Trying to get into snakes...

[Darren179]

But before I spend any money or risk any pets, I have a few questions

1. Are balls fairly active and handable
2. Do they enjoy being active in there tank,
3. Are they a good begginer snake
4. If I was to use a big decorative tank would they enjoy it or are they best with just a plain tank ( i find the plain tanks boring)

[Gaboon]

ball pythons can be active and sometimes they will just sit in your hand and not move.

and yes they are very handable. and also some days it it will be active in its tank but some days it will stay in its hide box.

and if you havent had a snake before then you should start out by getting a ball python

now the tank is up to you just be sure you have a good sourse of heat for the snake cuz its good for the snakes digestive system. but if you want to give your snake a nice decorative tank then go for it, and also i would recomend the bedding be repta bark or newspaper

Brandon

[Darren179]

Thanks for the advice I will defintly be looking into getting one, If anyone could post some pictures of their enclosures so i could get some general ideas it would be great.

[Tigergenesis]

I'm new to snakes myself. I can tell you that when I researched a good beginner snake, Ball Pythons were frequently mentioned. Snakes are'nt extremely active (guess that depends on what you mean by active). Otherwise, they'd need a lot more room. Mine can be seen moving about a bit at night, but especially when it's hungry. My little one is easy to handle. I think how decorative the tank is - well, to me that's more for the owner's sake. I personally enjoy a nicely decorated tank - so that's what I went for. It's more work cleaning and disinfecting. I personally like getting to see my BP crawling in and out and around everything. But as with any animal - do your research and make sure you've got everything set up and ready to go prior to buying.

:)

[Darren179]

Yes I am not going to be breeding anytime soon, I find I dont have the heard to give them a boring enclosure I need to have it very realistic... its like an addiction!

[mark129er]

I got my first snake a few months ago. I researched it for many months before that. I finally decided to get a boa. I got a 3 month old central american boa and couldn't be happier. I know they can get big but i really don't care. Do your research and get one that you feel you will enjoy. One thing I have noticed by reading posts here is that balls will sometimes go off food for a long time. Linds just said her ball ate after a year of fasting.

[Gaboon]

also tru mark but it really depends on the breeder you get your snake from, most balls wont eat because the breeders sold them while they were to young

[maiden_canada]

get a corn snake. they're much easier in my opinion. also do lots of research before you get your snake, if you get a ball python make sure the humidity and temperature and everything are right, and use a rubbermaid for an enclosure.

[maiden_canada]

Originally posted by Gaboon
also tru mark but it really depends on the breeder you get your snake from, most balls wont eat because the breeders sold them while they were to young

thats not true, ball pythons just go off feed usually and are typically picky eaters, not just because their breeder sold them too early.

[Syco]

I have to agree with Maiden on this one, use a rubbermaid for BPs. It's much easier to keep the humidity up. If you want a snake that is active, enjoys climbing and won't have as many issues with humidity and feeding, go with a corn snake. There is a lot of beautiful ones out there.

[sapphire_moon]

Do alot of research. Ball pythons can be a good starter snake, IF you get them from a good reputable breeder. I wouldn't get one from a pet store (again!), because you just never know what is going on in the back of the store.

If the BP is a good Captive bred (sp?) then it should already be started on adult f/t mice (or rats of the same size)......

But if I had to do it all again I would have started out with a corn snake. They are active and from what I hear alot of them calm down as they get older. But they are extremly good escape artists!

Get what you like, but try to research as much as you can first.

[Linds]

Originally posted by Darren179
1. Are balls fairly active and handable

Active when held...not typically. Handleable... if by this do you mean they aren't out to bite, then yes. However, balls are very timid snakes and can sterss easily. They aren't good condidates if you want a snake that you can handle a lot.

2. Do they enjoy being active in there tank,

They can be active in their tanks. All depends on time of year, sex, temperatures, hunger, comfort level, etc.

3. Are they a good begginer snake

No. They aren't a terrible choice, but they aren't the best choice either. I recommend them a second snake. Their feeding strikes can prove very frustrating for first timers, as well as if you get a trouble case they can be very difficult to work with (which is easily avoided by buying from a reputable breeder).

