How did you get started in BPs?

I figured I'd start this thread because I'd love to hear the stories of how everyone got started with ball pythons. The snakes we've all come to love.

I remember ever since I was 4 I wanted to be a wildlife conservationist, and ever since then my passion for nature and animals has taken off. Whether it be staying outside fishing, or trampling through the woods until my mother called me home for dinner, or bringing home different animals I had caught on my days adventures. My fascination with the wildlife around me never ceased, and never will. I've recently gotten into balls within the past 3 years and can say without a doubt they are my favorite reptiles I've owned. My first ball was a baby male pastel that I drove an hour in a rainstorm at night to get because I wasn't patient enough to wait until morning. After that first male my collection has slowly started to increase. I can honestly say I'm going to be doing this the rest of my life. (to the dismay of my gf =P)

I'd love to hear the stories of whomever would like to share about how you got started in balls.

Thanks for sharing!

I started with a ribbon racer when I was very young and it proggressed to yellow rat snakes, boas, balls and a GTP. I've been into herps since I was young and I'm glad that now that I have a family I can share that with my son. I've just got back into balls in the past couple years and became interested in breeding, so here we are 20+ balls later with that number about to more then double with babies in the works.

I WAS walking down the street when i saw a stick on the ground and i said to my self " huh i like ball pythons and i feeel like getting a few"

I've always been a tomboy--more interested in planes, trains, and boats than any of the "girly" stuff. My mother hates snakes with a fiery passion, but I loved them, so I would actively look for them, play with them a while ("Look, Mom!" "GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!"), and then release them down by the creek (we lived in the country) so they didn't get chased across the grass with a lawnmower. Sadly, this meant I could never have one as a pet.

The beginning of my second year of grad school (a convenient 1800 miles away from Mom), I discovered the annual local reptile show. To say my love of snakes was "rekindled" would be an understatement. I spoke with several vendors about the best beginner snakes, which narrowed it down to corns and balls. I'm not particularly fond of colubrid faces, which turned me off of them despite their array of spiffy colors. After a brief conversation with Mom concerning whether she would come to visit if I bought a snake (she acquiesced, though this could be seen as good or bad, hee hee), I bought a baby female ball I'd been ogling.

I was entranced by this beautiful creature for three years before I realized ball pythons, too, come in an array of colors and patterns. I cruised Kingsnake just for fun, looking at all the neat snakes, until I found a Lesser that was the most beautiful snake I'd ever seen. I bought him, thinking that I didn't want to breed him, though maaaaybe I would down the road just for fun. Y'all can guess how well that went.

Just prior to buying the Lesser, I saw Axanthics for the first time at the local show, and they blew me away. I had to have one, someday. Six months and more Kingsnake stalking later, I had a VPI Axanthic male and a het female (which I just bred for the first time this past year). Hard to believe I went from 1 to 17 ball pythons in just a few years.... When I feel strongly about something, I jump in head-first!

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Ive always liked animals. I want to be a vet. Have caught wild snakes since I was young and would let them loose. Had a lizard when I was a kid. Met my partner 10 years ago. He had an adult female ball python (at that time we of course did not know such things, thought it was a male since it had spurs....) Well, anyways, that started it. I went to someones house to set up childcare for my daughter and they had an iguana in a tank on their table. Told them we had a ball python and the lady goes "oh, well my husband breeds snakes"..I guess thats kinda what started it all..

Well I was outside one day and noticed this intriguing rock on the ground. I picked it up and put it in a tub. It doesn't eat, and just sits there the whole time. Its pretty enjoyable.

Ive been breeding and collecting snakes mostly Colubrids since 1989....After college I still had a few and in the spring of 2004 I convinced a friend to spend $1700 on a male PAstel...lmao...that was crazy...made our money back quickly....I still have that male...I will never sell him...broke that friendship/partnership off...had to build my collection back up...Im sitting on 35 Balls right now and I am content with the size of my collection....yeah right!!!!!

Got my first ball python in 1994, when I was in the military. Hid her nicely in my barracks room. I've kept them on and off since then, between stints out on the road. A few years ago I retired, and quickly realized I needed something that interested me, to keep me busy. Thankfully we've got extra income, so it started snowballing from there.

I'm so obsessed with these creatures, that here I sit in a hotel room with a few of them I couldn't be parted with, about to drive to Montana to live. (insert plug here for reptile basics 4 slot sweater box racks, they are excellent little portable racks)

I started out in my early teens flipping rocks out in Missouri, and went from there.

I went to the pet store and said "oh that's neat" and bought it

I love hearing everyones stories, keep em coming!