What got you started/ addicted to Ball Pythons

Just thought I'd ask for fun what got you all started and or addicted to ball pythons. For me it was a normal I called pete the snake re-homed from my girl friends sisters bf about 15 years ago. Never forget her lol.

Sean

I’ve always wanted a bp. Always seemed like the situation wasn’t right or the person I was with hated snakes. So I convinced my better half who didn’t really want one in the house to let me have one.

Boy did her tune change once I started socializing it. She is now obsessed with them as am I.

Fast forward 14 weeks later. We now have 7 snakes 5 of them are bp’s. With another 3 coming in from a breeder all with different morphs. Our one normal will always be the baby though.

We recently decided to pump our brakes. Slow our roll and focus on just keeping the ones we have happy and healthy. We are also resisting the urge to buy older breeders as we feel we should gain more knowledge while the little ones grow. Although they are loving this humid Ohio summer.0

I got into it being scared of snakes, but loved animals. Was always into coral reef tanks. I started going to reptile shows monthly, and talking with breeders locally. Next thing you know I purchased a butter ball python, that has now turned into 5 bp's, and I have 2 racks now with room to grow lol!

Seeing a Pied for the first time is what really did it, the only problem they were $10000 so at the time I bought a pair of hets for $1200 and made my own, and the rest is history.

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Originally Posted by Stewart_Reptiles

Seeing Pied for the first time is what did it, the only problem they were $10000 so at the time I bought a pair of hets for $1200 and made my own, and the rest is history.

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This is what happened to me as well. I don't believe in love at first sight lol but that's exactly what happened when I first found out about BPs (didn't even know they existed before that, the only pet snake I knew about was corn snakes), started watching YouTube videos about ball pythons, and saw a pied in one of Garrick DeMeyer's videos. That started me on the path of researching BPs in earnest, falling in love with the species, and deciding to get one.

The breeder I visited had a banana pied available at the time but I ended up liking an albino mojave the most and I've had him for over an year now. Still possibly looking to get a pied one day but not for a few years at least until I'm sure I can handle two and deal with potential feeding strikes with them both.

I've always liked snakes but been pretty wary around them - not really scared but just.... careful. My sister had them for years but I didn't handle them much because she didn't have friendly breeds. Last year my niece and I were watching Youtube videos and found a channel all about snakes, and we got hooked on watching them.

So last April I just decided to pull the trigger and got my lovely Ana Gwyn, my redhead pastel ball python girl. She is a TOTAL love, very easy to handle, my niece adores her. She's only about 6-8 months old and weighs about 280 grams, so she's still pretty small, but she's just a wonderful girl, so friendly and so much personality.

I love her so much that I got another one almost three weeks ago, a teeny little chocolate enchi I named Tonkatsu/Tonks. Tonks is much smaller than Ana Gwyn was when I got her, she's only about 70 grams, but she is a FIERCE eater (though pretty stupid, she likes to eat her mice butt-first) so I expect her to grow quickly. She's not as comfortable being held as Ana Gwyn is, but we're working on it, and she's more comfortable with my niece so my niece helps me by spending time with her once a week or so (the kid is an animal whisperer and wants to be a vet or a zookeeper). Oddly, even though Tonks is the shy one about being held, she's also the one who NEVER goes in her hide and actually shoves it off the UTH so she can lay on the warms but be out in the open. She'll also position herself on her stick and cosplay as an arboreal snake for an hour or so every few days. Silly snek.

I can definitely see myself turning one of my spare bedrooms into a "snake room" one of these days! I love ball pythons, but I'd really like to have a plains hognose, and some corns and garter snakes (I almost adopted one of Snake Discovery's red-sided garter babies that was just born with two kinks in its back, I was her second choice so I just barely missed out!). I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to snakes now, lol.

Love this prompt!

My 6th grade science teacher had all kinds of snakes in his classroom (sand boa, bp, brb, etc.) and used to let students come in before school started every few weeks to hold the snake while he cleaned the tanks. I went early every single time for the entire year! I was even bitten by the sand boa but it didn't deter my curiosity one bit. I had no idea there were so many morphs and as soon as I saw my first BEL, I fell in love. We now have a normal, banana, and BEL, and are hoping to add more once we get some more space!

