Ball Pythons

Ball Pythons

Ball Pythons are a great reptile to have as your first snake. They are usually very docile, and usually scared of you. This is the reason they have their name, because they tense up into a ball position when they feel threatened. It's adorable really.

Ball's are not known to be biters, but it can happen. It depends on how much you handle your pet. It also depends on the reptile itself. Some will warm up right away, and some will shy away from you.

Baby Ball Python's are usually under a foot long when bought, and will grow up to 5ft as adults. They are a smaller breed of snakes, and can be housed in a 30gal tank for a single snake, comfortably, as an adult.

Like all snakes, they need a constant heat source. Place a heating pad under one half of the tank, set to medium. This gives them the option to control the temperature. Also, if you keep your home at low temperatures, you may want to get a heat lamp of low wattage to keep the air in the tank warm as well. Always give a snake a hiding place. If you don't, you will have an ornery, nervous animal. They like to hide, and will most likely do it often.

Baby Ball Pythons will start out eating small mice, 1 weekly. As your snake grows, you will have to try to see if he will take more food. The more food they eat, the less often they need to eat. As an adult, they can go up to a month without a feeding, but they will eat 2 medium sized rats at a time. Since Ball Python's are usually non-aggressive, it's a good idea to raise them on already-dead rodents. Believe or not, mice and rats can do quite a bit of damage to your reptile.

Price-wise, ball pythons are inexpensive. They usually range from $80 to $100 in price.

Pythons

Choosing the Right pet for You

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PET FOR YOU

There are alot of things to consider before buying a reptile. There are alot of choices out there, and you can't just pick one based on the cost or appearance. Every snake does not have the same temperment, and every lizard does not eat the same thing. Some reptiles are interactive and some just are not. I'm going to cover the basic things you should cover before making a reptile purchase.

TEMPERMENT- If you are a beginner and do not have experience with these animals, you do not want to go out and buy a Burmese Python or a Nile Monitor. You might have your eye on something and think you can handle it, but it doesn't always work out for the best. The animal will end up being neglected or hurt, and there is the threat of injury to yourself. Research what you are looking to buy and understand that you have no control over the personality of your new pet. You can't fight nature. You can, however, tame certain breeds of reptiles and make wonderful pets out of them. Again, you just need to stick with your skill level. I will cover which animals are best for whom in the coming posts. If you can't wait and need to know asap, feel free to contact me and I will help you the best I can.

HOUSING- How big will this animal get? Do I have room for this? Can I afford to feed this large animal? Can I afford that huge of a tank? These are all questions you need to ask yourself before buying any animal. There are several breeds of reptiles that start of small and end up very large, and sometimes unmanageable. RESEARCH.

THEIR DIET- If you aren't into seeing rodents massacred, don't get an animal that eats rodents. If you are ok with feeding your pet mice, make sure you keep in mind that it may need to eat rats once it gets larger, and even in some cases rabbits or chickens. If you can upgrade with the animal, get something else. If you don't have time to run to the pet shop to buy crickets every other day, don't get a reptile that eats crickets. If you don't want to buy produce for your pet, don't get one that needs produce. Think it through. Just because you are excited about this pet to start with, doesn't mean some of these issues won't get old. Just because reptiles live in a cage, it doesn't mean that they are hassle free.

PERSONALITY- Yes, they have one and it is different from temperment. Some reptiles could care less what you're doing. Some reptiles will be attentive and study your every move. Some will run like hell when you let them go, some will stay right with you, and some could really care less. You need to choose what exactly you're looking for in a pet. RESEARCH.

Why I love Reptiles..

Why I love Reptiles...

1. They don't stink up your house, unless you don't clean their cage. Which makes it you stinking up your own house.

2. They don't demand attention, just food.

3. They shed in one piece, well most of them.

4. Apartments don't make you pay extra for having them.... probably doesn't apply if you decide to get an alligator. But you get the idea.

5. They don't scratch the furniture, poop on your carpet, or climb on the counters.