The low down!

[Jo060]

Allrighty... I know you guys/girls prolly think I'm a fool. But hey better ask questions b-4 buying rather then buying a BP and not knowin SH**:o

But anyway. I've heard SO much about BP's how great they are ect.... And I have played/held them at "Pet Expos" and thought they were the best things. Are they good starter snaked (being this will b my 1st one.) Are they good pets? can u take them out and do stuff with them? B/c I remember reading a post that said make sure you give them exercise.

Thanks!!

JoE

[BoidKeeper]

IMOP they are not good starter snakes because the pet store ones can be trouble feeders. Because of that reason only I say no they are not. A lot of people say they are and they have their reasons. But one thing that is true is that there are so many of them in the pet stores because they are so bloody cheap for them to get. In NB pet stores pay as little as $45 dollars sometimes lower and sell them for $120-$150. That's why they are so popular. They get called a good beginer snake buy the pet stores more then anyone else.
Now a CBB ball can be a different matter. Clean animal that is eating when you get it and alot don't go off food period.
Corn snakes make good starter reptiles period. Rosie Boa is an often over looked great first snake too.
Cheers,
Trevor

[Colonel SB]

They can make great strater pythons as long as they are eating regularily so I would suggest that if you really want a BP get a CB yearling from a reliable breeder. This way you know it's feeding well. As far as doing stuff breif peorids of handeling are tollerated, 15-20 min 2 or 3 times a week is best.

[lilyskip]

as far as handling goes, is 15-20 minutes 2/3x week as long as they're young, or everyday forever for the sanity of the snake?

[Tim_Cranwill]

I would echo what Trevor said in a lot of ways. I know of the 3 bp's I have at the moment, 2 would make good starter snakes but the 3rd would drive you nuts!!! It can be a frustrating thing for a newbie to have a snake refuse food for weeks on end and ball pythons are famous for doing exactly that!

They do have a ton of great qualities though. They are relatively calm and easy to "get along with". They stay within most people's ideal size range. They have fairly simple care requirements. They are very attractive depending on your tastes of course. They are affordable at $125-$200 (Canadian prices) from most reputable breeders (stay away from the balls in pet stores!!!). All in all they are an awesome snake. Some just have that pesky eating problem which is nerve racking to say the least.

You have hundreds of options for good beginner snakes though. Here are a few that I would recommend...
Corns - many color and pattern variations and a good disposition in most cases.
Kings/Milks - From 3' to 6' and every color under the sun! Some make better pets than others but you have a lot to choose from in this category.
Ball Pythons - Just make sure it's a captive bred snake from a good breeder. They are worth their weight in gold! :D

Anyway, keep surfing the forums, asking questions and looking at pictures and I'm sure you'll find something you like! :)

[Mike177]

Some people say that BP are not very sutible for begeners and some say they are. It is realy a matter of opinion. In my excperance they are great, easy, nice snakes that make pretty good starter snakes. now they are harder to care for than most colubrids but in my opinin are worth it! i would not recomening buying one from a pet store and if you are not shure wheather you will be able to care for it go with a colubrid or buy your snake at an expo from eather a small breeder or someone who is willing to work with you over the phone. i have bought things from breeders who alwas say if you have any problem with the setup call me and they give you there home #. if you buy from those breeders chances are you wont have too hard of a time but that just my $00.02

[killaclown]

the key word is wc or cb. Cb eat beter then a wc. It dosent matter to me right now cuz 3 of my 4 bps are wc. And never over pay its this easy 7- 20$ for wc and 20-60$ for cb. Dont be fooled my friend dont be fooled.

[lilyskip]

Also, really look at the way the snakes are treated at the different places that you're thinking about buying it. Treatment has a lot to do with the temperment of the snake, whether it will eat or not, and whether it'll make a good pet for you (at least initially).

I went to a bunch of different Petcos initially, and at one of them they seemed to be treated alright, but at the other one the handler kept stabbing them with a broom handle and rolling them around on the top of the tank. He wasn't trying to be mean...this was just how he'd been told to handle them...but they were all aggressive, and most of them were in a really tight ball in the tank when they saw him. At the specialty reptile store where I am getting my snake today, they were all handled regularly (and gently!) by a staff whose expertise is in handling and caring for reptiles, and as a result they were active in their cages and responsive when I held them.

