Difference between BP and Corn in regards to handling and temperment?

I'm still trying to decide whether or not I would like to get a BP or a corn as my first snake. I've read up fairly extensively on both species of snake as far as the basic care requirements and I understand BP's can be tricky to feed at times and have different humidity and temp requirements...all that aside..for those of you that have kept both, can you describe the differences in temperments and behavior when handling the snakes. I've searched the forums for topics as I'm sure this has ben asked before but I was unable to find any clear answers. If anybody could give me some informed feedback I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

so far i ve owned a ball python for 4 months, and thus have had a good experience. my snake eats regularly but hides all day and come out at night. overall i would say gamble the 30-80 dollars for a ball and see what u get because throughout all info i ve read these seem to be very laid back snakes.

Corns are sweethearts great first snake,lots of choices morphs & colors. And they are nightsiders.

I have no prior experience with corns, but they do strike my interests. I hope to invest in some someday. I've read that corns are a bit more forgiving to husbandry issues. ie: temps are off, humidity is off a little....bp's have a tendency to go off feed due to stress, but i believe corns are a little more forgiving and not as picky as ball pythons can be. But I love my ball pythons, don't get me wrong. Ball pythons are a bit tricky to deal with sometimes, but they're a very rewarding animal to own.

Get both.... thats what I did. I got my corn snake first and had him foe a few months then I got a BP. Since then I now have three BP's and two corns and some other snakes too. You can't just have one... It's NOT possible!

Corns I think act more "buddy buddy" with you, but then hey that just may be me and my two guys. My BP's are total sweeties, but don't act as personable with me as my corns do.

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Originally Posted by lillyorchid

Get both.... thats what I did.

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Getting both isn't really an option for me at this time...nor do I really want both (atleast now.) I'd never heard somebody refer to corns as being more "buddy buddy" =). Can anybody else speak to this?

closest thing i have to owning a corn was handling one at a show, and they're alot squirmier compared to most balls, bps tend to go into a ball and gradually explore, while corns tend to just zoom about

i have both. corns are quicker with their movements and their heating and humidity requirements are easy. balls need better husbandry and are much easier to hold.

i love both but i really prefer my balls.

also corns can live in smaller enclosures as they take longer to grow. ;)

i'm moving your thread to general herps.

I had a corn and could never get him out. He would bite and try to get away. It didn't hurt his mouth was too small to do any damage. I have two ball pythons and they have never tried to bite. I would go with the ball. My balls have been very calm and relaxed. Also I haven't had any trouble with them eating. They eat anything I put in the cage. One is from a petstore and the other is from a breader.

Thats just my 2 cents.
Trey

I have corns, and I help take care of several bp's at school. All but one of the corns eat great. One of them was a little nippy the first couple days, but after a little handling calmed right down. The balls we have arent the most reliable eaters, although the setups arent quite what I would like to see, and that may play a role in it. From my experience the corn are much more active while being handled. The balls have never bit me yet (although I came extremely close and was only saved by being slightly out of range), but very frequently act somewhat aggressive and appear to be preparing for a strike when first opening their enclosure. The corns (other than the one that was nippy the first few days) have never shown that type of behavior. I'm not claiming to be any kind of expert with either, or that these snakes are the norm for their species, although I would like to say I'm talking about about 5 or 6 different balls and about 9 or so corns and not just one or two of each. Either way I'd say you cant go wrong, both are a good choice.

Balls for life...


Corns are too slippery, and are angry snakes (at least the one I had was).

Never again.

First snake I got was a BP - never had any problems handling, feeding or whatever. She's always been a docile, happy (so far as I can tell) and tolerant creature. Apart from a sick corn I rescued I don't have much experience with them - the closest being a western hognose - and she has the "buddy-buddy" attitude that corn owners seem to speak of and seems to really enjoy snuggling. I've got a boa also and she, too, is very handleable and docile. Good luck on what you decide.

I'm glad I started out with a corn.
He's my favorite snake and always will be. I can agree with lillyorchird and say that he is very 'buddy buddy'. A couple of my bps are also but they took longer to get that way. Tomo (my corn) was like that from day one.

Colubrids on a whole seem more of an active snake compared to BP's. Perhaps that's due to them being a more naturally active hunter compared to the ambush hunter that ball pythons are. Both are lovely snakes. Corns and the like are more delicate, small snakes and I know for my husband with his large hands, he's more nervous handling our Nelson's Milksnake when she was just a hatchling. Corns are also extreme escape artists even for a snake so if you choose any smaller colubrid make doubly sure the enclosure is absolutely escape proof. Corns have a less restrictive husbandry requirement than bp's but really a ball python enclosure is not beyond anyone's means to set up properly.

