they have the official say in what happens to them, one puppy had mange and an infected cut on one paw. We noticed it at a really early stage where we could have taken her to a vet and maybe have her treated and eventually back to being healthy but NO, "Oh, lets give it a few days and see if it gets better.". Puss starts oozing from sores on her legs, her legs are almost completely bare of fur, her paw is swelled visibly larger than the others, she becomes lethargic, stops eating, hides a lot and does not come when called even when bribed with treats. I take progress photos every couple days, talk about her a lot and how bad it is getting, offer to pay for the vet bill. Their response? "It is so gross, I don't want her in the car." SHE WAS NOT GROSS 3 WEEKS AGO. Finally my dad gets his gun and puts her down. All that suffering she went through just to be killed and it all could have been avoided if they had listened to me. This is not the first time an animal has died because the family member of mine that owned it would not take my advice... If someone is rude to me, I can take it and stay calm. if someone is totally arrogant and thinks they know better than someone that has GROWN UP AROUND, STUDIED, AND SPENT LOTS OF TIME RESEARCHING animals kills an animal because they failed to care for it properly cries and "Oh, my poor baby was sooo sick!" "I don't know what happened!" "I thought he was fine.".... that ticks me off. Although, I feel horrible right now. My female leopard gecko is hurt and sick and I am not even sure why. She could have been bullied by other geckos, burned by a heat lamp, be suffering from some kind of deficiency and I don't know what it is! The others she was living with are just fine. They have all recieved the exact same care, the exact same heat and lighting, exact same everything but only she is hurt and I can't even afford too take her to the vet right now. The only exotic vet I know of anywhere near me is at petsmart and they are intensely expensive so I have to help her with what I can get at a pet store or make myself. In the past 4-5 days she has improved tremendously but is not near healthy yet. Still pale, still bleeding and black spots in her mouth (mouth rot?), still gunk making her eye stick shut. I feel horrible because I HATE it when an animal is sick/hurt from poor husbandry and this might be a case like that.

All those different animals animals so often! It sounds really exciting :)
A woman that works at the hospital I want to apply at has worked with an animal rescue and says they take volunteers. It will not pay the food bills of my animals so I will have to work volunteer hours in around my work and school schedule but I think that would help a ton when filling out applications for college and jobs.

Don't worry! I always appreciate all the help I can get! At work, everyone from the district manager to the grumpy store manager, to the most shy employee likes me as far as I know. I am definitely a people person and can usually get on most people's good side (even if I can't stand the person XP ).

To be completely honest, I think inexperienced people see snakes that are four/feet and they may as well be 8 feet. In my experience there is tiny: less than a foot, medium:1-3 feet, large: 4-8, monster: 8+. Your parents won't know 7 feet from 10 feet if they have seen it grow up, they just know it's huge. But it'll be huge at 5 feet for them. That being said, do keep in mind safe handling such as keeping another person around for 8+ foot snakes.

I think ball pythons are wonderful if you are willing to put the effort and time in.

No treats. Some people give quail as treats to some snakes. That's more common with boas. I feed my ball python frozen/thawed.

And you should be proud of your animal. Snakes are truly amazing and I am proud I get the chance to own one (or five).

About your gecko, talk to the forums that deal with them. Listen to some knowledgeable members. You might even need to think about advising your own vet about what to do.

First things first figure out what you want out of the cage. tank looks nice but is harder to mainain poper temps and hummidity levels can be a basterd. i dont know this from experiance but thats a big prob i hear about. the option i went with dosnt look as nice but is easier for beggeners like you and i. humidity much easier to maintain. also if you dont care about looks right away or are on a budget and cant affored $300 or more for a get up plus the snake a tub with locking lid can be bought at walmart for $7. i spent $12 on accurite doule temp gauge and hummidty sencor. heating pad was $20 a rehostat was $50. bought a cat dish for watter for like $3 hides were cardbord and free and cage it self was $8 and some time spent drilling a couple holes. size im not sure off. but i have a 20l witch should be good for up to a year. this gives me time to get the cool looking stuff.

i plan to get him a tank type cage eventualy but since he was a hatchling when i got him and he would outgrow his cage quickly i decided on a smaller rubermade tube. iv had him a mounth or so now and i am verry happy i got him. he loves the rubermade cage since its more inclosed in the depth prostion but long enough to give him room to roam around witch he dose frequtitnly