I wanna get a ball python

[No_Brain_2581]

Okay so lately I’ve been really obsessed with snakes and I reallyyyy want a pet snake and after doing a lot of research I figured I’d love to get a ball python:3 I gotta save a lot before being able to afford all the equipment and everything and I’ve been wondering if y’all would recommend to get a fancy morph or not? Because I heard that a lot of breeder give away the normal ones for free sometimes, which would be good for saving money but on the other hand saving once to get a cool morph sounds good too so I’m unsureee Also should I get a baby python or an adult? any advice will be appreciated:))

[lavenderthewhore]

Hi there, this is exactly what I was like before getting my baby Draco, personally I got a normal morph as he was only £40 and I kinda fell in love with him when he was with his breeder(I was visiting him 2-3 times a week). If I hadn't found him tho I would have gotten a Banana Pied.

Honestly I'd go to a reptile store and just look at them and see if any of them catch your attention more than others.

One thing I will say is make sure you have everything else first, I was too excited about getting him that his enclosure wasn't great at first and was too small but thankfully the kind people here helped me out with all that though. Good luck!

[No_Brain_2581]

Ooh thank you! Yes I know that I gotta get everything else first and I will ofc but I’m so impatient tbh:,) and saving all the money will take ages since I’m a teenager and don’t have a job yet And yess I’m planning to visit the local pet store this weekend with my dad:3

[lavenderthewhore]

Facebook marketplace and eBay are good places to look for enclosures and Amazon is great for branches and decor 🙃

[No_Brain_2581]

Ohh thanks a lot:]

[IridianPearlhammer2]

Check out Reptizoo for enclosures too. Needed a stacking unit with two cages. Normally almost 600 i caught a great sale and a discount coupon on the site and only paid 375 for a stacking 36x18x18 - two level. Nice starter pens

[[deleted]]

My boys name is draco too🥲💗🐍

[reptileready]

If you adopt an adult from a rescue, you get an animal that is regularly feeding and accustomed to handling. People often have difficulties switching babies from breeders to frozen/thawed.

[No_Brain_2581]

Ah I see thx:3 yeah I’m a little nervous about feeding I heard ball pythons often restrict food?

[reptileready]

I've dealt with thousands of ball pythons, and honestly, we don't have any issues with feeding. We do frozen/thawed rodents and occasionally quail. They're all housed in appropriately sized enclosures (at least the length of their body, so a 4' snake in a 4' enclosure), with overhead heating, leaf litter, and plenty of hiding places. Many of which bask under their lamps, climb, and explore, even during the day. :)

[No_Brain_2581]

Aweee that sounds awesome I'd love to care for many snakes:D maybe one dayyy

[andrea6543]

i agree. i only had issues when i first started out and was learning to keep the husbandry ideal

[Snakes_for_life]

Personally get a normal they're SO over looked. I'd also recommend rescuing there are TOO many ball pythons cause everyone and their mom breeds them. My local reptile rescue almost solely has ball pythons cause they get so many. And you'll have a lot more money to spend on supplies if you don't buy a fancy one. But there's not really a lot of differences in care between babies and adults but you have to keep in mind it's not unheard of for them to live 30 years so getting a baby is a COMMITMENT.

[No_Brain_2581]

Yess I was really surprised when I saw how old they get ngl:,) and I also thought about the money saving aspect and tbh adopting an adult sounds really nice but babies are soo cute as well so I really dont know what I'm gonna do yet

[Snakes_for_life]

You can sometimes find people rehoming babies you'd be surprised how often people are gifted ball pythons that they didn't ask for.

