Why Are Ball Pythons Beginner Species?

[kc261]

I'll start off by mentioning that I've seen people say that BPs are not good beginner snakes, so that is part of your answer right there. It is a matter of opinion.

I agree with what has been said so far. BPs have a great temperament, which makes them good for beginners. They also are pretty hardy. If it takes a newbie a little while to figure out how to set up their enclosure properly, the BP is unlikely to suffer any long term ill effects. We've all seen stories of some BP that was rescued after having lived for years with no heat, no humidity, etc.

Although it does require some effort, getting a proper environment set up for a BP is not hard. Also, it does not cost a lot of money. As Rich (Spaniard) pointed out, the bigger difficulty may be in sorting through all the incorrect info to find the good advice, rather than actually caring for the BP. Anyone that is willing to put in the effort and a little $$ can properly care for a BP.

Some of the more advanced species may be dangerous if not handled correctly. They may require food other than easy to obtain rodents. They may require more $$ to set up an enclosure. They may be much less forgiving of improper temps and humidity.

BPs definitely aren't the easiest snakes out there, either. But I still think they are fine for beginners. MANY people on this forum had a BP as their first snake, and were quite successful with it.

You raise an issue that not everyone will put in the little extra effort. This is true, but it is true with every species, even cats & dogs. It is a sad fact that we have to deal with that in this hobby and in all cases of animal ownership, there will always be those few who neglect and/or abuse their animals. If we started saying that animals that require a little effort to take care of them properly should not be beginner species, then pretty soon PETA would have their way and no one will own any animals at all.