Ball Python or Burmese Python?

[SadisticPsycho]

Hi, I went out to a Christmas party the other day and I met someone who said they had a Royal Python. They told me it was a male, and it was 6 feet long with a 4-5 inch diameter. They also said it was able to eat and digest a Guinea Pig. I think they got it from a pet store years ago. They eventually gave it away.

What I want to know is if a male ball python could get that big. If not, was it a female ball python or was it a burmese python and the pet store people were confused?

Thanks

[Bartman]

Id say there measurment was wrong, as a burm could get over 8 feet in one year, so im sure they didnt have that. It IS always possible that a male could be six feet, but id HIGHLY doubt it personally. Even a female wouldnt really get 6 feet but its always possible.

[zero&stich]

Um...I think your friends were a bit confused and got the genus's mixed up.

Royal(ball)Pythons usually attain the length of 3.5-5ft but there has been rumors of large females attaining a length close to 6ft.

I once had a guy I only knew by face, once bumped into me at an expo in NY. He swore he had the longest ball python in the world. I asked how long was his ball python. He tried to convince me it was 8 ft, LOL!!

Even when I suggested if it might be a male Col. Boa, because I knew of him getting into boas more than pythons. He still said in a gruff voice he has the world record of the longest ball python.

I told him flat out, bring me a picture of your large ball and show it to me where I worked. 3 years later, I'm still waiting for him to show me the pic of his 8 foot ball python.

All so I've had calls, with people saying, "I have Ball Point Boas and I just put the snakes in the same cage and now I have babies all over the place!"

Point being, I guessing your friend or the pet store got the genus names mixed up. It happans.

[SadisticPsycho]

Thanks, I was just wondering because my dad knows I'm getting a Ball Python and after hearing that he thinks it's going to get too big. Also, they were telling him that it could eat a cat, etc, etc... and we have 2 cats... Also in the cage they had, they had heavy weights on top of the cage and said that it would still get out. So now my dad is annoying me saying that I shouldn't get one. :rolleyes: I am getting a male and I told him it would only get to 4-5 feet the most and he didn't like it getting 5 feet so I said it most likely wouldn't get that big. (I figured once it got/if it got 5 feet he'd be used to it by then and wouldn't notice). Also, they told me that they fed large rats every week and I heard that they only needed large rats every 2-3 weeks. :confused:

Well, thanks again

[SadisticPsycho]

Originally posted by zero&stich
Um...I think your friends were a bit confused and got the genus's mixed up.

Royal(ball)Pythons usually attain the length of 3.5-5ft but there has been rumors of large females attaining a length close to 6ft.

I once had a guy I only knew by face, once bumped into me at an expo in NY. He swore he had the longest ball python in the world. I asked how long was his ball python. He tried to convince me it was 8 ft, LOL!!

Even when I suggested if it might be a male Col. Boa, because I knew of him getting into boas more than pythons. He still said in a gruff voice he has the world record of the longest ball python.

I told him flat out, bring me a picture of your large ball and show it to me where I worked. 3 years later, I'm still waiting for him to show me the pic of his 8 foot ball python.

All so I've had calls, with people saying, "I have Ball Point Boas and I just put the snakes in the same cage and now I have babies all over the place!"

Point being, I guessing your friend or the pet store got the genus names mixed up. It happans.

That's what I thought and keep telling my dad.

Thanks

[zero&stich]

Thanks, I was just wondering because my dad knows I'm getting a Ball Python and after hearing that he thinks it's going to get too big. Also, they were telling him that it could eat a cat, etc, etc... and we have 2 cats... Also in the cage they had, they had heavy weights on top of the cage and said that it would still get out. So now my dad is annoying me saying that I shouldn't get one. I am getting a male and I told him it would only get to 4-5 feet the most and he didn't like it getting 5 feet so I said it most likely wouldn't get that big. (I figured once it got/if it got 5 feet he'd be used to it by then and wouldn't notice). Also, they told me that they fed large rats every week and I heard that they only needed large rats every 2-3 weeks.

Well you can tell your dad that a Burm I think can attain the length of 14-18ft. :eek:

Convincing parents, is like to trying to convince a 3 year old that the grass IS green and the sky IS blue. The old saying still applies. "A picture is worth a 1000 words".

Rent a few books from the library or buy at least one and have you and your dad read bout python regius.

I member, my mother flipped out, when I was with them that one of mine would consume our cat. I'm like, "First, mines only 3 feet mom. Second, I don't own a juvi 'Conda. It's more likely to seek heat then hunt."

However it is possiable for larger balls to feed on small rabbits and G. Pigs so keep that in mind in captivity.

[kaa]

.

[Nicky]

hahah ya I hate when parents use the "they'll eat the pet line" my step dad constantly complains that my ball python is so big now ( only 2 and a bit feet) and that hes scared for that cats lol give me a break.
Best of luck convincing your dad:)
Kayla

[HeatherRose]

Originally posted by kaa
.

Again, kaa, what's up with ressurrecting old threads and only contributing a '.' ?

[Linds]

If either had the girth or a 2L bottle (4-5 inch) girth at only 6' that is morbidly obese. Burms don't tend to get bulky until they get larger, and I've yet to see a Ball Python reach that size. Hehehe... yeah I recently heard a story of someone whose neighbour had an 8' BP, and the guy and his neighbour used to go around catching strays to feed it :rolleyes: A lot of people tend to confuse Balls and Burms.

Your Dad doesn't need to worry about any monster Ball coming after the cat, more than likely if faced with one it would just tuck its head and hide. As for feeding, they are sporadic feeders by nature, you cannot really compare them to other snakes, and I find they can't really fit in to a schedule as well as some other snakes might. I got rid of all but one of mine (who I will always hold on to as a pet o>). IMHO many captive snakes are fed much mroe than they need to be. I got out of Balls (keeping one as a pet) and he eats anywhere from 0-8 times per year I would estimate and maintains a healthy weight (yes, even during his 1+ year fasts :p). Balls are not large snakes by any means, they average 3-4.5 feet on average, 'large' specimens would be in the 5-5.5 foot range.