Safe with kids?

[ijacobz]

What are your thoughts on a BP trying to eat/constrict a human? My mom and ex found out I got a ball and are worried about him trying to hurt my five year old boy if he got out. He's so docile and eats mice, I'm not worried at all but would like to ease their concern.

BP is 2 years old or so 2.5-3 feet long, just got him from a guy would couldn't look after it anymore. He doesn't seem to try to ever escape although I was told he has pushed the lid up and snuck out before. I keep a 2.5 weight on each corner of the mesh lid and would be surprised if he could lift those. Will be upgrading to a bigger tank and come up with a better lid system since locking mesh lids seem rare....

Any ideas for keeping mesh lids secure and still easily removable.

[Saber402]

Your five year old is in absolutely no danger of being constricted or eaten. That's the irrational fears of someone who has watched too many non-factual TV shows.

As far as caging, when you upgrade, move to a cage with sliding glass doors such as a vision cage. you can even get a lock for the doors.

[Lizardlicks]

Your kid would literally have a better chance of being hurt/killed by a dog. Remember that ALL animals are capable of feeling fear/distress, and my act to defend themselves if they feel it's their best or only option, so no unsupervised handling sessions, but this applies across the board, not just to snakes.

[salt]

Maybe some screen clips to keep your lid on?

[ijacobz]

Yeah I thought it sounded ridiculous. My mom found this (link at bottom) the comments at the end of the page are the worst. Thanks for the confirmation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2170360/Horror-baby-attacked-2-foot-pet-PYTHON-slipped-crib-tried-EAT-foot.html

[Lizardlicks]

Yeah I thought it sounded ridiculous. My mom found this (link at bottom) the comments at the end of the page are the worst. Thanks for the confirmation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2170360/Horror-baby-attacked-2-foot-pet-PYTHON-slipped-crib-tried-EAT-foot.html

PFFFHahaha IT'S THE DAILY MAIL. They are basically a UK tabloid. You should ask your mom what she thinks of bat-baby and Big Foot next

[Jhill001]

Not to be a fear of stranger monger but your kid is statistically more likely to be hurt by a human, you specifically (parent) than by an animal in general. Ball Python even less since their primary defense is curl up into a ball thus the name. A human even a newborn is soooo much bigger than a ball python's prey the whole I'm hungry for some people thing falls apart.

I would however suggest that if you have a child you don't encourage them to keep ANY snake around their neck. Because if your kid has a weak a$$ neck I guess he could be choked out by a snake. But I think we all know none of our kids have weak necks.

[salt]

Wow. I really hope that daily mail article is the stupidest thing I see all day. The picture of the babies foot looks totally unmarred. I doubt he even got nipped. At least most of the "best rated" comments have people making sense.

[Saber402]

Wow, what a crazy article! Way to spread "the fear"!

I especially liked the dad's "slimy" comment.

[Penultimate]

Nope, no way a ball python is capable of killing (or even hurting) anyone. I mean, the worst they can do is leave some pinpricks on your arm from a bite, but most aren't even biters and they're not venomous. A two foot long snake can't do anything to a human of any size. Quite frankly, the snake is more likely to be hurt by the kid than the other way around.

Quite honestly, that article made me laugh. I don't even see bite marks on the baby's foot. And the "slimy" comment... pfffft, did that guy even touch the snake?