i need to know

[Bencb3]

i just wanted to say hello and i love snakes but i havent gotten one yet cuz my mom says i have to buy it with my own money and i dont know how much to save for, i need the standard setup for a ball python, any one know what the price range is? i know i need "cage"(is it called that? it is a aquairium thing) that is like 4 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2 feed tall, and i need a lid so he/she doesnt get out, then mice and of coarce, the snake i want a ball python cuz i always wanted a python but i dont want a big one, and i heard that the biggest one ever got was a female and it got 6 feet, but that was rare, so im thinkin if i get a male, ill be ok, any ball owners out there got any price ranges?

[Bencb3]

actually, i figured out how much the habitat costs, now i am really concerned that i might not have enough money for a python myself, does any one know how much they cost, i think most of u do, or maybe not....

[JeffT]

Well I hate to say it but if the $150 is too much to spend on the snake then the rest of the costs will hit you harder. For instance, heating, caging as adults, vet bills if needed and most of all feeding.. As for when you said the "mice" it will eat, sorry but when this python is an adult it will eat adult RATS...and trust me, they arn't cheap. Maybe you should reconsider your financial cituation before you buy one.

Jeff

[BurmBaroness]

ALso, a 4x2x2 enclosure is WAY too bbig for a baby ball python. It will get too stressed out and prolly won't eat. For neonates, I would use a 10 gallon, no bigger than a 20 long. then a 30 or 40 breeder for a full grown ball python. They are much more comfortable in smaller areas, as they live in burrows under the ground in the wild. I would not recommend a ball python as a beginner snake, becaues of nonfeeding issues. Be sure you do your research carefully and thoroughly.

[Pixie]

Hi and welcome to SsnakesS

I am always happy to see someone doing research and asking questions before actually purchasing an animal. It shows some forethought and responsibility, IMO, the great beginnings of a future herper.

To answer your question, price often varies on the area you live in and what kind of animal you are looking for. I've seen many WC and farmed ball pythons for very low prices but I would hope that you would want to discourage this practice as many do for easily obtainable CB species. That said, I've seen CB ball pythons for as low as 60$ in Canada and 40$ in the U.S.

Cost will really be in the initial setup of your snake but even then you can still lower your costs by doing a lot of looking around and shopping. For example, you can house a snake well in a large rubermaid container that is well equiped. If you desire a nicer display cage, look around in your area for 2nd hand aquariums. There's almost always some available and much cheaper than brand new. As for what size tank, an adult ball python will do fine in a 30 or 33gal tank, more space is rarely used by the snakes.

Where you need to be careful is making sure you have a safe heat source, something to regulate it to the right temperature (thermostat, dimmer, etc.), at least one thermometer to keep an eye on the temps, a hygrometer to keep humidity at appropriate levels. Decorating your tank can cost you almost nothing! Look around the house for things that can be used as hides and a drinking dish. Dollar stores are also very handy and low cost for such items. I use everything from clay pots, cardboard boxes, plastic containers, paper towel tubes as hides and different sized soufflé cups or other similar ceramic dishes bought at the dollar store for no more than 2$ for the biggest ones.

Feeding one snake isn't all that costly, if you can get a snake that is eating f/t prey or make sure it is one of your priorities when obtaining your snake, food bills shouldn't be expensive as you can easily buy frozen snake food in bulk.

You should always expect the unexpected as with any pet and have an emergency vet fund. Things happen and you have to be prepared for them.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Pixie

[JeffT]

WOW Pixie where have you seen them for $60? I have seen them around that price but they were WC.

[Linds]

You don't necessarily require a tank, in fact terrariums and the like are not well suited to ball pythons and other moderate or high humidity animals, just desert animals and fish. Reason is that you cannot maintain humidity levels without blocking off the top, and by doin gthis you kill any airflow. Stangant air is never good, as well as it creates an environment for mold to thrive. The best setups for ball pythons are eaither custom enclosures, or rubbermaids. Rubbermaids are great and very affordable, and can house a ball python for its entire life A functional setup for a ball python may not look appealing, but works well and is easy on the wallet. Rubbermaid, papertowel or newspaper for substrate, water dish, and an undertank heater hooked up to a dimmer. You can crumble up paper and leave loose sheets and they will use those to hide in. But you must also take into effect that after the initial setup, there are still more costs such as feeding and possible vet trips (which can be very expensive for exotic animals!!!). Its important that you can cover vet trips and treatment should the situation arise.

Originally posted by Pixie
easily obtainable CB species. That said, I've seen CB ball pythons for as low as 60$ in Canada and 40$ in the U.S.

I'd be willing to put all my money on the fact that they were CH, not CB. Sometimes people list them as being CB... instead of captive bred they are saying it was captive born. A little trick dealers and the like use. Often stores pay $60 for CH babies. Rock bottom prices for a captive bred baby is $100 CDN. Usually you will find them at $125 (males) and $150-$175 (females).

