Back in August I purchased my first snake, a ball python which, about a month later, ended sadly because she died. It was extremely difficult to get her to eat, and looking back at her pictures I realize she was probably sick when I got her. She was very thin even from the pictures I took of me holding her at the pet store and honestly never looked round and plump. The more I tell people about my experience the more I keep hearing bad things from the place I got her from. Anything from stories identical to mine, to people getting snakes covered in mites (and mites actually biting the person's neck because the snake was around his neck). Anything to make a buck. Only the fancy morphed ball pythons had their own enclosures. My snake, being just a normal ball, was in a big tank with about 8-10 others. I heard the guy buys them for $2 a pop so that if half of them die, with him selling them for $40, he still makes a nice profit.

Nearly everyone I talk to agrees it was not my fault about what happened. But it still made me feel like crap and I was so worried it was something I had done. I had even taken her back to the store asking for help because I knew she was sick and all he did was hook a mouse on her teeth so she had to eat it. A week later, even though I was texting him telling him she wasn't right and I didn't know what to do, he was like, "Oh, sounds normal to me." And she died the next day.

I know for a fact my husbandry was right. My only regret is that there are really no vets around here that will see reptiles. I called several different vets, kept getting referred to other vets, none of which would see her, (which was why in my desperation I took her to the store hoping the guy would know what to do.) Obviously, he didn't. (This is a place that told my husband that buying a UTH or even a heat lamp was unnecessary for a corn snake.) I was like, Umm.. no, they need heat too!

This happened back late August/early September and it took me this long to finally post about it here because I felt like crap and was so scared it was something I had done. But reading reading reading, lots of research, talking, posting on this forum (you guys were always great at giving advice), just wasn't enough to save my ball python who I guess really never had a chance from the start.

I ended up purchasing a Kenyan Sand Boa about a month later. She is WONDERFUL. I love her. She is a GREAT eater, has had 2 great sheds, she's laid back, easy to care for, I can't say enough good things about her. Most importantly SHE IS HEALTHY! (No, I did not get her from the same store. I try to give that place as little business as possible now.)

As you can imagine being a first time snake owner and having such a bad experience with my ball python, my confidence was shot at being able to own one. But since then, my KSB has boosted my confidence and I think I might be ready to try it again. I had spent $400 on a 1 piece acrylic enclosure made specifically for ball pythons that has been sitting in the attic empty since then. Kind of a shame letting it go to waste, don't you think?

I would like to get a baby ball python. Do you guys thing it is possible to get one that is very young but already eating f/t? My KSB eats f/t without hesitation and it's so much more convenient (and a little less stressful, less risk of injury, etc).

I am still open to other suggestions of species. While I love my KSB and wouldn't trade her for the world, I would still like a snake that I can just put on my shoulders, walk around with, etc. KSBs don't really hang on very well lol. I just want a snake that will chill out with me, you know? My step son recently purchased a black blood python (really pretty!) from a show and it's a great eater and he is really enjoying it.

I want something that won't get all that big, so I'll probably get a male of whatever I end up with. 3-4 ft is fine with me!

What do you guys think? Ball? Blood? Some sort of boa? And is getting a young one okay? I'd like to be able to get used to it/it get used to me as a baby and I am not getting it from that bad store!!!!