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  1. #1
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    New User Question - Ball as 1st Snake for Child

    Hello everyone. A few weeks ago, I took my 7 year old son to Repticon and decided to let him get his first snake. We narrowed it down to a Ball or a Corn, but I've largely decided in favor of the Ball. My reasoning is that even though the husbandry seems easier and more forgiving for the Corn, the Ball seems more relaxed when handling. The Corn looks like it always has to be moving and that might be frustrating for a young kids first snake. Although all handling will be supervised by me, I'm a little worried a Corn may get away from him and the Ball just looks so calm. As for the husbandry, I will be heavily assisting and I have experience keeping a Dumerils Boa for nearly 10 years in the past. I'm curious if there's any reason to second guess the decision on the getting the Ball for a 7 year old?

    I've read the Ball can be nippy, especially as a baby. Is this really individual snake dependent or are most of them this way at first? I'm totally fine working with a young snake to get it to be more docile, but it might not be a great experience if he gets intimidated by his 1st snake. Would I be better off with a less young one?

    Besides the humidity, is there any huge difference b/t keeping a Boa and a Ball?

    My intent is to start the Ball in a 20gal which I will get all dialed in ahead of time. Then, we'll upgrade to something nicer once it gets a little bigger. I used a Boaphiles in the past, but I'll probably go with an AP T8 this time around.


    Thanks for reading!

  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran Southpaw91's Avatar
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    Re: New User Question - Ball as 1st Snake for Child

    My ball is my first snake and we are doing great. However, I'm nearly 30 lol. I think balls make great first snakes as long as you do your research and know what to expect. The only reason I can think of that they may not be good for a young'n is that they can be a bit .... well, boring for lack of a better word. They are very shy and you won't see much of them in their enclosure apart from feeding time. That, and they are nocturnal so they will be hidden during the daytime. Corns tend to be a bit more active and are diurnal so you get to see them moving around their enclosure a bit more. But overall I think both are great choices. Balls definitely help teach patience for sure lol.

    I got my girl at about 2.5 months old and she has never been nippy with me, but that's just one individual.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

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  4. #3
    Registered User Meghenebk's Avatar
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    Personally, I'd get an adult/subadult corn. Much calmer, not flighty, and more interesting/active to a kid.

    Just keep in mind that this will be your snake, not your kids'. Pick what you like. At 7 he may stay interested in snakes in general, and get attached to that one in particular and take it off to college.

    But it is far more likely that it will simply be your snake within a year.

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  6. #4
    BPnet Veteran WhompingWillow's Avatar
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    Re: New User Question - Ball as 1st Snake for Child

    Both are great snakes, depending on what you're looking for, and neither is particularly difficult to care for as long as you do your research, ask questions, and prepare. None of my BPs have been nippy, even as young animals. Neither has my corn. The corn is generally much more active when out. Although most of my BP's don't do the stereotypical curling up when out either. They're plenty active too.

    A happy BP is generally a hiding BP. Young ones might cruise their tanks, and they may do that when older if hungry. But generally they're kinda like pet rocks.

    If you are able to get an animal from an expo or a good store, the benefit is that you can handle the snake prior to purchasing to get a general idea about temperament.

    If you decide on a BP, make sure to ask about diet (ie, on live or F/T, mice or rats, if a baby has it had at least a few meals, etc.)
    BALL PYTHONS: 1.0 Pied/Clark, 1.0 Pastel Vanilla Super Stripe/Sunny, 0.1 Dragon Fly/Buffy, 0.1 Pastel Vanilla Yellow Belly/Cher, 0.1 BEL (Mojave Lesser)/Arya, 0.0.1 Normal/Norm, 0.1 Cinnamon Enchi/Peaches, 1.0 Cinnamon Calico/Yoshi, 0.1 Pewter Het Dreamsicle/Ariel
    BOAS: 0.1 Dumeril's/Memphis, 0.1 BCL/Artemis, 1.0 BCO/Grimm, 0.1 Suriname BCC/Rhubarb
    CORN SNAKES: 0.0.1/Mushu
    MORELIA: 0.1 Bredli/Zelda, 0.1 Granite IJ/Bridget, 0.1 Caramel Diamond Jungle/Pixie

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  8. #5
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    I have a Dumerils boa as well, corns and a ball python which is my first snake.

