Kasmira - 2010-11-07 My python, Akaesha, is 4months old and my first snake...I love her and she has only refused one meal because she was shedding. She is a great snake and allows me to handle her before and after eating too, and anytime I wish really. Usually after eating she'll just crawl to me and I'll put her somewhere warm. I'm just wondering tho...is it normal for them to pee, poo, and shed in their water dish? I mean she has 2 of them on either side of her tank and it's not like I'm complaining of the self-potty training, it makes for easy clean up. I just want to know if its expected behaviour. Also, if I want to have her and a male as a breeding pair, how long should I wait before I introduce her to her life long companion? Should he be older or younger and by how much? I appreciate any helpful responses. Thanks everyone :)
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Lynn - 2010-11-09 Yeah actually Ball Python's prefer to defecate in their water bowls!
Kitty - 2010-11-18 I have a ball python that is about a year old. I have only had cleo for about a month. The pet store does not know if it is female or male. Someone said possibly female. Cleo is a little more than 12 inches long. I feed it about 3 fuzzies a week, but it seems to want more. If you can give me any comments, i would appreciate it. I love her and she loves to crawl around on my laptop when it is on. Should i try to feed her 4 fuzzies a week or keep it to 3? Thanks. . .
Anonymous - 2010-11-28 I don't know about the breeding thing, but I have a 3 year old ball python and he has always "relieved" himself in his water bowl. Just make sure and clean it as soon as you see it. I hope this helped :)
Reilly - 2010-11-24 The python stories are really wonderful to read...Pythons need to be handled with a lot of care...The information on your site was really useful and just the right information.
Angela - 2010-07-04 I got a beautiful ball our 5 yo daughter named No Feet last week, about 1 1/2 weeks ago actually. Snake appears healthy, but the place where I got her told me they had been feeding frozen pinkies. I bought a box and have offered them to it twice but both times, "she" has appeared to be a reluctant eater and by the time she is interested in them, they are no longer warm. How can I keep them warm since she is slow as molasses? Or is there a better alternative? i know she is captive bred so would her instincts kick in if I gave her live? I've never fed frozen before and always had snakes who were live fed. Any info would be appreciated.
trubloodfan27@gmail.com
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kevin holmes - 2010-11-23 When you defrost frozen mice there's really no way to re warm the food but I had the same problem with my python, so I started feeding him live mice and never had a problem since. So try live because most snakes prefer live.
matt d - 2010-09-27 Hi we have a baby boy ball python, two actually. Mine is perfectly fine, healthy, active, and curious, our other snake seems quite skiddish, flips upside down a lot when exploring my hands, and seems to have a very hard time climbing up and gaining orientation if I hold him by the tip of the tail. Just wondering if this is something I should worry about, please help. -new snake owners -matt
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michael mccoy - 2010-10-10 Not to scare you, but a trip to a qualified herp vet is probably in order. IBD or inclusion body disease is a viral affliction of boas and pythons. The disease is characterized by propensity for regurgitation, mouth rot bloating and lack of body coordination. Not to say your snake has that, but it might be worth it for you to be on the safe side and take him in. It's also highly contagious.
Carlos - 2010-10-03 I have a question that I keep getting different answers on, so I'm open to any suggestions. I have a 9 year old ball python named Angel, and I recently bought a baby python not to long ago. I've been asking around to see if it'd b a bad idea to put them together or not, because she could easily hurt the younger python. My question is it ok to put them in the same tank together or take them out together? Or is it to soon to put the the baby python with the adult?
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michael mccoy - 2010-10-10 Most snake keepers will tell you its a very bad idea. Although rare, cannibalism in ball pythons has happened. If you're going to house two ball pythons together it is best to make sure they're of equal size. On the other end, I'm sure its been done before without issue so really what it comes down to, are you willing to lose one or possibly both snakes? We currently house two adult males together. We also feed them in separate containers.
Anonymous - 2009-11-21 Damien is my ball python. He is 4 feet long and I love him to bits. The weird thing is how he likes to help me vacuum my house, LOL. As far as feeding issues, he eats like a porker. Very happy guy, a great addition to my family :) ~KRISTEN
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stephen - 2010-10-04 I'm surprised with you, be very intelligent coz a beast is always a beast, especially snakes.
