Ball Python?

[DurgaRose]

I put a deposit down on a beautiful vanilla pastel Ball Python that I'm going to be picking up this weekend. super super excited I've wanted a snake for a long time, right now I've got a bearded dragon and a box turtle. But I am concerned about the safety of my birds and having a snake that large. The lid to the tank will be clamped down with four clamps, so it will be super secure. the snake will be in the same area as my Pionus parrot, and in a separate room from my two smaller conures and lovebird. Does anyone else have ball pythons or larger snakes? The girl who works at the reptile shop also has birds and a lot of reptiles and snakes, and told me that as long as I'm always careful to make sure that his enclosure is fully locked there should never be a problem.

 

[Teckechick]

Very secure enclosures!!!!

We have a Herp Haven section and I am sure lots of members with snakes will chime in.

@Staff can you pop this into Herp Haven so it can get more views.

 

[MR. Mango]

I agree, while I don't have much experience with reptiles, as long as the enclosure is always secure and the birds especially the smaller ones are never left unattended in the same room it should be fine, ideally though if possible i would try to move the pionus but if not I think it should still be ok.

 

[Sweet.Pea]

I put a deposit down on a beautiful vanilla pastel Ball Python that I'm going to be picking up this weekend. super super excited I've wanted a snake for a long time, right now I've got a bearded dragon and a box turtle. But I am concerned about the safety of my birds and having a snake that large. The lid to the tank will be clamped down with four clamps, so it will be super secure. the snake will be in the same area as my Pionus parrot, and in a separate room from my two smaller conures and lovebird. Does anyone else have ball pythons or larger snakes? The girl who works at the reptile shop also has birds and a lot of reptiles and snakes, and told me that as long as I'm always careful to make sure that his enclosure is fully locked there should never be a problem.

 

[Sweet.Pea]

Hello !! I have 11 pets.6 of which being reptiles, two of whom are snakes. And I have 2 birds, a dog, and 2 land snails on top of that. Ball pythons realistically don’t grow very large. You’re looking at MAX 6ft for a female, and 4-5ft for a male. They’re pretty shy snakes, and spend most of their time in a ball, hence the name ball python. (They’re actually scientifically called royal pythons but the name ball python came for popularity reasons and being that they are always in a ball) I wouldn’t worry too much in terms of your birds. Do you know the age of the ball python you are obtaining? with babies feeding once a week is all that’s necessary, it takes them anywhere from 24-48 hours to digest their food completely. Over feeding can lead to obesity. So once a week is fine for the first few years. Upsizing food is determined by the width of your snake which is the easiest way to tell when it’s time to go up a size for feeders. For an adult, biweekly feeding is easier on their digestive systems. Don’t be afraid if your ball python ever goes off food for a few weeks, months or even a year (as an adult) they do that. It’s completely normal. UNLESS you can see them lose weight then it’s an automatic trip to the vet. Still offer food obviously, but don’t be upset if they refuse to eat it out of the blue. Give them a week when you notice they are going to shed before feeding. You’ll know when they’re starting to shed when their skin gets a milky blue coloration kind of cloudy in appearance. Shedding is a lot of stress on their body and takes up a lot of their energy. Feeding during a shed can be a lot on their bodies. They need time to recuperate. As for enclosure, clamps are great! If you have a terrarium with a sliding mesh lid, even better. Zilla brand, or even zoomed have terrariums with sliding mesh lids. They even have a little lock slot for your lock up needs. I will tell you one thing, I’ve never in my entire life of owning reptiles have I had a snake escape on me. Rule of thumb, don’t be careless. But also don’t beat yourself up if you accidentally leave the tank unlocked. There are so many controversies when it comes to snake feeding, so I will just say this from my perspective as a vet tech, and a reptile keeper. Feed in enclosure. Tank aggression is a huge myth. Just obviously be smart about it and don’t shove your hand in there with the feeder in your hand. Things are a godsend. Long feeding tongs. Trust me they will change your world but that being said, the likelihood of your snake escaping and going after your birds is slim. If they’ve never eaten bird before and have only ever been fed mice, rats, or hamsters, they probably won’t go for your bird. Just to put your mind at ease a bit there. I personally feed frozen thawed rats to my ball pythons because it’s easier and I don’t run the risk of the food attacking back. Yup.. that’s a thing. If you’re feeding live feeders never leave the room. Always ALWAYS supervise. Better safe than sorry. Another perk to feeding frozen thawed feeders, is that I don’t have to clean rat urine lol I avoid that altogether. Fun tip! If at any point in time your snake does escape, he/she is likely to find a warm, moist, dark place to be. So checking under the sink, etc even under the couch believe it or not: check those places first to rule out anything. If it brings you comfort you can check on your birds first, but I highly doubt your snake will go for them. Also congratulations on your new family member!! They are wonderful snakes to keep!! I know you will enjoy it! I hope this helps !