Hi! I'm new here...getting a ball python...what do I need for it?

Foxy320Red · 03-05-03, 04:15 PM

Hey everyone! My name's Katie, and I'm almost 17 years old. For years I've been wanting a ball python. My neighbors have (or atleast had) a huge ball python, and I just loved it. My mom thought I was weird, being a 8 year old girl going to the neighbors house to see their huge snake. Well, I've always liked them, but just recently I decided I actually wanted one. I knew my mom would say no, so I didn't get my hopes up. So I asked her....she said NO! Well, I expected that much. But after begging her, and telling her that people say that make good pets, and are the lest likely to bite of all snakes. She still said no. So I told her that I take care of all my pets, and I pay for them and they live in my room so she doesn't have to see them. She still said no. So, I told her that I'd try really hard in school, and get atleast C's in everything. So she said she'd think about it.

Well, we went to the petstore last night for petfood, and they happened to have two baby ball pythons. They werent newly hatched, but I'm guessing within a few months old. But I showed my mom, and she said she thought I wanted a small snake. So I had the store owner talk to my mom and tell her how nice of pets they are, and they're good beginner pets because theyre friendly and low maintnence. Well....now I'm allowed to have one.

I know that I want to look around for a while, and read up more on them before I go out and get one. I need to buy everything, also still but I'm not quite sure what I need, exactly.

I want to get the snake from a breeder or from a reptile show, and as a baby. Also, it has to eat frozen/thawed mice or rats, because I have pet mice and rats, and wouldnt be able to handle feeding it live animals. Theres a reptile show on the 28th or 29th of this month in MD, so I may go to that. Of all the colors/varieties, I like the normals the best.

I only plan on getting one; I think that having two would be too much for me, and I'd have to take them out of their cage at different times because two would be too much work for me. So I think one will be good. I plan on taking it out of its cage a lot, also.

Ok, my question is: What exactly do I need prior to getting the snake? What kind of lighting, bedding, cage do I need?

Also, anyone who has pictures of where their snake lives, please post it!

Thanks a lot!

BAZ · 03-05-03, 04:21 PM

Hi, I can e-mail you some pics of my enclosures if you like. What is your e-mail address? Welcome aboard by the way!

Foxy320Red · 03-05-03, 04:22 PM

foxy320red@yahoo.com

thanks!

snakemann87 · 03-05-03, 04:37 PM

hey, great choice, i am glad you were able to get one, a balll was my first also. First you must have the cage, a 10 gallon is best for a baby ball python, but a 20 would last him a long time, if you do you use a 20 gallon, you should put a seperater in, as so the snake isnt too overwhelmed. You will need a undertank heat pad, a heat lamp, with an appropriate wattage depending on the tank, a thermometer, humidity gauge, and i use carpet, but something like aspen is good, i ball python really likes to burrow in it, here are the pics of him.

heres his cage,the cardboard and the bark isnt in anymore, i now have aspen which he loves like i said above.

here he is

and again, i took this the day before valentines

Big Mike · 03-05-03, 04:40 PM

Welcome to the site.

Well, you are off to a good start. Doing your research before getting the snake is one of the best things you can do. I suggest reading some care sheets to get a good feel for basic care requirements and then you can ask some specific questions. Here is a link to a really good ball python care sheet. Care sheet

You can keep a ball python in a glass tank (humidity issues), a Rubbermaid (with air holes), a nice custom enclosure $$$, a professional enclosure (boaphile, vision etc) $$$. You can build your own enclosure if you want as well. Decide what you want to keep it in and buy that first.

Decide how you want to heat your enclosure and how you want to control the heat. Heat control and proper temperature measurement are essential to proper care of snakes. Lighting is not a big issue but they should have about 12 hours of darkness each day.

It would be very helpful to buy and set up everything before you bring the little guy home. It's probably very stressful for the snake to be transported to your home so you want to be able to just put him into a proper enclosure and let him settle in for at least week. It will be very hard to leave him/her alone for that first week but it's in the snake's best interest.

You will find that buying the enclosure and the heating and control devices will be more expensive than the snake so don't just save up for the price of the snake. Even if you have to wait a bit longer to get the snake...it's worth it.

I would suggest using paper towels or newspaper as a substrate for the first little while. They are much easier to keep clean which makes it's easier to monitor the health of your new snake. Also it makes it easier for you to get into the routine of keeping the enclosure clean and healthy.

Again, welcome and do lots of research before you buy your snake

Foxy320Red · 03-05-03, 04:46 PM

Awesome, thanks for all the great info!

snakemann87-what a gorgeous snake. Ok, well I'll start out with a 10gallon then. I also have a 29gallon, and I was going to save up for a 55gallon. But if you think a 10gallon would be good, I'll start with that. Ok, so if I get a 10gallon, what wattage bulb do I need? I know they have so many types of reptile bulbs, even after working at PetsMart for 6mths, I didn't know the difference between them and which worked best. So, I also need a heating pad?? Should the heating pad be always left on, and the light on for 12 hours a day? I also need a waterbowl, and then the bedding. Is that it? Maybe a piece of driftwood, or some kind of branch for him to climb on?
Thanks again!