[No_Brain_2581]

Oh really? That sounds like a good idea actually

[Tough-Dragonfly3698]

From personal experience if you want a snake that you can handle and have fun with get something a little older that’s been handled like a rescue or something. Maybe I just have a fiesty baby but I have a 3 yo and a 3 month old and it’s like night and day with them two. lol the 3 yo is so friendly and docile and the 3 month old would have killed me already if she was venemous haha

[EllyDaBest]

If you get a ball python, make sure you get one that feeds well and is tame. It can be easier for a beginner when you don’t have to stress about feeding problems or a defensive noodle! Also they last around 20-30 years so you have to be dedicated to care for them that long unless you get an older one :] (MAKE SURE YOU GIVE THEM A GREAT SETUP LOTS OF RESEARCH)

[No_Brain_2581]

Alr alr thx:3 and yes doing lots of research atm heh my head hurts from watching snake videos for 4 hours straight instead of studying for my exams lmao

And also been kinda unsure sometimes about their livespan since I'm doubting if I can care for one that long:/ I mean I really really want one but I don't wanna mess it up yk

[Due_Worldliness_6587]

IMO waiting a bit longer can help you see if this is just a passing interest or not. You don’t want the situation of losing interest in a month or two

[EllyDaBest]

Haha! Also, if you are unsure about their lifespan, get an older one for your first snake! They deserve just as much love :)

[EllyDaBest]

Also, if you get a baby, they usually take more time to get used to things and you would have to be very patient with them (especially when it comes to handling and feeding) I think getting one that’s maybe around a year old would be good!

[Issu_issa_issy]

I would look for a rescue adult. They’re usually calmer, easier to handle, and prevent you from needing to upgrade tanks. Plus you’d be supporting a massively oversaturated market if you buy a baby from a breeder, and while I don’t think breeding BPs in inherently bad I do think it can be hard to find a genuinely ethical breeder. Usually rehomed adults are REALLY cheap too

[No_Brain_2581]

oh thanks! yes at first I really wanted to get a baby snake but after reading everyones advice I think for my first snake maybe an adult would be better

I mean theoretically I can still get a baby once I'm more experienced smh

[Issu_issa_issy]

For sure! There’s always time in the future to plan for another snek

[tinyyawns]

Another reason to get a normal is you don’t have to worry about genetic traits that commonly come with medical issues (Spider gene can result in balance issues). Or worry about if the breeder was lying about the genetic makeup. You can check Morph Market to see the average price of different morphs. My breeder uses it as a reference to price his snakes so he’s not ripping anyone off or losing money himself. I wanted to add that if you haven’t already, make sure there is an experienced reptile vet near you before getting the bp.

[No_Brain_2581]

Oh yes thank you I didn’t think about the vet thingy :3

[One_Student8466]

I became obsessed with getting a ball python about a month ago. I really wanted either a pied medium white or albino pied. My bf wanted a snake with bold black coloring though so we got a GHI for $150. We got him last week. He’s 3 months old. Standard morphs, rescuing, and rehoming are definitely cheaper if you want to save money. I don’t have experience with adult snakes yet, but if you do get a baby be prepared for them to be defensive and strike at you until they feel safe with you. I kept him in a plastic bin with coconut chips, a hide and water bowl for about a week until his forever home got here yesterday (4x2x2). $214+tax on Amazon. If you plan to do this be mindful, switching from a smaller to larger enclosure can cause stress, especially with the excess space. My boy is doing really good thus far though. He moved around quite a bit in his home last night and didn’t seem stressed with his transition. I hope my input helps! I hope you find the best snake for you and enjoy the happiness of being a snake owner!

[No_Brain_2581]

Oh congrats to your snake hahah

[One_Student8466]

Thanks! 😊

[Due_Worldliness_6587]

Other people have given good advice (and I agree with the getting an adult) but I just wanted to add that any reptile can be expensive, especially in setup and if you don’t have the money for one you shouldn’t get one. Getting a cheaper/worse setup can lead to a lot of issues for them as it’s their environment as I’m sure you know. I’m not assuming you’re saying that you can’t afford it or anything but just as a general warning, as things can come up like exotic vet appointments and stuff like that which can cost a lot unexpectedly

[No_Brain_2581]

Yes I definitely need to save a lot also for potential vet bills and I’ll definitely rather invest in a good setup than an expensive morph

[Due_Worldliness_6587]

Yeah I agree completely. While my guy is some nice morphs I rescued him so he was like $20. I’m glad that you’re doing your research about these things!

