Looking to get a ball python.

[Empi]

I have been thinking about getting a ball. I have kept all kinds of snakes but I have yet to have a python so as this will be my first I have a questions.

1. How big do they get and what will I have to feed a full grown one?

2. Temp and humidity?

3. Petco has some.( I try and save as many animals from petco as possible.) But I would like a CB baby to avoid all those problems that I hear about. Would these little guys at petco be CB do you think?

4. Anything else I should know?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

1. How big do they get and what will I have to feed a full grown one?

Female ball pythons are capable of hitting up to six feet, but usually less. Males are smaller. Adults are usually fed on rats, though the six-footers might need more than one. Most hatchlings are started out on some size of mouse, if you get one of these you'll need to be ready to start switching them to rats sometime before they totally outgrow the largest size of mouse you can get. Some balls can be super picky about switching, I know mine was when I tried for a couple weeks. I'm waiting a while before trying again.

Should always be fed f/t, of course, but you probably know that from having had snakes before. Ball pythons don't have the world's greatest aim sometimes, and their defense mechanism when threatened is to curl up and hope the danger goes away. Not effective against angry, hurt, and scared rodents with sharp, pointy teeth.

2. Temp and humidity?

80ish, 90-95 for the heated area. Humidity should be at least 50%, 60 is probably better (aspen bedding holds humidity well--that, a wide deep water bowl, and covering most of the tank's screen lid has worked for me). Be warned, this species is infamously sensitive to bad humidity and temps, especially humidity. Usually results in respiratory infections and going off feed and all that good stuff.

You'll want to crank the humidity up way high when they go into shed, mine didn't do as well his first shed because I kept it in the usual range (no retained eyecaps, but shed in many pieces), but did much better the second time when I had it up to 80-90% in there after I saw his eyes glazing over.

3. Petco has some.( I try and save as many animals from petco as possible.) But I would like a CB baby to avoid all those problems that I hear about. Would these little guys at petco be CB do you think?

Ugh, almost certainly NOT, what are you thinking? D: Don't do it. Find a breeder. I got my '05 baby Rorschach last August from Zach at serpentpets.com for like $45 or 50 plus overnight shipping, but I don't know that he has any ball pythons yet this year. If you shop around, read the reviews on http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13 , you oughta find someone in that price range. The snake will be healthier and even with shipping you'll probably be paying less than you would in a pet store.

While wanting to "save" animals is a noble sentiment, you do know you're just causing even more animals to be in need of saving when PetCo continues to make a profit and orders more of them? At any rate, ball pythons ESPECIALLY should never ever be bought from a large chain petstore. Most (all) of these WC babies are full of parasites, sick, stressed, suffering from retained shed, kept in horrible (or at least improper, like I said earlier they're very sensitive) conditions, and have never eaten in their lives. A stressed and sick ball python is probably never going to *start* eating, either, or will try to eat and then regurgitate from stress, which is even worse. You do the math. It's pretty bad.

WC also much less likely to 'tame', as I understand it.

4. Anything else I should know?

They really are great pets, if you (as you are) educate yourself beforehand and avoid the huge disasters that can come with the species. Get CB from a reputable breeder, give plenty of hides and not too huge an enclosure (to keep stress down), keep temps and humidity in the right range, you're all set. Oh, and don't get him or her a cagemate. People will say they see them sharing hides and it all looks very cute, but it's only because both snakes want the same hiding spot. Sharing their space with another ball can cause far more problems than just housing them alone.

I love mine, he's my baby. Some individuals are too high-strung to handle often, but I handled him at least five minutes every day (except feeding day and the day after) for months and never had any problems. Got him incredibly tame, too. He'd curl up on my neck for up to an hour or more sometimes while I worked at the computer. Has never bitten anyone, though he did strike at a white kleenex that I guess he mistook for a mouse, while I was cleaning up some poop once. They have pretty chill personalities, are more likely to cruise slowly or curl up in a snug spot and go to sleep than run around all over the place.

His feeding became erratic after I switched him to rats, so I handled him less for a while, but he's eating normally on adult mice for now. It's very common for them to sometimes just not feel like eating at all for a while, but that's usually with larger adults that have more girth and body fat to store energy, unless something else is wrong.

That's all I can think of, I'm up way too early and tired, heh. Any further questions, feel free. I love me some ball pythons.

 

[Empi]

Thanks. I did not figure those poor little guys at Petco would be CB. I have already been looking on the net for them and have found some good deals. I still am not quite sure if I'm going to get one or not. Might have to let a few of my scorpions go to make room for one. I have always loved pythons just never got around to getting one... Thanks again!

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Might have to let a few of my scorpions go to make room for one.

They don't take up that much room, if you're concerned. I kept Rorschach in a ten-gallon tank for the first six months, and he probably could have stayed in there a while longer with no troubles. He was already a good few months old when I got him, too. But my dad offered to buy me a new 20g setup for Christmas, so I wasn't about to turn that down. Since Ror's a male, he may or may not ever outgrow that living space.

Some people go up to 30 or 40, but I think that's mostly either for the big females or individuals that just have the money to spare. Balls aren't very active snakes, generally preferring to find a hide and stay in it except for temperature regulation (going to the other hide), eating, and water. They aren't like bearded dragons or something that needs room to run around.