My biggest BP is not full grown yet so answering that question would be of little use. I can say that I know they do not get to be 7-9 ft!

Yes, BPs are amazing animals! My family just gets more and more amazed and in love with our snakes.

Your mother might appreciate these 2 things:

1) - Ball pythons get their name because when they feel scared they curl up in to a ball with their head at the center. This makes them much less likely to bite than most other species of snake. Of course, it is always possible that any animal will bite, but a bite from even a full grown BP is not bad enough to cause serious damage. A bite from a dog or cat is much worse.

2) - I used to volunteer at a zoo that used ball pythons as one of their "contact animals". These were animals that the volunteers could take out to meet the public up close and personal, where people could actually touch them. BPs were selected for this role because of their manageable size and docile nature.