This site is awesome-such quick responses! And a lot of members.

Big Mike · 03-05-03, 04:49 PM

Here is a pic of my ball and his home...

I keep him in a suit case sized Rubbermaid enclosure. I have an Under Tank Heater that is controlled by a rheostat (dimmer) and he gets light about 12 hours a day from adjacent lamps on a timer.

Very basic set up...news paper substrate. Two hides...warm side and cool side. Water dish and I put in a humid hide when he is about to shed.

Good luck with your snake when you do get him.

snakemann87 · 03-05-03, 04:50 PM

ok, a 10 gallon is good, but if you have a 29 thats fine, just limit his access to all the cage. I am not exactly sure but around 100 for a 29. I use a 100 for mine, and if you have the light on the right, i would have the heat pad on the left, under the water bowl and hide box. A climbing branch is fine, but even better would be a thick bedding of aspen. They are more into burrowing, but they will climb. Anything else? Oh, thanks, hes really nice, real calm, except he isnt eating for me right now, he will start up eventually.

Foxy320Red · 03-05-03, 04:56 PM

Does the hide box have to actually be a box, or can it be one of those hollowed out half logs, that you put in reptile/rodent cages?

Ok, so a thick layer of aspen, a hiding box, heating pad, lamp, 100watt lightbulb, waterbowl.

Does the heating pad go in the tank or, under it?

I guess I'll use the 29gallon, just so it's not over croweded with the food bowl and the hiding box, and branch. And then put a fair amount of bedding in.

Big Mike · 03-05-03, 05:04 PM

Snakes do not need special bulbs so I would not waste money on that. They do need a temp gradient. Warm on one side (85-90) and cooler on the other side. You may need to have both a lamp and under tank pad but you could use just one of the two. You don't want to have a light on 24-7 so I suggest the heat pad. Make sure it's hooked up to a rheostat (dimmer) or a thermostat because most heat pads will get very warm by themselves.

You need to have good hides in their enclosure. They like hides that are tight fitting around their bodies. The bottom clay pots for plant pots work well and are cheap. You can use your bigger tank as long as you give it enough places to hide. One on the warm side and one on the cool side is basic and you can add more if you want. You don't want the snake to have to choose between being warm/cool and feeling safe.

Make sure to get good thermometers. Those stick-on fish tank thermoeters are no good. You need to measure the temp right on the floor of the tank where the snake will be. I have seen a few new snake owners who only measure the air temp in the tank while the snake is cooking on the floor of the tank.

A branch or rock is good for rubbing on when they shed but that's up to you. You should think about humidity if you are going to use a tank. The humidiy will just escape the tanks so you will need to keep it humid for sheding. I like to put in a humid hide when he's about to shed.

Oh, ya...a locking lid or screen top is required. They will find a way out if it's not escape proof. They will push their way out if it's not locked or clipped down.

Big Mike · 03-05-03, 05:22 PM

Sorry, I'm bored.

The UTH pad should go under the tank. They usually have self adhesive on them but I suggest using tape or something else to keep the UTH against the glass. If you every want to take it off the tank it will be easier.

Half logs might be OK if there is lots of substrate to hide in but something small with only one access hole can give a more secure hide spot...

100 watts might be a little much for a heat light...if you already have a heat mat. As long as there is a warm side and a cool side and the temps are OK...then that's all you need.

Good Luck

Xetox · 03-05-03, 07:02 PM

I would check out care sheets on the web! There are tuns of them out there all you got to do is search google for python care sheet and there ya go!

Research is you best key and places like this are great resources! But Read as much as you can! Everyone has a different way to care for there reptile so its best to take information from as many resources as you can and just experiment and see what makes ur pet the most happy!

If you want I can email you a list of great sites with very good information on caring for reptiles if you want.

snakemann87 · 03-05-03, 07:05 PM

heres a better size referance on my 3yr old male.

Foxy320Red · 03-05-03, 08:28 PM

Xetox- sure, you can email me the links, thanks! my email's foxy320red@yahoo.com

snakeman- is he a normal? he's beautiful. not that large, either. Will he get bigger?
when you take him out, does he move around a lot, or does he just move slow, or stay in the same spot pretty much?

ReptiZone · 03-05-03, 09:16 PM

all I can add to all this good info is that a heat mat is not a must cause snakes dont need heat under there bellies only when it is time to digest I have 2 light bulbs in my cage one night glow and one regular bulb I turn my regular buld off at night and I keep a flat rock under the heat lights so when it is time to digest they can go and rest on a warm rock there is a hide on the cool side and a hide on the warm side snakes are made to recive heat from above like the sun the sun warms up the earth and the chose where to go so you use a lite to warm up half keep your water bowl on the cool side so if it dos by any chance get to hot they can soak in cool water not boiling but dont worry you are doing good and you will catch on to the good stuff in time you have the basics just work with that and make a nice cage

Chondro Python