[jwsporty]

Hey Supasnake,

Welcome to the community and I hope you will enjoy your future snake. To this point everybody is bang on the money. Captive Hatched BP's are readily available and yes they are cheap, but it does come with a price. Here in Ottawa, batchs show up in the pet stores and they sell for 60.00 CAD. The extra price you will pay is in the aggrevation and worry of getting them to eat. As BP's are notoriously picky eaters at the best of times. Believe me I know, I have 3 of them right now but I was prepared for this so I don't sweat it too much any more... Might I suggest that if you want to get immediate satisfaction, with little worry, that you consider a corn snake or kingsnake. You should be able to pick up a nice little corn for around 50-60 dollars if you check with your local breeders and you can pretty much be guaranteed a good feeder right off the top, unless it is during mating season. Maybe consider a ball python once you have developed your husbandry skills. In all likelihood, you will end up purchasing more snakes anyhow, so consider the first one as the stepping stone. Personally I am up to 22 snakes and growing and everyone of them gets the full care that they deserve. I started with a kingsnake and I don't regret going down that road. Each one is unique and despite what people say, they do have character and personality, some good, some bad, but all lovable. If you are considering getting more snakes then you may want to consider bulk food purchases or growing your own. I grow my own and I always have a good supply. Both Rats and Mice. If you go with a corn or king snake, mice will do you fine, and yes rats can be more expensive if you get into the purchasing game, but you will also get better growth from rats and they are ultimately better for the snakes (better nutrition)

The emergency vet bill fund is important as well as Linds has mentioned. A basic health check here in Ottawa with a panacur and flagel treatment is around 86.00 and that is where it pretty much starts and then it goes up from there. There are never any guarantees that everything will be just right and stay right but you can raise your chances of a pleasurable experience by getting your snake, whatever it may be, from a reputable dealer or breeder or from a trusted member here on SSnakess..

Here's a quick list for you

Approx prices only

10 gallon tank and screen lid 40.00
Under tank heater pad (Exoterra work great) 8"x8" 27.00
Substrate hides, water dish and tank decorations (depends on what you put in there) but always consider bulk purchases of things like aspen shavings 60.00
A good digital dual mode thermometer 22.00
an inline dimmer switch to control the heater temp 20.00
a Hygrometer 10.00
food supply for the first two months if store bought 20.00
a water bottle to spray the tank to increase humidity when need to 2.00
A good care book species specific 15.00

of course what ever you are going to do with the snake so give yourself up to two hundred dollars

and then your Vet fund (just to be on the safe side) about two hundred dollars

bottom line about 600.00 to cover it all but that would be a top end. So save up the 600.00 CAD or about 450 US and you will be set for pretty much everything. Again this is just a good number to work from, it is always better to overbudget then to underbudget. Pare the pricing when you can but always keep the well being of the animal in mind, after all he is going to become your little friend who will rely on you to meet his needs.

And of course keep in touch on the forums and keep asking the questions, no matter how dumb you may think it is, the answers might surprise you and give you the foundation to improving your husbandry skills. We all started in the same place...at the beginning and that is what we are all here for. The knowledge you will pick up here at Ssnakess can't be measured with a dollar value, it is priceless. I learn something new everyday I come to this site.

Best of luck to you and let us know what you end up with.


Jim

[baller]

I bought my snake for 60dollars and I live in Florida.

[peregrinefalcon]

Supasnake, don't limit yourself to just ball pythons. There are other species that are smaller such as spotted and childrens pythons that can be better feeders then balls. Also they don't get big enough for rats so they are cheaper to feed.
Adam

[Bencb3]

why do they have feeding problems? i am gonna have to do alot more research before i get it, and im gonna have to save up more money too, i need a raise

[fateamber]

I like to save as much as i can so i will have money if one of my snakes needs to visit the vets, and i will have money when it is time to move them into bigger vivs.

[sapphire_moon]

I agree with JeffT if you can't go spend 150 dollars for a set up then you really aren't ready to buy a snake. When I got my BP I didn't know they could get up to 5ft. So I had mine in a 10 gal tank for a long time. Then got her in a 20 gal long tank, now in a 40 gal breeder, getting ready for a 75 gal tank, that is going to cost about $150 dollars alone. Thats not including the extra UTH, hide place fake plants, food, and extra water bowl I'm going to get her! And she is a little over 3 ft, so this is her final home.
I also plan on purchasing a little male bp. And luckily I still have the 20 gal long that was her old home and a 10 gal if that is to big. So within another year I will be buying another 55-75 gal tank since males are smaller than females! THEN thats not including all the other things i'm going to have to buy because I plan on breeding them!!!! So think LONG and hard before you decide to get a bp. Once you get the final set up done, they really aren't that hard to take care of!

[DrunkShadow]

How much is $80 Canadian dollars, turned to Us. Dollars

[sapphire_moon]

I think $80.00 CAD is about $50.46 US....but don't take my word on that!