20 gal for life?

[BallPythonWannaBe]

Hognose are super tiny babies and I would actually suggest you find an adult or you should start with a smaller tank than a 20 gallon for a 12 gram snake.

I actually have a 10 gal right now

[BallPythonWannaBe]

Yeah, I absolutely ADORE my hognose boy, Cosmo.

I'm not sure if you're familiar with how I ended up with Cosmo, but he's an AWESOME snake!!!I have completely fallen in love with the species.

My Cal King, Django, is still my favorite snake ever though. So honestly, I personally think you can't go wrong with either.

I am actually,he's so cute! Django is so handsome!

[piedlover79]

Ten gallon with a lot of places to hide would be great. Mine loves to hide under the round plastic trays made for flower pots. He's full grown and fits easily under a 4 inch one. He's a runt. Only 50 grams for the past seven years despite eating like a trash can!



Angry hognose is angry. His name is Sir Huffington.

[Craiga 01453]

I am actually,he's so cute! Django is so handsome!

Thanks!

[Craiga 01453]

Hognose are super tiny babies and I would actually suggest you find an adult or you should start with a smaller tank than a 20 gallon for a 12 gram snake.

I agree with getting an adult, or at least a well established eater who is eating the prey you intend to feed. They can be tricky to get going early, and for a first time keeper that can be tough.

[BallPythonWannaBe]

The feeding thing actually worried me but after a bit of reading I found most sites said to get a snake that had eaten at least threw meals and I should be fine I still haven't decided though,so I don't want it to sound like I've made up my mind

[BallPythonWannaBe]

So...apparently BPs are back on the list? Sometimes my indecisiveness annoys me. The reason is that I asked mom about it to tonight since I still want a BP even with the husbandry concerns I have(really just the humidity since I have a glass tank but I understand reptichip is a good substrate for holding humidity?) and yet I still keep coming back to those faces! So I asked mom and she said she was okay with it ,if a tad reluctant. I had explained that the rats come from completely sterile facilitys just like the beef in the fridge right now. So I still haven't decided on what snake I want but BPs are back in the running!

[piedlover79]

I do not personally consider ball pythons to be very good starter snakes. Not that you can't start with one, but they are more challenging. The 'help my ball python isn't eating' header is very common place around here. They are very susceptible to going off of food due to stress or not having their husbandry spot on (particularly when it comes to f/t). I'm not saying all ball pythons are this way, some a voracious feeders that can handle anything. However I find them to be the most picky of the species that I keep. My hognose, cornsnakes, sandboa, and ratsnakes *never* turn down a meal and never have trouble with shedding. My ball pythons will often go on hunger strikes (which at some points of the year is normal and I don't worry, but this can be hard on new owners) and in the winter time despite my best efforts and good humidity they still end up with one or two bad sheds. I also have a male ball python that after several years refuses to eat anything other than live mice even though my female (who basically lives in the exact same conditions) eats f/t rats like they are going out of style.

[BallPythonWannaBe]

I do not personally consider ball pythons to be very good starter snakes. Not that you can't start with one, but they are more challenging. The 'help my ball python isn't eating' header is very common place around here. They are very susceptible to going off of food due to stress or not having their husbandry spot on (particularly when it comes to f/t). I'm not saying all ball pythons are this way, some a voracious feeders that can handle anything. However I find them to be the most picky of the species that I keep. My hognose, cornsnakes, sandboa, and ratsnakes *never* turn down a meal and never have trouble with shedding. My ball pythons will often go on hunger strikes (which at some points of the year is normal and I don't worry, but this can be hard on new owners) and in the winter time despite my best efforts and good humidity they still end up with one or two bad sheds. I also have a male ball python that after several years refuses to eat anything other than live mice even though my female (who basically lives in the exact same conditions) eats f/t rats like they are going out of style.

This is one of the things that made me a bit apprehensive about BPs. I've read many threads where it seems 50/50 on who thinks they are beginner snakes and who things they arnt. I've read up on all the "Feeding Ball Pythons" "Getting young Ball Pythons to Eat" and "My Ball Python won't eat! Help!!" Threads I could find I understand that as long as they aren't loosing weight they are perfectly fine and will eat when they're hungry (as long as husbandry IA correct). And I do understand that some are just extremely picky. I've read threads about snakes who's owners have to turn the lights off and leave the room for the snake to eat.
(If you didn't get the purpose of my ramble it was to show I understood the feeding difficulty )

[artgecko]

A BP will require an enclosure that is larger than 20gls... I think most agree that 40gls is the minimum. If you aren't set on cage size though, and willing to make the necessary modifications to a glass enclosure (insulation, foil top for humidity, etc.) one might work for you.

That said, they can have feeding issues.. I've had them go on food strikes and then only accept a different prey item, etc. You would need to get one from a good breeder (not a store) and request a juvie that was feeding well on f/t with a good feeding response. You would also need to setup the enclosure well in advance and monitor your temps and humidity so that everything was set before the BP came home (this really goes for all snakes).

I purchased a male western hognose as my 2nd snake. My male had serious feeding problems and I ended up rehoming him with someone that raised their own live feeders. He was previously eating f/t mice pinks and ate those for about 2 months when I got him, then went on months' long hunger strikes, broken up by the ocassional meal. I tried everything..braining, scenting, etc. nothing worked except live rat pinks. After those issues, I read accounts of others with males that had feeding issues and based on that, I'd only get a female very well-started (juvie) hognose feeding on unscented f/t.

I have a Kenyan Sand boa and they are generally good feeders. The only issue i have with mine is that they stay hidden most of the time. They are good snakes to handle those and generally docile. They also don't have the humidity requirements of BPs.

Of the snakes you mentioned you were interested in (kingsnake and corn) I'd personally go with either the king or corn... Both are better feeders and less picky about humidity than the others you are looking at. I would still get a bigger enclosure for them though (40gl) so that they have room to move around and explore.