Want to get a ball python any suggenstions?

[Bloutitt]

Hey guys looking to get a Ball Python here pretty soon just wondering where would be a good place to get one! Also what kind of coloration etc. I have a Sand Boa right know and am wondering if the Python is basically the same to to take care of!

Any tips and advice would be appreciated!

Thanks :D

[Hurrok]

Welcome!

Ball Pythons are super easy to take care of. If you are looking for a morph you can either look up breeders in your area just doing a google search or at an expo. I believe there is going to be an expo in Red Deer at the end of August. I'd stick to breeders and expos as they are usually better feeders and cheaper to buy.

What are you thinking for your price range on a morph?

[Aaron_S]

Welcome!

Ball Pythons are super easy to take care of. If you are looking for a morph you can either look up breeders in your area just doing a google search or at an expo. I believe there is going to be an expo in Red Deer at the end of August. I'd stick to breeders and expos as they are usually better feeders and cheaper to buy.

What are you thinking for your price range on a morph?

Good information posted.

Breeders are the way to go. Cut out the middle man!

[Bloutitt]

Welcome!

Ball Pythons are super easy to take care of. If you are looking for a morph you can either look up breeders in your area just doing a google search or at an expo. I believe there is going to be an expo in Red Deer at the end of August. I'd stick to breeders and expos as they are usually better feeders and cheaper to buy.

What are you thinking for your price range on a morph?

Well honestly I guess I would have to buy a whole new setup so around 100-200 for the snake? And for the morph I was looking at Yellow Belly Morph, or a Spider Morph, honesty Im down for really anything because all snakes are beautiful! (AMEN) haha

[Bloutitt]

Good information posted.

Breeders are the way to go. Cut out the middle man!

Agreed! Pet shops are not to be trusted in my opinion! (and in pet shops I mean the large ones that are everywhere)

[Hurrok]

Well, I got a Spider as my first BP, and I couldn't be happier! Of course I've gotten 6 more since then but that is how the addiction starts.

There are a lot of cheaper morphs out there! Pastel, Pinstripe, Spider, Yellow Belly, Fire, Mojave, Lesser.... They all go between $100-$300. Also females are usually more expensive than males, so you can save a few bucks that way just by picking a male rather than a female.

What kind of enclosure set-up are you thinking? A terrarium/tank or tub?

[Bloutitt]

Well, I got a Spider as my first BP, and I couldn't be happier! Of course I've gotten 6 more since then but that is how the addiction starts.

There are a lot of cheaper morphs out there! Pastel, Pinstripe, Spider, Yellow Belly, Fire, Mojave, Lesser.... They all go between $100-$300. Also females are usually more expensive than males, so you can save a few bucks that way just by picking a male rather than a female.

What kind of enclosure set-up are you thinking? A terrarium/tank or tub?

Yeah thank you for the Morphs im going to look them up! And honestly I think I would go with the Tank!

[Hurrok]

If you want to look at a whole bunch of morphs a great site is worldofballpythons.com

Most of them are higher end morphs but it gives you an idea :)

[Bloutitt]

If you want to look at a whole bunch of morphs a great site is worldofballpythons.com

Most of them are higher end morphs but it gives you an idea :)

Awesome thanks Hurrok! :yes:

[Gravelanche]

im a purrist, i think regulars are some of the most gorgeous. the best part is you cant beat the price on a normal. if its a juvenile you dont need as big an enclosure either for now too.

[Bloutitt]

im a purrist, i think regulars are some of the most gorgeous. the best part is you cant beat the price on a normal. if its a juvenile you dont need as big an enclosure either for now too.

Oh okay i totally agree. Most species I love the Pure Coloring and patterns...
Any chance you have a list of the stuff I need for the optimal care of a Ball Python?

[Gravelanche]

just google "ball python care sheet" and you will find dozens of guides, but basically you need a decent sized tank, some kind of substrate, places for it to hide, a water dish, and a way to heat one end

[Bloutitt]

just google "ball python care sheet" and you will find dozens of guides, but basically you need a decent sized tank, some kind of substrate, places for it to hide, a water dish, and a way to heat one end

Okay thanks!

