Petcare Made Simple

Having a Ball with Your Pet Ball Python

For some reason the name Ball Python strikes fear into the hearts of many people, often times people associate the name python with a man eating giant snake that is silent and deadly. This could not be further from the truth, as pythons and Ball pythons in generally are very meek and passive snakes. While it is true that there are some species of python in the wild that can reach lengths of 25 feet, that being the reticulated python there are species such as the Ball python that grows to no more than 6 feet in the wild. A ball python will more than likely not grow to its 6-foot potential in captivity and will be more apt to shy away rather than bite someone. It is said that your common house cat would be more likely to bite you than a pet ball python. For this reason, more and more people are turning to this lovely snake as a household pet, and are enjoying this animal for its unique lifestyle and traits.

Ball pythons are native to Central and Northern Africa; they often are found within the rainforest regions and can be found in many of the trees sleeping their days away without worry. Ball pythons and their extremely laid back nature are easily adapted to captive life and can actually make one of the best imaginable house pets. They are extremely quite and cause absolutely no fuss or trouble. The ball python actually does not mind in the least to he handled and quite often. When it is molting time however, it is best not to handle this gentle giant as they can startle easily. This is because they develop a fine opaque film over their eyes as they are starting to shed and they cannot see as well. Any slight movement within their confines to be taken as a threat and they may instinctually strike, due to their vulnerable nature at the time of the shedding.

When deciding on a ball python for the first time, it would be best that you do some research on the breed. Knowing everything you can about this snake will only help you with the raising and keeping of this lovely animal. Many pet stores recommend that you go with something a little more adaptable in the beginning such as a Boa, or Corn snake. Should you really decide that you wish to start right at the top of the heap and go with the Ball python first, do your homework. It would be very smart for you to have the home for your snake all ready set up, prior to you bringing it home for the first time. This will help the whole transition and help keep the snake from becoming stressed. The last thing that you will want to do is make a snake stressed out of on alert at all times, this is not productive to your handling or relationship with the snake from the get go.

Feeding of the snake can always be a 50/50 affair when it comes to new snake owners. Some people really do not feel comfortable feeding snakes mice or rats, whether they are dead or alive. Many people are not keen on keeping dead animals in bags in their fridge or freezer as well. This is definitely an issue if you are not too keen on the idea; make sure you are ok with this prior to going out and buying a ball python. When considering an animal such as this for a house pet, you will need to be able handle the daily routine that is involved with keeping such an exotic pet. When housing this type of pet, it is always best to give it the largest environment you possibly can. A good tree branch and a place to hide when it feels the need to are also recommended when keeping a ball python. You will want to make sure that you have a very secure lid on the tank or enclosure, as snakes are the masters of escape. Many people find that a good locking mechanism on the lid will suffice; there are many people that know better of course and use bricks or other heavy objects to sit on top of the caged lid. Overall this truly is a wonderful pet to own and will keep you entertained for years to come.