ball pythons

Question
QUESTION: before i ask a real question, do you know anything about ball pythons?

ANSWER: Hi Tristan,

I worked with numerous hatchlings for several years (both captive bred and captive hatched) getting them established and feeding. I have kept a single adult for the last few years. I can help you with feeding issues, environment and other care related questions.
I have no experience with breeding Ball pythons though, for that you should refer your question to Donna.  

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QUESTION: i have a few questions. do you know how to tell there gender? can i feed them something other than store bought foods if there is for some reason a problem where i cant get to the pet store? and is there anything i need to know about them considering this will be my first snake?

ANSWER: Hi Tristan,

The only way to reliably tell their gender is by probing or (in young snakes) popping the hemipenes. Both of these procedures need to be performed by an experienced hand or you risk injury to the snake. You may read that they can be sexed by looking at spur size or tail width and length but this is quite unreliable, even with a 50-50 chance. Visual sexing frequently works well for corn and king snakes but less so for Balls, in my experience.  

There is really no safe feeding alternative to commercially raised rodents. Wild caught rodents potentially carry parasites. Some new snake owners ask if they can feed pieces of chicken etc sold for human consumption. Aside from being nutritionally deficient it is very unlikely that you would get a a ball python to accept something like that. They have a reputation for being picky feeders that is not totally undeserved :)

The key to success with a Ball as your first snake is to ask the right questions when you buy it and get the right snake from the start There is a difference between "captive bred" and "captive hatched". Captive bred babies are derived from captive parents. They have been reared from the egg domestically. "Captive hatched"  or "farmed" are the terms given to hatchlings derived from the eggs of wild caught females in West Africa. The females are housed until they lay and the eggs are hatched artificially. These hatchlings are then bagged, crated and shipped across the world.
They arrive dehydrated, stressed, parasitized,  under-fed or even dead. It can be very difficult to get these hatchlings acclimatized, healthy and feeding. Thousands of these babies die in the hands of beginners who purchased them because they didn't know any better and because they are often much cheaper then true captive bred specimens. The extra cost for captive bred is well worth it. Deal with a breeder directly or a specialty reptile store, rather then a chain store. You will be able to have your new snake probed for gender there as well. Reptile expos are good places to talk to several breeders.   

You will want to make sure that your snake is an establised feeder before purchase. I used to use 3 feedings as the minimum requiremnet before a baby was sold. Good breeders and reputable reptile shops should have feeding records for each snake. If they don't then don't reward them with your business. Your snake should also be established on frozen feeders (preferably rats). No reputable breeder uses live prey, it is dangerous (especially for docile species like Balls), expensive and inconvenient. You can buy frozen feeders in bulk on-line which eliminates the need to go the the pet store.

Give your new snake ample opportunity to adjust to its new environment. I strongly recommend that you put off handling (or keep it to a bare minimum) until the snake has fed a couple times for you in its new home. New owners are often eager to handle their pets but this can cause problems with a shy species like Balls and keep them from feeding.



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QUESTION: i'm sorry but i have one more question. do you have any recommendations as to where i can get a captive bred baby online or maybe even store bought?

Answer
Hi Tristan,

I'm in Canada so it is difficult for me to confidently recommend any particular site or store that could safely ship to you in Texas.

These are some links to some upcoming Reptile expos. There is a big one in Arlington later this month and another in San Antonio next month. You didn't happen to mention what part of Texas you are from. The Repticon link has a couple other cities. You can also get supplies for a good price at expos.


http://www.narbc.com/

http://www.texasreptiles.com/

http://www.repticon.com/

http://www.kingsnake.com/events.php