Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've wanted to get a snake for a while now, but I can't decide what kind to get. I want to get either a Ball Python or a Rosy Boa, but I don't know which one would be better for me. I've never had a snake before. I've always loved reptiles, but my first real experience with them was a year ago when my sister bought me a Leopard Gecko for my birthday. I fell in love with him and I knew then that I wanted to start collecting more herps. I'm just wondering what input I might get from someone who has a Rosy or a Ball (or both). Which species would be easier to take care of for an amateur herper like myself? I've done a lot of research on both species, but I still can't decide. Any advice?

Thats a hard call!

My 2 year old has a Rosy Boa in his bedroom-- He's about 2 foot long.
Our bedtime ritual includes him getting up on a step stool, I unlock the cage and get the water dish out, he takes it and dumps it in the toilet, and fills it up again (sometimes with help) and brings it back.
I have him sit on his bed, and i hand her to him, while i spot clean the cage.
He doesn't hold her if she is blue or shedding, or has eaten within 3 days.

He helps me feed her as well- He puts the f/t pinky on a small plate and i set it in the cage, and we watch.

Very easy to care for, if you want somehting that can stay in a 10-20 gallon tank for a while-- this is a good choice.

As for the Balls--- I have many, not as many as others here.

I like them better because they are bulkier than the rosys-- (i prefer burms and retics though-- bigger is better for me). As for balls-- they are hardy animals as well, also easy to care for. A lot of times you'll get a picky eater--- avoid the WC at petco/petsmart though. Get one from a breeder-- I KNOW there is one local to you! (or try rescue- lol)-- we got one in 3 days ago, i went thru and fed everyone-- 3 smaller snakes didn't eat- and i had nothing to do with 3 xtra small rats--- the ball from 3 days ago- ate all of them!

Also with balls, for the same price of a normal, you can now get a cool looking pastel male!

anywho--- i think with either you decide on-- you'll be happy.

I like the rosy for my son because its so small-- the tank isn't huge, the snake isn't huge-- it poses no threat to my child- if it were to ever bite and certainly can't strangle him. (rolls eyes)
I like the BP's because they are a little more... substantial-- more to hold on to, slower moving, etc...

Beth
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

A 2 foot rosy should be fat enough to eat small hopper mice... Definately fuzzies at least.
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"We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words."
- Anna Sewell (1820-1878)

She is eating rat pinkies/pups/whatevers

Everyone calls them something else--- all my 40 snakes eat appropriate size meals.

The rat pups/pinkies/fuzzies/whatevers-- give the snake a slight bulge-- doesn't strech her out too far but doesn't look like she hasn't eaten.

Its ok-- if you'd like a picture of what i feed her-- i'll give you one--- but she is pleanty fed.

Beth
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

I believe you You seem competent and smart enough to know how big a meal to feed a snake, heh. And rat pinkies/pups/whatever are much bigger than the mouse equivalents anyway.

I just worry for that one person who is going to read that and think all an adult rosy needs is a pinky mouse once a week... lol. 'Cause you know someone will! It'll be that same person who wants to feed their snake crickets instead...

~jenny
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"We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words."
- Anna Sewell (1820-1878)

Thank you! I've been trying to find a breeder or rescue group in my area(Sacramento), but I haven't been successful yet. I'm still looking though. I'm leaning more toward a Rosy right now, mostly because I don't have a whole lot of space available to me at the moment, and my dad is a little less than enthusiastic about me getting a snake at all, so I figure if I can start with something small and ease him into the idea, maybe he'll eventually let me get something bigger like a red tail boa. I'm all for the 'bigger is better' mentality, but I think for now, I'll be happy with a Rosy.

Depends on what you want from the snake. Both are nocturnal, so you won't see them much. But, if you want the opportunity to do a bit of decorating in the cage, you can do it on a smaller scale and have it be sturdy enough to withstand a rosy's nudging.

If you live in a drier area, a rosy would be a better choice because they have limited humidity needs - keeping them on a thick (and I mean THICK) layer of sanichips or shredded aspen should be all that is really needed to keep them shedding well.

Ball pythons will get larger - 3 ft or so for a small male up to 5 feet for a big female!
An average adult male rosy is going to be around a foot or two long, while a female can get up to 3 or more feet (we've found a 3.5 foot one at my house before). The male can definately stay in a 10 or 20 gallon enclosure, but a larger female (or larger male) will need something a bit bigger.
You can keep an adult ball python in a 20L enclosure and it will be okay, but an adult tends to do best in something with the floorspace of a 40 gal breeder tank.

How is the heat in your area? During summer, is your house in the mid eighties? That's perfect for a rosy boa, while a ball python would still need a little supplemental heat.

Both rosies and ball pythons are likely to go off feed in winter due to the season, although not all rosies do it as regularly as ball pythons do.
Rosies don't need as much cage furniture as a ball python would - giving them enough substrate to burrow in usually makes them happier than any number of hides would. Ball pythons are going to need two hiding places - one on the hot side, one on the cool, so that they can pick which side they want to be on.

Rosy boas also have the choice of locality - you can pick a nice baja rosy that's chocolate brown and cream, or you can pick up a san gabriel, which would be a metallic orange and blue, or a coastal rosy, which would be slate blue with grey. There are a lot of varieties in rosies and they are all in the same price range. Ball pythons do have morphs but they often cost hundreds of dollars more than the average baby.

Hope that helps!

~jenny
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"We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words."
- Anna Sewell (1820-1878)

Thanks for the input! I live in Sacramento so I have the wonderful California heat on my side, so it shouldn't be much of a problem either way. At this point I'm leaning a little more toward a Rosy, mostly because they don't get as big and at the moment I don't have a whole lot of space to devote to a snake. I'm away at college right now though, so I've still got a little while to mull over this. Thank you so much!

i keep them both.
both great in their own way.
rosies will never give you feeding stress.
balls are a hair more laid back.
both are phenomenal creatures.
some day you'll have both.
as far as a first snake, i'd say you'll have an easier time with the rosy. half the newbies on here are pissin' 'n moanin' about their ball that won't eat. the rosy will allow you to concentrate on husbandry details without being distracted by R.F.T. (rookie feeding trauma )that will have you better prepared for when you ultimately get your first ball. you will eventually get one.
did i mention you'd end up with both ?
most rosies eat f/t right away and with zesty zeal at that.
you'll find that to be a convenience that will help make your initial serpentile experience a positive one.
good luck,
ck

Thanks so much for the advice. I had heard that Balls didn't eat regularly, but I didn't think too much about it. It's a good point though. If I get a snake that's easy to keep, I can work on myself more than worrying about the snake, and ultimately that would probably be more beneficial to my future snakes (I won't deny that I'm hooked, even though I don't even have one yet). Thanks!