If you’re reading this, you should feel proud of yourself. You have taken the first step to becoming the proud owner of a pet snake. Yes, I said it. You, a snake owner. Did you ever think you’d see the day? Ok, ok, you’re not actually a snake owner yet. But here you are, trying to decide if you should be one. So, let’s talk about it. What makes owning a snake such a good idea? After all, you could opt for a dog or cat. You could get yourself a fish or even a bird. So, what is it about snakes? Well for starters, you’re not suffering from Ophidiophobia (fear of snakes). Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here, right? Let’s get into it.
There are many types of snakes and let’s face it, some of them can be pretty dangerous. But there are some snakes that shine through as perfect pets. One in particular is the Ball Python. Ball Pythons are the most popular snakes to own as pets and for good reason. Chances are, you’ve already seen them in person. You have been to a pet store before, right? Ok, just checking. So why the Ball Python? For starters, Ball Pythons are relatively small. Some people, when you mention snakes, immediately imagine some humongous anaconda from the Amazon, eating a human whole! Or they hear about some snake attacking their owner and killing them. Well relax, these are not Reticulated Pythons. Ball Pythons don’t grow to sizes that could cause significant injury to their owners. The average size of an adult Female Ball (because they are bigger than the males) is three-five feet and males are typically the two-three feet long.
Feeding is cheap. Yes, I said CHEAP! Have you seen gas prices these days? Take all the discounts you can get! Ball Pythons, as babies typically eat one mouse or rat per week and only once every two weeks as adults. Isn’t that much easier to carry than a big bag of dog food? What’s that? You don’t want to touch rats? I hear you. But did I say you have to touch them? Come on my friend, this is 2022. You can buy yourself feeding tongs for about $5. As far as the cost to feed your lovely pet, we are talkin’ about $0.25 for a live mouse when your snake is a little fella. That’s $1 per month in food costs! It’s not much more as an adult, putting you in the $3 per month range.
How about the fact that Ball Pythons are relatively low maintenance? We’ve already established that food is low cost and little effort. What about cleaning up after them? Have you ever seen snake poop or pee? There is nothing easier when it comes to cleaning up after the little ones. I have 5 kids, trust me, I know. Snakes use the bathroom about as often as they eat (makes sense) and clean-up is as easy as using a set of tongs to grab the hardened ball of urate or feces and tossing it in the trash. Also, keep in mind; you don’t have to take them outside in the snow at 5 in the morning to keep them from defiling your carpet. You don’t even need to pay much attention to them, although they do a much better job of being comfortable around people if they are handled once a week or so. How convenient that cleaning and feeding occurs about once a week huh? Almost like it was planned you might say.
Speaking of Low maintenance, how about veterinary bills? They are virtually non-existent. Ball Pythons don’t require spaying or neutering. They don’t need vaccinations against anything and they don’t need their teeth fixed or blood work drawn. The only exception is on the rare occasion that your snake might become sick. In which case, you might need to buy some medicine for it but even those are relatively inexpensive.
Technically, Ball Pythons are known for being friendly. This brings me to the next point. Yes, technically a ball python can bite you. However, the bite of a ball python is harmless and doesn’t typically hurt. It’s more of just a startling event. This is not to say that Ball Python’s bite their owners. Quite the contrary, they are known for being quite docile and shy.
Let’s talk about age next. Ball Pythons can live upwards of 30 years. That’s an entire generation of pet! You could make your child happy with a snake purchase and it would become the gift that keeps on giving because your grandchildren can get in on the action of caring for the family pet as well! Not to mention how beautiful they are and the differences in variety. There are so many combinations of snake that can be created. It’s become a hobby of many. Yellow snakes, gold snakes, copper snakes and black snakes are a few of the varieties. Albino, Orange, Striped and many others.
Responsibility is another benefit to owning a snake. No, I don’t mean you need help with responsibility. Wait, do you? Let’s give you the benefit of doubt and go with “no”. So, what do I mean by responsibility? Well, what do we always tell our children when they ask for a pet? “Are you going to be responsible and take care of it?” What better way to start them off down the path of learning responsibility, than to give them the responsibility of caring for a snake? As we have determined, it doesn’t get much easier when it comes to caring for a pet, than to care for a snake. This gives them some responsibility without being overwhelmed with feeding daily, water daily, walks, baths, cleaning and veterinary visits.
There are many other advantages to having a pet snake, specifically, a ball python. You can visit places like morphmarket.com or more specifically, check out the snakes by EBC Reptiles. They are a new group but they care about their snakes and are very careful in maintaining the health and wellbeing of their snakes. You can rest assured you are getting a special addition to the family if you make the decision to buy a snake. Altogether, a snake is a great pet to have. Between the low maintenance, the low costs to maintain and the happiness it can bring. A Ball Python is a wonderful and safe pet. Ideal for single pet homes as well and.
In conclusion, the answer to the title is yes, get one. You won’t regret it. May I suggest a snake with Orange Dream in its genes or a piebald? Or even better, you could get one with the combination of both. It’s a very beautiful looking animal. Go ahead and get that pet snake and enjoy your new friend!
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