Lenny - 2008-04-29 I have a young ball python named Patch. Ball pythons are chubby snakes; short and fat and generally quite slow when moving, so they are not likely to scare someone who is afraid of snakes. They are incredibly strong creatures with over 77% of their entire bodies consisting of pure muscle, so they will squeeze very tightly and effortlessly to anything supporting them. Ball pythons often scare their new owners when they refuse to eat for months at a time. This is simply because they are sensitive creatures and they become shy and reclusive when introduced to a new situation. It may take your python a full year to become accustomed to your home, and so he will be quite reluctant to eat. Very seldom will a reptile eat when shedding, so you can speed up the shed by warm baths every couple of days until the snake finally gets rid of his skin. It is always better to feed several small prey items rather than one large one. I suggest offering a live pinky mouse every to every other day. If the snake eats it, he eats it. If not, it can wait a day or two. This is the best way for a snake to eat, as it does wonders for their digestive tract. Studies show that snakes fed this way can top fifty years or more, and even in some cases, outlive their owners! A larger snake can be fed a larger mouse, or more pinkies. Breeding colonies of mice is a great way to get hundreds of mice for under ten dollars, and to keep them for years to come. Ball pythons are extremely sensitive to drastic temperature change, and they can slowly freeze to death even at room temperature! Remember, your body makes heat on its own, but snakes need their environment to make heat for them. This is what "cold-blooded" really means. Have you ever noticed your snake crawling towards appliances, heaters, warm food, or even towards you? They can "see" warm places, and they like to be near them to regulate body temperature. A cold snake will quickly wander to the warmest place it sees to keep itself alive. That's why it's a good idea to turn on a small heater and put a towel next to it whenever your snake gets loose. You can check the towel every couple of hours to see if your buddy is sleeping underneath it. If you let a mouse crawl on the towel, your snake will also be attracted to the tasty smell.
SITE ADMIN: Alter the text as you see fit, post the parts that you like most if you need to make room. Feel free to leave my address on the page, as I enjoy helping inexperienced python owners in their times of need. Feel free to contact me at any time, I'd be more than happy to chat!
Lenny V. Lisbeck Heavenly Hollow Herps Leech Lake Area, MN
shiroisan-leonardo@hotmail.com
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Dezirae - 2010-10-03 Hi, I have a baby ball python named Chico. He is a little over two months. I do handle him a lot and I found out that that does cause a refusal to eat with ball pythons. I usually take him with me when I go places. Is that unhealthy for him? The first time I fed him a fuzzy, he ate it. My local pet store did not have any live fuzzies so I had to buy a frozen one. I thawed it out and gave it to him but he will not eat it. Also, I feel like it's time for him to shed, but he isn't. I am worried his tank is not humid enough. Help?
Eddie Budd - 2010-08-10 I have 2 royal pythons that have been together since they were babies about 18mths is it safe to separate them they are both males?
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Editor's Note - 2010-08-15 Reptiles usually don't bond or have the same emotional connections to other members of their family like many mammals do. It is safe to separate them.
ngosfoundation - 2009-05-04 I am a full time breeder of baby ball pythons in this part of india.I breed morphs of the following categories; pastels, pastel jungles,caramels, albinos, piebalds, normals and other rare species like the platinum.My prices are moderate.If interested contact me for more information,all snakes are vet check with health papers up to date,snakes are captive breed and are defrost feeder and also have geckos in stock which range from eggs to adult, you mail me at (ngosfoundation at yahoo dot com) thanks, contact for price list
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Areeb - 2010-08-14 I would like to purchase ball pythons from you. I live in bangalore. Could you please let me know how much they would cost and how you could ship them to me. Thanks.
Lynn - 2010-03-16 The scales on the top/end part of the tail of my ball python has turned a redish color almost over night. Its not crusty of nasty looking, the scales still look healthy too. Any ideas?
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Editor's Note - 2010-03-16 Has your snake shed recently? The scales are the brightest and most colorful right after they shed. On rare occasions they will have challenges shedding the tip of the tail skin. When it does fall off it may bleed a little and then scab over. Perhaps your snake had a similar thing, but leaving the skin reddish in color.
keynhatay - 2010-04-27 That's crazy.
