Getting a BP

[Griffith]

Lol Deborah, I thought I saw this thread twice...or similar threads


And to the OP, just because some person wrote it somewhere that her BP chills on her everywhere she goes doesn't mean it should

A corn or even a smaller locality boa sounds like something more fitting from everything you are saying...

[Daybreaker]

" I take mine just about everywhere in the summer including libraries and ren faires where small children pass her around and pet her and play with her."
I read this from an article. She says it just chills on her neck.

Eh....not the best advice in that article I would say IMO. Balls can stress easily (not all of them, it depends on the individual) but a stressed snake can lead to not eating for you and other problems probably not best for a beginner. I would not recommend taking your ball here, there, everywhere because not everyone in the public will take kindly to being around a snake. There's just too much fear and ignorance around and taking a snake out in the public in a non-educational presentation setting will do more harm than good for our hobby.

Hanging with your snake around your house though is totally okay but I recommend doing so in moderation for the stress factor. Just make sure it doesn't fall off, balls are quite clumsy. I, too, would recommend looking into another species. Boas came to mind but they will need much more room once adults (IMO larger than your 60 gallon) depending on the boa species.

[NormanSnake]

That is not common for a ball python to be that ok with being toted around. Most ball pythons, in my opinion are not going to be ok with being handled constantly. If you are really dead set on getting a ball python, go ahead, but I'm just fore-warning you that these things can give you problems down the road. Why take the chance? Just do some research and find a breed that is more tolerant of those things and fits your ideas better? I have a corn snake, she's my baby. I have her because I wanted a snake that I could hold all the time. She's tame as a puppy, and I can even touch her head and she doesn't mind. Much different than my head-shy BP. She would be out all day if I'd let her, and she would definitely enjoy having a large enclosure to roam around in.

[Griffith]

I think it sounds like a smaller locality boa would be perfect for him! Depends on the floor dimensions of his 60 gallon, but a male Hogg Island or a Cay Caulker would be perfect in that.

I had corns and the past, and while I loved them, I found that even as adults alot of them are still pretty quick movers, whereas a nice boa would get some girth on him but still stay pretty short

[Brent152]

I think it sounds like a smaller locality boa would be perfect for him! Depends on the floor dimensions of his 60 gallon, but a male Hogg Island or a Cay Caulker would be perfect in that.

I had corns and the past, and while I loved them, I found that even as adults alot of them are still pretty quick movers, whereas a nice boa would get some girth on him but still stay pretty short

I'm liking this idea, but I'm totally stuck on the BP idea, I've learned so much about them. I will have to take this into consideration, I have 2 weeks.

[Brent152]

Eh....not the best advice in that article I would say IMO. Balls can stress easily (not all of them, it depends on the individual) but a stressed snake can lead to not eating for you and other problems probably not best for a beginner. I would not recommend taking your ball here, there, everywhere because not everyone in the public will take kindly to being around a snake. There's just too much fear and ignorance around and taking a snake out in the public in a non-educational presentation setting will do more harm than good for our hobby.

Hanging with your snake around your house though is totally okay but I recommend doing so in moderation for the stress factor. Just make sure it doesn't fall off, balls are quite clumsy. I, too, would recommend looking into another species. Boas came to mind but they will need much more room once adults (IMO larger than your 60 gallon) depending on the boa species.

I totally agree with you. I'm not looking to take it into public. I'm just looking to sit down on the couch/computer and have it there. What do you consider "moderation", and for how long at a time MAX?
I will consider a Boa, but I have a 6ft limit for a snake, or I will have to get rid of it =(

[Brent152]

That is not common for a ball python to be that ok with being toted around. Most ball pythons, in my opinion are not going to be ok with being handled constantly. If you are really dead set on getting a ball python, go ahead, but I'm just fore-warning you that these things can give you problems down the road. Why take the chance? Just do some research and find a breed that is more tolerant of those things and fits your ideas better? I have a corn snake, she's my baby. I have her because I wanted a snake that I could hold all the time. She's tame as a puppy, and I can even touch her head and she doesn't mind. Much different than my head-shy BP. She would be out all day if I'd let her, and she would definitely enjoy having a large enclosure to roam around in.

I really would consider a corn, but I heard they're not one to chill around your neck. I have dogs, so I can't have it escaping. I heard Ball Python's are much slower, and lazy.

[Griffith]

I'm liking this idea, but I'm totally stuck on the BP idea, I've learned so much about them. I will have to take this into consideration, I have 2 weeks.

I think you need to look more into a Hogg Island Male. They can be had way under your budget, and you can pick out a real nice one.
Won't get too big...probably max out around 4' long, but girthy like a BP....slow-ish moving, and like to chill...

[Brent152]

I think you need to look more into a Hogg Island Male. They can be had way under your budget, and you can pick out a real nice one.
Won't get too big...probably max out around 4' long, but girthy like a BP....slow-ish moving, and like to chill...

And they can START and live in a 60gal tank forever?

[Dracoluna]

I really would consider a corn, but I heard they're not one to chill around your neck. I have dogs, so I can't have it escaping. I heard Ball Python's are much slower, and lazy.

I've had corns and bred them since 2003. There are some that are lazy but most are very active. They do not just hang out generally speaking and like to explore. They do, however, handle constant handling with ease and eat just about anything without fail. I have 2 that will just hang out on me but they are also the exception and are very, very lazy corns...

From what I've seen though, it really depends on the snake no matter the species. Ceti, my pastave girl, is shier and was that way when I got her. She'd ball up and take a bit to come out of her shell. I limit her handling because I don't want to risk stressing her. Aria, my albino girl, I take out, carry around, and she's one that goes to educational programs with me where she's out and handled by lots of people. Not once has she refused food or seemed stressed out but when I got her as a hatchling, she wasn't balling up or seemed to be worried. Just a difference in temperament. The key is knowing your animal and frankly, the only reason I trust my judgement in taking Aria out so much is I've handled snakes for years and have learned to read them. If you don't have experience with them, it's easy to miss signs that they are stressing. Refusing food is just one of many. A stressed snake is also more susceptible to respiratory infections and other issues like regurges which are much more serious in snakes than it is in a human.

Just remember that a bp that is taken out and shown around is the EXCEPTION and not the rule. If you still insist on getting one and want to have it out a lot, take your time in picking them out and see what their personality is like before buying. Also get to know the breeder so that you have a contact that's (hopefully) local and can help you out should your snake have issues. Forums are great but nothing beats an experienced breeder who can physically look at your snake to tell you how things are going.

I'm not saying these things to scare you off of bps but so that you understand what you're going into. I dealt with corns for years before getting into bp's and I'm glad I did. Some species are easier to take care of than others. Read through the husbandry forums and you'll read hundreds of threads where people without snake experience went out, got a bp, and then had issue after issue because they didn't know how to care for and read their animal. I'd rather you have a positive experience and get everything out of your new pet that you want than end up with problems or an animal that doesn't fit your situation.