Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A friend recently purchased a ball python for her son. Do I need to have any concern about my children being around this kind of snake? My children are 4 and 6.

Thanks so much for any first hand information you can give me. I don't want to be freaked out about something that isn't really an issue.

lizb

I personally don't own a ball, but love them and have handled many and studied them in depth with the hopes of having one someday. (Gotta convince hubby...*LOL*)

They are very gentle snakes. They're completely non-venomous, if you were concerned about that. They don't get large enough to be a threat to children at all. Although they can be fairly heavy snakes when mature, they only average about 4' in length. Sometimes females can be a little longer.

The only thing I would be concered with is making sure the children wash their hands well if they handle the snake. Like all reptiles, there is the slight risk of salmonella.

If I'm wrong on any of this, I'm sure the gentle people of this forum will correct me!

Bravo to you for seeking information rather than deciding that all snakes are bad just because they're snakes. Interacting with this one can be a great experience for the kids!

Take care,
Judy
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1.0 red cape gopher (Caesar)

>>They don't get large enough to be a threat to children at all.

They sure can. I have a couple large adult BPs that could easily kill a small child.

>>Although they can be fairly heavy snakes when mature, they >>only average about 4' in length. Sometimes females can be a >>little longer.

I'm not sure what the average is, but a 4'+ BP is still a strong snake. And bits can be severe to a small child. Although, the BP is known for being a fairly gentle snake. I only have a couple of mean ones.

>>The only thing I would be concered with is making sure the >>children wash their hands well if they handle the snake. Like >>all reptiles, there is the slight risk of salmonella.

And make sure you wash your chicken.

>>If I'm wrong on any of this, I'm sure the gentle people of this forum will correct me!

Gentle?? No way! I'm gonna beat you with a wet noodle.
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Jay A. Martin

>>I have a couple large adult BPs that could easily kill a small child.

Come on now, Jay. That is an outlandish statement. I’d say it’s usually harmless fun to speculate on what “could” happen, as opposed to what we know can or does happen. But in this case, someone who is not knowledgeable about snakes asked us for information.

I’m sure you know that there has never been any case of a ball python killing a human, even in the parts of their range where they are in close contact with people who live in houses which permit easy entrance to snakes.

But could you post photos of those beefy ball pythons, anyway? Next to a child for reference?

Thanks,
Joan

The statement was made:

>>They don't get large enough to be a threat to children at all.

This just isn't true. A 4 year-old for example walking around the house with a 5' Ball wrapped around his/her neck is more than capable of suffocating the child. Did you see Jared's Ball Python?

Just because there are no recorded cases of this does not mean it is not possible and it should not invite reckless behavior. There is always a first to something. That is not musing about "what ifs". It is stating the fact that a Ball Python does reach the size necessary to cause harm to a small child. Do they? 99% of the time, probably not. My kids know which ones they can touch and the ones they cannot. This is primarily due to biting.

All I'm saying is don't take chances.
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Jay A. Martin

>>All I'm saying is don't take chances

I think we can agree on that. Living is all about evaluating perceived threats versus actual risks - could something injure you versus the likelihood that it ever would. Since in the recorded history of humankind, there has never been an instance of a ball python killing a person of any age, then I would feel secure in placing that menace far, far down on the list of things against which I would need to protect a child. That would be the kind of accurate information I thought we should be conveying to the questioner.

Now if lizb’s friend had a DOG in the household I would urge caution, and rightly so.

Hey, I was serious about wanting to see pictures. Regarding the photo Jared posted of the animal next to the tape measure, the moderator took that entire thread down. I wish Jared would put it back up. Maybe its time for another “show me your big snakes” thread.

Regards,
Joan

I have a 6 year old daughter who absolutely loves our BP's. She handles them regularly, and we haven't had one problem. (Except for me freaking out one morning when I woke up and discovered the baby bp missing...she had him in her room.)

You might want to tell the kids to be very slow around the snakes head. BP's will jerk their head back when startled, and that might make the kids jump too.