I'd say continue to research. Look at a lot of pictures (there's a lot of colubrid's beyond cornsnakes) and pick the snake you fall in love with. You'll be cleaning up snake turds for a lot of years so it may as well be from a snake that caught your heart and soul from the get go.

When I went to the petstore to see the ball pythons, I got to hold one and while it was docile, it just curled into a ball and stayed that way. I was a bit uncomfortable holding it and put it back. I then opted to hold a smaller snake, a snow corn, which was just about the length of my arms. It didn't go into defensive mode and instead began slithering along my arm and going through my fingers. A very calm snake, and I fell in love with it. Now I have it at home and this will be my first snake.

Snow corns are just lovely! Congrats on making the right decision for you. BP's ball up like that defensively. Once they feel safe and secure a lot of them never bother to do that as much. We have some BP's in our collection that have never balled up at all for some reason. They just didn't read the BP Manual about all that LOL. Of course now we need pics of your new snow corn and to hear what nice name you chose for it.

Corns are active, fast moving, and sometimes defensive.

Ball are not very active, slow moving, and sometimes defensive.

I have dealt with nightmare psycho animals of both types.

I currently keep both types but I prefer the BP's.

It all depends what you are looking for. A corn can be great for a first snake and so can a BP. You just need more control when handling a corn and they take off when you go to pick them up. A BP will just sit there when you reach in to pick it up.

Before you decide which to go with, check out the various patterns and colors offerred for each type and make sure you buy an established feeder that is used to handling.

You will have this animal for a long time so make sure you get the one you like the most.

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Originally Posted by SPJ

Corns are active, fast moving, and sometimes defensive.

Ball are not very active, slow moving, and sometimes defensive.

I have dealt with nightmare psycho animals of both types.

I currently keep both types but I prefer the BP's.

It all depends what you are looking for. A corn can be great for a first snake and so can a BP. You just need more control when handling a corn and they take off when you go to pick them up. A BP will just sit there when you reach in to pick it up.

Before you decide which to go with, check out the various patterns and colors offerred for each type and make sure you buy an established feeder that is used to handling.

You will have this animal for a long time so make sure you get the one you like the most.

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Good post, Yeah I like some of the various patterns and morphs that the corns are available in but I definitely favor the ball python over them any day. I personally like the slower moving heavier body with the ball python as oppose to the slender and fast moving corns and colubrids. You can never go wrong with a healthy ball python.

Both snakes make great first snakes. I am a BP person and feel they are the best snake. They are a big solid creature that gets a little respect but not outrageous big. For their size they don't need alot of space so keeping several of them is easy. I think they require a little more patience and husbandry than corns. If you're impatient and a snake that spends most of it's time in it's hide bore's you(happened to my friend, the boa lover) maybe a corn suits you better.. It really depeds what kind of animal you are looking for? an active corn or a larger more private ball. Make sure if get a ball you pick a mellow one. There is always that one in the crowd :snake: that has an attitude (1 out if 15 for me). I am sure you will enjoy which ever one you choose! Good luck!

If you want an easier animal to take care of, get a corn snake.

If you want an animal that is still easy but a little challenging, get a ball python.

In my experience, adult corn snakes move somewhat faster than an '06 ball python (both my snow corn and my ball python love to explore). Ball pythons weigh more, so obviously they'll be slower. Baby corns are a whole other game, though. If I set my sister's corn snake on the ground, he tries to take off at top speed (which is remarkably fast for a snake). Even holding him in your hands for the whole time, he's constantly on the move. I'd recommend a yearling corn, or older, if you want an easy-to-handle corn.

You did the right thing by going and holding both types of snakes and figured out which species and which specific animal "spoke" to you.

I love all three of our snakes and they are all quite different. Our ball, as she grows older, is way more active than she used to be and waaay slithery. Carmen seems to be getting more used to handling and seems to enjoy just hanging out (we joke that her two modes are "spaz" and "asleep"). Jenson is just a pup and is OOBER slithery, but even in the short time we've had him, he seems to relaxing a bit.

With my limited experience with snakes (so take this with a grain of salt), I'd say that a corn is really the ultimate beginners snake - super easy husbandry, doesn't get really big, inexpensive and a plethora of colors to choose from.

But really, it's all about the ORANGEY GOODNESS for me!

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...2/6/orange.jpg

I agree, young corns are a little hard to hold at first because they're so active but i dont really see that as a problem personally. As someone kinda mentioned earlier too balls to feel like alot more snake (because they are :P) so it depends on what you want in a snake too, if you want something with more body to it or not.