Just got my first Ball Python. A few questions.

[Roadside Jerker]

Of course no worries. I hope your confidence grows and you feel better soon. If you ever want to talk just send me a private message. I'd be happy to chat.


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Thank you! Do you know anything about cornsnakes? From what I've read they're more hardier and eat better than BP's and don't have as strict humidity requirements which may be better for me stress wise so I've been thinking of them as my first reptile.

[JoRandom]

Unfortunately I do not. I happen to live in Florida which is already very humid, so I can see how keeping humidity in other places could be challenging. I do know, research is your friend. Books, blogs, talking to the staff at legitimate reptile shops, etc, is very helpful. Peruse the corn snakes section of this site.


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[kir.davis]

For when you are ready for a ball python in the future, the snake's behavior was completely normal. When I got my snake she did the same thing for a week and she would move around the cage for literally 12 hours straight with small pauses. Corn snakes are great but keep in mind that as babies they are more nippy and they move really fast. When I was younger and got a corn snake it freaked me out because I was struck at quite often. I gave him to a nice family with a little kid. Ball pythons are stereotypically more docile.

I'm proud of you for making a good decision to focus on your health. It is a hard decision to make but an important and worthy one. Good luck with everything!

[Roadside Jerker]

For when you are ready for a ball python in the future, the snake's behavior was completely normal. When I got my snake she did the same thing for a week and she would move around the cage for literally 12 hours straight with small pauses. Corn snakes are great but keep in mind that as babies they are more nippy and they move really fast. When I was younger and got a corn snake it freaked me out because I was struck at quite often. I gave him to a nice family with a little kid. Ball pythons are stereotypically more docile.

I'm proud of you for making a good decision to focus on your health. It is a hard decision to make but an important and worthy one. Good luck with everything!

I was familiar that they slept like 90% of the time but when I got mine I was so stressed at the possibility of him lying dead in there that I kept checking on him like every 20 minutes to see if he was in there and would tap on the glass so he flicked his tongue which I give a brief sigh of relief. I was also extremely worried he was going to get out. I had him in a tank with a locking mechanism and would give a slight tug at each corner to make sure but I was still worried he would escape through the night and one of my dogs or cats would get a hold of him. I was also worried that they weren't as hardy as a cornsnake. I felt that if his humidity wasn't perfect 24/7 that he would get either scale rot or an RI. And that every time he looked up he'd be stargazing. After worrying a lot and stressing completely out I realized I was just not quite ready for a BP. Taking him back was a tough decision as I felt bad that he was just settling in and that I wasn't giving him a chance. But I know now that it was the right one. I'm now thinking on getting a cornsnake as my first snake/reptile because they eat better and are much more hardy. I wouldn't have to worry about humidity because the humidity in my house is always 20-40%. Anyways I'm sorry for pretty much repeating myself but I'm just explaining it good. Thanks to all of you for understanding why I did what I did and I'll be sticking around still researching BP's and cornsnakes while I get better so I'll be able to own my first snake when the time comes.

[wideglide]

Good for you! I can't say anything regarding emotions but your decision making sure seems to be commendable. Give it another try sometime once you've had your corn for a while. You will find it's not too bad once you get a little experience. I was a wreck when I got my first snake which was a BP. They really are very hardy. Take care!

Rob