Dylan - 2010-07-09 Sounds like scale rot, not serious but check the belly of it if it has any sort of pink tint it is definitely scale rot, if it likes to stay in the water do not mist the tank or try taking the water dish out for a night or two.
The handsome, sweet tempered Ball Python is one of the most favored and adored pet snakes!
My python, Akaesha, is 4months old and my first snake...I love her and she has only refused one meal because she was shedding. She is a great snake and allows me to handle her before and after eating too, and anytime I wish really. Usually after eating she'll just crawl to me and I'll put her somewhere warm. I'm just wondering tho...is it normal for them to pee, poo, and shed in their water dish? I mean she has 2 of them on either side of her tank and it's not like I'm complaining of the self-potty training, it makes for easy clean up. I just want to know if its expected behaviour. Also, if I want to have her and a male as a breeding pair, how long should I wait before I introduce her to her life long companion? Should he be older or younger and by how much? I appreciate any helpful responses. Thanks everyone :)
Yeah actually Ball Python's prefer to defecate in their water bowls!
I have a ball python that is about a year old. I have only had cleo for about a month. The pet store does not know if it is female or male. Someone said possibly female. Cleo is a little more than 12 inches long. I feed it about 3 fuzzies a week, but it seems to want more. If you can give me any comments, i would appreciate it. I love her and she loves to crawl around on my laptop when it is on. Should i try to feed her 4 fuzzies a week or keep it to 3? Thanks. . .
I don't know about the breeding thing, but I have a 3 year old ball python and he has always "relieved" himself in his water bowl. Just make sure and clean it as soon as you see it. I hope this helped :)
The python stories are really wonderful to read...Pythons need to be handled with a lot of care...The information on your site was really useful and just the right information.
I got a beautiful ball our 5 yo daughter named No Feet last week, about 1 1/2 weeks ago actually. Snake appears healthy, but the place where I got her told me they had been feeding frozen pinkies. I bought a box and have offered them to it twice but both times, "she" has appeared to be a reluctant eater and by the time she is interested in them, they are no longer warm. How can I keep them warm since she is slow as molasses? Or is there a better alternative? i know she is captive bred so would her instincts kick in if I gave her live? I've never fed frozen before and always had snakes who were live fed. Any info would be appreciated.
trubloodfan27@gmail.com
When you defrost frozen mice there's really no way to re warm the food but I had the same problem with my python, so I started feeding him live mice and never had a problem since. So try live because most snakes prefer live.
Hi we have a baby boy ball python, two actually. Mine is perfectly fine, healthy, active, and curious, our other snake seems quite skiddish, flips upside down a lot when exploring my hands, and seems to have a very hard time climbing up and gaining orientation if I hold him by the tip of the tail. Just wondering if this is something I should worry about, please help. -new snake owners -matt
Not to scare you, but a trip to a qualified herp vet is probably in order. IBD or inclusion body disease is a viral affliction of boas and pythons. The disease is characterized by propensity for regurgitation, mouth rot bloating and lack of body coordination. Not to say your snake has that, but it might be worth it for you to be on the safe side and take him in. It's also highly contagious.
I have a question that I keep getting different answers on, so I'm open to any suggestions. I have a 9 year old ball python named Angel, and I recently bought a baby python not to long ago. I've been asking around to see if it'd b a bad idea to put them together or not, because she could easily hurt the younger python. My question is it ok to put them in the same tank together or take them out together? Or is it to soon to put the the baby python with the adult?
Most snake keepers will tell you its a very bad idea. Although rare, cannibalism in ball pythons has happened. If you're going to house two ball pythons together it is best to make sure they're of equal size. On the other end, I'm sure its been done before without issue so really what it comes down to, are you willing to lose one or possibly both snakes? We currently house two adult males together. We also feed them in separate containers.
Damien is my ball python. He is 4 feet long and I love him to bits. The weird thing is how he likes to help me vacuum my house, LOL. As far as feeding issues, he eats like a porker. Very happy guy, a great addition to my family :) ~KRISTEN
I'm surprised with you, be very intelligent coz a beast is always a beast, especially snakes.