4. If I was to use a big decorative tank would they enjoy it or are they best with just a plain tank ( i find the plain tanks boring)

If you put them in a big enclosure it would have to be so decorated you may never get a chance to see your snake. Balls don't typically fare well in open large spaces. Balls are best to be kept in custom enclosures or rubbermaids instead of tanks as well. Tanks do not hold heat or humidity (they will hold humidity with a modification that restricts airflow :eek: ).

[Slannesh]

While I have yet to keep corn snakes I think it might be more along the lines of what you're looking for.

Don't get me wrong I love Ball Pythons and have one myself. But they aren't a terribly active snake. First off, they're nocturnal. They spend most of the day in their hides 90% of the time.

They CAN be very picky, it varies a lot from snake to snake. I'm lucky in that regard, Shiva has never skipped more than 2 or 3 consecutive meals in the 6 years i've had her.

Size is another consideration, how big of an enclosure are you willing to have? Balls don't need a lot of room, but I like to provide much more than they 'need' and give them a couple of hides of appropriate size so they can still feel secure.

When choosing an enclosure make sure the first two things you think about are temperature and humidity. Both are very important to keep your snake healthy and happy. Substrate can have a big effect on both. Repti-bark or something similar looks nice, but it's more work to keep clean, not to mention expensive. Newspaper is basically free, but isn't absorbent, gets smelly fast and looks crappy. Stay away from Cedar and Pine, both are toxic to most reptiles.

Now to answer your specific questions:

1. Are balls fairly active and handable

At night, sometimes. Once they get used to it Balls are very good about being handled. Most are somewhat touchy about their heads.

2. Do they enjoy being active in there tank,

Again, sometimes. It really depends on the snake. Sometimes my Ball won't leave her hide for several days... other days she upends everything in her tank for fun.

3. Are they a good begginer snake

I think so, yes. They can have some issues with going off feed.

4. If I was to use a big decorative tank would they enjoy it or are they best with just a plain tank ( i find the plain tanks boring)

So long as they have appropriate humidity and temperature as well as someplace to hide when they like, I don't think the snake really cares one way or the other how 'nice' it's house is. They spend most of their time in the hidebox anyhow.


Hope that gives you what you were looking for ;)

[daver676]

I have a bp as my first snake, and I would NOT recommend one as a first snake. Now I've never kept a corn snake, but I've heard from my reputable sources that they are a better starter snake.

If you were to get a bp, don't put it in a huge enclosure. This can be another source of stress. You could keep a baby ball in a 10-15 gallon to start out, then work your way up as the snake grows. Also, glass aquariums don't hold humidity well. Build a custom or use a rubbermaid. I'll be switching to a rubbermaid once my snake outgrows her 15 gallon, which should be pretty soon. :)

Good Luck with whatever you choose.

[AshleyL]

I have a ball as my first snake and I couldn't be happier with her! As soon as I got used to her schedule, everything was fine. As for handling, she lets me take her out whenever I want to and has only hissed at me once while I was cleaning. They can be active when you're holding them, or they just sit wrapped up in their ball...it vaires on their temperment, time of day....If you know you can take care of it, get what you want, not what is considered to be the easiest snake to care for. IMHO You shouldn't buy an animal just because you want to use it as a stepping stone to get the more difficult one you really want later.

[foman]

If you like the balls go with it they are not that hard to look after.
Make sure your Temps are good and you raise the humidity around shed time your laughin. As for eating some do go off eating for awhile but most are pretty good after they are settled in. I have had mine eat everytime they have been offered food, never have I had a prob, but some do. Bottom line is if you do your research and buy from a good source you should have no problems. As for the cage start with a rubbermaid and go from there.

[mark129er]

I couldn't agree more foman, do the research and then get whatever you want. My female bci probably wouldn't be considered a good starter snake due to potenential size at adulthood but I knew that going in and it didn't bother me. I have my setup just the way she likes it and I adjust depending on her needs. No matter what you start with there will always be tinkering depending on what the snake needs/wants from the environment eg after a meal I raise the temps, in shed I raise the humidity it goes on and on...
The way I look at it she lives there I just stop by to change water etc.

