Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I have a beuatiful little normal corn (Maizey) and I am thnking about getting a normal Ball Python.

PLease try to talk me into or out of a Ball so I can have good info with which to make my decision.

Thanks,

Maizeysdad

I (with my girlfriend) have 1 kingsnake (Zelda) one checkerboard garter snake(lady Chess) and two ball pythons(Draco and Naga). I personaly would say if you love snakes Ball Pythons are great. My balls have never struck at me even after eating and during shed. both the king and the garter have. the only problem I have found with the ball pythons are eating Problems. overall great addition to any snake loving family!

Well it depends (of course).
You can get corn morphs for a better price.
Ball python morphs tend to be expensive in comparison.
Corns have fewer humidity and temperature requirements.
Ball pythons need a temperature gradient from about 78-95 degrees and 40-80% humidity depending on if in shed.
Corns will probably eat most anytime.
Ball pythons can be temperamental about food but not always.
I own a ball python and enjoy its laid back approach to life. It has never bit me and tends to retreat than be aggressive. Of course there are the exceptions.
Read ball python care sheets on the internet. They're full of good information.

Ball pythons are a wonderfull snake. They stay relatively small and almost always have wonderfull temperments. Like the other post stated, they do however require a different husbandry set up. The temps I agree with. The warm side should be in the mid to high 80's and the cool side should be in the low 80's. It is best to have a basking site in the low 90's. The humidity I would definitely say should be above 70%. 75% to 85% are ideal. Anything lower than that can lead to health problems. Overall though they are relatively easy to care for and are wonderfull snakes. I just say ensure that you are getting a captive born baby. Also look for a breeder near you. The prices are better than that of a pet store nd you know that they are usually better cared for then from a pet store. Hope this helps, Todd

they are great snakes
make sure you read as many caresheets as you can on them before you get one

also to Todd i'd say that a steady 75-85% hummididity is way to high to keep on a regular basis. that high of hummidity can lead to RI infections
mines usually at about 55-60% and then for about a week before it sheds i raise it up to 70-75 tops 85 in my opinion is way too high!
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Girlfriend: Your room smells like reptiles!
Me: Are you saying that my Balls smell?

yes. Todd, ball pythons are in a desert region of Africa...not a tropical "jungle" as some may think. They need around 50-60% humidity to maintain good health. I use 70% for perfect sheds. If you have 80% all the time this might lead to scale rot. temps should be 90 degrees on the hottest end (put a hide spot there) and 77 to very low 80's on the cool side (put a hide there)...make sure if its used for aquarium you put alot of cover around the spots where the hides arent. if its for a rack, just put one hide box kinda in the hot side but not too hot. like 88degrees

you are not sure....therefore you are not ready.....

get a book or 3 and read up on balls........

then when you are ready, and you know you want one......go for it.....

I have 80 adult corns and 30 balls plus alot of other stuff plus 1000 rodents all the time........

........you have to just want it.....

and be ready to take care of it.....(good care) for 30 to 40 years.....

most balls are killed in less than 3 I think......pet supplied balls.....tey are not treated like gold.........

JY

Wow,

Three years of life for pet store bought balls? That's scandalous.

I'm not concerned about my ability to provide an apporpriate environment, as much as I wonder about the tales of balls being poor eaters. What's the most important thing for successful feeding?

the 3 year thing was a number...a guess...alot die before they are a month here and alot die due to stupid people,heat rocks,diseases,etc etc etc,,

most important thing.........

buy a young (few month or less) old baby captive born and bred in the USA ball...........imports are ok to an extent.....but you want better get local stuff.......

if you get a ball,year or more old......even born here....it may change it's eating habits....even if you move it just a few towns over...they are wierd like that.........

balls eat what balls want to......some eat always....some eat only a few times a year........you just ave to deal with it.....

either let them not eat or change the diet,humidity,temps as needed....

balls are not perfect.........just smaller than burmese....

have fun.........JYReptiles

I have 3 Corn snakes, 3 Rat snakes and 2 Ball Pythons at the moment. The pythons are by far the easiest to handle. They aren't as nervous as the rat snakes and move much slower than the corn snakes. They are, however, a little tempermental, as others have mentioned. My female gets excited during feeding, although she hasn't bitten me yet. The male went off feed for about a month last year, so I started off slow (with pinkies, then hand feeding prekilled mice) but was back to normal after that. I also rescued a third (which has since been sold to a breeder) that had a respitory infection when I first acquired her. Like the others have been saying, proper tempature and humidity is very important. Within 3 days of about 70% humidity, the weezing stopped and she became much more active. Good luck and enjoy your Balls!

I think you took the lazy approach and decided not to do some research (or have you?) but anyway... nice way to go about it. I'd love to rant about mine!

When you look at a Corn Snake you say... "Oh, it's a snake."
When you look at a Ball Python you say... "Oh, it's a real snake!"

1.) You already have the snake experience!
2.) They are around the same length as Corns, just more full-bodied.
3.) They aren't as wild and crazy as Corns, much more relaxed and when you hold them, they don't try to run!
4.) They're are more types of morphs in Ball pythons than any other snake...
5.) They live in the same size enclosures as Corn Snakes
6.) They're not as hardy, so taking care of them makes you feel a little more "God like", since you have to keep things just about right!
7.) THEY CAN BE MORE TAME THAN ANY OTHER SNAKE AROUND
8.) A display tank for a ball just looks SOOO much cooler than that for a Corn
9.) They're active at dawn and dusk and for someone with a 9-5, they're active just before and after you work!
10.) THEY LOOK SOOOOO COOOL
11.) They intimidate your friends
12.) I RECOMMEND THE SWITCH
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-Iman

1.1 Balls
0.1 Boa (BCI)
0.0 Experience
100.0 LOVE

Helping to Love
Loving to Learn
Learning to Help

to whomever said most are killed in 3 years....do you have proof? or do you just say that cuase you dont buy from pet stores? i have a feeling most of them die, but not in 3 years. maybe more like 4-5 cuase of the eating habits and size. i got a BP from a pet store and its doing fine. Probably better than some of these non feeding ones somepeople get from breeders.