I always was fascinated reptiles and snakes as a child but parents weren't having it. So in my early 20's I walked into a reptile shop with my girlfriend (who is now my wife) and said that I need a commitment in my life :D. Ended up picking up a beautiful normal BP who was 2 months old at the time. 8 years later, I have a total of 5.

I've always thought of snakes overall as fascinating and gorgeous creatures, then December of 2018 I decided I wanted to get a Royal Python after months of research to feel ready for the commitment and setting everything up.

Today I'm the proud momma of 2 royals and a corn, with hopes of expanding responsibly overtime :D

I originally wanted to keep saltwater fish again but then I started watching reptile videos and began heavily researching ball pythons. found them appealing since they seemed like fish but less messy, live much longer, cheaper to keep, easier to maintain, and they can be handled. The snake gives me something to work towards, research, and maintain for fun.

It was kind of an impulse buy and not. I suddenly realized there was nothing stopping me from getting one so I went out and got one. The last time I saw a snake in person was a decade ago at a zoo LOL. I didn't realize so many people hated snakes until I stated I was getting one. Most everyone I know recoiled and gave varying degrees of hellnahs so I stopped telling anyone about it. Kinda sad, but oh well, I got the snake for me.
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I don't keep BPs anymore but I'll ALWAYS love them for introducing me to snake keeping. Two normal BPs opened up a whole new amazing world to me. BIG Shout Outs to my Serpent Originals- Maximillian and Amadeus! Gone but NEVER forgotten. :snake: :snake:

I’m a first time poster here. As I was growing up I used to love going to pet stores and asking to hold the snakes. My local AW Brown pet store would always let me hold their ball pythons. I would always ask if I could get one but the answer was no. Fast forward to December 2019 where I won a $100 petsmart gift card. I wanted to buy cat food and at least try to be a responsible adult. But I left there with a snake, tank and mice, (please no hate I had no clue I was being a bad person for buying a pet store snake, yes I’ve been told I am). That one snake was all it took to start my addiction. Since that day I have gotten three more and I’m actively looking for a new one to breed with one of my females.

mom to

Koda-wild morph 9month old male
Korra- banana pastel (poss) spider 6month old Female
Ezri-wild morph 6 week old female
T’Pol-wild morph (rescue) 3 year old female

I always liked critters. I got my first tarantula in college and then didn't get anymore non dog/cat animals for a few years because I lived with roommates who were really afraid of them. I moved to a new city for work and my new roommate's cat knocked over my T's enclosure and killed her. I went to Repticon and bought a new T and was in aww of all the critters.

About a year later, I kind of realized I wanted a pet snake (I had always thought they were cute, but also thought "no one will be my friend if I have a snake, they already hate my spiders") and my friend from run club was looking to rehome a ball python that he had rescued years before, so I got him and just fell in love.

Almost a year later, i got my bearded dragon and then my blood python, both of them came from owners who could no longer keep them. I got three new animals in about 18 months, so I'm wary of taking on any more for the time being, but I would love to have a larger snake and a colubrid.

My bp was the first though, and he is darling and special and I love him so much. Long term I want to continue to take care of animals that need homes and am saving for a house so I can adopt a sulcata tortoise.

Well I've always loved animals and my who life I've always had a pet (now in early 20's) and I had just lost my beta fish, who I got from my friend who was graduating college and didn't want her anymore, and was looking for another pet to get. I had a dog at the time (he passed recently at 13 years old) and I'd already owned or been around someone who owned gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, and cats, so I wasn't really interested in getting another one of those and I was also looking for a pet that could just be mine and not a family pet, that would live a long time because losing a pet every few years really sucks and a pet that wouldn't mind being alone because I was really busy with college, a research internship, and 2 jobs. Then I went to a wildlife sanctuary and was looking at the snakes and it just clicked. After that I spent 2 weeks researching everything about snakes came across ball pythons which were recommended as great beginner snakes, set up a terrarium, and bought my ball python. Her name is Lady :) best decision EVER!

