What's the Point of Having a Bunch of Pythons?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. As long as your snakes are healthy and well taken care of, go for it! I'm curious, though. For those of you with a large "collection," what's YOUR motivation behind having multiples of the same species?

Personally, I'm content with my one little monster... Python-wise, anyway. I still have to talk myself out of a rainbow boa and a super dwarf retic on a daily basis.

So let's hear it. Why do you have X # of ball pythons?

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so many pretty colors. O_O

everyones reasons will vary, different colors, breeding, etc. It's kind of like asking why you would have more than one dog...

different colours, shapes males and females to breed, like a collecting obsession

Because they are pretty, and sweet. If I could afford it I would have 2 of each. Also breeding and enlarging gene pools. Better to not inbreed even in snakes. The different combos you can make between different morphs is pretty darn cool.

Having one is like eating one potato chip.

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Originally Posted by 200xth

Having one is like eating one potato chip.

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Summed it up on one there:D

I bought my first BP on the 5th October and I was terrified I'd wake up the next day and think "what have I done?!" Quite the opposite reaction, I found myself browsing classified, all of the time and researching everything. I got addicted to Snake Bytes on youtube.

I took me all the way until about two weeks later to snap up a het albino boy (who I absolutely adore)!!

Tonight I got my baby spider and tomorrow I am adding to my collection. All of mine (apart from one coming tomorrow as she was part of the deal) would fit into breeding plans should I wish to breed and even if I don't I just love to be around them. I live alone and they really make my little flat into a home. One just was not enough for me.

0.1 pastel - Calypso
1.0 het albino - Claus
1.0 spider - Castiel

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Originally Posted by patientz3ro

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. As long as your snakes are healthy and well taken care of, go for it! I'm curious, though. For those of you with a large "collection," what's YOUR motivation behind having multiples of the same species?

Personally, I'm content with my one little monster... Python-wise, anyway. I still have to talk myself out of a rainbow boa and a super dwarf retic on a daily basis.

So let's hear it. Why do you have X # of ball pythons?

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Because the ladies dig it :cool: .

Lol, for me it's the potential in breeding projects, plus snakes are just plain cool in my eyes.

I dare you to ask the same question to those people out there who have 20+ cats. And compare their replies to most of the folks with "collections".

sent from my incubator

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Originally Posted by 200xth

Having one is like eating one potato chip.

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x10! :D

sent from my incubator

Half the time it's been future breeding plans and I need a specific set of genes to get there, the rest of the time it's just poor impulse control combined with having available rack space.

I had a lot of cats when I was younger. Not spaying and neutering will do that. I still love cats and dogs. I would have a lot more if I could afford their care. Yes the cat population was 20+ lol. I also had a lot of dogs that were spayed and neutered. I just have 1 bp right now but am about to start negotiate for another to help the people out with money and for his health. To me its not about breeding its about taking care of what we can. I can afford to take care of 2. If and when I have the resources to take care of more I might get more.

I'm in the wildlife bio field and I like keeping many ball pythons because they're fascinating! None look the same or act the same. Sure they may not be as exciting as other species of snake, but their genetic potential is amazing to me and I like toying with genes. I do it all the time in my rat breeding projects.

I have an interesting research project planned out for my snakes next year. So we'll see how that goes.

Well, if your into breeding them, its kind of like asking an artist why he likes having multiple colors to paint with.

For me personally, having ball pythons have slowly became an addiction. I love observing their behavior and taking care of them have become sort of thereputic. I have 3 in total with plans on getting a 4th one soon. Also, I'm fascinated with genetics of BPs and want to try my luck in breeding for fun (I'm trying to shoot for Pastave Pied).

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How long have you had your BP? I bet if you have a little patience, bro, you'll get hooked too.

Because I can.


Once you learn how and have a system in place, snakes are ridiculously easy to care for. Once you've fed them cleaned the cage and watered them, what do you have to do for the rest of the week? Half a dozen snakes are not much more work then one, so why not?

