Ok, does anyone have a *gulp* ball python? DD really wants one!

[mrsv98]

DD is 8yo and desparately wants a snake. We have looked at corn snakes and ball pythons. I don't mind snakes but two things worry me:

1) I understand both kinds of snakes are "escape artists". While I don't mind the idea of a snake, I DO mind the idea of a snake wandering around the house! Not to mention what the dogs would do...

2) the size...both can grow to 4' or more. What size habitat? How stable do we need to keep the temp? Are they fragile?

Honestly, I don't think I can pull the trigger on this one but I thought I would put it out there for opinions.

 

[TimeforMe]

I don't have one nor would I EVER consider one. I wouldn't bend on this one.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

I can't answer your questions, but I wanted to chime in and say that this would be the perfect opportunity for my kids to learn "NO."

I don't do snakes in any form or fashion. And let's get this straight: lizards are one link away from snakes on the evolutionary chain...

 

[Michelle67]

Yeah...they can grow a LOT bigger than 4'.

Yes, I had one. I ended up giving mine to a friend because my ex was terrified of him. They are not particularly fragile, but they do need a balance of warmth and moisture. Any petstore that has them or caters to exotics will have everything you need, and plenty of advice to help you. You will want to get a tank with a locking lid. Don't think you can just pile heavy stuff on top of any lid and keep him in. They are VERY strong. They don't need a huge amount of room, but it's nice if they can have as large a tank as you can reasonably afford, just like fish, kwim? I think I had a 20 or 25 gal tank for mine, and he was about five feet when I gave him away.

 

[LisaR]

Don't think you can just pile heavy stuff on top of any lid and keep him in. They are VERY strong.

 

[Michelle67]

BTW, they won't attack you. They can sense your heartrate and know you are too big to eat.

I was also going to add about the temp question; they don't need a super stable temperature, but they do have a temp range that they need to be happy. They generally want to be a little warmer than you do, so you get them a hotrock or whatever and they are happy campers. They can survive a power outage. They will go dormant and pretty much shut down until they get warmed up again, but they won't die if they are cold for a day or two. Mine survived a couple days worth of power outages although I did (you're gonna cringe...) put him up my shirt now and then and thaw him out a little.

 

[Serena]

public service announcement, this next post is gross, feel free to skip it. lol



I let my daughter get a red tail boa, after three years of research, going to pet stores, reptile shows and more research. I had said no way for a long time. I finally got to where I said maybe.
The red tail boa is a good one to get. It does eat about every 2 months.


But, the bad part and this may be all it takes to say no. I have rats in my freezer, she has to thaw them out, warm them up and then feed them to the snake. She has gotten bitten a couple of times, but the snake knows she's not food and lets go immediately.

The feeding process is gross.
She got the snake from a reputable breeder, we did our research, it was a baby when we got it.

The snake does love her though. He doesn't care about anyone else, just her. If any of us try to hold it, it squirms until she takes him.

I have a 5x3x3 cage, two heat lamps, just to be safe, a tree and a tub of water in the cage. The snake doesn't do much but lay there most of the time.
It is a little over 6 feet, but it's usually curled up and could fit into your hands.

I wanted a snake big enough that if it got loose, I could find it. It's not aggressive at all. It spent many a summer wrapped around her hair or the spaghetti straps of her tops. It would stay there for hours while she did homework or such.

Just do the pizza guy a favor and don't answer the door with it wrapped around your wrist like a bracelet. He thought it was a cool bracelet until it flicked it's tongue at him. Then I had to chase him down to pay for the pizza.

She took the snake with her and it's in her house now. I had many relatives that would not come into my house, even with the snake in the cage in my basement. That may be a good thing, depending on the relatives.

 

[LisaR]

I have rats in my freezer, she has to thaw them out, warm them up and then feed them to the snake.

Must stop reading this thread NOW!

 

[Serena]

I put a warning at the top

I know it's awful, I refused to watch.

 

[Jusacuz]

We (well, DH & DS) have 2 corn snakes and they really are neat pets. The oldest one we have is about 4 years old and nearly 5 feet long. He is currently in a 40 gallon tank. The youngest is maybe 2 feet long and is in a much smaller habitat.

We have a heat lamp and a heating pad on the bigger cage and just a heating pad on the smaller one.

It is important to make sure that the lids are on securely, but I don't think ours have ever fully escaped.

I used to want a red tailed boa, but read that they eventually eat small rabbits and even if they are the frozen kind (do they sell those?), I don't think I could feed it those. I get a little sad looking at the dead frozen rats we use now.

 

[Serena]

Yes, they sell those too. The reptile shows have everything you could need.

 

[Michelle67]

Mine was a live feeder, so I never had to deal with dead rodents in the freezer. I DID, however, find out that if you go to a pet store other than an exotic store and buy cute little mousies more than once in a month or so, you might get screamed at by the store owner.

The pizza guy and the snake bracelet made me laugh. I used to wear Legs around like a necklace a lot. Some of my friends and neighbors didn't like my taste in jewelry at all.

