searching for ball pythons in ghana?

A guy I know is working in Ghana for the next few months, and I'm trying to get him interested in knowing how to field herp for ball pythons. He's at least decently interested in ball pythons too (or at least, I'm hoping, and not another dude just faking it... though he did convo open with ball pythons), so I'm wondering if anyone has had experience herping for bp's over there? LOL.

I'd love to know more details and what time of day you go, where to go, and how difficult it is exactly. I kinda wish I was there with him! It sounds like fun. Granted, if it takes like... five days to find a single ball python right now, probably not worth it. :P

I know theirs a few short clips or videos on YouTube their was one German guy who had a decent video I guess but I wasn't satisfied with any of the ones I found lol maybe it's because I need to do it and not watch it

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Every video I've seen of people finding wild ones involved locating a burrow and digging them out. That makes me think it'd be a real pain to try finding them. Night time they're probably above ground roaming but that's probably even harder in the dark.

I bet if you paid a local 10$ they'd lead you right to them though.

That would be an awesome trip. To specifically go herping in Africa and maybe find a cool dinker or something. I'm afraid to even look up the import costs/processes to bring it back to California...



On an unrelated note, I find it interesting that the only wild snakes that you can legally collect in CA without a fishing license are, of course, rattlesnakes.

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Originally Posted by The_Godfather

I bet if you paid a local 10$ they'd lead you right to them though.

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This.^

I'd be really careful. The people who go out and successfully catch BPs year after year are the people who know how not to get injured or killed by other local animals. Savannah Monitors could give you an awful injury if you just shove your arm in a burrow. Nile Monitors will steal all your stuff. There are a number of venomous snakes including mambas, vipers, and cobras.

Yeah, BPs are awesome, and if I remember correctly Ghana has some of the largest BPs. However, with 150 species of reptiles locally, you really need someone who knows what they're doing. Someone who can differentiate between you getting a BP, and you losing a finger or needing antivenom

I wish I could go to Ghana and do some herping! But I think it's really hard to find ball pythons in the wild.

I think it would be awesome. I'd have to agree with paying a local to show me where to go is probably the best way to find one.

LOL you guys and "paying a local" is so true though, that was actually his first response when I even mentioned where to look for ball pythons. The first thing I said actually was going with a crew of people who knew what they're doing for obvious reasons lmao.

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Originally Posted by The_Godfather

Every video I've seen of people finding wild ones involved locating a burrow and digging them out.

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This must be the most common thing to do, but not always! This dude on another forum who visited Togo found a few on a forested mountainside and randomly on the savannah, while digging burrows/termite mounds apparently were often empty. This was during the day too. (And in other news, there's the argument against "wild ball pythons in Africa do nothing but hide in tiny burrows all day" that everyone likes to pass around lmao.)

u can also set out a mouse in a critter keeper, provide a heat source and make a perimeter of flour to help track and trap those BP's. :gj:

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Originally Posted by ax01

u can also set out a mouse in a critter keeper, provide a heat source and make a perimeter of flour to help track and trap those bp's. :gj:

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rofl

LAUGHS, I laugh at ax's jokes all day

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Originally Posted by Sallos

That would be an awesome trip. To specifically go herping in Africa and maybe find a cool dinker or something. I'm afraid to even look up the import costs/processes to bring it back to California...



On an unrelated note, I find it interesting that the only wild snakes that you can legally collect in CA without a fishing license are, of course, rattlesnakes.

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I would love to go herping in Africa ! It would be cool to find some BP's but imagine everything else you would see too. On a side note the law is a way for people to kill/ transport rattlesnakes legally without having a hunting license or permit because they pose a threat.

I think seeing these creatures in their natural habitat would be reaching an epitome in the hobby. It's all well and good to see them in a plastic container, but to actually observe them - where they hide, the type of environments they thrive in - that would be so cool. I think I'd gain a whole new appreciation for the "normal" BP from a trip like that :)

Friend ended up visiting a local ball python export and breeding facility and holding a farm bred pastel, as he found out that his friend there just happened to be involved with ball python exporting. INTERESTING.