I agree with the above post. They are really easy to care for. My only problem is I get carried away, with the time I spend with mine. In realty, if you are setup correctly it really takes little time to care for them. I think the feeder rats are more of a hassle for me. To me ball pythons are like potato chips, you can't have just one.:)

They take so little time to care for... why not? Now feeding does get pricey because I choose to patronize a local pet store ran by someone very knowledgeable about reptiles and yes I pay more for his feeders, but they are great quality and I can choose from a whole bunch of sizes, and it's on my way home from work. We can chat about snakes and I don't get that when I just buy online.

I digress. For me, I love all the "paint jobs" and breeding snakes (and geckos) is in it's own way, an art form. So I may have multiples of the same species, but they are all different morphs, picked purposefully because I really liked the color/pattern and would like to produce babies from them. It's a bit more fun than breeding tarantulas - a sac from a tarantula will only give you little carbon copies of mom & dad. A clutch of snake eggs can give you some surprising and awesome results!

Well I plan on breeding in the future. Just a few months ago I had 1 bp with no intentions of breeding within the last few months im up to 8 and do plan on breeding. I only have 1 female so I will be getting atleast another 6 or 7 females probably way more the that but thats a minimum.

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Because they all look different. Same species of snake but so many different colors.

A year and a half ago, I had 3 snakes, a dumerils, a milk snake, and a blood python. I was happy with those three. Then work took a dive, and my wonderful boyfriend implanted the idea that we could start out small and breed snakes. Maybe someday, we could turn it into a business that one of us wouldn't have to work. We started out with three ball pythons...And the collection grew from there. Now, I have a much better job and I have the joy (and frustrations) of caring for my every growing collection of animals.

I like having multiple snakes because they replace Zoo Tycoon 2 ever since I broke my game. :P

I keep telling myself "That's enough, no more snakes for a while!!. I said that after I got my pastel (Calypso), I thought 1 would be enough for a long time. After I bought Claus I was sure I was finished for at least a good year. My pastel changed from a docile girl to quite a feisty one due to different factors and I was glad I had bought Claus as being quite inexperienced the bad experience with my girl could have put me off.

Unfortunately Claus didn't curb my enthusiasm, quite the opposite - due to his fab nature I was able to handle more and learn more about the beauties and he just made me want more. And he is a het albino so of course I needed an albino female for him! I thought this would be out of my price range for a long time so I naively believed it would be two until at least next summer by the time I had saved.

I joined a load of local reptile pages on my facebook and a local breeder advertised some beautiful hatchlings, he sent me the photo of the spider (who I couldn't stop myself from buying). He is absolutely gorgeous and I just had to have him! All 88g of him arrived last night after a week or so of talking to the breeder and get his tub ready for him coming.

So, this was me DEFINITELY finished for a long time, I promised myself. No more BP's, my family were going to kill me!

Then.... I had recently found a male bumblebee for sale online with an albino female and a female het gs. I had wanted the bumblebee before I got my spider boy but I couldn't really afford him which is why I went with my stunning little hatchling. The guy selling the three changed his advertisement on the forum and lowered the price right down, sending me a private message to let me know as I had shown interest in his male bumblebee and he knew about my het albino boy and had said his girl would be perfect for him.

So, yeah. The price was so good that I am ending up with yet another 3 BP's. The het GS wouldn't fit in with any breeding plans unless I bought a male GS but she came in the bundle (guy is getting out of the hobby for personal reasons) so as of tonight I will have 6 BP's (and my bank account will be wondering what on earth is going on!)


I think once you bite the bullet you get drawn into the world of these beautiful and fascinating animals! When I stepped into the store to find my first BP I was a little scared by the slightly larger BP's and worried about the baby hatchlings. A month or so later I already have both of those! My spider is a whopping 88g and my het boy is 542g empty (at last weighing) with my pastel at around 200g.

I cannot agree more with the potato crisp reference, you can not stop! You can try but it will be futile! Welcome to the BP world, you will never leave ;)

I only have one at the mo but I would love more!! There are soo many different types and theyre SOOO sweet (well... most of them)!! ...I could go on!!!