[JonD]

Originally posted by AshleyL
I have a ball as my first snake and I couldn't be happier with her! As soon as I got used to her schedule, everything was fine. As for handling, she lets me take her out whenever I want to and has only hissed at me once while I was cleaning. They can be active when you're holding them, or they just sit wrapped up in their ball...it vaires on their temperment, time of day....If you know you can take care of it, get what you want, not what is considered to be the easiest snake to care for. IMHO You shouldn't buy an animal just because you want to use it as a stepping stone to get the more difficult one you really want later. I agree, there is no point in getting a snake you don't want just to get experience with snakes. Either way you'll gain knowledge, you just won't be stuck with a snake you never really wanted in the first place. I had a Red-Tail boa for my first snake and it is doing exceptionally well.....;)

[Invictus]

I can't say that I saw a single post that I agree with 100% in this thread, so I'll just throw in my $0.02.

First off, I most certainly do not recommend a ball as a first snake. When you get a snake, the temptation is there to handle it a lot. If this is what you want, get a corn or a king. If you want a snake that you leave the hell alone for all but maybe 15 minutes PER WEEK of handling, get a ball python. Otherwise, prepare to have a snake that will go on a hunger strike. As Linds mentioned, they stress VERY easily.

Now I would like to suspend some of the garbage that has been posted.

If you want to use a tank, use a tank. BPs are from wide-ranging areas of Africa that are anywhere from bone dry to extremely humid, so they don't require humidity. If you can keep them at 50-60%, great. If you can't get the humidity up that high, they won't keel over and die. Put a large water dish close to a heat source, and block off about 1/3 of the top, preferably the middle of the screen top if that's what you use. This way, the heat gradient can drive the air flow between the hot and cool sides, but you're not losing too much humidity.

Even with a completely open top, if you cause evaporation with the water source, you'll only lose about half the moisture out the top - the other half will sink, and this is what will give you the ideal humidity range of around 50%.

However, one thing that is not a myth is that a BP that is handled too often will get stressed out, and will most likely refuse food. I strongly recommend another choice for a starter snake, but in the end, the choice is yours. BPs are gorgeous snakes, and are very rewarding to have in any herper's collection.

[snakehunter]

if you go the bp route DO NOT USE A WOOD SUBTRATE! likerepti bark, or lizard litter, aspen is cool, but keep an eye on the humidity. the wood substrates suck up any moisture, and dehydrate your animal, this happened to me.
i would suggest indoor outdoor carpet, its clean, easy to use, and when it gets dirty throw it in with the wash.
be sure to buy your anke from a breeder too.
NO WILD CAUGHTS

[Slannesh]

Snakehunter,

Did you just suggest that throwing carpet with fecal matter, urates and possibly parasites in with your regular clothes washing was a good idea?

I think that's a very bad idea.

First off, you don't want any of that in with your clothing.

Second laundry detergent doesn't disinfect nor sterilize. If you're reusing substrate you need to do both. I would reccomend cleaning reuseable substrate in a strongish bleach solution with very hot water and then rinsing THROUROUGHLY with clean, hot water to make sure no bleach is left behind. If you don't want to do that, use newspaper or something you can just discard when it becomes soiled.

[RepTylE]

Like a few of the previous posters, I got a BP as first snake and in the past 5 months I have had no problems with him, He eats well (so far) and is as docile as a kitten. I would say that a BP is a good choice for a first snake .It is always good to know that here are alot of helpful people on this forum to help if you hit any problems.

[maiden_canada]

Originally posted by snakehunter
if you go the bp route DO NOT USE A WOOD SUBTRATE! likerepti bark, or lizard litter, aspen is cool, but keep an eye on the humidity. the wood substrates suck up any moisture, and dehydrate your animal, this happened to me.
i would suggest indoor outdoor carpet, its clean, easy to use, and when it gets dirty throw it in with the wash.



what are you talking about? reptibark, cypress mulch etc are great for humidity, and repticarpet really doesn't benefit your snake at all it just looks nice and is easy to clean. cypress mulch imo is the best substrate, very easy to clean, attractive and HOLDS humidity well which = more humidity in your cage = hydrated snake. im sure almost every educated person on this site would back me up on this one