    Husbandry is similar to Dumerils boa but higher temps (88-90) in the hot spot and 77-80 in cold side. Good hides are a must, something that hugs the top and sides of the snake because they are much more shy than a Dumerils. Feeding issues with BP can be more problematic than a Dumerils, with some who would only eat mice or rats, the color of the rodent, etc. While many bp eat well once they get going, you run the risk of dealing with one who might just eat when and what it wants, no matter how accurate your husbandry is, and that can be a headache if you plan to breed. Also, a hungry baby ball python cannot wait out a strike the same way a boa can. The body condition of a not-eating bp in 3 weeks appear visibly while the same boa going without food for 3 weeks don't seem to affect them much, so getting one to eat as soon as possible at a young age is a must. Whereas in Dumerils boa keeping, quail or chicks can be used to get them started then transition to rodents, it is not recommended for bp because of their stubborn way of wanting to eat the same thing over and over again, making transitions a challenge.

    Long story short, if you want an easy overall snake for your son who may eventually take over keeping it when he is old enough, a corn would be best. By then, the corn would be grown, docile and sturdy enough for handling, feeding would be easy and mistakes are easily forgiven. They adjust being handled a lot more than a bp being handled too often causes stress and feeding strike. Corns are no lap snakes but not all wants to go anywhere either. A lot of it depends on personality and positive association with the keeper. I have 3 corns, all came to me about 2-3 months old. All started out skittish. Within a week's time, they all learned to look for food when I visit their cages. Two of them are easy to handle without trying to run away, the oldest being so calm that he just sits on my hand. The smallest of the 3 remained skittish when picked up, nips and musks. I usually pick them up prior to feeding. Then when I put them back down, I reward them their meal which they would eat on my hand if they could. With time, handling gets easier and easier, they learned that you won't hurt them and less likely they want to run away but more like trying to explore you when picked up.

  9. #6
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Re: New User Question - Ball as 1st Snake for Child

    Any snake you buy "for" a 7 year old is going to be YOUR snake first, or it won't survive. It will be years before your child is old enough to be responsible, much less able to understand the care requirements for a snake, but if you're totally involved, it will be a "win" for you both, as your son learns to respect, understand & care for whatever you decide to get.

    Looks are deceiving, so it might be wiser to guide your son on this decision; he's not old enough to understand the difference, & if you make the choice, I suspect he'll be ecstatic no matter which kind or color comes home with you. ALL "baby" snakes are nippy...it varies more by the individual personality than by the species. You can find snappy ball pythons and snappy rat snakes. You can also find either one that just looks at you with curious googly-eyes without biting. Consider that BPs are less active, more likely to hide, & are more stressed by temperature fluctuations or other changes that may cause them to be problematic feeders. It's a LOT more fun, in my some-what prejudiced view to share ownership of a snake with a child that is more outgoing, nosy, easy to feed and even likes to climb branches provided...therefore, I'd cast my vote for a corn or rat snake* (*some kinds are much mellower than others) rather than a more complex-to-keep BP. But it's your call, as it will BE YOUR SNAKE for a very long time. (Pssst! Glass tanks have more visibility & are also perfect for corn & rat snakes...not so much for BPs.)

    I would NOT recommend getting a hatchling corn snake, as it will be a LONG time before handling is a good idea, especially by a child (let's face it, kids can be clumsy & small snakes will be unable to defend themselves & can be easily injured...or LOST). Find at least a yearling corn or rat snake, or a healthy c/b one that's even a couple years old. That, IMO, would be the best way to start...corn snakes may move around more but tend to be very docile, unlikely to bite. There are exceptions, but they're obvious & easily avoided. Even the most curious child of 7 will be bored to death in no time if you follow the guidelines about no handling for the best survival of the snake while IT has a chance to grow up & learns to eat. I hope you reconsider getting a hatchling of ANY kind. All the best.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 01-19-2020 at 01:06 PM.
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  10. #7
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    The biggest thing I would keep in mind is that this snake could very well be your snake. All the interest in the world at 7 years old could fade pretty quickly. You're looking at 20+ years with the snake.
    So maybe your kid loses interest, maybe goes off to college and can't bring the snake, etc...

