Hello!

[Misery]

Hello everyone! I'm new to the forum, and new to the idea of snake husbandry in general. I always thought I'd be scared of snakes, having never handled one in person, when a friend of mine got super into keeping snakes and invited me over to meet them. I surprised myself by falling in love with one of her Ball Pythons.

We talked for a few hours about snake care in general, and she's taking me to an expo later this month to look around. At the moment, I'm pretty sure I'll be getting a corn--According to her, it's a better starter snake than a bp, and she showed me pics of a few different morphs online, and I think they're beautiful.

Came here to read through some threads and learn as much as I can before bringing my new pet home. I'm so excited!

[Scubadiver59]

Welcome to sSNAKESs!! :D

And BPs are not a bad starter snake, it's just that they require just a little more heat and humidity, as I've recently found out when I started my own snake collection.

In fact, I'd pick the juvenile BP over the Corn especially due to its calm responses to handling and it doesn't burrow, so you see the snake more.

Also, getting an adult snake has turned out to be a even more enjoyable experience, as it has with the 6yr old Albino King I picked up two weeks ago.

[Tsubaki]

Welcome to ssnakess! Corns are fun but if you're heart is set on a ball-python that surely is just as possible! :)

[dannybgoode]

Corns can be nasty little s**ts! Most are fine but some are real grumpy.

I agree with Tsu - there's no reason you shouldn't start with a ball. I think in some ways they're actually a better beginner snake than corns.

[jay's reptiles]

Welcome to sSNAKESs, and if you want a bp go for it. i would personally pick a bp or a corn.

[Misery]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

My concern with a bp isn't necessarily the care requirements such as the heat and humidity, it's more that I've heard they can be finicky eaters that might not take f/t, and as much as possible I'd like to avoid having to feed live. On the flip side, reading through posts here I've seen it said that a healthy snake won't starve to death if food is being consistently offered, even if it is f/t.

Another thing she said was that bp's don't really like to be handled, it can stress them out very easily, and I'd very much like to have a snake I can handle.

[Scubadiver59]

My BP...nary a worry as she took f/t mice no prob whatsoever. Rats? That's a work in progress! Mine refused the first small rat, then "very cautiously" took the second offering a few weeks later, but I warmed it up with a few mice in the same bag (ziplock in hot water).

I had read, in this forum, about "scenting" with mice, and it seems to work, but the next rat will be the test, though I'll scent that one, and the next few, until she takes a small rat readily w/o scenting.

Patience is a virtue, and I'm becoming more virtuous as I increase the reptilian numbers making up my SMALL commune of snakes, dogs, a human. :)

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

My concern with a bp isn't necessarily the care requirements such as the heat and humidity, it's more that I've heard they can be finicky eaters that might not take f/t, and as much as possible I'd like to avoid having to feed live. On the flip side, reading through posts here I've seen it said that a healthy snake won't starve to death if food is being consistently offered, even if it is f/t.

Another thing she said was that bp's don't really like to be handled, it can stress them out very easily, and I'd very much like to have a snake I can handle.