Should i buy a ball python?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I'm not sure I agree with this completely... While ball pythons are more shy than a corn or a king, you can get one for 30$, they are extremely simple to maintain, and with the right care they should have an excellent feeding response. One of the most fun things about reptiles is making a beautiful display cage. My ball python likes to believe he's a tree python, so he's out and about quite a bit. A beautiful display animal IMO. I really disagree that they aren't as tolerant for handling. They are slow moving, manageable size, and very docile personality unlike say a king who are constantly on the move. I think it mostly depends on exactly which ball python you buy. Make sure you take the time to handle the snake before you buy it to make sure it's the right one for you. I held two very different snakes before choosing my boy. The first was a female, who instantly went straight for my hood and was extremely head shy. The next was a male(the one I own now) and he balled up at first, but soon he was exploring my shirt crevices and was extremely chill. He also likes cheek rubs I hope this helps.


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And I will have to disagree with this base on the fact that YOUR perception is based on less than 6 months of ownership of a single Ball Python and the fact that you seems to apply human emotions when it come to your snake.

Ball pythons can make great pets so long people have the right expectations.

They make poor display animals (spend 80% of their time hiding) and they are very easily prone to stress (FACT), which means over handling or not being on the top of husbandry requirements can make a HUGE difference between an enjoyable ownership and a difficult one.

There is no such a thing as choosing the right Ball Python aside from an health standpoint, you can handle one for hours at a store and come back home to a complete different animal, or it can change very fast if husbandry is not met, choosing a Ball Python is not like choosing a puppy.

Now to the OP you have to remember that 4 years old is very young and ultimately this will really be YOUR snake, so make sure that YOU are ok with this long term commitment, the good news is that snakes are very low maintenance especially if you only own one.

Since this is something that sparks your daughter's interest, and will probably be an animal that she will want to hold quite often (at least in the beginning) I would also recommend something that is more forgiven husbandry wise and more tolerant of frequent handling, many colubrids fits the bill however due to their speed and size as hatchlings I would recommend a sub adult or adult one.

Something else I would highly recommend is a sand boa they stay small, and are a lot easier to handle than a colubrid, really a great starter snake for a younger child.

And in the future if she is still as passionate a transition to a Ball Python may be the right transition depending again on the expectations.

Here are some pointers when choosing the right animal

Size, docility, level of care, EXPECTATIONS, price, longevity.