[embers]

I ask because I have to opportunity to rescue one tomorrow... and I would like to hear from people that have them. Knowing about them, reading about them, touching them, etc is NOTHING compared to learning from people that keep them!

This dude is about 4 feet long, and "tame" (was a preschool class pet for 7 of its 17 years).

Are these fun snakes? What are some of the difficulties that you have with yours...? What would you like to tell a newbie?

Thanks!

[NBond1986]

i dont know much. im a tarantula guy. but just so you know for future....there's a non-venomous animal forum >>>HERE<<<

This post has been edited by Nbond1986: 04 March 2007 - 08:46 PM

[copper]

They are great snakes, only real probelm I have seen is they sometimes go off feed for months at a time. Im pretty sure if its 4 feet, its female. Males tend to stay smaller. I took in a smaller balll python, fattened it up and gave it to my sister, who know wants another one. If you have the room for a decent sized tank and can give it the proper care, then go for it.

Mat

[RaZeDaHeLL]

I personally fell in love with my boa. But I will be getting a python when it warms up outside :D

[Only Exotics]

RaZeDaHeLL, on Mar 5 2007, 06:28 AM, said:

I personally fell in love with my boa. But I will be getting a python when it warms up outside :D

Why? Are you planning to keep it outside? :P

[RaZeDaHeLL]

No but the weather has been really weird. Dont want the baby getting cold during shipping :P

[NightmareCreatures]

I have many. Not hard to take care of if you bump the humidity around shed time......LOL......I have some up for sale if anyone else is looking.


Keep it warm and with a good hide.....it should do great for you!

Take care

[copper]

You have any pied or HETs for pied.

Mat

[embers]

I love looking at photos of all of the cool mutations and gene craziness (like a spider pied with the rest white... looked like a tube sock with a snake head sticking out!)

Anyway... Our new ball is here!

I love this fella! He is confident, comfortable, curious, relaxed, and very personable. He does not seem fearful or stressed, has not balled up once, and really seems relaxed and comfortable while held. He REALLY likes my husband... which is cool. If held and my husband comes near, the snake will stretch out towards him like a kid favoring a parent. It is endearing.

He is a rescue from a pretty sad state prior to coming home with us... he has been burnt, gouged, kept in a small tank with no hides... and yet, he is the coolest ball python (energy and personality-wise) that I have ever been around (first one I have had as an adult - had them as a child, but that hardly counts, right?).

No name yet. I am leaning towards Kaa, however.

Novility shots with my husband and son:
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/6753/72461942rp5.jpg

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/4381/71239642aj0.jpg

Here is the new set up. Note, the substrate is bed-a-beast style coconut fiber (mock peat moss) mashed down compact and flat. There is no sand or anything, just an odd reflection/refraction where the side of the glass was steamed up because I used warm water to reconstitute the substrate. His hide box is a styrofoam box that I cut a hole into for entry, and it is lined with newspaper on the bottom. The lid comes off so I can get to the snake if I need to. My son and I colored a jungle theme on it so "the snake would feel at home" (so it was no so damn white and unsightly). It has all be a great homeschool project for my son, and of course we are way into it (our home includes dogs, ferrets, tortoises, arachnids, etc).
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/1051/71219092cz6.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/2927/95473461vn2.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/936/61040831vt9.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/1512/32522791ly3.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/6702/12279011jf6.jpg

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/5917/61708486wb0.jpg

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/3390/76066175qt3.jpg

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/8906/10qc5.jpg

[XYX]

So nice ball python and your family! The python seems the idol in your house. haha
Nice set-up with a beautiful box-like shellter. :lol:

[AndrewH]

Can't wait to send him to you Eve ^_^ Shouldn't be long until the weather clears here. :woot:

In my opinion, a captive born and bred Ball Python has to make the best beginner snake. If you want one, go for it.

