Noob question regarding Boids

[Blitzjg]

Baby ball pythons typically have to be started on live, then switched over to thawed. (I've had only had one hatchling in 25 take thawed as its first meal.) The older they are, the harder they are to transition from one kind of prey to another (live to frozen/thawed, mice to rats, etc.) Babies rarely take more than a few weeks to switch; adults can take up to a year of arguing. And sometimes they regress back to live after shipping stress.

But! My entire collection is currently eating f/t.

GTPs and ETBs take higher humidity, need arboreal set-ups and misting, and occasionally won't know how to drink from water bowls. They might also be less cold-tolerant? I live in Arizona, and I just don't feel like having to constantly battle with low humidity and mold... but I know plenty of people in the desert who keep healthy GTPs. Some of them are even friendly and get regular handling.

GTPs and ETBS have real teeth, and much scarier bites than ball pythons. Ball python bites are a joke. Twice a year somebody will post a genuine latch-and-wrap bite on the forums... but even those are harmless, once the shock wears off.

You know about the seasonal anorexia, right?

No, could you elaborate?

I live in Tucson so hey fello AZian!

What are good ages to get BPs at? When I got my corn he was about 1-2 years already. I would love to have a baby snake at some point, what age can you get a baby at, and approximately how many live feedings would it take before switching over to thawed? (Granted there's no rule for it)

[satomi325]

What are good ages to get BPs at? When I got my corn he was about 1-2 years already. I would love to have a baby snake at some point, what age can you get a baby at, and approximately how many live feedings would it take before switching over to thawed? (Granted there's no rule for it)

You can get a BP at any age. Babies can be a little more defensive(potentially nippy) since they're so small. They usually do outgrow it though. Older animals are more established so the breeder/owner could tell you what they're like.

If you want a baby, make sure it has had at least 3 meals since hatching. It's sort of a rule of thumb to see if the snake will eat on it's own without assistance. The soonest you can get a baby is probably at a month old if its a strong feeder. And every snake is different. Some switch to frozen right away without any issue. Some take weeks or months. And others will never ever switch. You should ask the breeder to try to switch for you before picking up a baby.