I had a ball python when I was younger. Enjoyed it till it got to about four feet, and then I found out they don’t get much bigger than that. I sold it and got an Albino Burmese python, she was niiiccceeee! Got her to about 13 feet before I sold her. Wish I would have kept her, would have had her to about 22 with the way I was feeding her.
Some things I learned…..
Only got to feed em about once a month. I was feeding my Burmese once a week and two mice/ rats every feeding. She grew quick!
When selecting an enclosure pick one that has a front access door rather than having to reach in from the top. Snakes get attacked from above so that kind of makes em nerves when you approach from this angle, I’ve reached in hundreds of times before from the top and never got bit but it made some sense so when she out grew her encloser I built one with a front access door.
Do not feed your pet snake in its enclosure, because one day you are gonna reach in to pick it up and its gonna be expecting food in your hand, so it might strike thinking it’s feeding time. I would feed my snake in the bath tub, it had sliding glass doors so it kept the snake in while it feed. After feeding it I would close the door and give her some time to swallow about 15 minutes or so. When id slide open the door she would be ready to eat more and stand/ stretch up towards me, if I had another rat I’d give it to her, if no more and feeding time was over I would drop a towel over her head, this calmed her down and gave me a chance to safely pick her up and get her back in her enclosure. She would lay still in her enclose for about 3 days then take a big dump and weasel her way out the enclosure (I built a nice enclosure but never was able to get her to stay in, part of the reason I sold her). The tub was the only place she got to eat so it was the only place that she would associate with food and feeding. If you every want to take a bath with your snake I advise against this feeding technique. You can also use a pillow case and put the snake into it and feed it in there. I used a pillow case for transporting, so I didn’t use it for feeding.
When reaching for the snake don’t stick your hand to its face, great way to get bit. They have very poor vision and rely on their preys heat signature.Your hand might look like a food. You don’t reach and let it sniff you like you would with a dog. I always went for the tail end first. Only time I got bit by my snake was when I was washing dishes, it was loose and was slithering towards the stove. I tried to push its head back with my foot cause my hands were soapy. She got me.
When you get bit DONT PULL THE SNAKE OFF!!!! Let it release you or your will cause more harm to yourself and your favorite pet.
Hope some of this helps. I enjoyed having them as pets hope you do too.
I would go to a reptile swap and buy frozen mice/rats. I’d put a couple out to thaw the a day or 2 before feeding. I used to buy live mice/rats but one of em got my snake pretty good and drew blood, she had a scare for a while took couple of sheddings to look normal. Frozen were so much cheaper.
Some things I learned…..
Only got to feed em about once a month. I was feeding my Burmese once a week and two mice/ rats every feeding. She grew quick!
When selecting an enclosure pick one that has a front access door rather than having to reach in from the top. Snakes get attacked from above so that kind of makes em nerves when you approach from this angle, I’ve reached in hundreds of times before from the top and never got bit but it made some sense so when she out grew her encloser I built one with a front access door.
Do not feed your pet snake in its enclosure, because one day you are gonna reach in to pick it up and its gonna be expecting food in your hand, so it might strike thinking it’s feeding time. I would feed my snake in the bath tub, it had sliding glass doors so it kept the snake in while it feed. After feeding it I would close the door and give her some time to swallow about 15 minutes or so. When id slide open the door she would be ready to eat more and stand/ stretch up towards me, if I had another rat I’d give it to her, if no more and feeding time was over I would drop a towel over her head, this calmed her down and gave me a chance to safely pick her up and get her back in her enclosure. She would lay still in her enclose for about 3 days then take a big dump and weasel her way out the enclosure (I built a nice enclosure but never was able to get her to stay in, part of the reason I sold her). The tub was the only place she got to eat so it was the only place that she would associate with food and feeding. If you every want to take a bath with your snake I advise against this feeding technique. You can also use a pillow case and put the snake into it and feed it in there. I used a pillow case for transporting, so I didn’t use it for feeding.
When reaching for the snake don’t stick your hand to its face, great way to get bit. They have very poor vision and rely on their preys heat signature.Your hand might look like a food. You don’t reach and let it sniff you like you would with a dog. I always went for the tail end first. Only time I got bit by my snake was when I was washing dishes, it was loose and was slithering towards the stove. I tried to push its head back with my foot cause my hands were soapy. She got me.
When you get bit DONT PULL THE SNAKE OFF!!!! Let it release you or your will cause more harm to yourself and your favorite pet.
Hope some of this helps. I enjoyed having them as pets hope you do too.
I would go to a reptile swap and buy frozen mice/rats. I’d put a couple out to thaw the a day or 2 before feeding. I used to buy live mice/rats but one of em got my snake pretty good and drew blood, she had a scare for a while took couple of sheddings to look normal. Frozen were so much cheaper.
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@indi thanks so much for all the advice. I'm watching some YT videos. Like everything I do I always seem to fall down the rabbit hole. Lol
Four feet sounds like the perfect size to me. I'm not sure I could handle anything much bigger. Plus I'm old enough I need to take into account that one of my friends will likely wind up with my baby ... I don't want any of my pets to wind up at a shelter ... Or worse.
Four feet sounds like the perfect size to me. I'm not sure I could handle anything much bigger. Plus I'm old enough I need to take into account that one of my friends will likely wind up with my baby ... I don't want any of my pets to wind up at a shelter ... Or worse.
Theres two things about a snake, small ones grow into big ones and the other thing is IT’S A SNAKE. Nope nope nope!!
You’re a good lady for wanting one though.
Theres two things about a snake, small ones grow into big ones and the other thing is IT’S A SNAKE. Nope nope nope!!
You’re a good lady for wanting one though.
But he's CUTE!!
You are absolutely correct. I big fat Nope for me as well.Theres two things about a snake, small ones grow into big ones and the other thing is IT’S A SNAKE. Nope nope nope!!
You’re a good lady for wanting one though.
My brother, back at home, had one while I was in college. Had it for a year or two and it got to be about 6-7’ or so. Snake got out one day and went missing. Until about 4-5 months later when my dad went searching for something in the top of the closet. The snake bit dad and then went and wrapped around his neck. Then poof, no more snek.
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