Loads of Questions 😉

nickyneopolitan · 05-03-19, 01:16 PM

Hey everyone,

My name is Brittany, I'm new on here and I just have a lot of questions as to hopefully becoming a new ball python owner.
I have watched TONS of videos on ball pythons (even subscribed to a few channels lol) and a little bit of research on the internet. I have been interested in getting a ball python for the past 7 months. I want to make sure I have all the info I need before I do get one. So if theres any tips you would like to give me all will be appreciated. But here are some questions I would liked answered:

1. Any recommended breeders? ( I just want a normal baby male ball python )
2. What size terrariums/tubs for different sizes? (I wanna do tubs as a juvenile and then eventually upgrade to a terrarium when an adult)
3. What size prey, ik it's based on the girth size but do I get rats or mice?
4. Best brands to get: heat pad, hydrometer, thermostat, etc
5. Best place to get frozen food from?
6. Best type of substrate?
7. Is there anything I can use as an enrichment or is it even needed?
8. Water bowl size?
9. Hide sizes?

Anything along those lines so I can have as much info as possible, also anything will help. i really want the best for my future snake and thanks in advance!!

Mystickinna · 05-07-19, 10:31 AM

1)I prefer to buy my reptiles in person (idk I just don't feel good about shipping them without checking them first). But most reptile stores will have a baby bp, but you should check out morphs to see what colors you want and such.
2) As a baby, it is good to start it out in at least a 10 gallon. When it's an adult, it should have enough room to stretch out across one side, but it's okay for it to stretch out across 2 sides.
3)If it's small I would start on fuzzy mice or hoppers and then transition it to fully grown mice untill it's big enough to do rats. However, starting on small rats might be better because they might not eat rats instead of mice but there's better ways to transition them.
4) It doesn't really matter too much just buy name brand to ensure its good quality.
5). Rodent pro is a good site if you want to order mice online, but you can also go to a store that also breeds mice, it's your choice between live/dead.
6) I use Aspen bedding and then sphelgium moss in my snakes humidity boxes.
7) ball pythons don't need it too much but you could rotate their hides/decor like get extra hides and swap them out every once in a while.
8) the water bowl should be about big enough for them to curl up in, and almost as deep as their girth.
9) once again, they should be able to curl up in the hide, you don't want too much room because then it won't be as much as a hidenfor them. But for a baby bp most small hides will work.

For their tank you want a warm side at about 90° and a cool side at about 75° you want a hide and a humidity box on the warm side (I take a Tupperware and cut a hole in the lid for them to get in and out, and then soak the moss, wrong it out, and put it in the bin). And on the cool side, another hide and the water bowl. You want the substrate to be dry for ball pythons because their natural habitat is dry, if they are sitting in water and can't dry out they can get scale rot or an ri.

Good luck!

**Aaron_S** · 05-13-19, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickyneopolitan

Hey everyone,

My name is Brittany, I'm new on here and I just have a lot of questions as to hopefully becoming a new ball python owner.
I have watched TONS of videos on ball pythons (even subscribed to a few channels lol) and a little bit of research on the internet. I have been interested in getting a ball python for the past 7 months. I want to make sure I have all the info I need before I do get one. So if theres any tips you would like to give me all will be appreciated. But here are some questions I would liked answered:

1. Any recommended breeders? ( I just want a normal baby male ball python )
2. What size terrariums/tubs for different sizes? (I wanna do tubs as a juvenile and then eventually upgrade to a terrarium when an adult)
3. What size prey, ik it's based on the girth size but do I get rats or mice?
4. Best brands to get: heat pad, hydrometer, thermostat, etc
5. Best place to get frozen food from?
6. Best type of substrate?
7. Is there anything I can use as an enrichment or is it even needed?
8. Water bowl size?
9. Hide sizes?

Anything along those lines so I can have as much info as possible, also anything will help. i really want the best for my future snake and thanks in advance!!

1. There should be reptile shows in your area you can look up and check out and purchase one from there. As well there's plenty of breeders willing to ship. Pet stores local to you should have baby normals though. Most breeders do not have normals anymore.

2. I use shoebox size tubs for babies. As an adult I would use a 20 to 30 gallon tank or equivalent PVC enclosure.

3. I always start my baby balls on rats. Skip mice entirely.

4. My favourite brand of thermostat is spyder exotics herpstats. Everything else I am unsure as I use rack systems and don't purchase commercial reptile equipment often. My temp gun is a mastercraft.

5. I'm in Canada so I cannot help you with this. Sorry.

6. Your choice. I like coco husk or coco fibre a lot for aethestics. However I've used aspen chip, newspaper and paper towel with success. Paper towel is my preference for babies for ease of cleaning.

7. You certainly can. Use multiple hides and climbing items.

8. Something it can fit into to soak

9. Super snug. If it looks too small it's likely the best fit.

ClockwerkBonnet · 05-13-19, 11:07 AM

I would like to chime in and simply say that pine and cedar shavings are not good substrates for snakes in general. Pine shavings are extremely dusty, and cedar is oily and will thus emit hazardous fumes.