Considering Buying a Ball Python.

[Munizfire]

1) No, not at all, never!

2) Only for breeding

3) No

4) LOL- No!

5) They feel only vibrations

6) I spend 20 minutes, twice a week

7) PetSmart is ok and $90 is a bit high but not crazy. $65-$80 is norm for a regular ball

wow, i thought i would be spending more time with her

1. No, they will probably not recognize it as food to begin with, and even if they do it doesn't do them much good because they aren't meant to eat fish really ever.
2. There isn't really a big difference between males and females personality-wise, but females will tend to get bigger than males.
3. That "fat" look is how they are supposed to be. They are not obese, that's just the way they are built. A skinny ball python is not a healthy ball python at all.
4. It's tough to tell from just one hanndling as it will likely be freaked out. The best way to tell temperament before you buy is to go over and handle it a few times on different days, cause they can have good and bad days like we do.
5. Technically they are believed to be deaf, but they can and do pick up vibrations through the ground, so if you play loud you might be better off to keep the snake away from the amp.
6. If you get one, don't handle it for the first week at least to let it settle in. Then after that you'll want to slowly start handling it, maybe a five or ten minute session every other day for the first little while, then gradually increase the time. If the snake starts to act anxious, then end the handling session for that day. And don't handle for 48 hours after it has eaten so the snake can digest its meal.
7. NO. Petsmart does not keep their reptiles very well and they can often come home with a pack of problems. You'd be best to go for a breeder, if you get a normal they're usually cheaper from breeders too.

From what you seem concerned about (being able to feed fish "for the fun of it" and having a thin snake) you should probably go for a garter snake, they're thin and can eat fish.

Not really concerned, would just like to see my snake eat a fish. Could most definitely live without seeing it

There's nothing wrong with being into colubrids... if you don't like the fat look, then you would not like a BP. And they can be on rats their whole life, actually. They are more wholesome. Buying that BP from Petsmart is enabling the one across town that has half-dead snakes with no water to keep neglecting. If you still want to give them your business, nobody is stopping you. Just think about it first.

i have nothing against the 'fat' look, i just asked because I have seen some thinner HEALTHY BPs, the same way i have seen excessively wide BPs. Look at pictures.

Also, in Puerto Rico, as far as I know, there aren't many pet shops that sell snakes, and most of them bring wild imported snakes, for almost the same price

pics:
'thin' Picture is from member Atrax(sorry for not asking for permission to do this )

yes, I know this is a very young snake, but is there no way to keep em at this girth/length ratio as adults? maybe just a little thicker?

as opposed to this: