Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm thinking about getting a ball python. But first I have a few questions:

1. What's the biggest they get? 4 feet?
2. If they bite, do they hold on for a long time? How do you get them off?
3. I've heard of people getting bit from pythons more than any other snake. Do ball pythons have a tendincy to bite a lot?
4. What's the difference between a boa constrictor and a ball python?
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2.0.0 Bearded Dragon
1.0.0 Cockatiel
1.0.0 Side Blotched Lizard
1.1.0 Ferret
0.2.0 Cat
1.0.0 Dog (Chow/Husky/possibly Hyena/Wild Dog Mix)=]
1.0.4 Tropical Fish
1.0.0 Boyfriend

ball pythons are probably the tamest snakes out their. they definitely get bigger than 4 feet. you should do lots of rresearch and get yourself some good ball python books before buying one. get one from a reputable source. I have 25 ball pythons now and have never been bitten by one. Ive been bitten by my junglle carpet python once, but besides some bl;ood it didnt hurt-they have sharp, but only little teeth

1. What's the biggest they get? 4 feet?
yeah thats about right

2. If they bite, do they hold on for a long time? How do you get them off?
Ball pythons rarely bite. they are called ball pythons because they ball up as a defense, instead of biting, If you do get bit, it will most likely be over before you even know you were bit.

3. I've heard of people getting bit from pythons more than any other snake. Do ball pythons have a tendincy to bite a lot?
Not sure where this came from, but its certainly not something that I would worry about with a ball python.

4. What's the difference between a boa constrictor and a ball python?
Boas have live babies, pythons lay eggs. boa constrictors are larger than balls. if you google them you can read a description of each.

Hope this helps. Balls are really good snakes. There is nothing to worry about in regards to them being to too big or aggressive. Good Luck.

ep
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Occupants not paying rent:
1.1. balls
1.1 corns
1 everglades rat
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
2.1 cats

Buy a captive born ball python. Captive hatched balls can be awesome snakes, but CB don't come in shipments by the thousands with all sorts of problems. I recommend purchasing "The Complete Ball Python" by Kevin McCurly, too. It will tell you all you need to know about ball pythons!
Ball Python Guide

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Ryan Farris

i have 10 female balls right now...they at one point were all puppy tame...now well they all like to take a wack at the hand that feeds them!

My opinion....ball pythons are great they stay in the moderate range of about 4 feet and no they are ussually not quick to bite as long as you work with your animals.

my opinion only!

Paul

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www.nydistortion.com
www.thenyxl.com
I breed ball pythons bearded dragons and play paintball!
3.7 dragons
1.11.8 Ball pythons
5 pastels
15 normal balls

first off any spicies IMO can be docile or may bite.
it depends on the individual snake.

that said, again IMO my BP's dont bite very often with the few exceptions of tempermenal individuals.

JM posted a funny story about the unexpected potential of BP's about 6 months ago.

males are usually shorter than females, about 3.5-4 feet, females 4 feet or slightly larger usually.

if BP's bite they usually give a very fast strike and retreat.
I do have a few that will multi-strike, but this is not the norm.

boas once again IMO are nippy when young, if at all, my older specimens never strike at me except for stupid hadler errors(feeding time or after cleaning the rodent room).

TomChambers

1.Females can get to 6 feet but it’s not common.
2. If you hold them more than you feed them you probably won’t get bit. If you do it’s a quick nip that doesn’t hurt UNLESS you jerk your had away and then you get shredded. If you do get bit and he hangs on you can shock them with cold water.
3.Capet, Rock, and Green Tree Pythons are known for biting, but Balls are one of the mellowest. Your boyfriend is more likely to bite.
4.The difference between a Ball Python and a Columbian Red Tail Boa is about 8 feet, and a ball has NEVER killed or eaten anyone!

: O

any snake that is well taken care of will not bite. youve probably heard about pythons bitting more from someone who knows nothing about snakes who saw someone who had a mean ball python and assumed every python is mean.

as for how long they hold on for it depends: if you are mistaken for food any snake will hold on and strangle as long as possible. if you scared it you will just get tagged.

ive been keeping snake for a year now and out of the four snake i own the only time i was ever bitten was when my corn mistook my thumb for a pinkie, it was like havin a worm wrap aroung my thumb.
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jake

my addiction:
1.1? normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
0.1? amelenistic corn snake (zyklon)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)
hybrid breeders association
hybrid haven

Any snake that is well taken care of will not bite?

Come on man...that is just plain wrong! All snakes are different whether it is the species or the individual snake. Care has nothing to do with it. Given more handling will help to calm the nerves on most snakes, some never calm down.