Hand washing, before and after handling is a good idea.

This is a pic of Hanna and Atreyu. And before anyone attacks me, I don't normally let her have him around her neck.

BP's are sweet and gentle snakes. Being around them will be good learning experience for your kids.

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Sass

2.0 Ball Pythons
0.1 cat
0.1 kid
1.0 boyfriend

"It's better to be hated for who you are, than to be loved for who you are not."

Hi, that is a VERRRRY cool picture!!! I got attacked over a couple of pics like that... I've got 2 photos of my kids with Monty around there neck, and got attacked big time over it by one person...
If you'd like, send me your e-mail and I'll e-mail the pics to you so you can see Monty...
Personally, I think as long as there is some adult supervision, I don't see a thing wrong!!!

Very sweet photo!!!
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Linda & Paul

I would be concerned that unsupervised contact might injure the PYTHON. But I know that that is not what you are asking about. So, here are the two main ways your children might be injured by a ball python.

All snakes have teeth and all snakes can bite. They may strike out defensively if they feel threatened, or they might mistake a warm hand for food and bite it. Most ball pythons are quite docile creatures, but bites (or strikes that don’t connect) are not ALL that rare. However, the result of a bite, although frightening to a small child, would be a few pinprick-sized skin punctures which produce a few drops of blood. The application of soap and water is really the maximum treatment necessary, and the site heals in a few days with no evidence of the tiny wounds. Compared to falling down and scraping a knee or elbow, a little python bite is small potatoes, although it would probably be a big status symbol among playmates.

The other potential source of injury to your children would be from ingestion of Salmonella bacteria which the python might carry. The Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has produced a succinct educational handout on this issue (click here). The main prevention: wash your hands after handling a reptile. Interestingly, the CDC recommends that children under five years of age avoid contact with any reptiles.

I hope you decide that adult-supervised contact with this snake would be a great experience for your children. Your main concern should be that they’ll soon be badgering you for their very own pet ball python.

-Joan

Thank you all for you information. I did a bit of research on the web but wanted to get some information from people who had owned and handled ball pythons.

My main concern with my children being allowed to handle the snake is my confidence in my friend who purchased the snake. She said that they had done a lot of research about which snake to buy for her 7 year old but she then followed up this statement by saying that she couldn’t understand why they called this snake a python because the name just scared people initially. Well from my understanding they are called a python because they ARE a python and kill it’s prey by constricting. Any animal can strike out when it’s frightened or feeling threatened and I was concerned that this may happen due to improper handling. My friend tends to be a bit impulsive so I’m not convinced she’s as much of an “expert” as she thinks she is.

Again, thanks for the information.

lizb

Thank you all for you information. I did a bit of research on the web but wanted to get some information from people who had owned and handled ball pythons.

My main concern with my children being allowed to handle the snake is my confidence in my friend who purchased the snake. She said that they had done a lot of research about which snake to buy for her 7 year old but she then followed up this statement by saying that she couldn’t understand why they called this snake a python because the name just scared people initially. Well from my understanding they are called a python because they ARE a python and kill it’s prey by constricting. Any animal can strike out when it’s frightened or feeling threatened and I was concerned that this may happen due to improper handling. My friend tends to be a bit impulsive so I’m not convinced she’s as much of an “expert” as she thinks she is.

Again, thanks for the information.

lizb

Thank you all for you information. I did a bit of research on the web but wanted to get some information from people who had owned and handled ball pythons.

My main concern with my children being allowed to handle the snake is my confidence in my friend who purchased the snake. She said that they had done a lot of research about which snake to buy for her 7 year old but she then followed up this statement by saying that she couldn’t understand why they called this snake a python because the name just scared people initially. Well from my understanding they are called a python because they ARE a python and kill it’s prey by constricting. Any animal can strike out when it’s frightened or feeling threatened and I was concerned that this may happen due to improper handling. My friend tends to be a bit impulsive so I’m not convinced she’s as much of an “expert” as she thinks she is.

Again, thanks for the information.

lizb