Ball Python

[silentdeath55]

My friend bought a Ball Python for $80 from local dealer and now I'm thinking about picking one up. Do any of you AO'ers have experience with snakes as pets or Ball Pythons in particular? How are they as pets? Is $80 a reasonable price for a baby normal morph? I've read that they are good pet snakes and easy for beginners to care for. Any help/advice would be really helpful. Thanks!

[SpecialBlend2786]

Ball pythons are awesome. I've never actually owned one, but i've wanted one for awhile. Easy snakes to take care of (just make sure they can't escape, they are good at it), and they can live forever if you take care of them right.

Do some research online, there's tons of info out there. Good luck!

[wjr]

I owned a ball python for a while. They're great snakes. Very pretty too. They are nocturnal, so you'll only really see them move around during the night.

I think that $80 might be a bit much. I seem to remember buying mnie for $40 or so.

And make sure that its cage is kept clean. I remember my snake caught pneumonia or something from it's cage being dirty. It was sort of sad. You could actually hear the snake weezing.

[kosmo]

I had one. It was pretty cool until a mouse I put in its cage killed it. :confused:

[hipster]

I have owned 2 as well as a boa they are great pets some are even bread to eat pre killed food bought frozen at the pet store

all mine ate live though

just remember even though a ball is timid, it needs to be taken out and have contact with people all the time or they will get so they don't like contact.

the price is ok if its female

[silentdeath55]

yeah, it is a female. I've done a ton of research online in the past few days and now I'm itching to get one.....I cant wait, now I need a cool name.......

[hipster]

my two ball were hanabal and monty, my boa was saleene

good luck

[SpecialBlend2786]

yeah, it is a female. I've done a ton of research online in the past few days and now I'm itching to get one.....I cant wait, now I need a cool name.......

silentdeath55

[Altimas]

Mrs. Swallows

[etjoyride]

I don't feel like writing out a whole ton right now, but i'll says ome and the rest you can research online.

$80 is a bit high for a normal morph, i owuld look to spend more around 50ish. Try and find a reptile show in your area, i guarantee you that you will be able to find many more types of ball pythons (as well as many other reptiles) there. Make sure to get a captive bred not a wild caught since CB's are much less likely to have parasites and diseases. Find a vet that can ahndle reptiles as they take special care and many vets are not qualified to handle them. Make sure to have everything prepared before bringing a snake home (or any other animal). Remeber that these snakes last for many years so be sure that you can commit to having one.
Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

[Medusa]

We own 3 balls, 2 females and 1 male and we're hoping they breed. We started getting them 4 years ago.

I agree. $80 is quite expensive for a normal. I alway wait until Petco has them on sale. Check the ads every week. They throw them on sale for $30 a lot. I wouldn't pay more than that.

When you go to check them out, hold each one of them one at a time. You'll know which one is for you. If the ball doesn't ball up and explores your hand flicking the tongue they are comfortable with you. Balls are the best starter snakes and generally have the best disposition. Just make sure to remember to hold them a lot so they get used to you. Even if they bite (yes, I have been bitten several times) the teeth are tiny needles and a couple hours later you can't even see where the bite was.

I'm not a huge snake expert but we've learned quite a bit after 4 years.

[Lohman446]

I would have a problem owning a snake. One day I would look into its cage and it wouldn't be there.

Then I'd have to move.

[silentdeath55]

I'm not buying from a pet store chain like PetCo. I've only heard bad things about their reptiles. I'm buying from a small local reptile store, so I dont mind too much about paying extra because I know I can get help from him if I need it.

Thanks for the info everyone, keep it coming!

[hipster]

i had the one "day i looked in and it was not there"happen
I was my ball hanabal he was able get out of every type of habitat I had , always found him though
he was a friendly snake though never bit anyone just liked visiting the down stairs nieghbors once a month they were real good sports about it even came to expect it

now the boa was real temper-mental you could clearly tell when she just didn't want to be out any more ,and getting the i'm in a bad mood bite was fine when she was little but once she got about 10 feet it-oh man- she cut me open a couple times mostly my fault for not paying attention to her change in moods

[Medusa]

I would have a problem owning a snake. One day I would look into its cage and it wouldn't be there.

Then I'd have to move.
It really isn't as bad as you think. The first time our "escape artist" got out she was gone for 3 months. We found her 6 feet up on the fireplace bricks, wrapped around the handle of a katana sword. She's escaped 3 or four times and the male has escaped twice. The second time he was gone for 2 weeks and we found him in our son's closet! They're always found eventually.

And I understand the distrust with Petco. But if we've known the employees at the one we go to for years. I wouldn't buy from just any Petco. I've had to learn to trust them first.

DON'T get them from those flea markets like Trader's Village in Houston. Those are the ones that are usually covered in mites and die on you.

[silentdeath55]

Now I need reasons to convince the parental units why I should be allowed to keep a snake in their house......

[geekwarrior]

I would have a problem owning a snake. One day I would look into its cage and it wouldn't be there.

Then I'd have to move.

omg....my friend was house sitting someone that had a 8ft albino boa. Well it got out, and he enlisted some people to help him find it and put it back in. We knew it was in the bedroom, because the cage was in there and the door had been closed. Looked under the bed, closets, nothing. Sat on the bed and the comfortor started moving. I about wet my pants. Snake was under the blankets. It took 4 of us to get that thing back in there. Wasnt mean or anything, just not a snake used to being handled. Never again.

[silentdeath55]

Well, I got a snake today. Her name's Denise, and so far has completely dominated two mice in my care. I'm proud of her!

Pics on the way......

[Medusa]

Did you get a ball? Or did you go with a different one? Baby or full grown? I would guess its not a tiny one if it ate 2 mice. Oh yeah, don't feed it in the same tank where it stays. Always take her out and use a different box. Otherwise she'll think every time you reach in to get her its feeding time and you'll always get bit.

Right now, we can't even get ours out of the tank. the male has been REALLY BUSY with both of the girls. Boy after all this, he better get one of them knocked up!

[silentdeath55]

Yup, I got a ball. It is from an October/November hatch of 2005 so it's almost a year old. I thought I heard that the "feeding in the same cage" thing was a myth, but I fed her in another container anyways.

pics:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v386/silentdeath55/IMG_0210.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v386/silentdeath55/IMG_0209.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v386/silentdeath55/IMG_0208.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v386/silentdeath55/IMG_0211.jpg

[hipster]

sweet

makes me miss mine

[Pballwizz]

http://ffmedia.ign.com/indy/image/biggermanguy_indianajones.gif
Why did it have to be snakes....

[tropical_fishy]

Oh, she is pretty. Wow.

[Medusa]

She is a beauty! Nice colors!