[Hurrok]

Here's some basic information on keeping Ball Pythons.

1. A Tub that is around 20-25 Quarts should be a comfortable size in case it gets a little stressed out with too much space. (Younger BP)

2. You can use Paper Towel or Newspaper as a starter substrate as it is easy to clean the cage and is cheap. Aspen is a common substrate that is used, just make sure you spot clean the substrate and keep an eye on mold with certain ones as some develop it quite quickly.

3. Put two hides on either side of the cage (1 on the warm side, 1 on the cool side). Plastic/Recycled plant dishes work great and you can cut a hole into it to make it into a hide.

4. Get a decent sized water dish. Terracotta dishes for plants are great! They are cheap and sturdy and easy to clean and don't tip over very easily.

5. Get some heat going! Flexwatt heat-tape (UTH-under tank heater) is great as it is safe and you can hook up a thermostat and control the heat. This should be on one side of the tank only, as the 'hot-side'. You can get these online or a Heat Pad from a pet shop. The hot-side of the tank should be between 87-90 Degrees F.
-A cheaper but decent thermostat that I recommend is by Hydrofarm (Digital Heat Mat Thermostat) for around $25-$30, you can get it online. I'd recommend setting the temperature around 87-90 Degrees F.

6. Find a food source. I'd look around different shops (Pet stores can be very pricey!) and/or online to try and find a supplier. Rats are your best bet when it comes to nutrition (more meat to fat ratio). Judge the size of the rat by the thickness of your snake, it shouldn't exceed the width of the snake by too much, just about 25% more. Snakes can stretch so don't worry too much.

Most of this can be bought at Wal-Mart and won't cost you much. I know a tub isn't as appealing but as long as the Ball Python is happy and not stressed in it's environment that's what counts. Plus believe it or not, BP's seem to do better in smaller spaces. I find with tanks humidity is a common issue causing shedding issues, unless you put a towel on top of the mesh lid for the tank.

Hope this helps! :)

[Bloutitt]

Thank you so much Hurrok for all the help! Ill keep you updated on my search for my first BP!

[Hurrok]

You're very welcome! Getting a snake in general is an exciting experience! I'm here to help anytime :)

Alright sounds great! If you aren't sure what certain morphs are going for $ wise just compare on Google. Or if you found one and aren't sure if it's a good deal don't be afraid to ask, it would suck to be ripped off. :)

[Bloutitt]

You're very welcome! Getting a snake in general is an exciting experience! I'm here to help anytime :)

Alright sounds great! If you aren't sure what certain morphs are going for $ wise just compare on Google. Or if you found one and aren't sure if it's a good deal don't be afraid to ask, it would suck to be ripped off. :)

Okay sounds good!

[Corey209]

Spider's are known to have a problem with a wobble where they can spin and cork screw. They still make good pets and will live a healthy life (if you give the proper husbandry) but it's something to think about. I'd recommend checking out some other morphs like black pastel's.

[Hurrok]

All Spiders have it to some degree, but not all of them are crazy. Mine sometimes "wobbles" when I feed him, although he will corkscrew sometimes when handling. Overall it isn't that noticeable and doesn't really differ from any of my other BP's. It doesn't mean that they should be steered away from though, unless it is something the handler isn't comfortable with. Just thought I'd put my 2 cents :)

I recommend handling a BP that you are interested in and see which one just feels right, and if it's a morph you like then go for it!

[Bloutitt]

Yeah I found a bunch of BP for 80-120$ dont know if that is good, they dont really explain what morph so im assuming they are pure? And the only thing im worried about is size... going from my 1.5' KSB to a BP...And the fact that my girlfriend believes they are very dangerous, but I have heard they are one of the most gentle snakes? I also heard from many people you can handle them multiple times a day excluding before and after feeding?

[Corey209]

$80-120 is really pricey for a normal, you can get the basic morphs for that price.

