Ball python *royal python*

Ok...I spoke with my mom, and my sister...and we convinced my mom into letting me get a snake for Christmas...I've been reading up on it, and some people say Ball Pythons are good beginners snakes...and I love them! I've asked around and some people have told me what to get for a terrarium.

I was thinking about a 30 gallon long with a long branch that goes from the top of one side, to the bottom of the other side. On the left side would be a timed heat lamp and a heat mat at the bottom. On the right side would be a "cave" and water source. For substrate, I was going to use that astro-turf stuff...wondering if this was ok.

Please help guys...if I need anything else for it tell me please!
Oh yea..I'm gunna have a thermo and humid measure thing..you know the things that stick on the side of the tank...thanks...Please tell me if I need anything else for the snake.



Oh..do any of you breed Ball Pythons, or know who does? I don't want to get a wild one.

ball pythons are a good beginner python, but to me and many other herpes, the best beginner snake is a corn snake, a memeber of the colubrid snakes. But ball pythons are easy too, expect for one main thing....

1st off, lets go into the caging requirements:

a 30 gallon will be fine for a relativly average sized adult snake. A substarte of aspen shaving is best (NEVER CEDAR). Aspen destributes heat well and dries up fecal matter quickly. Your heating sounds ok, but i have found that just an undertank heater is good enough for a ball python, but the added spot light will simulate a basking spot for your snake. A hide area in both the warm and cool side is best, but having one in just one side is ok, but it may be hard after a meal if it wants a nice place to thermoregulate. Go with one hide ara on each side if possible. THe branch is good, but ball pythons are more of a ground dwelling snake, but a branch may cause some climbing, so thats good. A water bowl is a must, especially one large enough for it to soak in.

Feeding is the one problem with ball pythons. If you get a nice Captive Bred one, it should be feeding on mice without problems. Try to go away from wild caught or non-feeding individuals, even if they are cheaper. THey dont usually eat well and may "starve" for weeks, or even months.

The best place for a information on ball pythons is kingsnake.com

Good luck-Zach

bally pthons are easy and addorable , i have one my self named regius . i think your your doing is ok already , a tip is they like to take a bath in some warm water so provide a large water dish but its nto very nescesarry . most ball pythons found in stores are captive bred , the wild ones that are imported are more harder to care for and are picky and stuborn .

Ok...so I have a 30 gallon long tank, two hide areas, one in the warm and one cold...a branch up towards the basking light, a heatwarmer, a large water supply(should I put this in the cool area?),and....cedar? what is that? i don't think i get that around here in florida....I was going with that astro stuff...because when it went to he bathroom i could switch it out with another piece....

Another question...what does it feed on when it is a baby? I wanted to get a hatchling. Crickets I guess? I'm gunna go out and buy this stuff tonight...

Could anyone tell me the average price of a 30 gallon long tank? Also, does anyone have any babies they want to sell?

cedar shavings... if you go to a pet store, look at the hampsters for sale. see that stuff that kinda looks like huge pencil shavings? those are cedar shavings. Every pet store carries them.

EDIT: NEVER use cedar! Get aspen... cedar killed my gopher snake!

go with the astro turf if it is eaier and already availabailable to you . baby ball python feed on baby mice called pinkies that are really small , do not catch your own food , buy froma stroe where the anaimals are cleaner with not dieseases or parasites . you'll be lucky if you could get a hatcling and even luckier if you can afford a hatching as the younger they get the more expensive in some cases . you may need to reconsider and elatn more about snakes before you even think crickets are part of there diet . i can't tell you the average price as every place and type of tank has its own pricing and also no selling on the forums , whether its plants or anaimals ,if you do then i adivise you to use the pm system rather then start a buisness .

spec ,as ceph has already entioned , cedar shavings are a big no no for reptiles , as it is toxic and the oils and fumes from the shavings can be harmful and the snake can choke on them at some point , aspen shavings are much better but i prefer to use orchid orchid bark , astro turf , or newspaper ( ever hated somebody that is a celebrity and there pic id in the enwspaper , muahahaha , put the pic where your anaiml likes to crap , take that george bush and osama bin ladin )

CEDAR Is A DANGEROUS substarte for herptiles. It contains a harmful oil that can irraitate reptiles (safe for mammals though).

Astro-Turf is ok, but aspen shaving will allow for burrowing, etc. THe astro turf will work, though.

Feeding: Babies should be large enough already to eat mouse fuzzies. Fuzzies is a herp term meaning baby mice with fur but without their eyes opened. If possible, feed pre-killed or frozen-thawed mice. It will be easier to feed the snake that in the long run.

A large water bowl provides needed humidty without saturating the cage with too much dampnesss. An excessive amount of moisture will cause respitory problems with herps. A lager water bowl will allow for the snake to soak, which usually helps pass feces and helps with shedding.

CRICKETS!? Lol , im sorry but pythons eat bigger prey

An average price for a 30 gallon tank can be quite expensive at chain petstores (petco, etc.) they run about $50.00 there.

Good luck-Zach

oops, I'm sorry, i accidentaly said cedar, i meant aspen

NEVER USE CEDAR, IT KILLED MY SNAKE!

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Spectabilis73 @ Oct. 01 2003,07:43)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">oops, I'm sorry, i accidentaly said cedar, i meant aspen

NEVER USE CEDAR, IT KILLED MY SNAKE!  [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
are you sures thats what killed your snake or was it because it wanted some bbq ribs and frog leg to its diet , j/k , yah , cedar is dangerous , stay away from it and if the shavings are'nt labled of what type then its better to be safe then sorry .

my snakes death wasn't/isn't funny... dont be sarcastic

I'd never feed my snake ribs or frog legs...

This place sells them for 100 bucks...the hatchlings..but I think it's overpriced....my friend said I could get one for around 30...they are feeding them "fuzzies" on that site...

the average price of ababy captive bred python is quite a lot at places like petco, etc. At herp shows, they are about $25.00
might i add that the link with the sales page of ball pythons is a site that works with different morphs of ball pythons, like clown, albino, etc. Those can fetch alot of $, even regular looking ones that are heterozygous (het) for those morphs. I hope this is not advertising, but the best place to look for a pet snake is: kingsnake.com. Click on the classifieds.

I looked in the classifieds and they either sell groups of normal pythons or morphs...lots of $$$. I think I'll go to the show in November to get one...
I'm suprised no one breeds "normal" ball pythons in Florida....or at least doesn't sell them online...*sigh*

are'nt there any local pet stores near you , i don't recomend buying online because you don't get to inspect the animal and whoo know if tis sick or not and shipping will make it uncomfortable and will be expensive .

not all online sources are bad, tuyen. true, you cant inspect the animals, but the sorces are usuyally retubale, especially if they are linked on kingsnake.com

hhhm , you got a point there ceph .