Maybe I shouldn't have said pet snakes won't attack you. They really won't...not with the intent of eating you anyhow, but she might get struck now and then. I got struck several times trying to give water to Mr. Crankyscales when he was shedding. They feel vulnerable (because they can't see properly, for one thing) and are really grumpy when they are shedding. The good news is that constrictors don't have fangs, so when they strike you it's really just like being pinched with a pair of pliers. It startles you half to death but really doesn't hurt.

I will say...if you are holding a hungry snake near your face and he is sticking his tongue out, don't think you are funny and stick your tongue out back. That was the incident that led to my ex freaking out and insisting the snake had to go.

 

[Serena]

Just a tiny correction, constrictors do have fangs.

 

[Michelle67]

Mine didn't. Nothing that stabbed me when he bit me. Maybe mine had ortho work. That's a joke. Seriously, though, mine didn't have fangs. Teeth yes, fangs no. Sorry for giving bad info, though.

eta: I'll post a link instead of a pic because I don't wanna gross anybody out...but this shows the inside of the mouth of a Burmese (ball) Python. No fangs. I'm not trying to argue, just had to go look for a pic because I know I never got stabbed in half a dozen or more strikes including my tongue.

http://www.gotpetsonline.com/pictures/gallery/reptiles/snakes/burmese-pythons/burmese-python-0004/

 

[Serena]

lol, maybe ball pythons are different than red tails.

I don't remember my research. It's been awhile, I just know my daughter has the scars on her hands from the fangs.

I just did some more research. Apparently only venomous snakes have fangs. Howeverr, those pointy big teeth that stuck into my daugter's hands look remarkably like fangs to me. lol

 

[Michelle67]

lol, maybe ball pythons are different than red tails.

I don't remember my research. It's been awhile, I just know my daughter has the scars on her hands from the fangs.

Ouch! Glad I don't have scars on my tongue. Maybe I should have just said ball pythons don't have fangs. I am far from an expert, I just had the one snake for about three years. A friend of mine had a corn snake and some other little constrictor before they burned up in a house fire. Neither of those were fangy types either. LOL

 

[Sleepy]

DD is 8yo and desparately wants a snake. We have looked at corn snakes and ball pythons. I don't mind snakes but two things worry me:

1) I understand both kinds of snakes are "escape artists". While I don't mind the idea of a snake, I DO mind the idea of a snake wandering around the house! Not to mention what the dogs would do...

Don't get a large snake if you have dogs or cats. Yes, they can escape if you do not have the correct enclosure. I worked several years for a pet wholesaler and we had snakes of many types.....even anacondas (which BTW have really neat skin).

2) the size...both can grow to 4' or more. What size habitat? How stable do we need to keep the temp? Are they fragile?

Temps need to be close to 100 degrees. Fragile? Not really, but they can get mouth rot if not cared for properly. The habitat needs to be large enough for it to uncoil. You are going to eventually need a very large enclosure!

Honestly, I don't think I can pull the trigger on this one but I thought I would put it out there for opinions.

Consider a sand boa, but personally, I would never own a snake for many reasons.

.

 

[kacaju]

we looked into snakes a while ago. Corn snakes were recommended by our Vet as a good beginner snake. The only thing that made me say no is the feeding, they eat pinky mice (baby newborn mice) and as a Mother I told my girls I could not let them feed babies to a snake!! Then we were in the pet store and they were looking at the pinky mice and agreed they didn't think they could feed a snake the babies!!

We have two leopard geckos. They make great first time reptile pets. (and they eat crickets!!)

 

[laurie31]

My DD was 8 when she started begging for a snake too.

The dead rats stored in my freexer was enarly a dealbreaker for me...but I was going to do it. I went to the pet store to get one, and the "reptile guy" there was very nice and talked to us about then for awhile and suggested DD might be happier with a lizzard.

So we came home with a bearded dragon instead of a corn snake.

We are very happy with him.

Here's his whole set-up - heating pad, heat lamp, UVB lamp, etc.

Wow - he's so tiny!

He's two years old now, and all grown up. This is as big as he will get, though.

He eats fresh veggies most days (everything from turnip greens to onions and carrots) but three times a week, he eats crickets. Live ones. DD thinks it's cool. I do not. At least they aren't in my freezer - lol - but we do have to keep the darn things somewhere. We keep them in DD's bathroom closet. She can't stand them in her room because the chirping bothers her at night. I don't really do insects, so she or DH deals with them.

Good luck with your venture into reptile ownership. I never DREAMED I would have one in my house, but it's not that bad, really. He even walks on a leash! He's very very cool for show and tell at school.

 

[doxdogy]

My feelings exactly.

QUOTE=Boston Tea Party;28944022]I can't answer your questions, but I wanted to chime in and say that this would be the perfect opportunity for my kids to learn "NO."

I don't do snakes in any form or fashion. And let's get this straight: lizards are one link away from snakes on the evolutionary chain... [/QUOTE]