Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi i really really like ball pythons and a few stores have been having really good prices and deals on them lately...i was wondering if it is hard to care for them humidity and everything wise? i cant see it being too bad i read some care sheets but i was looking for more opinion on it...thanks in advance
Chuck

I think some ways to make it a lot easier on yourself are by getting everything setup and running properly BEFORE bringing your BP home, buying captive bred that is already feeding (and ask for proof), realizing the long term commitment you are getting yourself into and being sure you are willing to accept it, reading all you can, asking questions and being open-minded to the answers/suggestions given and not setting your expectations so high as to think that your BP will be a great play toy to show off to others but rather a responsibility you've decided to take on with the utmost care and respect. These seem to be things that people who have the most problems don't do.

One thing about BPs that can be frustrating to owners is that they can sometimes go off feed. This can be aggravating for a new owner because you get worried something is wrong - sometimes there is something wrong, but sometimes it's just a BP being a BP. I had a problem getting my BP to eat after I brought him home. But i realized the problem and fixed it.

Some also have problems maintaining the correct temps and/or humidity for their BPs - but this can be fixed, especially by getting your setup complete before you put your BP in.

I really enjoy my little guy. He's been great. This is a great place to get advice and help.

Do you have any other herps?
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1.0 Ball Python
"Aragorn"

1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa
"Gimli"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

yea i know about the responsabilities (spelling) involved thats why i wanted to get as much info as possible. I own im pretty sure an oketee corn and a cali king male for king and i think female for corn.

I was thinking about that too i would like to get its home ready with humidity and everything set before i got it home so it wouldnt be a rush also so i would know what i need to do to fix the humidity if its off and everything like that. i probaly would have brought him/her home today if i would have known alot more about them. im still going to do alot more research on them so i know for sure if its the right choice or not i think im ready for it tho i really like the look of BP's and i would also like to improve my skills with herps and move up to different kinds i would eventually like to get a tree boa but they have a bad temper heh anyway thanks for the reply

Cool - wasn't sure if you were new to snakes or not. I hope to get an Okeetee corn next myself. I bet you're ready for a BP. I will say that those who seem to have problems with humidity and temps with a BP have problems because they put them in tanks. Tanks just are a bit more work when it comes to finding what will work for holding the right range of temps and humidity - but I think it's worth it. I have my BP in a tank because I really wanted a display. I tried pretty much all the suggestions to get my humidity up until I found the one that I liked best. It can be done. Those who put them in racks, rubbermaids or cages (like Vision,etc) don't seem to have that problem.

Any thought to what kind of setup you were wanting to use? If you plan on using a tank, I'd be happy to share the different methods I used.

Some things I learned that aren't really in all the caresheets (and these may only apply to my BP): they do like to climb, they do hide a lot more than you may be used to with your current snakes (especially during the day), my little guy likes plenty of hides to choose from and things to climb on, not all BPs soak so don't freak out if yours doesn't, it is normal for them to go off feed (especially this time of year) and they can go for long periods of time and be okay (as long as you monitor their weight and they aren't losing it's okay) and they're great snakes!

I've put together a word document with all the tips I could think of for owning a BP and some tips I've collected from other people on various forums. I've you'd like I could email it to you - just send me an email.
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1.0 Ball Python
"Aragorn"

1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa
"Gimli"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"