    Just be prepared for it to be your snake. Hopefully your boys passion continues to grow, but don't bank on it.

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  12. #8
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
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    Re: New User Question - Ball as 1st Snake for Child

    Quote Originally Posted by WhompingWillow View Post
    Both are great snakes, depending on what you're looking for, and neither is particularly difficult to care for as long as you do your research, ask questions, and prepare. None of my BPs have been nippy, even as young animals. Neither has my corn. The corn is generally much more active when out. Although most of my BP's don't do the stereotypical curling up when out either. They're plenty active too.

    A happy BP is generally a hiding BP. Young ones might cruise their tanks, and they may do that when older if hungry. But generally they're kinda like pet rocks.

    If you are able to get an animal from an expo or a good store, the benefit is that you can handle the snake prior to purchasing to get a general idea about temperament.

    If you decide on a BP, make sure to ask about diet (ie, on live or F/T, mice or rats, if a baby has it had at least a few meals, etc.)
    This


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro




  13. #9
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
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    Re: New User Question - Ball as 1st Snake for Child

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    Any snake you buy "for" a 7 year old is going to be YOUR snake first, or it won't survive. It will be years before your child is old enough to be responsible, much less able to understand the care requirements for a snake, but if you're totally involved, it will be a "win" for you both, as your son learns to respect, understand & care for whatever you decide to get.

    Looks are deceiving, so it might be wiser to guide your son on this decision; he's not old enough to understand the difference, & if you make the choice, I suspect he'll be ecstatic no matter which kind or color comes home with you. ALL "baby" snakes are nippy...it varies more by the individual personality than by the species. You can find snappy ball pythons and snappy rat snakes. You can also find either one that just looks at you with curious googly-eyes without biting. Consider that BPs are less active, more likely to hide, & are more stressed by temperature fluctuations or other changes that may cause them to be problematic feeders. It's a LOT more fun, in my some-what prejudiced view to share ownership of a snake with a child that is more outgoing, nosy, easy to feed and even likes to climb branches provided...therefore, I'd cast my vote for a corn or rat snake* (*some kinds are much mellower than others) rather than a more complex-to-keep BP. But it's your call, as it will BE YOUR SNAKE for a very long time. (Pssst! Glass tanks have more visibility & are also perfect for corn & rat snakes...not so much for BPs.)

    I would NOT recommend getting a hatchling corn snake, as it will be a LONG time before handling is a good idea, especially by a child (let's face it, kids can be clumsy & small snakes will be unable to defend themselves & can be easily injured...or LOST). Find at least a yearling corn or rat snake, or a healthy c/b one that's even a couple years old. That, IMO, would be the best way to start...corn snakes may move around more but tend to be very docile, unlikely to bite. There are exceptions, but they're obvious & easily avoided. Even the most curious child of 7 will be bored to death in no time if you follow the guidelines about no handling for the best survival of the snake while IT has a chance to grow up & learns to eat. I hope you reconsider getting a hatchling of ANY kind. All the best.
    This


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro




  14. #10
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
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    New User Question - Ball as 1st Snake for Child

    If your child is gonna be handling the snake then it HAS to be a Royal / Ball Python .. they’re slow moving , calm and rarely snappy .. ( I’ve never ever come across one that’s been snappy )

    They’re big enough to handle plus they’re very slow moving and predictable - hatchling Corn snakes are tiny and are as fast as hell when they’re young .. maybe ok when they’re 18 months to two year old .


    The MAIN thing when buying a Royal / Ball Python is to buy off a trustworthy source/breeder and ensure that it is a GOOD feeder !!


    Here’s one of my babies ( just out of the egg) and a Corn baby for comparison




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    Last edited by Zincubus; 01-19-2020 at 05:06 PM.




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