# Ball Python?



## Illbuyourcatfish (Jun 3, 2010)

I'm considering adding a ball python to the family but would like to do as much research as possible before making the decision. So i'm just looking for opinions. Where to buy, what type to buy, how much to spend and what type of setup to house it in. What are some pros and cons of owning a snake? This would be my first reptile of any kind to go along with fish and a bulldog. I've always loved snakes and always found them fascinating so i thought it would be worth looking into owning one! The main reason the GF is leery about this is biting, how likely are we to get bitten by a python? Any and all info/opinions are very welcome! Remember, I know very little!


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## Pamela (Apr 21, 2010)

We have a male ball python that we bought at the Reptile Show/Sale last spring. The shows are a great place to buy, but I'm unsure when the next one is. We got a great deal on our 'mojave' ball python because the seller was really trying to downsize his collection. We paid $60 for him (he was about 8 months old). One of the local pet stores had a similar size mojave bp that they were selling for $600! At the reptile show they were selling regular ball pythons for as low as $30 for small ones. There are some breeders of ball pythons in BC. One of the biggest breeders that I know of is Henry Piorun (if you google his name you'll find his website).

What type you buy purely depends on what pattern/colour you prefer and what your budget is. There are many different colour morphs and the rare ones are very pricey. Albinos are beautiful and they usually cost somewhere around $500. Somebody on here was selling one recently, it may still be available.

Male ball pythons do not grow as big as females, which is one of the reasons we bought a male.

We keep our snake in a long & wide but short height sterilite bin. We drilled holes all around the sides and have a few clips fastened to the lid to make sure its escape proof. A reptile heating pad is under half of the bin. Inside the bin there's a reptile dish for water, aspen bedding, a fake plant, and a couple pieces of wood.

Our snake gets fed one frozen/thawed mouse every 4-8 days. I bought some mice yesterday at 3 for $5.00. There are some small business that will deliver frozen mice to your house at a much cheaper price if you buy in large quantities. I don't want to have a freezer full of mice though so I usually just buy 6 at a time from local pet stores.

Ball pythons only go to the bathroom about once a week and it's easy to just scoop it out of the aspen chips. The entire enclosure needs to be emptied & cleaned every couple of months, it's very fast & easy to do.

Ball pythons are very docile and easy to handle, mostly they'll wrap themselves around your hand or crawl up your arm. They move slowly so you don't have to worry about them jumping out of your hands & taking off.

Ball pythons are very unlikely to bite. One of the only times that a bite might happen is accidently during feeding. They have poor eyesight and could mistakingly lunge at your hand instead of the mouse when they catch it's scent. This is easily avoided by using feeding tongs instead of holding the mouse in your hand (my teenage son learnt that lesson the hard way).

You should have a look at the BC Reptile Club Forum. There are many knowledgable people there and they have a classifieds section as well.

I think that ball pythons are a great pet ...they're cheap to feed and pretty low maintenance!


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## dino (Aug 29, 2011)

Wow thats a nice write up pam


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## Longimanus (Apr 21, 2010)

Ball pythons are great pets. They are less likely to bite than some other species, however any snake has the ability to bite, and one day your ball may be in a bad mood and go for you. You just have to be prepared for that. I have had some that never once tried to strike, and then one day tried. So you never know as with many pets. I would also not recommend feeding mice, as some balls can imprint on mice, and you don't want to be feeding several large mice every feeding, when you can feed one small rat. Some can be difficult to switch over. They are low maintenance pets, sometimes they will go several weeks between bathroom breaks, which I love about snakes.  

A tub is a great home for a ball, but a terrarium is nice as well and allows you to see your snake more. Just make sure you have the proper heating and lots of hides if you go with a terrarium.

Some good breeders in BC are as mentioned above Henry Piorun - A1 Reptiles, Sam of SHP Reptiles, and out your way is Robert Raven of Raven's Reptiles (highly recommend), there is also Exotic Serpents, and many more. Might I suggest joining the BC Reptile Club, and also Reptiles Canada. The latter has a very active ball python section.


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## Illbuyourcatfish (Jun 3, 2010)

Really awesome info guys that was extremely helpful! Really appreciate the info on breeders!


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