I do not personally consider ball pythons to be very good starter snakes. Not that you can't start with one, but they are more challenging. The 'help my ball python isn't eating' header is very common place around here. They are very susceptible to going off of food due to stress or not having their husbandry spot on (particularly when it comes to f/t). I'm not saying all ball pythons are this way, some a voracious feeders that can handle anything. However I find them to be the most picky of the species that I keep. My hognose, cornsnakes, sandboa, and ratsnakes *never* turn down a meal and never have trouble with shedding. My ball pythons will often go on hunger strikes (which at some points of the year is normal and I don't worry, but this can be hard on new owners) and in the winter time despite my best efforts and good humidity they still end up with one or two bad sheds. I also have a male ball python that after several years refuses to eat anything other than live mice even though my female (who basically lives in the exact same conditions) eats f/t rats like they are going out of style.
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