First Snake on Saturday!

[QuesadillaWizard]

Hi, I'm new to the forums and I need a place to excitedly yell.

On Saturday, the exotic pet expo in Jackson TN is gong to be where I get my first snake. I've wanted a snake for a few years now and always thought I didn't have the means to care for one until I learned that they sell frozen right at the expos and that you can buy in bulk! Besides the Jackson expo, Repticon visits every handful of months just a couple hours away in South Haven!

We have a PetSense in town that has frozen, but I always worried they would go out of business or otherwise leave me without anything to feed my long friend with.

Now my worries are no more and it is happening.

I've been saving up doing art commissions and buying supplies for a couple months now and I think I'm in a good place. My first choice is a ball python because I've already handled one before and really enjoyed it. I like their chill and curious dispositions.

I've been eye-balling corn snakes and king snakes too because they are beautiful and I think the way they behave is interesting, but they just don't have that little puppy face.

This won't be my first herp, I've got a crested gecko already. Tarot is a cool little dude and I like caring for him.

I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED, YALL. I've got a budget of about 160$ and I'm sure I can find a nice little friend with that!

[bcr229]

For a first snake I would suggest a king or corn over a ball python. They're more forgiving of husbandry mistakes and will typically take f/t feeders without any issues. Unfortunately you may end up getting a ball python that only eats live feeders because... well... not every expo vendor is 100% truthful...

Also I'd suggest taking a friend who knows snakes to save you from "SHINY OBJECT" syndrome.

Finally, look up the list of vendors who will be attending the expo and then read through https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...g-Herps-Online to research who should get your money.

[Shayne]

I totally understand your excitement. And FYI....it never goes away completely, from what I've read.

Looking forward to your new "danger noodle". Keep us posted!

[Craiga 01453]

Welcome to the forum and (soon) the wonderful world of snake keeping.

I've kept all three species you're interested in. And I absolutely LOVE Kings and BPs. Corn, honestly bore me, so I no longer keep corns.

If you go King, keep in mind they are FANTASTIC escape artists. Juveniles can fit through the tiniest of holes, so make sure your enclosure is 100% escape proof.

As for BPs, you'll see a fair amount of people say they don't make great first snakes. I disagree wholeheartedly. If you've done research and are prepared they're actually quite easy. If you expect a pain in the butt eater or occasional food strikes they won't stress you out so much.

Either way, if you're prepared, your enclosure and heating equipment are all set up and dialed in (equipment working right, temps controlled by a thermostat, temps dialed in, humidity, etc...) before bringing the snake home it will save a lot of stress on you and, more importantly, the animal.

Good luck, ask all the questions you may have and keep us posted.

Oh, and also, it's very important to make sure you have some money stashed away for emergency vet visits. They can and do happen. And as pet keepers it's our responsibility to make sure we can help them when they need it.
I know you're on a budget, believe me I get it. But considering you're already tight, maybe save some vet money first and buy your snake at the next expo in a few months.

[Zincubus]

Welcome !!

Royal ( Ball) pythons are fabulous first snakes PROVIDING that you ensure that it’s a GOOD feeder ..


I only buy off breeders I chat with on snake forums but it’s harder for you if you’re buying from show / event I suppose


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[QuesadillaWizard]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys! I look forward to being a part of this community. I've been reading around for a while and everyone seems nice and ready to help newcomers to the hobby.

BCR229 - I think the only thing keeping me from swapping my main goal from ball to corn or king is that they move a little faster and I'm afraid of dropping them and injuring them. I could always work my way up from having floor time to chair time like I have with my gecko.

I'll have to see who seems most promising when I get to the show--unfortunately my snake buddy isn't local so it'll just be me and some family members. Luckily I won't be swayed TOO badly by shiny snake syndrome. I walked around the entire Repticon multiple times before I settled on Tarot. Thanks for the link! I'll pull up that list and compare. I've scouted out one vendor already on youtube. They seemed nice last Repticon.

Shayne - Howdy and thanks! I'll be sure to share my new friend with yall in this thread!

Craiga - Heya! Thanks for the info! I've heard all about how pesky balls can be thanks to my buddy's snake, Ethan. Ethan is THE biggest premadonna of a snake. I've read that as long as they aren't dropping weight like crazy, just let them chill. Especially when it's breeding season and they're scouring their enclosure for sweet babes. Do I have that right? I don't want to ignore something that could be a problem.

You'll be happy to hear that I've been dry-running my enclosure for a few days now to test out everything and borderline obsessively fiddling with the thermostat and my heat gun to make sure it's just right. I've been watching my humidity gauge and continually adding holes and I swapped from aspen to paper towel (at least for now) because I live down south and it gets SO humid here.

That's so true about vet bills! I've got cats and they are very good at randomly developing problems. I just got a raise at work so I should be okay. There is an exotic vet not too far from where my local Repticon is held! :3

Zincubus - Hi! What's the best way to ask a seller if their hatchlings are eating well? The number of meals/sheds they've had? Thanks!

[Bogertophis]

I'm not a BP fan- I've kept them in the past though & didn't know quite as much as I do now (from this forum). I am more into colubrids, but there
are other great pets even besides colubrids, like the small (corn snake sized) Australian spotted python, which needs warmth similar to a BP, but isn't a fussy eater.

Good sellers usually provide feeding records with their neonates/hatchlings. Ask.

[Craiga 01453]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys! I look forward to being a part of this community. I've been reading around for a while and everyone seems nice and ready to help newcomers to the hobby.

Craiga - Heya! Thanks for the info! I've heard all about how pesky balls can be thanks to my buddy's snake, Ethan. Ethan is THE biggest premadonna of a snake. I've read that as long as they aren't dropping weight like crazy, just let them chill. Especially when it's breeding season and they're scouring their enclosure for sweet babes. Do I have that right? I don't want to ignore something that could be a problem.

You'll be happy to hear that I've been dry-running my enclosure for a few days now to test out everything and borderline obsessively fiddling with the thermostat and my heat gun to make sure it's just right. I've been watching my humidity gauge and continually adding holes and I swapped from aspen to paper towel (at least for now) because I live down south and it gets SO humid here.

That's so true about vet bills! I've got cats and they are very good at randomly developing problems. I just got a raise at work so I should be okay. There is an exotic vet not too far from where my local Repticon is held! :3
!

Awesome! Sounds like you're well prepared.

My two cents: go with your gut. If your gut is saying BP go BP. You've done your homework and know what to expect.
...and hey, BPs are the most common snake in the pet trade for a reason.

[QuesadillaWizard]

Here's the list of Reptile vendors that will be in Jackson from what I could tell:

Ballzout Ball Pythons
Frosty Pythons
Midieval Serpents
Outlaw Pythons
P&M Reptiles
McBride Ball Pythons
Rynos Reptiles and Rodents
TCB Reptiles
Pandora Exotic Reptiles
Black Magic Reptiles

I've been hunting these folks up on facebook. Some of their pages are out of date but Ballzout and Frosty seem like good breeders.

Oh! Before I forget! I want to mention that I've gone a bit Extra in that I have both a tub (the one I'm dry-running) and a 20gal long waiting for snakes so I should have a good setup for whoever comes home.

Who is everyone's favorite reptile youtuber to watch?

Bogertoph - Howdy! I think I've heard of that python! Isn't it called the children's python too? Or is that a different small snake?

[QuesadillaWizard]

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Here is the set-up that's dry running at the moment. I haven't put the fake plants or rough stuff to climb on in yet!

Thermo reads high in numbers but it actually clocks about ten below that with my gun.