14 yo newbie here with a shopping list and some questions :))

[Slither Seeker]

how refreshing to see someone doing some good preparation before the snake arrives! and I like craigafrechette line so much i'm going to add it to my signature: Keep in mind I am sharing what I know, and what my experiences have taught me. I am not an expert, and it's always good to hear varying ideas with varied success and failure rates.

keep in mind pet stores try and kit you up with pretty much the same list of stuff (thats where they make their money) regardless of the reptile you are buying... it's really a sad state of affairs. for the most part, the common set up is good for desert reptiles and not so good for moderate temp/humidity critters like BP's. Most of the time they are hoping to sell the reptile before their poor husbandry practices kill it. a breeder is a much better way to go unless you find one of the few stores out there that actually has a decent reptile department.

- as for tanks, if you must go with a glass tank, I'd recommend a 20 gal long, it is not too big for a baby and not too small for a medium, it will give you time before needing to upgrade. look around on craigslist for one (also look for your local "buy nothing or gift everything" FB group, sometimes these things can be had for free), they should be $20 or less (have parents do the pick up, CL can be creepy) or check out petco for their $1 fish tank sale, I've scored several 20 gal longs that way.
- scrap the heat lamps, an Ceramic heat emitter is better, better yet, go with two UTH's or flexwat set ups with two jumpstart thermostats, one set to 80, one set to 90, with a hide over each, insulate the tank with 1" insulation and mostly seal the top and you will have a much easier time keeping temp and humidity spot on. you may not need insulation depending on how warm your room is. if you can swing the cash or get help from the rents, a PVC enclosure made for BP's is a very nice way to save time and in the long run, money.
- as for thermometer, I think it's fine to go with a cheapo velcro type for the ambient temp (and as a general back up) but spend the good money on a temp gun, it will give you the actual surface temp inside the hides, where it counts most, frankly, every first BP should be sold with one, IMHO!
- if you go with a screen top, use tin foil to seal it up to conserve heat and humidity. they don't need a lot of ventilation, they live in burrows in the ground protected from the harsh lights and vibrations of the outside world.
- I like cypress mulch for humidity control, every so often you can actually just pour a few ounces of water directly in if it's getting dry... much less frustrating all the way around than using heat lamps and screen tops and misting all the time.

- lastly, spend lots of hours pouring over all the morphs by doing a general google search. give finding a pattern/color you like some good time then look for a breeder with that pattern. I really think it helps a person to be successful if they choose an animal they really feel a deep connection to. if you can choose one in person, better yet! check out this link for some good ideas: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...With-Pictures!