Hopefully 5 years from now I'll get a Jungle Carpet when I've gained more experience and done a bit more research than just 2 weeks lol

I saw cinnamons around the time they first came out in a ball python care book. One of my classmates also had one at the time. I decided I wanted a cinnamon, but had to wait years to find one that suited my tastes.

While on a trip my wife and I stopped into a large pet store. It had so many snakes in it. I told my wife that snakes were the only pets I wasn't allowed to have at home because my Mom was scared of them. So she said she wouldn't mind. So once we got home the search began. I researched for months. I knew I didn't what anything that would get so big I'd need a second person or have to feed rabbits to. in the end I narrowed it down the Ball Python or Kingsnake. And from there chose BP because they were not fast and therefore less likely to disappear into the couch while you have your head turned.

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Originally Posted by Deanna

I always liked critters. I got my first tarantula in college and then didn't get anymore non dog/cat animals for a few years because I lived with roommates who were really afraid of them. I moved to a new city for work and my new roommate's cat knocked over my T's enclosure and killed her. I went to Repticon and bought a new T and was in aww of all the critters.

About a year later, I kind of realized I wanted a pet snake (I had always thought they were cute, but also thought "no one will be my friend if I have a snake, they already hate my spiders") and my friend from run club was looking to rehome a ball python that he had rescued years before, so I got him and just fell in love.

Almost a year later, i got my bearded dragon and then my blood python, both of them came from owners who could no longer keep them. I got three new animals in about 18 months, so I'm wary of taking on any more for the time being, but I would love to have a larger snake and a colubrid.

My bp was the first though, and he is darling and special and I love him so much. Long term I want to continue to take care of animals that need homes and am saving for a house so I can adopt a sulcata tortoise.

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Tarantulas were my first love too. Had dozens over the years. My last and oldest red knee just past this spring. Had her for 16 years and was full grown when I got her. Lived longer then my dog even. Anyway nobody liked my t's either but don't let em get to you, they're awesome. Also always wanted a big tortoise and just got to feed someones sulcata a couple weeks ag but could never do it and eventually have to re home it. Anyway glad to hear you love your bp and enjoyed hearing your story. We sound a lot alike lol.

Sean

I wanted one for a VERY long time! I remember when I was around 4 years I old, I caught a garter snake and showed it to my mother. She was NOT pleased. I wasn't allowed to have a snake, then when I moved out on my own, I just couldn't afford it. Early this year I realized that my finances are in order, I'm my own person, and I can do what I please!!! So I bought my super pastel, Persephone.... and I plan on collecting SO many more hehehe! :P

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Originally Posted by Stewart_Reptiles

Seeing a Pied for the first time is what really did it, the only problem they were $10000 so at the time I bought a pair of hets for $1200 and made my own, and the rest is history.

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I have a similar story... Saw a bumblebee... $15k..... and well... here were now.

I used to be very afraid of snakes untill I saw a snake in real life for the first time. It was friend's ball python. The more I look at him the more I liked him. So eventually we decided to go to reptile expo in LA. We drove 20+ hours to get there on time. We looked at all reptiles and friend got another snake. I wasn't sure if I was gonna get one but right before we were gonna leave i saw a lesser boy that stole my heart. And thats how my addiction started.

Always loved animals and was especially enamored with snakes. So different and so cool.

When I was 10 I got my first BP and fell in love with snake keeping. Sadly, there weren't sites like this, and he was wild caught, etc. He did okay, but I made mistakes with a few other reptiles and ended up rehoming everyone when I moved at 12. I vowed that if i kept reptiles again, I would do it right.

Fast forward to college and I had a couple corn snakes and a rescue BP I saved who had an RI and wouldn't eat frozen. I fixed her RI and switched her to F/T but school got too much and I wasn't home much and most importantly, my kidneys failed I was told I couldn't keep reptiles for health reasons. I ended up rehoming them as well.

