Great choice! Ball pythons are awesome snakes to keep.Originally Posted by RobertsKitty
You don't have to worry about them becoming active to hold them. I get mine out whenever i feel like it. The only time it isn't a good idea to handle them extensively is roughly the first 24hrs after they've eaten. I handle mine briefly right after they eat if i have to clean their tub or something but for the first 24hrs i wouldn't handle for any length of time.
Feeding depends on what size they are. A good rule to go by, for the first year of their life, is to feed them a rodent roughly the same size as the widest part of their body. Once they're adults you don't have to follow that rule though. An 80-125g rat (live or frozen thawed) every 7-10 days is fine for an adult bp. That isn't a set rule or even exactly what i do, its just a general recommendation that someone new to the hobby like you would be fine following.
I'd forget the tanks, I'd recommend a tub or pvc enclosure. You can keep an adult bp in a 32qt tub perfectly fine. I'd get one with locking handles. For bigger females (over 2000ish grams) i'd recommend something a bit bigger like a 41qt tub. There are a lot of good companies that make pvc enclosures that work, one good one is Animal Plastics. Under "terrestrial cages" the T3 would be perfect for an adult bp, either sex.
http://www.apcages.com/
No difference in temperament as far as sex or morph really. Depends on the individual.
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