thinking about getting a ball python

[coolguy7886]

i ma thinking about getting a ball python and i was wounder how much it wouls cost to get stared and what I would need?and are they easy to take care of?and do they bite? thanx for your advice

[Super_Smash]

Welcome, coolguy!!

If you want to know about the enclosure and everything in it, go here: http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....artid=4&page=1

Ball Pythons are the easiest snake to take care of. They're the most docile snake (besides cornsnakes), GREAT for beginners. All snakes CAN bite, of course, and if a snake gets scared enough or of you smell like their food, they'll bite. bp's don't bite very often, unless you get one with a bad temperment... i dont think that happens often though!!! i'd definately recommend getting a bp, but make sure you read up and research them first!!! this site is an awesome place for help... just ask anything anytime, and if you look through the threads/care sheet, you can find TONS of answers!!

[coolguy7886]

thax for your advice but what are some thing that would upset them or stress them out?

[Super_Smash]

when you first buy them, they'll be pretty scared. that goes away after a week or two, as they get used to their surroundings. a baby is more likely to bite than a tame adult, just cuz babies are scared. mine tried gettin me a few days ago, but his mouth was closed so his nose just hit me.

snakes also get stressed when they're in shed. their eyes get all cloudy since they're going to shed their eye caps, and they cant see. since they dont know whats going on around them, they get stressed. plus shedding isnt very comfortable!

[Cody]

Yeah, ball pythons are good beginner snakes. But the easiest and best beginner snake would probably be the corn snake. Their husbandry is a bit easier than the ball pythons, and they're a bit more forgiving of mistakes. But I'm with ya on the wanting a ball python thing. At first I was set on wanting a corn snake. I researched on them for months, then came across ball pythons. I fell in love with them, for their pattern and girth. At first I wasn't sure about a big thick snake that gets up to 5 feet long, but then soon realised that they're not too big at all.

What you need to keep a ball python is the following. I'll put in the cheapest and most effective way to house them.

Cage: Just go to Walmart and pick up a sterilite or rubbermaid container. For a baby under two feet, maybe something that has the foot print of 2 foot by 1 foot. Sterilites and rubbermaids are good because they're cost effective, so when you have to upgrade cages you dont have to pay a bunch of money like you would with an aquarium. Plus plastic cages hold heat and humidity real well. Just need to drill some air holes, and you're set. Expect to pay under 10 dollars for the rubbermaid/sterilite container.

Heat: While at Walmart, pick up a human heat pad. I like the Dunlap heat pad, but any of them should do. As long as it doesn't have an auto-shut off function. It's no good if your heat source shuts off every 20 minutes or so, lol. Expect to pay around 15 dollars for the heat pad.

Substrate: If you want to go cheap, just use newspaper. Lay down 4-5 sheets of newspaper, and you're set. It's not the best looking, but its cheap and easy to clean. Expect to pay....whatever a newspaper is running these days. lol

Thermometer/Hygrometer: Again...Walmart. Good old Walmart. Look for the Acurite digital thermometer/hygrometer with probe. Then all you have to do is put the base unit on the cool side, and the probe under the hide on the warm side. Then you'll have the temperatures covered for the warm and cool side, plus it'll measure your humidity, which is key to a bp's care. Expect to pay 10-15 dollars for the digital thermometer.

Hides: You can always go out and get those fancy hides that pet shops have, but some will say they're not the best hides for a ball python. Ball pythons like to be secure, so the best hides are the clay pot bottoms you can find at Walmart, garden centers, anywhere that would have plant stuff basically. You just have to buy one thats small enough to just have your ball python coil up and squeeze into. Just take a hammer and knock out a piece of the side, and voila. Expect to pay a dollar or less for the hides. Go here for more info on proper hides.

Water bowl: Well, this is probably simple enough. Any good dog dish will do. Best if they're not easily tipped over, and just deep enough for the snake to submerge in, without having to swim constantly. Expect to pay a few dollars for a simple dog dish.

Food: You shouldn't need this right away when you just get your snake, as you should give them a week to settle in before feeding and handling and stuff. But all you'll need is an appropriately sized rodent. Just match up the prey size to the thickest part of your snakes body. Small babies usually take fuzzy or hopper mice, or small adult mice. Then just increase the size of prey as they get larger. Once they're big enough to easily take an adult mouse and still seem hungry, you can start them on rat pups. Then move on up from there. Feeding a bp is pretty cheap. If you go to rodentpro.com you can price them.

That's all the essentials I can think of. If you want, you can add fake leaves, a branch, and stuff like that to fancy up the cage. But really all you need is the cage, heat, hides, food, and water.

As for their care and husbandry, heres a few care sheets you can read up on.

Kingsnake.com Ball Python Guide

NERD BP Care Sheet

What I found when reading a lot of care sheets is that the information on temperature and humidity is varying. Basically, just keep the warm side to around 90-95 degrees, cool side to around 80-85 degrees, and humidity at 55-60%...80% during shedding.

Hope this helps. Sorry for the long reply. I guess I wanted to cram in whatever info I could think of at the time, lol.

[Hoomi]

One of the advantages of a ball python over some of the colubrid species (which includes cornsnakes) is that many of the colubrids tend to be somewhat more active. Ball Pythons are often criticized as being too lethargic, but for a beginner this can be a good thing. They're not as likely to suddenly dart out the top of the enclosure while you're cleaning or giving them water, and it also makes them tend to be much more mellow while you're handling them.

The criticism on that is that, for some people, they aren't "entertaining" enough. Personally, I find my BP's very entertaining.

In the little over a year since I bought my first ball python, I have added three more BP's and a baby African House snake. The house snake is also a good beginner snake, being hardy, easy to feed, and one of the most ready to breed in captivity snakes you can find. However, I'd still recommend the ball python for a first snake, since even a young specimen is large enough to not feel so incredibly fragile when you handle it.

[Blink]

Hmm, I wouldn't say they're the easiest to take care of ...
They surely aren't beginner snakes.
If you have no experience with keeping a reptile, (let alone snake)
I wouldn't get a Ball Python, because ... they can be very pick eaters for one.
If I was you, I'd start off with something smaller.

[Schlyne]

If you're looking into picking up some books on ball pythons, I recommend getting The Ball Python Manual.

Also, if you have any other pets, the presence of those other pets can also stress them out. My cat would probably sit and stare at my bp in his tank all day long (which would probably stress it out) if I didn't keep my bp in a room where my cat is not allowed.

Anyway, welcome to the site. This place is a great resource.

[jotay]

My bp comes out of his hide everytime he see's the cat.
I think he looks at her as a big mouse buffet
It's pretty funny to watch.
Bp's are fairly simple if you do your homework.
the big thing is right temps/humidity, hides, and the right size cage.
They can go on feed strikes but you will learn to work thru them.

I have to agree corn snakes are hardy and a great first time snake.
Just read up on everything you can about bp's and see if it still appeals to ya.

[sk8er4life]

yea there good snakes!

ny bp hasnt curled up in a ball yet,has never had any problems feeding, and hasnt even attempted biting me so i wud say there real good and i ve had my bp 4 like 2 months now!

so i think they are great snakes!