Beginner

Garf426 · 05-28-20, 04:26 PM

Hi All

I'm completely new to snake owning and doing my research before deciding on what breed of snake to have as my first. I've wanted to have a snake since I was a kid and finally decided to get involved.

I'm looking for a very tame medium sized as my wife isn't keen on the idea at all, from what I've read so far a ball python seems to be the obvious choice but it seems like a mine field on where to purchase from, what age to purchase at (I've read youngsters can be nippy), what colours etc.

I'd like a Python I could handle regularly and I'd really appreciate any advice anyone could offer.

thanks in advance.

Garf

phenyx · 05-29-20, 02:17 PM

Just my 2 cents. Ball Pythons are pretty docile and are considered pretty good beginner snakes. They come in multiple morphs if you want to spend a bit, or in their normal, wild coloration if you want to go budget. One note of warning though: they are notorious for being picky eaters, especially when transitioning from mice to rats. If you get a BP, I recommend going through a breeder that has started their BPs on rat pinkies rather than on baby mice. It's not super critical if you can't find one, but it does eliminate the need to transition them when they outgrow mice.

craigafrechette · 05-29-20, 03:37 PM

Honestly, you can't go wrong with a BP. They're extremely docile, slow moving and handle very well. They can be a bit finicky with eating, but if you do your homework you'll be prepared.
They stay a very manageable size, with females being larger than males.

As for where to buy, there are plenty of good breeders on morphmarket.com. You can always research the breeder before contacting them too. The breeder should be able to share feeding records (including prey type), shed records as well as pictures of the dam and sire (mom and pop). If they can't provide that info, move on.

You'll also want to find an animal that is established eating, and I highly suggest choosing one that has already taken F/T(frozen/thawed) at least three times.

And just FYI, in the an world we have species, not breed.

Garf426 · 05-29-20, 04:19 PM

Hi phenyx, craigafrechette

thanks both for coming back to me, everything I've read so far had pointed me toward Ball Python, I'm not super fussy on morphs to be fair, I'd just love to give a good home to a well behaved python

(my wife isn't keen but I've got sign off).

I'll definitely take your advise on checking out the breeders, this is exactly why I'm here before committing.

Didn't mean anything by using the word 'breed' but thanks for the heads up & thanks for taking the time to come back to me.

I guess just one last question, as a beginner would you look at a BP as you say thats fed well for a few months or go for one thats a few years old and a good history of feeding? I guess I'm more concerned about having a nippy youngster and not being experienced.

thanks very much for your time.

Garf

**EL Ziggy** · 06-01-20, 04:15 PM

Good luck with whatever critter you choose. I'm not a big fan of BPs. They're kind of boring to me and they can be really picky eaters which can be frustrating. I'd start with carpet pythons or some of the smaller boa species. They're not too large, they make good display snakes, and they're pretty easy to care for. Many young snakes are defensive and sometimes nippy, so be prepared or that, but most outgrow it quickly. I would also suggest acquiring an animal that's well established on f/t prey.