Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have never had a snake before, but I had lizards when I was younger. After I decided I wanted a snake I did some research and everything said that Ball Pythons were good for beginners. I am thinking about going down to my local pet shop to get a hatchling sometime next week, but I had a few questions.
Should I use a humidifier like I did with my lizards?
What is a good lighting/heating system for a ball python?
They are all together in the cage at the pet store, would it be okay to keep them together in my home?
If it is okay, and I got a second later on, could I keep an adult and a hatchling together?
Is a male or a female better for someone new to snakes?

>>Should I use a humidifier like I did with my lizards?

No - proper caging a water bowl and decent substrate should be enough to maintain proper humidity for a ball (around 60%)

>>What is a good lighting/heating system for a ball python?

Balls are nocturnal and do not need lighting. An appropriate size under tank heater will work well in maintaining the proper ambient temperatures (82*)and provide a good warm spot (90*). Please be sure you put it on a thermostat or rheostat so it doesn't overheat.

>>They are all together in the cage at the pet store, would it be okay to keep them together in my home?

Pet stores really suck at providing an optimal environment for their animals - it is more economical for them to throw a bunch of animals in a cage instead of providing for them properly. If you are getting a pair of hatchlings then there shouldn't be any problems with temporarily housing them together - you will need to take them out and feed them seperatly tho. Eventually you'll have to have them sexed and possibly separate them depending on the results. As for petstores - please be aware that you most likely will be getting captive hatched babies that were born in Africa and shipped to the US - they may have a variety of issues that don't really make them ideal pets - you may want to consider buying a captive born snake from a breeder.

>>If it is okay, and I got a second later on, could I keep an adult and a hatchling together?

NO

>>Is a male or a female better for someone new to snakes?

Doesn't matter
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

Thanks, do you how I could get in touch with a breeder in my area?

I wouldn't necessarily say the ball pythons at pet stores are bad. I've had plenty and only rarely had problems. Check them over really well, make sure their skin is clean free of scars or blisters. Listen to the breathing, if their is any wheezing abort mission. The skin should be shiny, and the body should feel firm. You should also take a white paper towel and run it down the snakes body, if it has mites they will show up on the paper towel very well. If possible, ask to see the snake eat, and even better yet, check the stool. It should appear dark brown and not be runny.

Oh, and if you ever were to have to sell it down the road, a female will have better value.

Hope this helps.

Cole Maas

Yeah, Thanks.
I ordered some books on ball pythons from my library today, they should be here in a couple days. I am going to do a little more research before I commit myself (that's how I ended up with my cat).
Thanks for the tip about the females.

Hi there,

In general, obtaining your first bp from a pet store is not wise. You "may" save a few dollars - but will likely either spend more than what you would have saved on vet bills or incur more than $20 in heartache when the animal dies.

What city are you in/near?

I bet you could purchase a healthy and well feeding animal(s) from someone on this forum. This would be a MUCH BETTER approach!

Christy

I whole-hardedly agree with this. I've bought 2 balls from a pet store, and 4 from a breeder. the pet store ones cost me appx $70 each...the breeder $35 for normals. 1 of the pet store ones died out of nowhere, for no apparent reason. The other was a male, up until I probed it and found out it was female yesterday (good news for me though). I've never run into any problems with the breeder-bought balls, and when I have questions concerns I get much better help out of the breeder (and this forum) than I have ever gotten on any subject from a pet store.

Chris
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