Baby Ball Python

[The Juice]

I bought this guy & A BP book for $50 last friday. He is a little smaller than I wanted but he will grow. These pics were taken after his shed last night. This is my first snake my next is a Tangerine Honduran Milk Snake.

 

[ink_scorpion]

Speaking from experience, you're gonna grow to love that reptile! They are so docile, you will hardly be able to believe it. Enjoy!!!

 

[The Juice]

I already love it, I just wish it was a little bigger. Was $50 for the Snake & Book a good deal?

 

[Beardo]

It depends on what you consider "good"....I can get baby Ball Pythons for around $15. I've paid less than $50 for adults....so its all relative.

 

[The Juice]

It depends on what you consider "good"....I can get baby Ball Pythons for around $15. I've paid less than $50 for adults....so its all relative.

Well that answers it

 

[Malkavian]

Don't feel too bad. Ball pythons can go for dirt cheap at shows where a breeder has a tank full, but 50 for a snake and book isn't that abnormal for a pet store price

 

[The Juice]

I was told that you can find adults for $20 but they are WC. $50 is the best price I have seen at petstroes around here. The next repshow around here isn't until july 12th, I probably could have found a better deal there but I would have to wait a month & drive 2 hrs to get one.

 

[Shelob]

You didn't get a bad deal at all, maybe it wasn't great, but since you didn't have any strings you could pull then paying $50 for the python and the book ain't too shabby.

At my PetCo in California balls are 79.99 for just the snake!

 

[The Juice]

Dang thing escaped sometime between saturday night & Sunday. Luckly my Girlfriend was at a softball game so I could tear the hous apart. I found it about 20min later in a closet on the other side of the house on top of my Tool Box. I know next time to make sure the lid is snapped on the sterilite. He is doing great, I was wondering how long until he reaches his max size? I was told that male get 3'-4'. Mine is only about 1.5' right now, I am feeding him twice a week one good sized hopper. Should I offer him more than one hopper at feeding time(1 at a time) or feed him 3x a week to make him grow faster? The book I was given doesn't really go to indepth. Any other books I should check out? I have the book by Barrons called "Ball Pythons"

 

[The Juice]

My Baby BP hiss's at me everytime I touch him or sometimes when my hand gets close to it. Is this normal 4 babies to do until they get used to being touched/handled? I get scared sometomes when I hold it because it seems to focus on to my Fingers or thumb If I move them when I am holding it.

 

[TimV]

I think you'll win with patience, although an adult PB that's been mistreated is always mean. Mine is lovely, except when shedding.

 

[Psoulocybe]

Your male could reach anywhere between 3' - 5'. I've seen some terrifically large males before.

As far as feeding, I would only feed once every 7-10 days.

I would also make sure it's one appropriatly sized prey item instead of loading him up w/ a couple smaller items.

The prey item should be just under the girth of your snake. no larger.

After the first year, you could switch to a 10-14 day feeding schedule.

You do not want to force your snake to grow too rapidly, as it's not really good for him.

I've seen some pretty defensive baby balls as well. Generally, there are a couple things that could cause this. One thing is to make sure he's fully digested his meal. give him a couple days for that. Also, I always made sure to feed in a seperate container. This will keep him from thinking that anything in his home w/ him is prey.

Just handle him gently while he's young, and he'll grow out of that piss and vinigar.

Don't be affraid... Even if he gets a good bite in I doubt he could even draw blood.

 

[Schlyne]

Also, it's generally best to give him some time to settle into the cage (about a week) before you handle him at all.

Sometimes, it just depends on the ball python. Issa (my nearly 1 year old male) could care less who's holding him. I know a breeder who bred the parents, hatched out the eggs, ended up with an albino female (and others), and the albino female hates him. He's had her for years,

 

[The Juice]

He seems to be calming down and not hissing at me as much as a matter of fact he hasn't in a while. One thing concerned me today when I went to feed him his poo was soft, It wasn't like that before(This is his second poo in my care) Other than this he seems in good health hasn't refused food yet and I feed him twice a week.

I feed him live mice twice a week, I was wondering if I start feeding him pre- killed will I always have to dangle the mouse in front of him or just until he gets used to pre-killed.

Sometimes when I hold my BP it freezes and focuses on my thumb and looks like it's waiting for me to move it. So I keep that hand motion-less an grab it with my other hand. If I wiggle my thump will it strike at it? I feel like a wuss since it's just a baby, but I have no idea what a bite is like from a BP.

 

[The Juice]

i hate ball pythons..mine is so mean, turned aggressive one day

How big is yours?

 

[TwiztidKitty]

about 4 or 5 feet, and 5 years old, hes fat though

 

[The Juice]

Can't wait till mine reaches that size. Has it ever bit you? If so did it hurt?

 

[TwiztidKitty]

Oh, it has bit me, my friends, and even my mother numerous times. That's what earned his name Striker. He was my first snake ever, I bought him because they are recommended for beginners. He was so sweet at first. After 1 or 2 years he bit me randomly, but not very often. I would let my friends hold him, sometimes they got bit, sometimes they didn't. He seemed to like biting me and my mom, and even at bowls of oatmeal. After 5 years, and having raised/collected and sold 30+ snakes...I can say the nicest snake I ever encountered was a Red Tail Boa. That is the only kind I have now, they are the sweetest (not when theyre eating, of course). My Red Tail has never bit me once. She is huge now, 6 feet and growing steadily, and sweet as pie. Just strikes the cage when it doesn't know where the mouse is or when I walk by too quickly.

The bite doesn't really hurt, it's the fast movement that startles me. It feels like 20 little teeny pins punching into you real quickly, and may draw a little bit of blood.


I still have Striker...but I don't take him out. I don't like ball pythons anymore. I bought him a girlfriend (a little Corn snake) to keep him company.. when i try to take her out he attacks me lol

It probably just depends on the snake...I'm not really sure..It's not like I raised him wrong or hit him or mistreated him to make him cruel..I even took him out of his cage and into a bucket to eat so he wouldn't learn to bite...I guess something just went wrong along the way.

 

[Beardo]

Hol-eee crap. Wow. I can't say I've seen so many examples of piss-poor husbandry methods in one post in quite a while..... :8o

Just strikes the cage when it doesn't know where the mouse is or when I walk by too quickly.

The mouse? A 6 foot Boa should never even SEE a mouse, let alone eat one. Are you purposefully trying to starve your snake? Feed it RATS (of appropriate size) for crying out loud.

I still have Striker...but I don't take him out. I don't like ball pythons anymore. I bought him a girlfriend (a little Corn snake) to keep him company.. when i try to take her out he attacks me lol

Why in the blue hell are you housing a Ball and a Corn Snake together? Two completely different species with completely different care requirements from completely different parts of the world....see the problem here? These are snakes....not mix-and-match Barbie Dolls. :? :wall:

 

[The Juice]

Seeing that I paid to much for my Ball Python I wanted to get the opinion from the "Snake Master"(DavidBeard) :worship: on prices before I purchased my next snake. I was thinking of purchasing a Apricot Pueblen MilkSnake that is about a 12" maybe a little longer from my local petstore. It is priced at $90, is this a reasonable price or could I find one at a repshow cheaper? It looks pretty healthy & patterns are all in uniform. I originally wanted a Hypo Tangerine Honduran but they are pretty $$$ the cheapest I have seen is $200 shipped. Your input would be greatly appreciated :worship: :worship: