new here

mommanessy247 · 03-20-10, 04:02 AM

hi i'm new here. i'm here to get as much info as i possibly can as i am educating myself on the ownership of ball pythons. i had one when i was younger but was not educated enough & it eventually died on me. i know now what my mistake was and am eager to not repeat it. i am planning on getting another ball python. i'm very excited & can hardly wait to have it, but i have to buy all the stuff for it first.
my fiancee is going along with me & my 8 yr old daughter is nervous but asks alot of questions & i answer them based on the info i received that day & what i know about balls (the pythons of course).
i plan on spending a few months buying supplies since i cannot get them all at one time. the snake will be the last thing i buy & that will be in either july or august of this year.

infernalis · 03-20-10, 07:39 AM

Enjoy your time with us!

Lots of great folks around here to help out.

Lankyrob · 03-20-10, 10:49 AM

HEy there,

I am new here too - only a couple of days or so. Think the way you are going about setting up and finding out everything first BEFORE getting the snake is a great idea. We alos went through about 3 months of research before buying, tho i wish now i joined htis site whilst researching as its great!!

We havea three year old who currently is happy to stroke our snakes but not yet to hold them - wont be long tho before she is comfortable enough to have her first cuddle.

Just a suggestion but we took our daughter to our friendly reptile shop and let her have a good hour or so looking in vivs and stroking snakes and beardies before bringing one into the house. She ended up cuddling with a 7ft(ish) monitor lizard before we had left the shop!!

Good luck and hope all goes well for you

Hillsberry · 03-20-10, 11:11 AM

Hey Welcome! Sounds like you will do fine. Just take your time. There are alot of great people here. They have helped me alot. I know they will do the same for you. Good luck with everything. Please keep us posted!

Will0W783 · 03-20-10, 12:21 PM

Quote:

my fiancee is going along with me & my 8 yr old daughter is nervous but asks alot of questions & i answer them based on the info i received that day & what i know about balls (the pythons of course).

ROTFL!!!!! And the ball jokes start again....

Freebody · 03-21-10, 12:54 AM

hey welcome to the forum.. i dont got kids of my own but my sisters youngest one always asks alot of questions and you see the intreag in her eyes.the same look i remember having when i was 3-4 with my dad and his boas

isnt it awsome seaing kids show a passion for retiles like we all do?,although my sister tries her best to tell her they are vile creatures that just want to kill her,and tries to get her to hate and fear them for what ever sick reason> i always tell her the truth and when my sister back is turned i take the snake out and prove her wrong and let her pet it lol its are little secret. the older one "7" is scared of her own shadow and rats me out any chance she gets...mommy mommy uncle daves got his snake out again,its going to kill sammy you better hurry... little brat LOL

shaunyboy · 03-21-10, 08:28 AM

hello and welcome.you'll have a great time on here,were a helpfull happy bunch.you sound very organised and have things well under control.ive got 4 kids,2 grandkids and a third due in 2 weeks.i encourage them to interact with my snakes and learn about how they live both in the wild and captivity.i must admit i sit there with a huge grin on my face as they all debate (thats putting it poilitely) who the snake likes best.meantime thats another 2 generations facinatedby reptiles.beats them bl**dy playstations any day...!!
cheers shaun

mommanessy247 · 03-21-10, 03:54 AM

thank you everyone who responded to my post.

Chu'Wuti · 03-22-10, 03:46 AM

Mommanessy, you're going about this the right way, that's for sure. BPs require higher humidity than the average house as well as more warmth. Most people try to treat them like a colubrid and have trouble as a result. Other than that, BPs are wonderful beginner snakes, especially for children.

There are some excellent threads describing appropriate husbandry for BPs, and there are a number of people with a great deal of expertise with BPs. One thing I would recommend is avoiding pet shops; you'll get a healthier snake from a breeder. A good way to find a reputable breeder is to check your local herp society and check for herp shows near you. Before buying, check the vendor or breeder out on the Board of Inquiry to ensure that you've found someone reputable.

Good luck with everything!

mommanessy247 · 03-22-10, 04:33 AM

chu'wuti, i have been talking to a BP breeder near me. I plan on buying from them as well. I already know to avoid the pet stores, thanks. i have seen first hand how inexperienced & inknowledgable they can be. its so sad too.
i also know what to look for in a healthy snake & have written a list of things to look for at the breeders place when i'm buying the snake.
i've also written a "care sheet" of things that the snake needs...type of substrate, temps required, humidity required, etc.
i am finding these forums very useful too.
thank you again all.