Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok, i want a ball python, just a normal one. i have never had snakes before but have had lots of other herps.
would it be ok to keep him in like a 40 gallon tank when he is full grown? i heard they are good escapers, is this true, and are they agressive and how fast do they grow!

Get him/her a tank that measures aprox 36"X18"X12" when it is full grown. humidity is 50-60% heat low 80s on the cool side high 80s on the hot side. a lot of commercially available cages of this nature are available at pet stores with locking sliding tops that make escape unlikely for around $70.00. depending on where you live you may need tocover part of the top of the cage to maintain humidity. Hope this answers your question and good luck with your snake. Oh yeah, Ball attitude is very variable. some are really sweet and some are really agressive but most range from sweet and inquisitive to shy but mellow. Give them time to adjust and then slowly, little by little let them get used to you and they should do well. Most importantly make sure they are Captive bred and born to avoid a real mess. I speak from experience on this one. Wild caught snakes rarely adjust well to pet-hood.
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1.1 Balls (1.0 het clown 0.1 normal)
1.1 Kittys and
0.1 WC Human
"I need evaluation...and dinner; and by dinner I don't mean gnome heads!"

Great advice in the reply above. They are great escapers so the securer the better. Cheap screen topped covers won't last long. Growth is variable but in general by year three they are near max size, 3-4 ft on males females 4 ft up to 5 and sometimes 6 though none of ours have gotten that big. By the Ball Python Manual, 1994, its's simple and a great resource.

David at 3-D Pythons
www.3dpythons.com

have you heard of the vision cages off www.LLLreptile.com?
i was thinking of one of those, would those be good for an adult?