Genetics and investment potential. The return potential is much better than the stock market or 401k's.I have also made an excellent 2nd income. Others it is a potentially nice 2nd income while some do it full time. Many ppl come into this hobby with just one and then get the "bug," when the dust settles theyve ended up with alot of animals that are too costly to feed etc etc and then move on to something else.

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I fell in love with them and soon realized that my local humane society doesn't take reptiles, so people were just dumping their snakes in dumpers and at pet stores.. So I started rescuing and helping to rehome them. A few I bought for breeding or because I think theyre super pretty but theyre easy to keep, and living in an apartment its nice not having to take them outside to go pee, or worry about them betting board and eating the furniture like a dog would :p

I can't afford expensive multigene combos so i got the right ingredients to make some of my own. :D

I keep so many because I like them and enjoy seeing a wider variety of them than just one or two. I use mine for educational outreach, and it helps to have multiple animals - if one is in shed, just ate, or isn't feeling it, there's another one that could be used in a presentation.

I keep numerous different species because I find them interesting, and keep numerous of one species for breeding purposes. If I wasn't breeding them, I don't think I'd keep as many animals as I do. The species I'm not breeding, I only have one or two - the ones I am, at least 4 or 5. I think that sets many reptile keepers apart from other animals; you're not truly successful at keeping a species unless you've been able to breed it. Ball Pythons, and other common pet species, are a step further in that you can produce babies to help pay for your hobby. Or just because you like breeding towards a goal. Breeding is just as much a part of the reptile hobby as simply keeping the animal.

-Jen

Unless your breeding I don't see much of a point...funny thing I was talking to my partner about this yesterday about this..I just my first two and that's good enough..I give them there own time but also take them out each about 3 times a week and let them slither round my apt,under my supervision ofcourse and I keep them in tanks where they can hunt and explore,if they choose etc...not in these racks that are just cruel,IMO,you can't enjoy them as pets. They just sit there,get fed and that's that. Like I said if you breed and have racks I get it,if not I don't. My partner at work actually said unless breeding it's not fair keeping them in racks,alot of people feel this way,but most are scared to say anything.

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

racks that are just cruel

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Originally Posted by satomi325

http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...-Story-Bro.jpg

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We are all entitled to our opinions,right?? That's my opinion,I respect your knowledge,so I'll refrain from being harsh wth you,just cause....but just this one time,next time not so :)

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

We are all entitled to our opinions,right?? That's my opinion,I respect your knowledge,so I'll refrain from being harsh wth you,just cause....but just this one time,next time not so :)

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Of course we are entitled to our own opinions. I vastly disagree based on Python regius' natural history. Thanks.


Lol. But really, feel free. No need to baby me. I'm a big girl and can handle your honest words. :)

And I'm not saying racks are better than tanks. Only that I disagree that racks are 'cruel'.

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

Unless your breeding I don't see much of a point...funny thing I was talking to my partner about this yesterday about this..I just my first two and that's good enough..I give them there own time but also take them out each about 3 times a week and let them slither round my apt,under my supervision ofcourse and I keep them in tanks where they can hunt and explore,if they choose etc...not in these racks that are just cruel,IMO,you can't enjoy them as pets. They just sit there,get fed and that's that. Like I said if you breed and have racks I get it,if not I don't. My partner at work actually said unless breeding it's not fair keeping them in racks,alot of people feel this way,but most are scared to say anything.

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Your opinion would be wrong, in all reality. It's not cruel. At all. Go out in the wild, they hovel up in a hole all day and then come our to hunt at night (not getting regular meals, so stop doing that. Like seriously, one meal every three weeks or so in the wild works so why not captivity) and then hovel back up and wait for the next night.

In a rack system we give them coverage on three sides, a hide (sometimes the three covered sides are enough) and a water bowl. A regular feeding schedule gives them the ideal life.

In other words, your tank is a detriment. Bad, fluctuating humidity. In consistent, and random heat spots. Dirt/coco husk. Sounds like you're abusing them to me.

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

We are all entitled to our opinions,right?? That's my opinion,I respect your knowledge,so I'll refrain from being harsh wth you,just cause....but just this one time,next time not so :)

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We are? When I told you that I disagreed with something you said the other day you acted like a total douchebag about it.


