pros and cons of BP ownership - Page 2

ohh_kristina · 12-09-03, 05:22 PM

The ball pythons I have are rescues. One is a WC - a 6 or 7 year captive. He has an AMAZING feeding response and only doesn't eat when he's in shed - but I'm sure he would, I just don't offer. My other male is a little sketchy when it comes to food. He refuses usually ever two or three weeks, for a two or three week period. The longest he has gone without food is about a month and a half.
As for ball pythons not being active, I find that to be untrue. Both of my ball pythons are extremely active in their cages at night. They are also very comfortable being held and will crawl all over if I let them. Of course, during the day they are hidden - but what else do you expect from a nocturnal animal? I only handle mine once every two or three weeks and they seem to do great on that schedule. Ball pythons are sometimes very shy.
I'd say go for the ball python. I love mine to death! They are interesting and beautiful and all around great snakes, IMO. They are very underrated.

jfmoore · 12-09-03, 08:02 PM

One attribute to put into the “pro” column: longevity

The record life span for any snake of almost 47 and one half years is held by a ball python. And that animal came into a zoo in 1945 as a young adult specimen when keepers didn’t know as much about their care as we do today.

Get a healthy ball python, take good care of it, and long after your dog, ferrets, corn snakes, fancy mice and rats, and even boa and geckos have passed on to their next existence – that ball python may well be peering out of its hide staring at you in your rocking chair. Pretty neat to have a “pet” that can share a lifetime with you, even if it is a slightly unconventional pet.

-Joan

sapphire_moon · 12-09-03, 10:51 PM

Cons----go off food for sometimes long periods of times, making you want to pull out your hair trying to figure out if it's something you did, he's sick, or just not interested. They hide during the day.

Pro----Long life, not usually nippy (though I'm sure some can be), beautiful snake, since they are NOCTURNAL (Awake at night) you can watch them before you go to sleep!

Both my bp's usually hide until we fall asleep. But my little female will stick her head out of her hide (doesn't matter if it is the warm hide or cool hide) and watch us get around for work, just before we leave she will go back inside her hide. The male though, he just lays in his warm hide all day. And comes out to "play" at night, usually totally wrecking it, moving his hides, his water bowl taking the suction cup plants off the side....but he is laying innocently in his hide, like "no I didn't do it!" lol..........

and another pro IMHO is they just seem to have puppy dog faces!

daver676 · 12-09-03, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by maiden_canada
they go off feed, and they're pretty boring seriously, they just lie in their hdie all day and might go look around their enclosure once a day for a few minutes. have you thought of getting a JCP or an arboreal species? or maybe something more interesting like a BRB. i like my ball python, they just don't do anything

On the contrary, my bp is usually active in the evening and when I go to bed. In the morning she is usually in her hide, but she comes out at dusk like clockwork.

Soul_Reaper · 12-10-03, 11:59 AM

Quote:

and another pro IMHO is they just seem to have puppy dog faces!

That is so true! BP's have the cutest faces ever, they look so friendly...

I also disagree with whoever said that they are boring snakes, mine is usually curious about everything, she's always strolling around the cage and falling off the big log (she's not the greatest climber...she's persistent tho, lol!)...but of course, she's never around during the day.

GotBalls? · 12-10-03, 02:10 PM

well I have only had mine for 2 weeks.. have wanted one for years and so far the only thing I found frusterating was feeding. But that was just my inexperience of not knowing how and when to offer the food. Hopefully he won't go off food often , if ever as it is a little nerve wracking. But when he did eat, that was awesome to watch!

Otherwise he is great! Absolutely adorable.. I agree with whoever said they had the cutest faces ever. I think that has always been my main attractiong to them other than thier placid nature. All the ones I have had the pleasure of handling never offer to bite and are so relaxing to handle. Thier size is JUST right for me.. not too big or too small.

My guy has been incredibly active, much more than I would have expected... he is usually out and about all night after dark and even sometimes in the morning when I wake up.

He is obviously a little under about people, but it actually very curious and if i open up his enclosure while he is out exploring he will come right out and up to my arm or face, and I have even handled him a few times ( was keeping it minimal until he ate) and he will motor around looking for a nice warm spot to relax in.

I couldn't be happier with my guy!

Nicole

Frithrah82 · 12-11-03, 12:23 AM

so um, no one ever got back about what excessive handling means... and I'm very curious about that as well...

Piers · 12-11-03, 02:49 AM

exessive handling is probably over an hour + at a time, couple times a day. Its not so much the time but what your'e doing at that time too. Sitting quietly is one thing but walking around bumping and jaring the snake around is very much another thing.Don't even get me started on going out in puplic!
A lot of handling will stress the snake and might cause it to go off food.
I don't handle most of my snakes at all other than cleaning and the odd inspection.(too manysnakes). the few that I do hold I only hold for ten-twenty minutes tops,not cause of stress but I have lots to do(or so I tell myself,lol)
Piers

Dark_Angel_25 · 12-11-03, 12:07 PM

My Ball, 8Ball, we chose because when we picked himout, 1) he was the only one who didn't 'ball' up, but started slithering around my arm and tongue lashing like crazy, he seemed really active and curious.

This morning, (Dec. 11) he was out when I was getting ready for Work, usually when I turn his day lamp off (whatever time) he comes out on cue, and he climbs the vines and branches in his cage with fervour.

As for the handling, I take him out almost everynight, and have no problems. As someone mentioned, I usually am laying on the couch and he just roams around me and settles down somewhere warm, but I can take him out and handle him and then put him in his feed box, and offer food (rats now, I had NO problems switching, he just took it as is) and he eats it everytime.

All in All, I think that the Ball Python is an awesome snake to have, they are very comical when trying to climb as they aren't the most graceful at it (

) and they have a face that is very VERY cute... not predatory looking at all (but watch out come feeding time!) and the size is short and fat, which makes them seem cuddly. So to me, they are a great pet, and not boring in the least.. everyone / thing has an off day where they would rather hide from the world.. Ball Pythons (and any snake really) just has the opportunity to climb under a rock and do it!

MajickSprings · 12-11-03, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by maiden_canada
they're pretty boring seriously, they just lie in their hdie all day and might go look around their enclosure once a day for a few minutes.

I'm starting to think that my BP isn't your normal BP. She is VERY active in her tank and when I hold her. She's not the "sit still" type of gal. She is always busy except for 2-3 days after she's eaten. Then she's quite happy soaking in her water tub all day and going into her hide at night. But the rest of the time she's very active going around her tank and when I take her out. She seems to like to "sniff" everything.