First of all, let me give you a big for doing your research prior to getting a new pet. That is the first mistake many people make and you will be saving yourself a lot of trouble and money by doing it first.

Also, to the forum! This is probably the best place you could have ended up regarding ball python care.


I will agree with the other members that royal constrictors are reputable. I would definitely buy from a breeder before buying from a pet store. If you are thinking about getting more than one snake, it might be worth your while to look into some of the cool color morphs out there. There are some that are even under $100 right now.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59
Here is the ball python care sheet that will probably help answer a lot of questions you have about their care.

I have used a few different types of substrate and I think paper towels beats all of them. It looks pretty nice in cages, easy to clean and relatively cheap. I am not really a fan of loose bedding because it can sometimes be hard to find the poo and pee and then it ends up sitting in there for a long time (yuck).

Probably your main struggle will be with temperatures and humidity. There are a few pieces of equipment that you should really purchase. Some can only be found online, others only in stores.

Since I feel like it, I will write up a little shopping list of things that I recommend you get as a first time ball python owner.

1. Under tank heater: these are mostly found in pet stores. I have had good experiences with the zoo-med heat pads. You want a heat pad that will cover about 1/3 of the floor space of whatever enclosure you use.

2. Thermostat: If you use an under tank heater (UTH) you absolutely need to use a thermostat with it. A thermostat is not a thermometer. It is a device (like in your house) that will control the temperature of the UTH. The reptitemp 500r is about $25 and is widely available online but is hard to find in stores.

3. Thermometers and Hygrometers: Digital is the way to go with these. The accurite weather station can be found at the home depot for about $11. It measures 2 temperatures and humidity. The nice thing about this unit is that it has an external probe that you can use to measure the temp of the UTH to make sure it stays around 90-94*.

4. Hides: Half log hides are junk. They don't provide any security for these shy snakes and should be avoided. The rock cave type hides are best, but you can be thrifty and use up-turned plastic bowls instead.

5. Water dish: Contrary to popular belief, you really don't need a water bowl big enough for the snake to soak in. They aren't the soaking type and will only really soak if there is a husbandry problem.


That is really all you need aside from an enclosure. I keep all my snakes in tubs and have since shortly after I got my first snake. If you house gets cold though, you might have an issue with a tub since you can't use supplemental over head heating with them.

I hope this helps get you started!