Hi everyone! i have a few questions lol. those of you that know me or see me on other forums knows i have never owned a ball python, i have always been a carpet python lover and lately i have been considering making a plunge into the ball python world. with that being said whats the difference in the keeping of them? are they harder to keep then a carpet python? ive seen a few post about how easily a ball will go off of feed and other small issues with them. ive also seen many of people say they require more attention and more husbandy then a carpet does, is that true? if a person has alot of knowledge in keeping carpets will it help them with the ball species also? i would love to work with these little guys but i guess you could say i have a fear that i wouldnt do something right or be able to care for them correctly if they have alot more needs and requirements then a carpet python does. for the welfare of the them i want to make sure i can take care of it and its needs with no problems because its well being and welfare is in my best interest. i do not want to just jump into it not knowing and something happen due to my lack of knowledge or ignorance on them. my carpets are very well maintained and are very healthy and visit my vet regularly. pharanoia gets the best of me so that why they see the vet regularly lol usually once a month or every other month. i love my babies and i couldnt deal with something being wrong or happen to one of them i dont think. any advice given will be greatly taken and appreciated and hopefully help me in my quest to adding a few of them into my small collection of reptiles.

Sounds like from the care of your others BP's will be no issue...

Take the plunge and enjoy the differences...:rockon:

If anything I would say a carpet is higher on the skill level chart than a ball python. It's a larger snake, more active and sometimes more aggressive. So I would say if you can maintain carpets successfully you should have no problems with ball pythons.

They arent as in your face as carpets. While carpets will often perch on a branch or hang out on top of their hide box balls will more likely be in the hidebox. So you have to consider if that kind of snake is for you. For example, I keep monitors. I do not keep timors. Reason being they suffer from "empty cage syndrome". Meaning they spend 95% of their time hiding. I do understand that lizards hide but I DO like to see my animals at least once in a while. That is not to say balls never come out and prowl around. Sure they do. They're just not as "Hey, how are ya?" as a carpet.

Yeah the going off feed thing bugs me a little, too. I like things that voraciously attack food 12 months a year. But its the nature of the beast. If you're the kinda person who worries like crazy if an animal misses a meal or two tread carefully. Gotta keep a cool head. Ive heard of healthy balls going off feed for a few months and then wham they kick in again. Gotta have some patience with these guys.

Im about to take the plunge myself in the near future. I havent kept snakes for many years but I got the itch. Im gonna start with a set of balls. Wow, thats sounds terrible. :)

I kept boids for many, many years so Im confident in my abilities to handle these guys. I only had ball pythons briefly but I kept snakes for well over 10 years. As long as you have your basic husbandry down and a grasp of how the animal operates you should have no problems. Just dont panic if it feeds great for 3 months and then skips a meal. Dont go dragging it to the vet that might do more harm than good. Just stresses them out. If its obviously ill and requires medical attention than have at it but one meal missed does not a vert visit make. Hmmm..sounded a little like Yoda there.

Off feed they may go. Patience you must have. Secure hide provide you will. Proper heat gradient set up you must.

Yea man take the plung.. Balls are easy as pie and fun as hell. You keep a ton in a small area unlike carpets so you can gets tons of different flavors..

:yessir:

pharanoia gets the best of me so that why they see the vet regularly lol usually once a month or every other month. i love my babies and i couldnt deal with something being wrong or happen to one of them i dont think. any advice given will be greatly taken and appreciated and hopefully help me in my quest to adding a few of them into my small collection of reptiles.

first of all, thanx for the thoughtful question. it's a freakin' dream come true for the ballfolk on here to have an opportunity to drag another sucker into the fold, kicking and screaming all the way !

but before i extol the virtues of the GREATEST PYTHON KNOWN TO MAN !
let me suggest that you needn't worry about your "pharanoia" affecting your ability to keep these amazing creatures. you see, "pharanoia" (the fear of pharaohs ) is an east coast of africa phenomenon, that has no influence on anyone's ability to maintain herps from the west and central regions of the dark continent.(correct me if i'm wrong african beast, if you read this). now, were you interested in kenyan sand boas, i'd suggest you see a doctor right away. as that's not the case, you've chosen the right critter to fall hopelessly in love with. (see classifieds below)

that being said, if you can keep your carpets clean, there should be no problem doing the same for your balls.
lotsa luck with your future herpin',
ck

Definitely take the plunge into ball pythons...

Just be ADVISED... They are VERY addicting...

Best part about it though... They've become very affordable! :cheers:

Balls are not at all hard to keep as a matter of fact they are quite easy.

Give them a nice warm tight comfy hide, and a bowl of water for it to occasionally visit and you have one happy camper.

Accept that their natural tendency is to curl up in said hide for a majority of their life and all will be good.

Accept that their natural tendency is to try to escape whatever enclosure you put them in and all will be good.

Accept that their natural tendency is to not feed for a few months out of the year and all will be good.

Ball pythons are resilient creatures -- they are not some namby pamby snake some people make them out to be. You seriously have to botch your husbandry for something to go wrong.

I'm confused by the question? I thought you DID take the plunge and just got one delivered on Friday?

But to answer your question - they are addictive - you can't have just one! Great little snakes to keep!

but before i extol the virtues of the GREATEST PYTHON KNOWN TO MAN !
let me suggest that you needn't worry about your "pharanoia" affecting your ability to keep these amazing creatures. you see, "pharanoia" (the fear of pharaohs ) is an east coast of africa phenomenon, that has no influence on anyone's ability to maintain herps from the west and central regions of the dark continent.

Glossed over that one....nice :lol:

I'm confused by the question? I thought you DID take the plunge and just got one delivered on Friday?

But to answer your question - they are addictive - you can't have just one! Great little snakes to keep!

no, i got a stripped coastal friday. i dont own any balls yet.

no, i got a stripped coastal friday. i dont own any balls yet.

OK - I just got confused because you answered a poll about ball pythons on another forum and stated that yours ate the same day you got it. I didn't realize you weren't talking about a ball python.
:)

that being said, if you can keep your carpets clean, there should be no problem doing the same for your balls.


Subtle

:)

Subtle

:)

man, you could out-nuance john kerry any day bro...
thanx for r-e-a-d-ing.
ck