Thinking about getting a ball python. Warnings? Tips?

[inari rose]

Hi,

The care sheet will answer some of those questions and narrow down what you want to ask in some other areas.


dr del

Thank you! There was a lot of information there that was not clear in other care sheets very helpful!

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1st warning: There will be poop
2nd warning: There will be about 105 teeth.

Yes XD after reading about burmese pythons I figured there would be a good deal of poop. (What I read about burmese pythons said "Do you really want an animal that urinates and defecates like a St.Bernard?")
I did not know how many teeth they had. Though I do know that they do not always strike to bite. They can seem like they are just moving along but then they just slide their mouth open and clomp down. I read that using cold water or rubbing alcohol will get them to let go?

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Really depends on if the snake is a baby or adult. Bigger is not always better when it comes to tanks for ball pythons.



An UTH works fine. Not sure about the lightning though, other than it is not necessary for their health. If you get a fish tank (which I don't recommend because they do let out heat) you should black out all sides except the front.



Hm, not really. Females get larger.



If you have more questions, ask people on this forum. That's my best advice I have. And of course, enjoy and have fun with your ball python

I have a 36" x 18" x 12" tank, though you said (and everywhere I have read agrees) it is not good at holding humidity and heat. I am thinking about making an Acrylic container with the same dimensions. Do I need to make 3-4 different sized containers? Or would using rubbermaid containers be easier and less expensive? I will be buying a baby and I kind of want a female, because I like the bigger size and for if I decide to breed them in the future (1-2+ years from now).

I will use a heat pad or flexwatt. I am not sure which one yet, it depends on a few different things. Thank you
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In The care guide it said over-handling can be a problem. How much is over-handling? I have a bearded dragon so I will use that to measure. I take my beardie out of his tank and carry him around for a few minutes, sometimes take him outside, and pick him up for short periods (2 mins or less) regularly. Will I not be able to do that with a ball python? I do know not to handle it for 48 hours after it eats and not while, or right before it sheds.

Also, what kind of bedding do you (anyone who reads this) use and like best? I use paper towels for everything, rat, lizards, bugs, if it lives in a cage or tank it has paper towels. Would paper towels be okay for a ball python? i read that they like a bedding that "hugs" them a bit, not flat like newspaper or paper towels. What is your experience with different beddings?