Getting my first BP. Habitat questions.

[burnt941]

Hi Everyone -

I'm getting my first ball python soon. It is really for my kids and from what I have read it is a good starter snake. I'm experienced with reptiles having owned bearded dragons, geckos and other lizards. This is my first snake though. All of my old equipment is gone so i'm looking for a new setup. Do you think this is a good starter for a juvenile?

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcos...er-kit-2731747

What else would I need? Any other starter kit recommendations? Piecing things together seems to be a lot more expensive.

Thanks in advance!

[PythonBabes]

If it's for your kids, don't get a ball python. They like to be hidden away and left alone almost 100% of the time. Kind of a myth that ball pythons are good beginner snakes.

Get a cornsnake. Much more social and forgiving with husbandry.

[Sunnieskys]

King snakes are good too

[PythonBabes]

For kids....

King snakes can be very high strung and bitey, not a good choice for someone who is not confident handling snakes.

[burnt941]

For clarification, my kids don't live with me so they won't be around it all the time. I'm going to handle it a couple of times a week to keep it tame. Corn snakes seem too be a little too wild to just sit there and hold them. Thoughts?

[Sunnieskys]

They tame down rather quickly just as kings do. My king is tame and sweet and he is only 6mo old. He isn't squirmy like corns are in the beginning. The more you handle the calmer they become. Either one is good. They both will eat all day long if you let them. Especially corns lol. I feed two pinkies and they still are ready for more.

[PythonBabes]

A couple times a week is definitely enough to stress a ball python, and when they get stressed out they don't eat. My ball python gets handled maybe once a week.

Corns calm down with age and handling. If you're worried about squirmyness, maybe think about adopting a sub adult or even an adult corn snake? It's mostly the hatchlings and young ones that are prone to being squirmy and timid.

[omglolchrisss]

Op don't listen to anyone that says ball pythons aren't for beginners any snake is a beginner snake if you do your research and maintain proper husbandry also I handle mine way more than a couple times a week no stress no aggression no feeding strikes and sometimes I'm drunk when I handle him!

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[burnt941]

So back to the original topic, what do you think of the habitat?

[PythonBabes]

They can be. However, first time snake owners are more likely to make mistakes in snake care, which can be very bad for ball pythons. A corn snake or or king snake isn't going to get a respiratory infection if their temps and humidity is wrong for a few hours or days, a ball python will.