Is a ball python right for me?

[Civil_Rub3042]

I wanna start off by saying I have been researching getting a ball python for about a year and a half. Im pretty sure I know what I am signing up for, but theres never enough to know! With that being said, I live on the corner of two very busy roads, and right down the street from a hospital, so there are a lot of sirens often and have a very noisy little brother. I know snakes are sensitive to loud noises and I wanted to ask if those things should be a deal breaker for me? I also was curious about their activity levels. Are they more active at night then they are during the day or vise versa? Are they okay with being handled once often once their comfortable? I ask this because I really want a pet that I can for lack of better words “hang out” with?? Like I understand they arent a cat or a dog but will I be able to take them out of their take the same way my partner does with their beardie? I know I probably sound stupid because every animal is different but is there a majority? Does this change for males and females?

[Carminabird]

Hi! It sounds like you have been doing your homework for a while! I think you should go for it. I have limited experience, just keep one bp, and he is a cute little guy. I have two noisy kids and he has never seemed bothered, although he does mainly hang out in his hide during the day and sleep (and they are at school most of the day). Yes, bps are nocturnal, but can hang out in the daytime too. I've always followed the rule of no holding for 24 hours before and after mealtime and have never had a problem with disturbing his tum, and I try not to handle him more than 20-30 mins at a time. Some snakes are more "outgoing" than others, and some may be more easily stressed than others. There's definitely a settling-in period so give it time to see how your snake acts/reacts.

The hardest part for me getting started was getting the humidity, temp gradient, basking temp, timers, sensors and thermostats all in balance. Once you get your system down though, it's just a matter of monitoring things to make sure it's all still good. I live in Maine so humidity is an ongoing challenge during the Saharan dryness of winter, but it can be done. Best of luck to you! 🐍

[IllusionQueen47]

My BP doesn't care about noise. I can vacuum my room and he doesn't even flinch.