Ball python VS. Jungle carpet python?

[coolguypat27]

Which would you prefer and why?

[rabernet]

Ball python - because I'm a ball python fanatic!

Seriously though, JCP's are also very nice, and it's really going to be a personal preference.

[Ricky]

I guess it depends on what your looking for. I have mostly carpets, mostly because they're semi-arboreal and make great displays. Carpets do take more room to house than balls though. I'm working on starting a ball project too though, so I guess I'd say both!

[Tcass100]

How big do the carpets get compared to balls?..or compared to reticulated or burmese? I know the balls are suppose to be around 4 ft which is why I got one I didnt want a 30 foot monster to take care of, but Im just curious as to how big each species gets.

[carpenter tony]

I happen to have both . the big ball python is very "user friendly"He wieghs in at 1700 and a very wonderful snake my jungle diamond X is a little strickish though she is getting better I also have a nice pastel female and a 50% het albino male thats also very easy and a joy to work with i sure hope the jungle tames up a bit

[BrucenBruce]

Hey, Pat the Cool Guy!

Both are delightful snakes, so it really depends what you're looking for. Neither reach anything like the size of a burmese or retic. Though the ball will stay smaller than the carpet, it's a heavier bodied snake. Do you want a display snake? The ball python is a ground snake by and large, and semi-fossorial. It spends a lot of time hiding in burrows in the wild, or under hideboxes here at home. The carpet python will spend more time out & on display, and being semi-arborial, will spend more time climbing about in any branches you include in its habitat. Are you looking for a cuddly lap snake? The ball python is one of the most docile species of boid snake, and usually a fairly slow mover, while the carpet may be more aggressive, and a bit more exploratory. Are you thinking of breeding, painting on a canvas of scales? You might like the ball python's many morphs.

So, get around some snakes, talk to folks, read the care sheets - and find out what _you_ like!

As for me . . . I've got a dozen balls here, and a blood python - but carpets & diamonds are on my wishlist!

~Bruce

[mainbutter]

IMO, carpet pythons make better pets, more fun with handling and getting to truly impressive lengths without becoming unmanageable.

With the wide variety of morphs available for ball pythons however, there is a serious advantage in choices for breeding projects, if that is what you're interested in.

[mainbutter]

How big do the carpets get compared to balls?..or compared to reticulated or burmese? I know the balls are suppose to be around 4 ft which is why I got one I didnt want a 30 foot monster to take care of, but Im just curious as to how big each species gets.

Just FYI ball pythons can get bigger than 4 foot! Usually not too much bigger, but I don't want you thinking that the 3'9'' ball python is "almost done growing". Also, growth in BPs, since they are a heavy bodied snake, is usually referenced more by weight than length, since it is more important for breeding purposes.

Carpet pythons are composed of a couple subspecies, Irian Jayas being the smallest at ~5-6 foot(correct me if I'm wrong plz) as adults, and coastal carpet pythons being the largest. I currently own an '08 coastal Large female coastals might break 10 foot if they are especially large, the biggest on record is a wild specimen at 14 foot.

The other subspecies fall in between. I have seen some pictures of particularly large female jungle carpet pythons, but these are certainly not unmanageable snakes. It's important to remember that a 8 or 9 foot carpet python is still quite skinny for its length, compared to heavy bodied snakes such as ball pythons or blood pythons.