Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi...

I am new here... ventured over from the bearded dragon forum...

I have been interested in these guys fro some time now... some of the morphs are UNREAL (ie PIEBALD)...

def going to be doing a lot of reading... just curious how easy/hard are they to care for? (what kind of dailr responsabilities are we talking about )

also I notice there are different types (morphs) of ball pythons... are some better to start with than others??

is there any good readin on the net? or in books anyone can point me to?

thank you...

The best BP to start with is a Normal. They are far less expensive, and for a beginner they are the best. BP's are fairly easy to care for. Just make sure you are giving them what they require as far as temps (ambient should be around 80-85, with a hot-spot of 90) and humidity (50% normally, 70-80% during shed).

I highly recommend buying and reading "The Ball Python Manual". It is the bible for these snakes, and will tell you everything you need to know. Oh, and even though your BP is new and you want to play with it... just leave it be in its new environment for a week or two before handling. This will let him get acclimated and be an overall more happy snake.
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Long Beach, CA
0.0.1 Ball Python

np

BP's are pretty easy to care for, as long as you understand their requirements. Heat and proper humidity are biggies. Daily responsibilities include checking enclosure temp, and providing fresh water. Weekly responsibilities include feedings and cleaning up poo.
I would start with a normal, just because of price. There is no proven difference temperament-wise between morphs and normals.
I agree with LBCBall about the Ball Python Manual. Lots of good info there. I have put a general caresheet up that goes over some of the basics, but there are tons of caresheets out there to read. Most of the big breeders have caresheets. Click on their links towards the top of the page and look around. Here's the link to mine:
http://home.comcast.net/~randy225/caresheet.html
Good luck! Ball Pythons are much less work than Bearded Dragons, that's for sure!
Email with other questions, if you wish.
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Randy
www.ball-pythons.net