What is your opinion of ball pythons as pets?

Question

i'm getting my very first snake this comming saturday, a ball python. and have been studying up on them for about 2 years to make sure it is the right snake for me, and i came to the conclusion that it is. so i just want to get anyone's opinion on ball pythons. more specifically in your opinion what is the best way to set up the caging? what is your personal opinion on bedding for the cage? heat lamps or heating pads under the cage? live or prekilled food? just anything you want to let me know about this amazing creature before i obtain one. thanks to all who relpy.

Answer 1

well, theyre cheap, so thats a plus. they dont get very big, another plus. make sure you give him a hot spot and a not so hot spot, a water dish, and somewhere to hide. i always use aspen bedding. lamps or pads or if the cage is big enough both. prekilled if you can get them to take it, its much safer. i have a dumerils boa who will not, but the other 11 snakes will, so its usually pretty easy to get them to take it. the most important thing is this question: are you sure you want to take care of a snake for possibly longer than 20 years? if the answer is yes, go for it.

Answer 2

Well congradulations! That is awesome! My opnion is really easy. Do what YOU think is best for YOU and dont worry about what others say think and do!  The set up i am using is a 20 gallon LONG tank. (snakes are long not tall...they dont have feet so they need to lay in something long!) I am using something that the petstore i shop at calls Reptibark. its not bark like your thinkin, to me it looks like shavings, but its not like cedar. (cedar is said to be bad for the snakes) I have a heating lamp for him. considering buying a pad, but might jus get a stronger lamp. I use Live food. the prekilled... they take the mouse,and slam them on something and then they are prekilled. frozen they are put inside the freezer live and then they freeze till they die, so... I would prefer he kills it himself! People say that it is bad that my snake is eating live, it all depends on the snake! My snake is almost 2 years old.. he has not had one single issue with live. I know when he moves to the next stage... (rats) i might be trying the frozen... but for now... he is eating live. Another major thing, on the day you feed him... Put him into another area, a card board box or something other then his tank. they claim that a snake fed inside his own tank will strike you since he thinks that he will always be eating when you open his tank lid. I have not had that happen cause i dont feed him inside his tank. Also on the day you feed him, i reccommend not holding him after his meal. they can puke up what they ate, and trust me... it does not smell nice ... or look nice!

Answer 3

I *love* my ball python. He's probably one of the best pets decisions I've ever made, and definitely one of the best pets I've ever owned.

Its best to start out with a 20 gallon LONG aquarium so s/he will grow into it at a steady pace. To finish off as an adult, they'll need about a 40-45 gallon LONG. The best bedding is Eco Earth Substrate. Its a dirt compound that you soak in water and it keeps your pets habitat moist, and most importantly for a ball python, HUMID. Heat lamps is a personal choice, but the bulbs are all unanimous. I use a 75-watt day-glo bulb from ReptiZone.  As for feeding, thats also a personal choice, many feed pre-killed. My snake doesn't like pre killed food, he won't touch it, other snakes (obviously) will.

Answer 4

I LOVE my ball pythons! They are like my babies...well them and the rest of my snakes....lol

Well the bedding I use is the Dust Free Fiber Pure Cellulose Cat Litter because it is odor control and it soaks up the water and waste the snake makes. Also I don't have to worry about the snake eating it because if anything they can digest it and it wouldn't harm them(it was recommended by a few snake breeders) Also you could use the Care Fresh bedding too which is also odor control and can be digested by snakes without harming them at all. Plus those two bedding would make it easy on you because you don't need to clean the cage often.

Well I would recommend not over stuffing the tank because it could stress them out. So maybe a water bowl, hide-out, a branch, and a heat lamp or heat pad. But whatever you do, do NOT use a heat rock because it could harm/burn your snake.

Well I would always always always recommend frozen/thawed feeders for oh so many reasons. But the reasons why you shouldn't feed your snake live is important too! *list of why you should NEVER feed your snake live is below*

1: The mice could bit your snake and hurt it.

2: You snake might be to terrify to eat another mouse because it might be scare that it would get hurt again

3: The mouse could carry some diseases and then it could be pass on to the snake when the BP swallows it.

4: Eating live MIGHT make your snake more aggressive because it has to hunt for it's food.

And the list goes on.

*Frozen/thawed is always the best, then comes pre-killed. You could buy the feeders at a local pet store (much cheaper) and if there is a reptile expo coming to your town then buy it from there because it is the cheapest.

Well one fact I would like you to know is that ball pythons can be finicky eaters so they could go on for months without eating, even up to a year! Also don't pick your snake up 48 hours after feeding it because it might make the BP throw up its food. And it would be better to not pick the BP a day or two before feeding so you wouldn't stress it out too.

Another thing is that don't buy snakes from a big pet store(Petsmart, Pecto, Perfect Pets, etc) because most if their pet is probably sick. And most of their snake suffers from respiratory infection. So I would recommend adopting a ball python from a local animal shelter or a reptile rescue.If anything try craigslist.org and lastly if nothing else work then you could try a local family/friends reptile store(better then big time pet stores) But please try to save an animal.

*Adopting saves a wonderful animal, buying kills another animal in need.*

I think that is all you really need to know. But if there is anything I've miss then here is a link that might help you out even more.

http://www.reptilerescueca.org/Ball.html

Answer 5

I had a Ball Python before, good snake, great pet.

I used coconut shavings as substrate because it looks good and helps with humidity(I live in Colorado, very dry climate most of the time), it's also easy to scoop out poo and its pretty cheap at the same time.

I also used a heat lamp instead of a heat pad just for convenience.

I fed mine live, but only because I could not for the life of me get him transitioned and he was a very picky and unregular eater anyway. But now I have a Jungle Carpet Python which I feed pre-killed and it is SO MUCH better. More convenient because I don't have to go to the pet store all the time or take care of the mice, all I have to do is thaw out the mouse and toss it in there, and I feel it's much safer for my snake, plus I can leave it in overnight if she doesn't feed right away.

Good luck and have fun with your new snake!