what's it like to have a ball python?

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fishmommy

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Jul 25, 2006
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I am pretty jazzed about getting a ball python. I am wondering what is it really like to have one? How active are they in their enclosures? Also when you handle the snake, what do you do together? Do you let them go outside in the grass? Do they hang out on you? Other playtime activities?

thanks
 
Well...honestly...ball pythons are the most inactive snake I've worked with. They are terrestrial by nature and live in deep, dark rodent burrows and come out at night only to move from place to place, not actively hunting. They are ambush predators, and find a place they are comfortable in an sit and wait.

So, with that background understanding, expect your ball python to find a place to hide, out of sight, and stay there 99% of the time. As a matter of fact, "roaming" is something I look for and usually indicates stress or something wrong with the enclosure.

Handling them is easy. They are very reluctant to bite, slow-moving, and easy to handle. My largest adult female, weighing in around 8 lbs, is like a big puppy.

Excessive handling is something you want to avoid. Short sessions outside for fresh air and whatnot is OK, but remember they are a nocturnal species and I would imagine being out in the open, in bright sunlight, would be somewhat uncomfortable for them.

If you want a snake that is a little more outgoing, I would recommend getting a cornsnake or a boa constrictor. Corn snakes are small, hardy, and come in many color morphs. A step up in care would be a Boa. Boas are very outgoing, easy to handle, but do grow to relatively large size. If you want a smaller boa, look into the Central American and Mexican localities. Females tend to max out around 6-7' and males are considerably smaller.

I'm not trying to discourage you from getting a ball python, just letting you know that they are very shy and secretive, and many first time owners thing there is something wrong with them or they are unhappy because they never see them and they just hide all day long. That's just a ball python being a ball python!
 
thanks - this is just the sort of info I am looking for :)
I don't need an active snake, I was just looking for real-world experience to set my expectations appropriately before making a purchase.
I am particularly interested in the ball pythons because of how they look and their gentle nature, so I want to understand better how to enjoy them within their limits. The well-being of the animal is my #1 concern of course :)

its easy to find all the husbandry and technical info, but harder to find info on how people interact with their pets and what normal handling and playtime is like. ya know?
 
I have four ball pythons right now and they are all somewhat different than each other. The oldest female is a dream, eats thawed mice and small rats and what not.

My male is a bit jumpy but not nippy anymore. He's a shy eater and will take up to three hours to find and consume his thawed frozen mouse.

The two babies we have one eats two hoppers like a champ and the other I inspire to feed from time to time since he wont do it willingly.

We are hoping to get more down the road cause they are really great snakes and even a huge one is easy to house handle and feed.

I'll try to get some pics of ours posted at some time.

First rule of looking at a ball python, make sure its healthy and feeding. Some babies are strubborn and they will refuse food to the end if steps are taken. If they are of good weight and health, with no miites/ticks injuries ect then they should start eventually.

The bigger female (maybe 2 feet right now) ate from the begining and has never missed a meal, the male was stubborn for three weeks. The smalles baby was stubborn for three weeks until i fed him the hard way.

They are a great starter snake and even for experienced keepers they offer a lot.

Jason
 
corn snakes are nocturnal also might i add

in all honesty, the mexican red tail boa is an awesome snake that will enjoy lots of outdoors time, my buddy walks his down by the river and lets it play in the water while he holds onto its tail of course lol

you can tote them around in a pillow case when in not snake friendly places, but they enjoy the sun, and dont mind being handled all the time

my friend lets his sit on the back of his couch all day, and their dog doesnt even bother it lol, wont even step on the pillowcase even when the snake is not in it, the snake often gets rides from the dog :screwy:
 
I have three ball pythons and a colombian Red Tailed Boa. In my opinion, the Red Tail is much easier to take care of. The air where I live is very dry so maintaining humidty levels is a pain. Due to the dry air, my ball pythons sometimes have trouble shedding. Incomplete sheds aren't too big a problem, but removing eye caps have always been difficult for me. I have never had an incompleted shed from the Red Tail.


A little side story here...I adopted an adult female Ball, about 5 1/2 feet long. She was underweight, had mites, and a respitory infection. I treated and got rid of the mites, infection treated and gone, but I could not get her to eat for 5 months ! ! ! ! Now, a year later, she is just getting back up to a healthy weight. She bred with my male about a month ago. She laid three eggs. Two were viable. Unfortunatley, my A/C was busted. It was 90 degrees in the house and I didn't know there were eggs in their enclosure (I wasn't expecting any...so I never looked) till it was too late. The two that appeared viable (or would have been viable) were cooked :cry:
 
i used to have a few and they just sat on my lap trying to burrow under my legs. they arent very active. if you want an active snake that moves alot and doesnt get too big (girth that is) get a bullsnake they never stop moving. but ball pythons can be alot of fun to have. they are probably the most gentle snakes i have ever had. the only reason i never got another one was because of the feeding problems that i have heard of.
 
I also agree that the humidity requirements for ball pythons would certainly be an "issue" for most first-timers.

I've found that plastic housing, whether it be a sterilite or rubbermaid tub, Vision or Boaphile cage, or a rack system, is the ONLY way to house ball pythons. Glass tanks really just don't cut it in regard to their husbandry requirements.
 
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