Fast forward a few years and I did my own research. Reptiles are an added risk to someone with immune issues post transplant, but so is anything if not careful.I ended up getting a Beardie, George, at a reptile show in my area. He was awesome and I had in until he was 11 and I had to put him down with pancreatitis (RIP George). I had been keep cichlids, including breeding Frontosa, but as my health got worse, the pressure of water changes on big tanks and meticulous tank maintenance got to me. I found a good home for my breeding groups and decided that I like caring for things and love reptiles and George at the time was doing great, so I got my first BP in a while, Shayna. She was an albino spider BP and I had always wanted an albino as a kid, but $20K in 1990 money was steep.

Over the past 8 years I've completed my collection to have 7 snakes and 5 lizards. The collection is fairly diverse and you know what, I am doing it right!

Everyone is happy and healthy and I couldn't be happier. I find 12 snake tanks to be about as much work, or less, of 2 large fish tanks (240G and 90G), and without the pressure of having to do 90% fo the maintenance at once (big water changes - and you cannot skimp on those). With reptiles, if you don't feel well on a day, they can wait until the next day for food or cleaning, etc. That usually doesn't happen with me, but when it does, I don't sweat it like I did with fish.

To sum all this up.

1. Always loved reptiles

2. Fell in love with albino BP's but not reasonable in 1990 for a 10 year old

3. George, Beardie, got me back into the hobby in my 20's

4. Shayna, Albino Spider BP, got me back hardcore in my 30's

5. Resources like this site make keeping reptiles so much easier than it used to be. There is no excuse for not properly caring for reptiles now.

6. 12 Reptiles = 2 fish tanks

For the longest time, I had pretty much zero interest in ball pythons. My first snakes were a tiger retic, jungle carpet python, and rosy boa.

I mean, yeah, I've always thought ball pythons were cool and all, but I wasn't really interested in them. I think it was mostly just how common they are. I didn't think I'd ever own one.

But then I rescued my first, who I named Pumpkin Python. He was a 10-ish-year-old Petco purchase with a ton of health issues due to neglect, bad temps, and no humidity (we live in the desert).

But he was just so ungodly mellow. Even when he was sick, even when the vet was poking and prodding him, even when he was stressed. He was just so chill.

I wasn't used to that. My retic was surprisingly chill for a retic, but he was still a retic. My rosy boa was completely nuts, always thinking I was food, even with tap training, even while holding her. She'd just be sitting in my lap, resting on my arm, then she'd tilt her head, open her mouth, and just lazily start gnawing on my arm. If I didn't spray her with my little spray bottle (which I always kept near me for exactly that reason), eventually she'd wrap around my wrist and do her darndest to kill and eat me.
And my carpet python had exactly no chill whatsoever.

I wasn't used to such a docile, mellow snake. And then, once he got better, he started being a little more active and showing some of his personality. He still had health issues because he'd been neglected for so long, but even with his special needs, he was by far the easiest snake I'd ever owned. And I realized it was actually way more fun to hold him.

Granted, I LOVED my retic, he was my buddy, but as he got bigger, I couldn't exactly chill with him in my lap on the couch. And I constantly had to be on guard with my rosy and carpet girls.

Pumpkin was different. Handling him was relaxing. He was even more mellow than Sabre was, and a fraction of the size. I started to understand why ball pythons are so popular.

Unfortunately, Pumpkin passed away at 16. He had chronic skin and respiratory issues, we were on a first-name basis with the herp vet, and to be honest, we kind of knew he would never live to be a wrinkled old man. But he is definitely responsible for my love of ball pythons.

So a few years back, when I found out that a family friend's teenage son was getting bored of his 2-year-old ball python, I immediately offered to take her. She's 6 now, and not nearly as mellow as Pumpkin was, but still incredibly docile and calm. And she has way more of a distinct personality than Pumpkin did (though to be fair, his health issues likely affected how he expressed his personality, while Jeffrey's neglect was far more minor and way easier to overcome).

She's just so expressive. I mean, I learned a lot about snake body language with Sabre, that's a steep learning curve, but she's easier to read than I remember Sabre or Pumpkin being.

She makes it so clear when she's scared, stressed, annoyed, hungry, curious, relaxed, etc. And she definitely has her things that she likes and things she doesn't like. She's got a big personality in a conveniently small package.

And now I definitely understand why they're so common and so popular. I've absolutely been converted.

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