I have a young ball python named Patch. Ball pythons are chubby snakes; short and fat and generally quite slow when moving, so they are not likely to scare someone who is afraid of snakes. They are incredibly strong creatures with over 77% of their entire bodies consisting of pure muscle, so they will squeeze very tightly and effortlessly to anything supporting them. Ball pythons often scare their new owners when they refuse to eat for months at a time. This is simply because they are sensitive creatures and they become shy and reclusive when introduced to a new situation. It may take your python a full year to become accustomed to your home, and so he will be quite reluctant to eat. Very seldom will a reptile eat when shedding, so you can speed up the shed by warm baths every couple of days until the snake finally gets rid of his skin. It is always better to feed several small prey items rather than one large one. I suggest offering a live pinky mouse every to every other day. If the snake eats it, he eats it. If not, it can wait a day or two. This is the best way for a snake to eat, as it does wonders for their digestive tract. Studies show that snakes fed this way can top fifty years or more, and even in some cases, outlive their owners! A larger snake can be fed a larger mouse, or more pinkies. Breeding colonies of mice is a great way to get hundreds of mice for under ten dollars, and to keep them for years to come. Ball pythons are extremely sensitive to drastic temperature change, and they can slowly freeze to death even at room temperature! Remember, your body makes heat on its own, but snakes need their environment to make heat for them. This is what "cold-blooded" really means. Have you ever noticed your snake crawling towards appliances, heaters, warm food, or even towards you? They can "see" warm places, and they like to be near them to regulate body temperature. A cold snake will quickly wander to the warmest place it sees to keep itself alive. That's why it's a good idea to turn on a small heater and put a towel next to it whenever your snake gets loose. You can check the towel every couple of hours to see if your buddy is sleeping underneath it. If you let a mouse crawl on the towel, your snake will also be attracted to the tasty smell.
SITE ADMIN: Alter the text as you see fit, post the parts that you like most if you need to make room. Feel free to leave my address on the page, as I enjoy helping inexperienced python owners in their times of need. Feel free to contact me at any time, I'd be more than happy to chat!
Lenny V. Lisbeck
Heavenly Hollow Herps
Leech Lake Area, MN
shiroisan-leonardo@hotmail.com
Hi, I have a baby ball python named Chico. He is a little over two months. I do handle him a lot and I found out that that does cause a refusal to eat with ball pythons. I usually take him with me when I go places. Is that unhealthy for him?
The first time I fed him a fuzzy, he ate it. My local pet store did not have any live fuzzies so I had to buy a frozen one. I thawed it out and gave it to him but he will not eat it.
Also, I feel like it's time for him to shed, but he isn't. I am worried his tank is not humid enough. Help?
I have 2 royal pythons that have been together since they were babies about 18mths is it safe to separate them they are both males?
Reptiles usually don't bond or have the same emotional connections to other members of their family like many mammals do. It is safe to separate them.
I am a full time breeder of baby ball pythons in this part of india.I breed morphs of the following categories; pastels, pastel jungles,caramels, albinos, piebalds, normals and other rare species like the platinum.My prices are moderate.If interested contact me for more information,all snakes are vet check with health papers up to date,snakes are captive breed and are defrost feeder and also have geckos in stock which range from eggs to adult, you mail me at (ngosfoundation at yahoo dot com)
thanks, contact for price list
I would like to purchase ball pythons from you. I live in bangalore. Could you please let me know how much they would cost and how you could ship them to me. Thanks.
The scales on the top/end part of the tail of my ball python has turned a redish color almost over night. Its not crusty of nasty looking, the scales still look healthy too. Any ideas?
Has your snake shed recently? The scales are the brightest and most colorful right after they shed. On rare occasions they will have challenges shedding the tip of the tail skin. When it does fall off it may bleed a little and then scab over. Perhaps your snake had a similar thing, but leaving the skin reddish in color.
That's crazy.
Sounds like scale rot, not serious but check the belly of it if it has any sort of pink tint it is definitely scale rot, if it likes to stay in the water do not mist the tank or try taking the water dish out for a night or two.