Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm completely torn between getting a Leucistic Texas Rat Snake (or possibly a blizzard corn...I don't think they are quite as pretty...I love the dark eyes in the rat snake..but are more likely to have a better temperment), or a Ball Python.

The Rats are BEAUTIFUL...I LOVE THEM...but might require more work to tame down and even then might still be snippy.

And the pythons are awfully pretty as well, and I hear they can be extremely gentel and easy to handle...but can be picky eaters and I really don't want to start getting into possibly dealing with live mice and rats (I think ratssnakes are eager eaters and will go straight for F/T mice) and they might get a touch larger than I really want.

But I'm torn!!!

I'd love to hear your opinions out there.

PS- I currently have one snake- an okeetee corn yearling. Extremely sweet and gentle...but a bit shy about being handled.

i think the leu rat is cool looking too. personally i don't like ball python. they don't appeal to me at all. i hear time and again they can go off feed for no reason so if you go with that be sure to get a CBB one.

If you get a CB ball then you shouldnt have any problems with it eating. Mine all but jumped out of my hand to strike the f/t mouse first time i feed her. just remember not to handle it a whole lot before it feeds that first time.

I have 2 corns about 9 months old and they are cool but the ball python is awesome, very different from a corn snake. BP is my recomendation.

I'm partial to BP's myself, not that there's anything wrong with Corns/kings, but I would just rather have a python just for the same reason why people get bigger dogs over getting lap dogs. My BP took a couple weeks to start eating, I got him when he was about a month old, maybe less, so he was still content with living off the yolk sack for those first three weeks, but once he started eating, he has consitantly fed for me week after week, Don't believe everything you read/hear about BP's. But at the same time, all my snake buddies say I got luck! lol

How is it "different" from your cornsnakes (not physically, that's pretty obvious...but I guess behaivioral and personality wise)? That's what I'm trying to see, I can find all the technical differences online, such as what they eat, what set-ups they require, how big they get, and such...but can't find to much on how BP's are personality wise (yes, I know they're snakes and snakes don't really have "personality" so to speak) and handling wise. I kinda have a grasp on out Luecistics are, because they have a reputation about them...hehehehe...but not Balls so much.

Well, Handling wise, a BP is obviously not going to be as fast moving as a corn, I think they "act" more laid back than some corns I've handled. Size, a male BP avg is 3 to 4 ft and females 4 to 5 feet, obviously there are longer out there. They're a beefy snake, very strong for their size too!!

If I got a male bp then, what size enclosure would you reccomend? They never get so large that they would need anything larger than rats to eat, right?

Well size of the meal as always depends on girth of the snake. But I've seen adult BP's fed on large/jumbo mice all the way up feeding them on medium sized rats. Enclosure size for a hatchling to a juevinile ( about 2 years or so ) they'll do very well in 30" X 14" x 14" ( I think that's close to a 20 gallon, if not a 30 ) and an adult would need nothing bigger than a 40. Bigger enclosures are ok as long as you provide additional hiding spots for the snake to make it feel secure, snakes aren't claustrophobic so if you give them enough spaces to hide your good. I use some silk leaves as additional hides in the corners, and it till affords some good viewing opportunities. Umm, if you've got any other questions, let me know brother.

Brother? Last time I checked I was very much a girl...hehehe...

Anyways, thanks for the tips. Still sorta torn, but I suppose the best thing for me to do is to go to the Herp show next month and handle as many of the two species as possible. I'm sure after more interaction, I'll end up falling for one of the two...or both, and boy will that take some convincing!

Oops, really wasn't paying any attention to the name, sorry bout that, where do you live at?? there's a couple shows coming up here locally in San diego

I'm in Burbank...so not too far away! There was a show a couple weeks back in Anaheim that I went to...that was a blast, but frustrating, because I hadn't convinced the boy on a second snake yet. There's anouther show the end of October in Costa Mesa that I plan on going to...and I'm making lots of progress on the convincing...mwah ha ha ha.

My ball python seems alot more aware of her suroundings than the corns do. The corns seem kinda like lemmings at times. The look of a BP in my opinion is cooler and it feels neato when you handle it.

All my roomies agree that the BP is their favorite. Not to say i dont love my corns but if you will have room in a few years for a full size ball python tank (40 gallon like that other person said) then i would go for it.

>>And the pythons are awfully pretty as well, and I hear they can be extremely gentel and easy to handle...but can be picky eaters and I really don't want to start getting into possibly dealing with live mice and rats (I think ratssnakes are eager eaters and will go straight for F/T mice) and they might get a touch larger than I really want.
>>

Get a python that is already eating and you shouldn't have a problem. I'd suggest a spotted python. It's an honest to goodness python that grows to the size of a corn snake - about 4 ft.

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