Loving My Animals

While dogs, cats, fish and birds appeal as pets to the majority of the population, there are select and unique few who love nothing more than the idea of owning a couple of snakes as their household buddies. If you fit into that category, then you may be wondering what your first step should be. How do you make that leap and first become a snake owner? Well, to begin with, you need a simple snake to look after to see if you take to them as pets as much as you think you will—and there is no better option out there than a ball python.

Long But Not Too Big

Most people who want a snake want something that is a little bit substantial, not just a glorified gecko with no legs. Smaller snakes are less enjoyable to own because they are less interactive and you can't really show them off or display them, because they can hide so easily in their vivarium. A ball python will be anywhere from three to five feet long, which is quite a decent size, but they do not become too heavy or impossible to move, so when you need to clean their vivarium out you can do so quite easily.

Not Aggressive

You do not want your first snake to be one that is dangerous as that brings with it a lot of risk, and if you make any mistakes as an owner (which you undoubtedly will) then that can be deadly. Ball pythons are more timid than other snakes, and are not venomous. When annoyed or scared they normally curl into a ball, hence the name, which is ideal for first-time owners. This does not mean they can't bite, but it is quite rare and the consequences of these bites are generally not very dangerous at all.

Simple Requirements

A ball python only needs a medium living space with a few natural elements and a simple water area to be more than comfortable. They also do not eat very much, although you will need to provide them with live mice and rats, but that is generally only a requirement every couple of weeks. (That said, always ask the person you bought the python from for their advice.) There are many ball pythons for sale all across the country as they make such excellent first pets and are simple to love and care for, so if owning a snake sounds interesting to you, this is where you should start.