Looking at getting, NEW

[danmarie]

Hello, New to this forum and new to the idea of snake ownership..
My boyfriend and I have talked about the next step in adding to our reptiles, We currently have 5 Bearded dragons and 11 Crested geckos. But have been looking into getting a ball python... I am alright with the idea just lots of
unsures due to I just got over my long time fear of snakes about a month
ago, but ever since then I have been looking at different snakes.

We are currently looking at getting this Pinstrip male( cuz one snake is all we are getting)
We talked to the guy that owns it and he hatched in 2012 he thinks around
Sept or Oct. would get back with us on the exact hatch date. and is
around 12 inches long and 225 grams.We have not bought him yet but
very interested in him we wanted to ask more questions before hand
We know its a small sized snake but wanted raise it up.

We have a few questions first:
1. What would be an appropriate sized cage for him?
2. How often would we feed him? ( we dont want to powerfeed but dont want to starve him)
3. Is 150 a bad price for him?
4. What is a good way to avoid a bad temperament? (handling him we know just anything else?)
5. Any tips for a first time snake owner?
6. How long should we wait to handle him?
7. For a pinstrip does he have good markings?

Thanks for your time and hope you have a great day!! Thanks for your advice and looking

[BCBallPythons]

Hello, New to this forum and new to the idea of snake ownership..
My boyfriend and I have talked about the next step in adding to our reptiles, We currently have 5 Bearded dragons and 11 Crested geckos. But have been looking into getting a ball python... I am alright with the idea just lots of
unsures due to I just got over my long time fear of snakes about a month
ago, but ever since then I have been looking at different snakes.

We are currently looking at getting this Pinstrip male( cuz one snake is all we are getting)
We talked to the guy that owns it and he hatched in 2012 he thinks around
Sept or Oct. would get back with us on the exact hatch date. and is
around 12 inches long and 225 grams.We have not bought him yet but
very interested in him we wanted to ask more questions before hand
We know its a small sized snake but wanted raise it up.

We have a few questions first:
1. What would be an appropriate sized cage for him?
2. How often would we feed him? ( we dont want to powerfeed but dont want to starve him)
3. Is 150 a bad price for him?
4. What is a good way to avoid a bad temperament? (handling him we know just anything else?)
5. Any tips for a first time snake owner?
6. How long should we wait to handle him?
7. For a pinstrip does he have good markings?

Thanks for your time and hope you have a great day!! Thanks for your advice and looking

Theres some great Care Sheets on this forum. Go to the "Ball Python Husbandry" Section and it will answer most of your questions.

1. 12 qt tub with heat tape/mat controlled by a thermostat

2. Offer an appropriate sized prey once a week.

3. Not bad at all but not a screaming deal or anything. Pretty standard price.

4. Thats for nature to decide. But yes handling him once or twice a week would be a good place to start. But they like to be dark and warm so dont be surprised when all he does is try to crawl away in search of warmth.

5. Check out the Care sheet i mentioned. Lots of research. And watch youtube videos of other ppls set ups, and check the "comments" to see what others are saying in response.

6. I would wait till you get about 5 meals in him consistantly before handling him on a regular basis.

7. He is a nice Pinstripe

-Ross


Http://www.BCBallPythons.com
Http://www.facebook.com/bcballpythons

[Kaorte]

We have a few questions first:
1. What would be an appropriate sized cage for him?
2. How often would we feed him? ( we dont want to powerfeed but dont want to starve him)
3. Is 150 a bad price for him?
4. What is a good way to avoid a bad temperament? (handling him we know just anything else?)
5. Any tips for a first time snake owner?
6. How long should we wait to handle him?
7. For a pinstrip does he have good markings?

Thanks for your time and hope you have a great day!! Thanks for your advice and looking

1. Either a 10 gallon or a 15qt tub. You could go a little bigger, it really depends on the snake.

2. Every 5 or 7 days is fine.

3. Sounds just about right! A nice price considering I paid $400 for my pinstripe back in '09

4. Again, it depends on the snake. You could get lucky with a very docile animal, or it could be the devil. Regular handling should help, but don't over do it or you could have the opposite effect. They are usually a little jumpy when they are young.

5. Be patient!

6. I would wait a week from the day you get him, and allow him 24-48 hours after he has eaten before handling.

7. He looks pretty good. I prefer less dots on my pinstripes and more long thin lines.



Good luck with your new pet and to the forum!

[Valley]

You just think your only getting one.. Good luck and welcome to the addiction.

[MrLang]

With the number of beardies and cresteds you have, get yourself a rack right out of the gate and save the expense later when you realize you want 5 more snakes.

Ball pythons are not very 'snakey' snakes - a great starter for someone who isn't quite sure about snakes.

[Orenshi]

With the number of beardies and cresteds you have, get yourself a rack right out of the gate and save the expense later when you realize you want 5 more snakes.

Ball pythons are not very 'snakey' snakes - a great starter for someone who isn't quite sure about snakes.

Yessss. Agreed. Get a rack. Feed the addiction! Buahahaha

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

[BlueMoonExotics]

From someone who was also a bit snake shy (after my baby struck at me), I would say the best advice I can give is to make sure there is SOMEONE there who is willing to handle him if you are nervous or may be nervous if he does show a bit of aggression. In my case, I now believe it was a combination of me making her scared by being/acting nervous myself and her being just a baby. She couldn't learn to trust me if I wasn't confident. Don't hesitate when you go to pick him up, even if he has struck at you before because it only makes him more likely to strike at you (at least that is what I'm told and in my case is true). Remember that if he does show any sign of striking at you, it's most likely because he's scared (or you smell like rat lol) and he'll learn to relax with time. I haven't heard any complaints on here yet about a ball python bite really hurting, even from first timers so keep that in mind too. =)

[danmarie]

Thanks everyone!! And yes I told my BF that we will prob not be able to stop at just one but we are going to try and my boyfriend has switched directions on me and decided he wanted to purchase a Spider Female she is a little bit bigger in grams (300) than the previous male. She is a normal X Golden spider, I dont have any pictures yet but the guy seems alot more into his snakes and knows his stuff and we feel confident in him where the other seller before was not very discriptive with his. And we just wanted to buy our first snake from someone that knew the hatch date and the temperament, just someone that knows the snake and able to answer our questions. So I think that is why we went with the spider but she is still an amazing snake and not a bad price. Once I get pictures Ill post them Next is going to be trying to figure out a name for her

Thank You ALL for answering my questions