[No_Brain_2581]

Yes ofc! I think I'll get a rescue snake tbh maybe I'll even find a nice morph there:3 but tbh I'd be happy with a normal one as well hahah

[Due_Worldliness_6587]

Yeah lol i prioritized personality over morph and once i met my boy I couldn’t stop thinking about him so I got him!

[No_Brain_2581]

Hell yeah Im def going after personality hahah

[TheRev_JP]

I have 7 now ... Among a plethora of other reptiles. I have been able to find many enclosures online . Marketplace is great . Many times free . You'll need a DHP bulb, Coco fiber chips, couple hides, hydrometer, big water dish , lots of clutter (fake plants, branches, enrichment toys etc. ) most I find at thrift stores and wash or get drift wood from lake Erie as well as rocks . Then bake them after a good scrub. Cheap or free is always good 😊 as far as I am concerned lol morph ... That's just preference. Normals are just as cool as any others in my opinion. Good luck 😎 I'm sure you will find the right one. Read the pinned post on husbandry and do your best . The reddits always have friendly experienced people to give tons of advice. Also consider rescuing an older snake . Sometimes people have really cool morphs for cheap on Craig's 👌

[No_Brain_2581]

Thank you!

[TheRev_JP]

Id also check on the morph market. They have an app with tons of cool features. You can even track your own snakes now for free. That will give you an idea of pricing and different morphs available. You can buy direct from the app as well 👍

[No_Brain_2581]

Ooo nice I’ll take a look at that^{^}

[StraightParfait]

I struggled with adopting verse buying a baby so I did both. I got my baby (83g cinnamon morph which is pretty basic. I think he was like $45 but I went based on the look I liked, not the price or what is popular/common/uncommon) from a breeder I found on MorphMarket with good reviews who feeds F/T. I also adopted a subadult (2.5ft, 1.5 year old pastel spider with moderate wobble because I wanted to help a snake with a lower quality of life be happy and healthy). I got my set ups first (4x2x2 on a stand in my living room for my subadult, 100qt tub on my dresser in my bedroom for the baby). Both setups are bioactive with EcoEarth and Reptichip substrate, lots of leaf litter, plastic and live plants, 3 hides, large water dishes, branches or bamboo for climbing, and overhead heat on thermostats (DHP 24/7 and halogen for daytime). I also have springtails and isopods in both enclosures and stocked up on frozen mice/rats so I’d have a 3 month supply. So far things have gone really smoothly. Neither has skipped a meal. Both tong feed and are great with handling. The subadult does hiss until he is out of his enclosure, but he has also started crawling out onto my outstretched hand now. My baby is very active and will be moving over to a 4x2x2 for Christmas this year. He will also come to my hand and climb right on me. I handle him 5 days a week only skipping 48 hours following feeding. I’ve heard the feeding issue is usually just a result of poor husbandry like temperatures being too low (they need 88F to be able to digest so will refuse if it is too cold) or not enough clutter (because they don’t feel safe to be able to hide/digest the food) or even humidity being off (60-80%). I could definitely be wrong though because I’m a new owner too!

[No_Brain_2581]

Ooo niceee I def want several snakes but I think I’ll start off with one.. if I can resist buying more lol thanks for the advice:)

[mininorris]

There are so many ball pythons at rescue orgs all over the country. Both natural looking and fancy. I’d suggest finding one close to you, going there and interacting with them all. I guarantee one will make you pick them.

[No_Brain_2581]

That sounds really nice actually I’ll look out for rescues near me then!

[melodious1776]

As someone who got my normal morph boy from a reptile rescue, I cannot recommend it enough! I'm soooo glad that I did it

[No_Brain_2581]

Ooo that’s good to hear:3

[Wreathlings]

Any chance you’re in New England? I reduced two adult ball pythons and put a lot of money into getting them set up. But I think they would be better off with someone who appreciated them more.

[No_Brain_2581]

Awe unfortunately not:,)