You can't give advice like that.

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0.1 Amel Motley Corn (Cosmo '03)
0.1 Baird's Ratsnake (Sugaree '04)
1.0 White Oaks Grey Rat (Tennesse Jed '04)
0.1 IJ Carpet Python (Cassidy '04)
1.0 Western Hognose (Samson '05)
1.1 Shepherd mix (Dylan 7yrs, Porter 2yrs)

"any snake that is well taken care of will not bite"

I take good care of all my snakes (most are ball pythons) and I have a couple that bite, so I don't know what your talking about!!

Kyle

Uh ... er ... wait a minute -- nope, that's if you're on fire.
Oh, yeah ... scream bloody murder, wrap a turnicate around your arm (even if bit in the foot) then find someone to suck out the venom while an ambulance takes you to the hospital.

OK. I'm sorry. Maybe I should take the question more seriously, but getting bit by a ball python is such a non event ... getting bit by just about anything else (dog, cat, rat) is so much worse.

Still, correct reply would be, clean the bite with soap and cold water, apply anti-bacterial cream and put on a bandage (optional).

Some Balls will strike defensively but more often than not, bites are accidental and due to them mistaking their owner for a prey item the owner is trying to remove from the snakes cage. Ball python bites are more of a surprise than anything else, and if you learn to read your snakes they should be a very, very rare event.

Forgive me.
Python Joe.

Stop, Drop and Roll??? ROTFLMAO!!!My boy was yellin' that at me one night at a bonfire in the back yard. But that's a whole nuther story.

He's right though. generally bites from a ball python are not much more than scratches. It's the whole action of getting bitten in the first place that's the shocker. Soap and water or a little peroxide on the bite will clean it out. It should heal up in a few days.

Quig

Thanks for the help on what to do if you get bitten! Not one other person before you weren't much help unless you're looking for sarcasm.

Sorry, I got some of that in me too. But I try to help.

Quig

You asked two questions about getting bit. This tells me you are kinda scared of getting bit. I think Dave Barker put it best on an old discovery channel show when he said if you don't want to get bit then don't get a snake.

I have sold a few corn snakes to people who asked questions like this just to get a call 6 months later to pick up the same snake because the person got too scared to handle the snake, even to clean the cage.

She also has a ferret and a boy friend Seriously though I agree with you to a point but her question about how to get them off means that there is another possibility. Could the potential end of that sentence be "without damaging the snakes mouth"? I am not saying that this is what she means but the mere possibility of this begs that we ask her if this is somthing that she is wondering. Admitedly, it seems that if that is what she wanted to know then that is what she would have asked but I am plying devils advocate here.
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I have Balls!

mine have never bitten (or landed one on me) but i got bit by one at a shop awhile ago and it let go immediatly so not too bad, i was bitten far worse by one of my male panther chameleons once supprisingly enough leading to his name (lockjaw)he about took out my poor pinky ha

Thanks everyone for all the help. "comments, sarcasm, and advice."
I purchased a baby ball python yesterday. And he's tiny. Got him for 30 dollars at a pet shop. They said he's never eaten before. So, I did some research and found out that you can get a frozen (thawed) pinkie mouse and some feeding tongs......Hold the back of the snakes head and put the mouse up to his lips, if nothing, then pry its mouth open with the mouse and he will start eating it. *DO NOT force feed him, and shove the mouse down his throat* He wrapped around the pinkie and started eating him right when the mouse's head touched the inside of his mouth. Now, knowing this is his first ever meal.....I'm thinking that I'll have to use the tongs again to feed him. But with the second pinkie I set it down next to him, and surprisingly he grabbed it, wrapped around it, and ate it all by himself!
While I was at the pet shop, picking out a ball....my boyfriend and his two friends were with me. One of the snakes striked at me, and then stupid Jacob went to pick up the same one and it bit him! It happened so fast and there was a little blood, but it was nothin. Then Jacob says "Still want a snake?"
Of course I do! I've had a corn before this. And I know when I get bit I will be more surprised than anything. I'm not scared, I just want to know what to expect. And how to get the snake off safely if I have to (I've heard of putting alcohol or rubbing alcohol in its mouth, but this gives them an infection.....so I'd never do that.) Anyways, Thanks again for all the help. And in the future I will post some pictures.

1.0 Bearded Dragon
1.0 Cockatiel
1.0 Dog (Husky/Chow Mix)
0.2 Cat
1.1 Ferret
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.4 Tropical Fish (Cichlid/Semi-Aggressive)