Wish Me Luck

[kneeonflamingo]

Hey guys! I love the boards you have here.

Well, I'm sure you guys have guessed that I'm new here. You're right! This is my first time posting on here, and I'm looking forward to a hopefully long membership.

Unfortunetly, I do not have a ball python yet. I've wanted one for years now and my mom is finally going to let me get one! Now all I'm hoping for is for her not to change her mind. I'm impatiently waiting for the day we can go shopping for the supplies, but I keep trying to tell myself that patience is a virtue. So for the last few days, I've been looking at all of your snakes to try and lessen the pain of the wait.

Wish me luck!!

[ADEE]

good luck and welcome over! ive learned tons from the great people here, if you ask im sur eyou will get as great information as i did, cant wait till you get your first one, take lots of pics

[kneeonflamingo]

Thank you!! I've already learned a bunch. I've spent the last week reading up on everything that I can. And don't worry about pictures. I'll probably take so much my snake will have to tell me to back off.

[Tainted Glory]

Good luck man! BPs are like no other herp I've had the pleasure of owning. You're headed on the right track with research so I'm sure you'll do fine!

Just a warning...once you pop, the fun don't stop. Good luck limiting yourself to a single snake!

[Sunny1]

Just a warning...once you pop, the fun don't stop. Good luck limiting yourself to a single snake!

Isn't that the truth!!! Although I don't think it was until I did a bunch of research on this site that I got the itch for another one.

This Site should come with a warning!!!! LOL

Welcome Nicole!!! I am glad that you have found this site!!!! It is a great place for any information you may be looking for or need for your new BP when you get it. Lots of great people with lots of knowledge about BP's.

And definately let us know when you finally get your BP. We love pics around here!!!

[frankykeno]

Welcome to BPNet Nicole! Just a few suggestions....

Before you spend a lot of wasted cash at a pet store, check threads here about caging options, hides, dishes, bedding, temp/humidity monitors. Over time most of us have found very cost effective ways to keep ball pythons that make the snake happy and healthy and don't waste precious cash (your mom will appreciate this!). Most of the stuff pet stores will sell you as "absolutely must have" are pure crap unfortunately.

Secondly, consider getting your new baby ball python from a breeder. We can easily suggest a number of reputable breeders that can ship you in a lovely well started normal male 07 hatchling for basically what you'd end up paying at most pet stores. These males make just lovely pet snakes and aren't in great demand by the breeders so they are usually looking for good homes for them. Breeders will have sexed the snake properly, have gotten it eating well and provide you with records of that and help you with any of your questions as you settle into new snake ownership.

Pet store snakes, while looking cute, tend to come with little to no information about the snake as far as real age, feeding history, health, etc. Worst case...they come with mites or internal parasites, haven't eaten and are dehydrated. For a first time snake owner, you want it to go well and not end up with a sickly baby that won't eat and needs to see a vet. Just a suggestion.

While you are waiting use this time to read tons of threads here, do your research and ask any questions that come up. It's wonderful to see an owner preparing ahead for the experience of sharing her life with a snake....good for you! If your mom has any questions, please just let us know and we'll happy address her concerns.

[kneeonflamingo]

Thank you everyone!!

Joanna,
I've researched housing options, and I was going to go with the plastic housing. I've already found a big container just for $7.99. I haven't picked up anything yet, and I wasn't going to get much from the petstore. And if I did, I was not going to ask advice from anyone who worked there. I have a doctor appointment on the 15th and was hoping my mother could take me shopping then. She's getting a new job in a few months and will get pet insurance, so I was going to wait until then to get my snake since I want to take it to the vet as soon as possible, and until I treat it fully for mites/ticks, I will probably use newspaper bedding.

I know exactly how petstores can be. I used to have guinea pigs and it made me mad how you'd always see exersize wheels in their cages, since guinea pigs' backs are not made for this, and can hurt them or their nails can get caught and get torn off. Petstores are full of stubborn, selfish, inconsiderate people. You rarely find a good person in one. I would hardly trust anything anyone said unless I knew that they truely knew what they were talking about. I was hoping to get my snake from someone from this site as soon as I read about mites and ticks, and also the aggressive behavior from petstore snakes from being put in the same cage as other snakes.

Thank you for the advice! Although, I do have a question. Does it really matter if I got a male over a female?? I was kind of hoping for a female, but if males are better, I'll get a male instead. Just wondering.

And I know what you guys mean by snakes being addictive... All I've done is look at pictures and I already want multiple snakes and to breed. But don't worry, I'm not going to dive into this. I'm taking it one step at a time, and if I were to breed, it won't be until I have years of experience with snakes.

Thanks again!!

[frankykeno]

Oh heck no, there's no advantage of a male over a female, other than the males staying a bit smaller generally but BP's never get so big as to become unmanageable. I just suggested a normal male as for a purely pet snake they are the most cost effective through breeders. By all means if you want a female, or might want to breed down the road, then pick a lovely little girl instead. Really just pick the snake that you like best since you'll be the one cleaning up it's poop for the next 20 years or so.

As far as mites and ticks, you should never have to worry about that if you go with a reputable breeder and then don't at some point bring mites home from a pet store or nasty snake show. We've got 21 snakes in the house and I've yet *knock wood* to even see a mite let alone have to deal with an outbreak. They aren't common and certainly not something you should ever expect when you get a nice hatchling from a good breeder.

[kneeonflamingo]

As far as mites and ticks, you should never have to worry about that if you go with a reputable breeder and then don't at some point bring mites home from a pet store or nasty snake show. We've got 21 snakes in the house and I've yet *knock wood* to even see a mite let alone have to deal with an outbreak.

*knocks on wood for you* I know rodents and snakes are two completely different types of animals, but in guinea pigs, I know that they truely always have mites, but they become active when the guinea pig becomes stressed. I wasn't sure if it was the same for snakes. Still, I'd probably take precautions. Better safe than sorry, right?

Quick question - Has any body here heard about the "Forest Floor" substrate? I saw that at the store but it didn't say what it was made of. I know I can't get anything with cedar or pine in it, but that didn't say at all, and I don't want to buy anything that I'm not sure of. Just curious if anyone here uses it, or if you know of anyone that does and, of course, if it's okay to use.