[RaZeDaHeLL]

Me either, I've wanted a python for so long now. :wub:

[BrentS]

ball pythons are great, I have adult female and male. The enclosure looks good I would get him into a decent sized enclosure sooner or later. Mine are in a 45 gallon critter keeper enclosure. That seems to work fine. The bedding is good it should help keep the humidity up in the enclosure. Can also use aspen shavings (stay away from cedar or pine), newspaper, and astroturf also for the bedding. I try to keep my humidty around 70 and the temp around 80degrees. with a basking area around 88 - 90. If you do a heat mat or heat lamp on one side you can setup a heat grandient for him so he can pick what temp he likes. I use both the heat mat and a heat lamp on mine. The matt is on all the time and the heat lamp only comes on during the day hours, I let the temp drop at night.

Here's a care sheet:
http://redtailboa.ne...all-python.html

good luck with the new snake

[embers]

Well...

We revamped his tank (which is large... he just happens to also be large - not quite 4 feet long). I covered 2/3 of the lid with thick plastic wrap to help with retaining humidity. I also added a really cool hide on the warm side, an under tank heater, and changed the water pan to a smaller corner dish that he could still get wet in if he wanted to, but does not consume the basking area.

I am so happy! Last night, Kaa (nearly 4 foot long adult male, rehomed to us recently) ate his first meal with us... and his first meal of F/T ever... with ease!

We have the ferrets out, and our tiny white one came up to Kaa's tank and was rolling around next to it, generally being ferretish. I watched Kaa come out of his hide and become very interested in our tiny energetic white ferret. She got one good look at him looking at her, and she took off to a different room.

Later that evening, Kaa was very active. I was going to wait for a few more days to feed him, and spend that time reading up about tips on switching to F/T, but his response to the ferret must have kicked his belly into over-drive. He seemed to be looking for a meal, if that makes sense.

So, I took the thawed ratty out of the fridge, and set it (in a bag) and a pot of HOT (but just as hot as a sink could get it) water for about 10 minutes. The result was a very warm little dead rat.

I brought it in and opened Kaa's cage. Right away he started to move into position. I jumped the gun and set it down, thinking that he would strike and coil. He came up and NUDGED it, over and over. Then he laid his head on top of it. I put my hand in to get the rat and re-try the feeding, and Kaa struck towards me! He put his head right back down on the rat. The damn snake was resource-guarding like a hungry puppy!

So, I let him be. An hour later, nothing had changed. I reached in and carefully maneuvered Kaa away from the rat via is tail area, and as he turned to see what the hell I was doing, I slowly removed the rat. I was very soft about it all.

Then, I held the rat's tail and dangled him inside, font rat legs touching substrate. I moved him around a bit, and Kaa followed excitedly. Then I made a "squeak" sound that (to my credit) sounded just like a rat that was startled, and Kaa HIT IT HARD. He coiled like mad, and then thrashed many times. He dunked the rat into his water bowl and held it in there for a bit... and the worked his mouth around from the middle of the rat to the head. He then swallowed it joyfully, and in very short time. He acted like he expected another one later that night... but he is happily resting and digesting today.

Not too bad! What a forgiving snake of my newbieness!

[copper]

The snake I resuced was called evil and would only take live. Second night I had it, I fed it a f/t rat and it took it right away. I have since given it to my sister, with her 4 year old daughter and the snake has never tried to bite anyone or anything(besides the rats of course). You may want to feed your BP in a seperate container, so he doesn't take you opening his cage as a feeding response, plus there is no risk of him ingesting any substrat with the rat.
Gald to hear he ate!

Mat

[embers]

copper, on Mar 10 2007, 10:12 AM, said:

The snake I resuced was called evil and would only take live. Second night I had it, I fed it a f/t rat and it took it right away. I have since given it to my sister, with her 4 year old daughter and the snake has never tried to bite anyone or anything(besides the rats of course). You may want to feed your BP in a seperate container, so he doesn't take you opening his cage as a feeding response, plus there is no risk of him ingesting any substrat with the rat.
Gald to hear he ate!

Mat

I just think that he was amped up over the food, and very confused over how I had offered it (PLOP - here is a non moving rat). :) The substrate is coconut fiber compressed way down, so I am not too worried about ingestion. I did not want to stress him out with moving tanks to feed... and then moving back...

[AndrewH]

Congradulations on the success with your Python, Embers. If you need any help you can contact me. I specialize in Rock Pythons but I do keep and breed Ball Pythons so I can help you :)