Moving on....your "point" is a little contradictory. Keeping snakes in racks is either cruel or it's not cruel. You are either saying that cruelty is ok as long as they are breeding stock and not pets, or you're saying that it isn't really cruel you just like to hear the click of your keys and you couldn't think of anything to type so you decided to say something nonsensical and inflammatory, as usual.

Which is it?

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

Unless your breeding I don't see much of a point...funny thing I was talking to my partner about this yesterday about this..I just my first two and that's good enough..I give them there own time but also take them out each about 3 times a week and let them slither round my apt,under my supervision ofcourse and I keep them in tanks where they can hunt and explore,if they choose etc...not in these racks that are just cruel,IMO,you can't enjoy them as pets. They just sit there,get fed and that's that. Like I said if you breed and have racks I get it,if not I don't. My partner at work actually said unless breeding it's not fair keeping them in racks,alot of people feel this way,but most are scared to say anything.

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I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't think i'd formulate such strong opinions with as little experience as you have.

You keep your snakes in fish tanks? Does this mean you'd keep fish in snake racks?

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

Unless your breeding I don't see much of a point...funny thing I was talking to my partner about this yesterday about this..I just my first two and that's good enough..I give them there own time but also take them out each about 3 times a week and let them slither round my apt,under my supervision ofcourse and I keep them in tanks where they can hunt and explore,if they choose etc...not in these racks that are just cruel,IMO,you can't enjoy them as pets. They just sit there,get fed and that's that. Like I said if you breed and have racks I get it,if not I don't. My partner at work actually said unless breeding it's not fair keeping them in racks,alot of people feel this way,but most are scared to say anything.

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Originally Posted by satomi325

Of course we are entitled to our own opinions. I vastly disagree based on Python regius' natural history. Thanks.


Lol. But really, feel free. No need to baby me. I'm a big girl and can handle your honest words. :)

And I'm not saying racks are better than tanks. Only that I disagree that racks are 'cruel'.

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Lol, in all seriousness. It is rather obvious that Python regius fairs very well in racks and aquariums a like...hell my snake room is a mixture of tubs, racks, glass tanks, and cages me and my grandfather have built. Honestly, if I was not looking at breeding retics...I would probably be looking at moving to 100% racks, something that I will be doing with my 100% terrestrial pythons and sand boa.

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

Unless your breeding I don't see much of a point...funny thing I was talking to my partner about this yesterday about this..I just my first two and that's good enough..I give them there own time but also take them out each about 3 times a week and let them slither round my apt,under my supervision ofcourse and I keep them in tanks where they can hunt and explore,if they choose etc...not in these racks that are just cruel,IMO,you can't enjoy them as pets. They just sit there,get fed and that's that. Like I said if you breed and have racks I get it,if not I don't. My partner at work actually said unless breeding it's not fair keeping them in racks,alot of people feel this way,but most are scared to say anything.

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Racks are cruel? Have you ever seen ball python habitats in the wild? I doubt it. These animals spend 90% percent of their life in a burrow. You really need to educate yourself before you allow your inexperience to start knocking people. Tanks were made for fish in case you didnt realize that.

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

not in these racks that are just cruel

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:popcorn:

I personally don't give a damn about racks vs tanks but instead, I care about keeping the animal healthy. And that usually isn't in tanks. Custom cages made of plywood/melamine and tubs usually do the trick, keeping the environment insulated and humid. (Racks/tubs aren't as enjoyable imo, buuut they work for other people and I certainly would use them if I ever breed)

I think NYHC4LIFE8899 may be turning into the next BOS Reptiles.....

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

I think NYHC4LIFE8899 may be turning into the next BOS Reptiles.....

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http://cdn.meme.li/i/jfgjs.jpg

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

I think NYHC4LIFE8899 may be turning into the next BOS Reptiles.....

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Ahh the glory of that realization... I think BOS was just trying to be a more blunt NYHC4LIFE8899

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

I think NYHC4LIFE8899 may be turning into the next BOS Reptiles.....

