I fell into the snake rabbit hole and Iāve been eyeing this baby for awhile.
Iāve been thinking and researching about ball pythons for months, and at this point I believe I can offer this baby a good home (maybe even better than the original owner.)
I have two big questions:
Iām having trouble determining if a reptile is for me, especially about the long term commitement and if I will get bored after a while. Could you share some insights? and Is my buying list good/accurate?
thermostat with probe! (crazy thereās not already one)
(also possibly removing the heat mat and only use it as secondary heat source during canadian winters)
bluetooth hygrometer/thermometer
temp gun
ceramic heat emitter to replace the regular heat bulb (this would let me heat it during the night without disturbing his day/night cycle)
coco husk
sphagnum moss (for a wet hide)
chlorhexidine
long tweezers for feeding
Possible upgrades down the line:
uvb (already big windows in the room)
your suggestions!
Thank you so much! Your time and your comments are invaluable.
Sounds good! The only thing I would recommend is getting a slightly larger enclosure. I would say a minimum of a 4x2x2. I know it doesnāt seem like a huge difference but I promise it is worth it. But if there is any concern that you would be able to get the animal, it is going to be fine in the current enclosure until the bigger one is finished being set up.
If you are putting this much thought into it than you probably wonāt, especially if you stick around here . The only people I know personally who get bored of the hobby werenāt even in it to start, people who begged for one to their parents and then didnāt do anything to care for them. But honestly, I just try not to think of it. At one point, I began worrying about what I would do if I started to get burnt out and it made the hobby a bit less fun and enjoyable because of it. Once I realized that after it going on for a month or so, I realized and snapped out of it. And remember, while these are lifelong commitments, situations change. If at some point down the road you stop feeling the passion and joy in keeping them, it is the best for the animal to be rehomed and that is ok.
And welcome! Hope we get to see you soon with your new buddy!
So, first of all, I know absolutely nothing about snakes. If you check my profile, you will see that Iām a crazy leopard gecko owner that always has lots of questions. Anyway, I can answer the first question you asked though.
Owning a reptile has been one of the CRAZIEST pet experiences for me, but I totally donāt regret it. I have never been bored of my reptilesā¦in fact, Iām so not bored that I keep getting more and more! So, to answer your question, it definitely takes a lot of thought to figure out if you are ready for a reptileā¦and I actually thought for FOUR years before I finally got my first! I fell in love. They are not difficult to fall in love with! If you know for sure you want a snake, and youāre ready to care for one, then I say go for it.
I agree with Logar on the possible upgrade.
At the very least, some insulation or just some covering on a couple sides of the habitat can go a long way to making this little guy more comfy. Glass can loose heat easily or can cause stress from not feeling āhiddenā enough.
Personally, I like the under tank heat for BPs as theyāre not a semi-arboreal species, so belly heat is usually cozy for them. So I like giving them a choice to wander to a basking spot or just hang out in a warm hide.
As far as getting bored goesā¦
As bad as it is to sayā¦ball pythons are so low maintenance. if you do get bored later on, they are thankfully hardy little dudes that are comfortable being little homebodies as well, so you can take some time to find a rescue or rehome for the guy while not needing constant attention.
Other species of snakes can be much more needy of spot cleaning or time out and about. Itās easy to make a few minutes a few times a week for a BP.
Although the low maintenance may be why you get boredā¦and end up looking into picking up your next snake to have a bit more to do. >_>;;
. The only people I know personally who get bored of the hobby werenāt even in it to start, people who begged for one to their parents and then didnāt do anything to care for them. But honestly, I just try not to think of it. At one point, I began worrying about what I would do if I started to get burnt out and it made the hobby a bit less fun and enjoyable because of it. Once I realized that after it going on for a month or so, I realized and snapped out of it. And remember, while these are lifelong commitments, situations change. If at some point down the road you stop feeling the passion and joy in keeping them, it is the best for the animal to be rehomed and that is ok.