• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Thinking about getting a BP

W

wstphal

New member
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
41
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
Boston area
Questions for BP keepers --

How big an enclosure does an adult BP need? I am very space-constrained but would not want the snake to be uncomfortable. Is a large enough tub adequate or do they need a fancy viv?

Can an adult BP be fed mice? I have cornsnakes, so lots of mice in the freezer, not such a big freezer, would be happier if I didn't also have to buy frozen rats. Obviously, since mice are smaller, I would either have to offer 2 or feed more often.

Should I get a male or a female? I am looking for a snake that will enjoy being handled, and have NO plans to breed balls. (I do have plans to breed cornsnakes, I don't need to manage more bitey baby snakes!)

Thanks to anyone who helps out this noobie!

Blessed be,
B
 
30 long tank or 40+ quart tub is a nice size for female or male bp. Females get bigger. They do not need a fancy viv. Places to hide, proper temps, food and substrate and their pretty happy.

An adult bp will take 5+ mice a week.

I have males and females that are outgoing and I have males and females that are grouchy. So it's no guarantee that either gender will make a better pet.
 
I agree with Melinda.

Also rats are nutritionally more suited for a BP.

Personally I have only been snipped at by male ball pythons. But the males tended to mellow out with age (about the 1 year mark). My females are very nice to handle and I like handling them. But as Melinda said their are no guarantees when it comes to that.
 
i'd go with a 32qt sterilite for a larger male and a 41qt for a larger female... i've found that adequate with the exception of my huge male mojave. it really all depends on which sex you'd rather have. as far as bps go, i've not noticed any difference in temperament between the sexes on any of mine. for hatchlings... i've used 15qt on all of them and gives them plenty of room for a water tub and growing room. i'm really anal about giving my snakes a large enough water tub to completely submerge in... and found good looking plastic ones at walmart in the dog bowls section.

foodwise, i use mice all the way up to adult mice before i switch to small rats, so yes... mice will be fine as long as your snake will take them. i know not everybody has had great success with the transition from mice to rats, but it's worked for me with exception of one and he eats 3 mice, whereas the others eat 1 medium rat.
 
I wanted to add, even the nicest most docile female will go right for your face if she's sitting on eggs. I'm gonna get me a Michael Meyers mask for next seasons egg removals from Momma! lol
 
::

Melinda said:
I wanted to add, even the nicest most docile female will go right for your face if she's sitting on eggs. I'm gonna get me a Michael Meyers mask for next seasons egg removals from Momma! lol
Click to expand...

lol the plus side I guess is they are slow so you can usually dodge it lol. Not like kings them suckers are quick they hit ya like 5 times in the amount of time a bp strikes once.


Honestly I wouldn't say a snake bite hurts more than just scares you. Now a full size retic thats a different story. Even the biggest ball python would feel no more than a few pinches. If your not afraid of playing with a cat then you should not fear ever getting bitten by a BP. I am personally more afraid of my boa over any of the ball pythons I have simply because the boa displays waaaaaay more confidence so they are kind of intimidating, Those guys will come up eye level to you and look you straight in the face. Or at least mine does. lol

Either way hope you get one. All of them are a pleasure to have even the nippy ones. I laugh a little everytime a baby ball snips at me because they are trying to show how big they are no matter how small of a squirt they really are.
 
Honestly I wouldn't say a snake bite hurts more than just scares you.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. I get more damage from playing with my cats. I want to get more tattoos on my arms, but my cats keep clawing up the tattoo I already have. I guess my plan for 2 sleeves isn't a good one with my cats around.

Even though I've been bit countless times, I can't help but jerk my hand back when they go for me. I even encourage bites to show people that are afraid of the "giant fangs" that it isn't that bad. I am askeerd of getting bit in the face though. That tends to wake me right up. lol

And from what everyone here says about Retics, I'm not gonna add them to my collection. I do have a MBK that has gotten me twice in a feeding response.
 
Thanks everyone! I am not at all worried about the possibility of bites. I have cats! I just don't want to deal with an adult snake with a bad attitude who strikes at me every time I try to interact with him or her. Sounds like that's not too likely.

My wish list is expanding -- I am getting hatchling corns (assuming the hookups happen & so on) next year, I want a Cali King & a dwarf boa, and a BP. I think I need a rack & a bigger apartment! LOL
 
adult snake with a bad attitude who strikes at me every time I try to interact with him or her. Sounds like that's not too likely.
Click to expand...

I have gotten in more than a few adult balls that strike at everything that moves. Usually these come from people who did not feed enough or the proper size food. I feed them as much as they want and after a couple months of stuffing their mouths, they usually calm right down and stop acting like they are starving to death.

So if you do get one that is strikey, feed it when it wants food and I bet it calms down after a few months.
 
Back
Top