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:popcorn:

I only have 3 Ball Pythons, but when I decide to breed mine, I will be getting more, maybe even keep some of the really good ones out of my clutch out of sheer greed. <.< I had to take my baby female back and replace her with a more clam, full grown adult female, as she was too hostile for me, and I had felt I bought her for the wrong reason. My intent was to get the big female right from the beginning. :) She was perfect for our scaly family and a perfect breeder for my two boys Sampson and Kaa.

My intent on collecting ball pythons personally, would be for their temperments, and also their colors. I'm attracted to them like a bee to a flower, or a bug to a zapper, which ever works. They are stunning animals, and having just one, some times isn't enough. But even I need to be careful. I am not an expert, and I'm still learning every day, something new about my snakes and about their health/care. So I am quite happy with my 3 for the time being, especially with my new big girl Anastasia. :)

I have one of my BP's in a vivarium filled with reptile specific hides (she has three including a damp hide) two water bowls for humidity blah blah blah. I seem to be having a constant battle with temperature and humidity and she doesn't seem to flourish as much as my guys in their tubs! My pastel and my het albino boy come out and get handled and get their exercise and attention, I find I have more than enough time to give them what they need which is why I got more.

I have to vote tubs all the way. Appropriately sized and properly set up and I don't see the problem. My BP's seem happy and healthy (actually happier than the one in her vivarium, go figure) and the health and happiness and wanting to feed is most important to me :)

Just my little opinion :D

Wasn't this discussion about why people keep multiples of the same species? We have digressed people. Arguing about whether a tank display, rack or darker enclosures is for a different thread. Everyone has their own opinion. I would love to build a custom rack to display these beautiful animals. I only have 1 right now but looking at getting more. I have figured out how to keep the humidity and temp where they need to be in a glass enclosure. I insulated al but half the front plus saran wrap and foil on top. I have everything set just right for my girl. I can understand a rack system for multiple animals, but I can understand the glass enclosures for 1 or 2 animals also. As long as your husbandry is right for the animal you keep, I don't care to hear any arguments. That is the main thing. Now back to the TOPIC of this thread. I also can't afford multi gened balls, so I will be slowly adding to my collection as my husband permits lol. I saw a gorgeous black pastel that I would love to get. I have contemplated breeding but need more knowledge. I'm not one to just jump in. I researched for over a year before getting my first bp. Also she was a bday present from my husband after I said I was ready and had the enclosure set just right. Because of how tiny she was I had to made adjustments, smaller hides and water bowl, and blocking off part of the enclosure to make her comfy. I also had to get used to the idea of rats as food and not just pets.

I has that question too.... But i went about it the wrong way and was kinda of an bulkhead about it. From what i learned from people on here is wanting all ball pythons are like pokemon. U got to catch them all. Lol.

Remember people never drink and drive you just might spill your beer lol. This is what happens when you drink and text lol

See what happens when you forget to subscribe to your own threads? All kinds of fun happens while you're gone! Just to kinda tie the whole tank vs tub thing into the original question...

Personally, I'm not a big fan of tubs or racks. I don't think they're cruel or any of that, I just don't particularly care for them. I prefer glass for aesthetic reasons, and I've put a lot of time, effort, and money into creating what I feel is a nearly perfect environment in order to have a very healthy, content, and I would say, completely stress free animal. For me, I have two goals where my housing is concerned. First, I want to provide an environment that is nearly identical to natural habitat, only better. Second, I want to display not only a beautiful animal, but an appealing artistic design to the enclosure its self. Tubs and racks just don't do that for me. Don't get me wrong, I've seen some awful setups in glass, but tubs and racks are all about utility. On the other hand, with one python occupying a 5ft long x 4ft tall section of the room, I would very quickly run out of space to live if I started developing a collection like some of you have. If I ever start collecting, you can bet I'll be using something more space efficient.

Btw, once I get the new stand put together and in place, I'm planning to post a big thread on my setup. I'm really excited to show you guys that glass doesn't HAVE to be a nightmare!

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