Never owned a snake before-ball python?

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i have recently changed my opinion on bp's. when they are given a natural enclosure they really can be active, interesting snakes. most people overfeed their bps, and that's why they sometimes are boring, lazy snakes. i also think most people go a bit overboard with the humidity. when i had cypress mulch mine got scale rot, now that he is in a fairly dry tank he does much better and still has perfect sheds.
 
You can use a damp towel to cover part of the opening to the aquarium. This will help keep humidity. Another thing about glass aquariums are the glass sides. The reason you should keep BPs in smaller tanks is their need to feel secure. For this reason, give them a hide that is not too much bigger than they are. A glass tank allows them to see all around and it feels less secure than a normal snake rack or other similar set-up. You can make this better by covering up some of the sides, adding bark walls etc. The other problem is heat. the glass walls make it all but impossible to control the ambient air temperature. You can leave the walls open and the snake will be fine, it will just take longer to adjust to its new surroundings. If you do notice a bad shed, chances are you have to play with your humidity levels
 
Shenanigans said:
You can use a damp towel to cover part of the opening to the aquarium. This will help keep humidity. Another thing about glass aquariums are the glass sides. The reason you should keep BPs in smaller tanks is their need to feel secure. For this reason, give them a hide that is not too much bigger than they are. A glass tank allows them to see all around and it feels less secure than a normal snake rack or other similar set-up. You can make this better by covering up some of the sides, adding bark walls etc. The other problem is heat. the glass walls make it all but impossible to control the ambient air temperature. You can leave the walls open and the snake will be fine, it will just take longer to adjust to its new surroundings. If you do notice a bad shed, chances are you have to play with your humidity levels
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This helps a TON. I have an opportunity to get a 215g "orange ghost" female for 150$. Is that a good deal? It's a local breeder and all he has right now are regular small ones and that one.


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I'm gonna say get a king >.> Partly cause I love em, a cali king was my first snake... and also partly cause I have some babies for sale lol
Ball pythons are the most boring snakes in existence in my opinion... i know a lot of people like them but they are just SO common... and very.... uninteresting.... a happy bp is one that sleeps all day and rarely moves even when awake. Generally if it is out and about there is something wrong with the enclosure that is making it unhappy so it is seeking a better place to rest. That's just how they are, they sit and wait for food to come by...after they eat they sit and wait to digest...then sit and wait for more food, that is the like of a BP.
In my opinion... people worry WAY to much about humidity with bps... they do not need a high humidity over the entire cage... just provide a humid hide and they should be fine. High humidity over the entire cage causes other problems, as someone mentioned above theirs got scale rot, I've seen respiratory infections which lead to mouth rot in some bp's that where kept in constantly high humid conditions (80% and up). but on the reverse side, shedding problems and again, respiratory infections in bps that are kept in to low relative humidity (less than 20%). What appears to work best is to keep the rh around 40% with a humid hide that provides a micro climate around 70-80%
Sounds intense but it's really easy to do that...
But why bother with all that when you could get a cali king!? Very rarely need to worry about humidity with them, they are damn near bullet proof, very versatile, fantastic eaters, active during the day (although like most snakes, are not going to be moving around a whole lot if they are comfortable in their environment... but a lot more than a ball will) easy to handle -I never understand why people think kings can be aggressive... I've never had one that was a problem, some of my babies where angry little things right out of the egg but already have calmed down and are easily handled. they get aggressive at feeding time.... well duh... most snakes do... and can be a little flighty when this giant hand comes at em in their homes but otherwise.... easy to work with and very calm as adults. My kings have been the best snakes I have ever had for educational talks with kids.... also... can live in a 20 long for their entire life ;)
but ultimately, it's up to you, find something that YOU really like and that you will enjoy.
 
I agree Cali king snakes are a good choice. Also don't rule out corn snakes. They are super easy to take care of. You don't have to worry ability humidity, they are not picky eaters and come in a huge variety of colors.


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It sounds like you have a decent amount of experience with reptiles, so don't limit yourself to "beginner" snakes; I think that you'd be able to work with some of the "intermediate" snakes as well if you're capable of keeping certain species of tree frog alive & well.

I personally got bored with ball pythons very quickly, but they are pretty simple to care for and most will readily eat live prey although it can be tricky to get some of them on F/T prey. IMO, if you're not going to get into breeding them, then just get a nice normal male and call it good at that; you can easily get a CB one for $20 or less at a reptile show.
 
I'm interested in bps because I love sluggish pets. I have a pug who does nothing but sleep and chill with me when I'm home named Ed haha, Id love a snake that I can just hold and chill and not have to keep grabbing it from slithering off.


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Mr Aidan said:
I'm interested in bps because I love sluggish pets. I have a pug who does nothing but sleep and chill with me when I'm home named Ed haha, Id love a snake that I can just hold and chill and not have to keep grabbing it from slithering off.


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As an ex bp breeder/owner i can tell you ive had many snakes and if there was one snake that was lazy it was a bp. Bps are the ultimate hang out buddies. Ive found with other snakes they still no matter how tame have that urge to be left alone after a while. I use to just hang out with my bp wrapped around my neck or arm all the time just relaxing :)


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Mr Aidan said:
Hello all, when I was younger I had a bearded dragon and a few tree frogs. I've always wanted to jump out and try a snake but never really felt comfortable to untill now.

As for enclose, would a 40b fish tank work? I need advice guys!


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I had mine in a 40 long for a long time. Moved it to an enclosure I made once it got bigger. I got it at nearly 1.5' and it grew to about 3' before I moved back to ny and had to leave it with my dad. I used a cardboard box with the bottom cut out and a small entrance put the the heat pad under the area where the box was. Used the same little wood chips that you would use for a rabbit or guinea pig cause it absorbed the pee and poop witch made it easier to clean. Add a big water bowl and make sure you change the water daily cause snakes become dehydrated very quickly. (Learned that the hard way) add a few branches or fake plants for extra hiding places and ambush points. Balls make great beginner snakes. I wouldn't recommend it to a new keeper but mine would let me help peel its skin when it would shed. I spent a lot of time handling it in order for it to trust me enough to let me do so.


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woofy said:
As an ex bp breeder/owner i can tell you ive had many snakes and if there was one snake that was lazy it was a bp. Bps are the ultimate hang out buddies. Ive found with other snakes they still no matter how tame have that urge to be left alone after a while. I use to just hang out with my bp wrapped around my neck or arm all the time just relaxing :)


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Lol that's true I used put mine in my jean pockets and he would chill in there for hours. I still remember when I went into Walmart with him in my pocket.


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