ball python good beginner???

[yankeefoxtrot]

Im just curious who agrees with me when i say ball phthons are good beginner snakes. I hear from most people that they are. But some people disagree. Please post your opinions on this matter.


Lucas

[BoidKeeper]

A CBB is but IMHO pet store bought WC ones are the worst snake anyone can get to start out with. My two favorite first snakes are Corns and Rosies.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Kyle Walkinshaw]

I think ball pythons are definatly great beginner snakes! They grow to a managable size, are usually quite docile, are appealing to the eye, inexpensive (as far as herps go) and readily available...The only problem a beginner might have with them is feeding, especially during a winter fast. Other than that they are great snakes! :) Just my 2 cents...

[tHeGiNo]

The fact that they are finicky eaters is what makes them, sometimes, not the ideal snake for a begginer snake IMHO

[killaclown]

other then the corn its the best beginer in my eys. Kings are good to but they very in treatment if you know what i mean

[yankeefoxtrot]

I hear that a lot and i think if the beginner reads up on them and knows that they fast for munths sometimes, he will be ready for it. And i would always ask someone who is just getting into the hobby to read up on any snake they want to get no matter what species. With that said i think if someone is ready to get a snake they shoudl now everythign about it. And if they do i think BP's are good beginner snakes. Just my opinion.

Lucas

[tHeGiNo]

I have only one thing to say: you thought you could care for numerous animals, not to mention 20 ball pythons, but painting a room is too much work?! That is insane, lol raise one ball python and see the work involve, multiply that by 20, then re-think what you were thinking. You will then see where we were coming from, lol.

[yankeefoxtrot]

Ummm Thegino, i think ya got the wrong thread or something.

[Andy_G]

Yeah indeed gino does.

Ball pythons are awesome for a beginner, provided that they are on f/t mice/rats and captive bred.

[CyberGhost]

I think he is thinking of ballpythons13's post.

[yankeefoxtrot]

You and your accusations. I was just curious as to what peoples opinions on this matter were like i said in the beginning of the post. Stay on topic please. Thanks.


Lucas

[Solid Snake]

sure, im a beginner(pythons) and i find raising a Ball python pretty simple. Thanks to Chondro, he answered a lot of my quetions. With enough research anything is acceptable. I'm thinking about getting a burmese/Columian Boa.

[yankeefoxtrot]

Great yoeun!!! But i would have to say you should get a columbian boa! They are much better for a beginner. I have a couple and i love them to death. I hope you make the right decision and i bet chrondo would agree with me. Good luck!!

Lucas

[Solid Snake]

i tried looking all over for a colombian boa here in my city and close by, none, i guess i migh have to buy one from a breeder online. Since columbians dont grow as large as burmese its more reasonable due to the size of my room size. I'm in a reptile craze now.

[Linds]

I disagree that balls are good beginner snakes. They don't have the most forgiving husbandry and due to be very timid animals, get stressed very easily. They don't tolerate handling excessively well, and often with one's first snake, they may be so fascinated that they want to handle them a lot. Their unpredicatable, finicky feeding behaviour can prove to be very frustrating as well.
I agree with Boidkeeper's post, rosies and corns make great beginner snakes, as well as sandboas, some species of ratsnakes, kingsnakes, Colombian BCI (as long as they are prepared for the size), Children's and Spotted Pythons, and a few others as well.

[Thomas]

Balls are better for an intermediate hobbyist rather than a beginner. A beginner should get either a corn, a king or a milk snake.

[tHeGiNo]

Yankee, take it easy man it was an accident I was making no accusations. My post, for some reason, is in this thread. I didn't put it here :S Also would like to mention I fully agree with Linds, and Thomas on the idea of corns (besides the fact that they bite often, or more often then that of ball pythons).

[yankeefoxtrot]

I enjoy all of your imput i may have to rethink my logic on the subject. Thanks for all your input!!

Thegine: No worries. I just did not want you to think i was someone else. : )

Lucas

[killaclown]

Linds are you talking about a the same ball python that never bit me and i guess loves to be handled or that crazy retic that almost killed me a few months ago. My first snake was a corn and when i took him out the bag he tagged me 4 or 5 times.

[Linds]

People all too often anthromorphize their snakes to death. Snakes do not have the same responses and "emotional reactions" that we humans do. A ball pythons natural defense is too sit still, or curl in a ball... this is them being defensive, NOT friendly. Snakes do no enjoy our company, they are solitary animals and only want to be around other animals if it is to breed or eat. Now a retics first defense when cornered is to bite, if a ball had the same defense mechanism you would have a crazy snake on your hands. What your ball is most liekly doing when your assuming he loves when you handle him is a) feeling very threatened or b) enjoying the heat your body gives off, the same sort of enjoyment he would get on a rock that has been sitting in the sun absorbing sun. Also, just because a snake has a repuation for seldom biting, this alone does not automatically make it a candidate for beginners, there are many other things to be taken into consideration...

[killaclown]

So i guess all snakes dont want to be handle but we make the dission for them because WE know that we mean no harm. Its like when we were little when we didnt want to eat vegtibles are parent still made us because the knew they ment no harm.