I'd recommend handling your snake once a day not multiple times a day, this will reduce the stress on them. You want to start out with short sessions and you can build up over time. Ball pythons are very docile and usually only the young ones will be snappy.

[Lankyrob]

Yeah I found a bunch of BP for 80-120$ dont know if that is good, they dont really explain what morph so im assuming they are pure? And the only thing im worried about is size... going from my 1.5' KSB to a BP...And the fact that my girlfriend believes they are very dangerous, but I have heard they are one of the most gentle snakes? I also heard from many people you can handle them multiple times a day excluding before and after feeding?

Whilst a BP is bigger they are generally well mannered and gentle. Whenever my daughter brings a friend round that wants to see a snake close up we get our BP out for them to hold.

[Gravelanche]

yeah your GF is on just a little bit of crack, even a full grown BP isnt "dangerous". a bite, which itself is very very rare, does hurt a bit, but i can guarantee you have cut yourself worse cooking dinner. my 4 foot ball has never so much as struck at me, and the only time she even postured i realized i had handled her dinner without gloves and she smelled it on me.

also corey, remember to add about 50% to the price of just about anything when it crosses the border. $80 isnt a bad price here, pet stores are about $150 for a normal.

[reptimama]

I love my Ball! He was my first snake back when I was really stupid about the whole husbandry thing and believed what the pet store told me, stuff like oh he'll be fine in a 10 gallon for his whole life and all he needs is a mouse once a week. He's been through it all! Things are much better for him now though since I found Google and more care sheets are out there :)
He's always been super docile, I use to carry him around on my shoulders all the time, and he has only struck once in 7 years.
They are great snakes, whatever morph you get, you'll be happy :D

[Hurrok]

You honestly shouldn't pay more than $60 for a Normal, there are so many of them that they should almost be given away! :p A good cheap alternative for something around that cost is a male pastel, they go for pretty cheap.

As for your GF, just let her watch you handle it and let her once she is comfortable. Seeing that the snake is calm with you will usually help with the situation. Plus BPs don't get that long, most max out at 3-4ft and very rarely 6ft. They are plumper than cornsnakes and pretty strong when they get older but it's not a big deal when you have handled it over time and it is comfortable being handled.

Handling is okay as a daily thing once you give it a week to settle in without any interactions first. But start slowly with small sessions as you don't want to stress it out. I'd give at least a day or two of no handling before offering food and wait about 1-2 days afterward to handle your snake again. This gives time to digest and prevent regurgitation but also allows it to hopefully pee in the cage before handling it and not being peed on yourself :p

I've been bitten a few times by one of my girls, she has an attitude but wasn't handled at all for a year before I got her. That is why I prefer getting babies as you get to work with them with a fresh slate. Some do strike out of fear but don't worry, it doesn't actually hurt it is more just...surprising as it happens so fast! Although when they get older it can be a little uncomfortable and a little frustrating :p

[Aaron_S]

I wouldn't pay more than $25 for a normal.

I would use this website for ball python related information.

Strictlyballs Home (http://www.strictlyballs.ca)

[Bloutitt]

$80-120 is really pricey for a normal, you can get the basic morphs for that price.

I'd recommend handling your snake once a day not multiple times a day, this will reduce the stress on them. You want to start out with short sessions and you can build up over time. Ball pythons are very docile and usually only the young ones will be snappy.

Awesome thanks! Just went to look at one she is a Pastel they are asking like 400 buck though... and he seems very underfed..

[Bloutitt]

Thanks everyone for all the great info!

[Hurrok]

Awesome thanks! Just went to look at one she is a Pastel they are asking like 400 buck though... and he seems very underfed..


That seems like way too much, how old?

[Aaron_S]

Pastel female...$150 worth.

Goto the TARAS forums. They have lots of local good guys to buy from.

[Bloutitt]

That seems like way too much, how old?

The guy said 82 months and it stil looked like a newborn... little scared, this is why I never buy from pet stores.

[Hurrok]

The guy said 82 months and it stil looked like a newborn... little scared, this is why I never buy from pet stores.

Yeah that doesn't sound like a good idea....