All of these things should be kept in mind :o)

[MontyPython]

I bought my ball python from a pet store. He was the most attentive snake in the cage where he was kept with his other sibblings. He was relativley cheap and I thought he was good to go. Waited a week to feed him and he ate within a few minutes. A few days later he started showing symptoms of RI, so we took him to the vet. He was also checked out for parasites and bacteria, which he had lots of bacteria, but no parasites. The vet gave him a 50/50 chance of survival and put him on medication. We called the vet to tell them about the snake and the employee there wasn't surprised, she said that the breeder that they had bought the batch from came in and got the rest of the clutch from the one that i bought, they offered a yearling bp, but i had already grown attached to this one and was willing to do what ever it took to get him healthy. So far I haven't had a problem with him eating. And he seems to be doing much better than when i first got him, lots of tongue flicking. He just shed and is looking beautiful. Sorry if I am rambling, but yeah, get your bp from a pet store that knows what they are selling! =)

[Tim_Cranwill]

Or.... just get from a reliable breeder who ONLY sells healthy animals who are parasite free, tic and mite free and eating well!

I don't know about the pricing in the states but in Canada, the price from a pet store and the price from a breeder are either the same or within $50. It's a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned.

My friend bought a bp from a pet store last year. It ended up being a lousy eater, it had ticks AND mites and died about 3 months after he bought it.

Granted, some pet stores know what they are selling and take good care of the animals BUT these animals are still wild caught or captive hatched at best! They will likely have all of the parasites and feeding problems that myself and others have mentioned... but hey, what do I know...

[lilyskip]

Yeah, the price difference in the states is pretty small, too. The regular price at my local pet store was $80, on sale for $30, and the reptile specialty store was $60. Well worth the extra money for a well-bred, healthy animal. (ptoo ptoo)

[sapphire_moon]

If you insist on getting a BP from a pet store then ask to see it's feeding schedeul, ask to handle the snake first. Check it's mouth, eyes, nose, if possible the inside of the mouth, check for mites, ticks, and to see if it's not to skinny. Look on the inside of the cage and make sure it's clean, plenty of water and atleast one heat source. If you do not find a snake that you like, ask if there are any in back. Ask if they feed live or frozen, if they feed live I wouldn't get a snake there, it might be hard to get it switched to thawed. Also do not forget to ask if they are captive breed and born. Also just to see if they know anything at all you can find some information then quiz the employee's in the store there.

Also look at the other animals cages, frogs, cats, dogs, birds, ferrets etc....etc.... look at the floors and even the employee's themselves just to see if they look clean. If everything checks out with you, then go ahead and get a snake.......

If you have the time and money to invest in one then go on ahead, they can be a good starter snake if you are properly informed. Buy books, ask questions.

They should be able to sex the snake for you to.....If you are looking for a specific sex.

And BP's are addictive.....I got one a year ago, and am looking to buy a baby boy ball soon!!!!

Good Luck and I hope you find what your looking for!!!

[balakoth]

I really dont mean my interjection to be rude, but of all these things you "must" people to do when buying from a pet store, you make it sound as if this isnt what they should do 100 percent of the time when buyign ANY ANIMAL from ANY store.

I dont believe the store should make any difference, be it a large chain or a private store. Just because it came from a breeder people mentioned, I would never take it home without inspection.

Please be kind to the petstores, they give many animals good homes to those who simply wish for a companion. For a reference sake, all animals here in washington state in a Corprate Status have contracts with each county animal hospital. Most entire reptile sections are cared for by these individuals not the pet store employees themselves.

Im sorry some of you have had bad experiences with these places... Perhaps you should find a new place to shop.


Regards,

Joe

[sapphire_moon]

I agree balakoth!

[lilyskip]

I wish I could say my experiences have been as positive as you guys'. I have yet to go to a commercial pet store where the reptiles are treated by a reptile specialist. It is always just a regular store employee, who has probably done no more than read a paragraph in a handbook about reptiles. I doubt that it is specific to a single pet store location, either, but rather pretty representative of the general situation. But hey, maybe I'm wrong...