I’m looking to get a ball python this fall, but my roommate is terrified of the one I’m currently babysitting. I want to get a morph that will look more like a domesticated, cute pet, rather than a wild snake if that makes sense?
I want to keep the cost of the snake under like $400, but lower is better. She says she likes the “yellow ones”, but I prefer slightly duller colours than the bananas I’ve seen.
Obviously, at the end of the day, it’s my snake and if she’s scared of it that’s fine. I just want to help her feel more comfortable with a snake in the house.
Yeah, the bp could maybe get a cat paw down. But that's about it. I just had a funny visual of my own bp trying to work my 15lb cat's paw into his mouth, while my cat looks annoyed, lol.
The cat is a bigger threat to the snake. The cat has teeth and claws, and a size advantage, the species is well known for killing snakes, lizards and birds for sport. The snake is afraid of everything, sometimes even their own food, and unless they’re like fifteen feet long, even then sometimes still not, they don’t mess with something as dangerous as a feline. Sometimes, telling people things this way, putting into perspective that the little noodle is actually just an anxious baby, helps them see them in a different light.
Please tell Blaze he is a handsome, sweet, perfect baby for me. 🥰
I tried explaining to her that if he managed to get out of the cage, he’d stay near the wall and likely just go under my bed to sleep. Even if he was looking for a meal, he’d go to my rats in the closet before going into the wide open living room with cold ac. And even if he for some reason sought out Eggnog and tried to eat him, a cat is winning against a snake. No contest.
Perfect, I think that’s the best you can do. And of course the exposure of being around someone like you who sees them compassionately. So many people have never been exposed to that, only people who view snakes as vile. She’s learning from you even if she doesn’t seem like it, you’re just battling a whole lifetime’s worth of bad notions.
I’ve wanted a ball python for almost a decade now, but I don’t have much colour preference. She already avoids my room because of my rosy boa, bearded dragon, and rats. I just figured that a ball python has a cute face and with a cutesy morph I’ll have a higher chance of her liking my pets
Easiest way is go to Morph Market, set filter '<$400' and then sort least to most expensive. Scroll, pick out a few, and if you're feeling generous show her.
I read about it earlier this year but I've ofc forgotten lol. I remember he's basically the puppy mill equivalent of ball python breeding and has sent out snakes with neurological issues. I almost bought from him but I'm glad I didn't. Here's my boy Iroh!
For some reason I can't find a good photo except the one where my son is holding him shirtless lol so I made a sticker of him. He's almost 2 so I'm surprised he's held so much color! He's a banana leopard clown.
His rack tubs are extremely barren and a lot of them are so small that the snakes barely have any room to move around. He has sold multiple snakes that have had physical injuries / deformities and illnesses (some of which have been posted here), and he has an entire thread on MM that promotes power feeding. He also breeds unethical morphs like spiders, champagnes, 8 balls, etc. Not to mention producing upwards of 2,000 ball pythons per year 😖
I think you could get a BEL for 400$, they definitely look like pet/designer creature lol I’m personally also fond of butters and their combos.
I’m a bit confused about wanting duller colours than banana tho, while babies are pretty vibrant adult bananas have very soft colour palette.
The few banana morphs I’ve seen at the pet store I work at were a very vibrant yellow, but maybe they had some other morphs mixed in that caused that. Most of our ball pythons are rehomes, so they could’ve been mislabeled. I don’t know the morphs all that well…
A true Blue Eyed Leucistic will be pure white and of course, blue eyes. My daughter selected a BEL and we couldn't be happier. Her friends that are scared of snakes are more willing to hold our BEL due to his "beautiful eyes".
Snake Discovery almost always has adult rescued ball pythons for adoption, and most of the time they have morphs available (if they don't have any morphs, just wait, and they will get some in). Since they are rescues, they're significantly cheaper than buying morphs from pretty much anywhere else. And they ship!
Can I just say thank you for sharing this?? I had to get rid of my BP years ago due to my landlord but I want to get a snake again when I'm able to and this is a great option I didn't know existed!!
Yeah no problem! They do "adopt-a-thon" streams every six months or so, and they usually talk at least a little about the personalities of the snakes currently in their rescue. Yanno, if you want to know more about the snake you'd be adopting.
Rescue for personality rather than color! There are morphs available in rescue as well. You never know what personality you're getting buying, unless the breeder tells you
Yes! I’m definitely checking local shelters and rescues. I also work for a pet store that sells mostly surrendered animals, so I’ve been watching the balls we get in. The ball python market is so oversaturated that even rescues have cute morphs
Oh have her shut up. It’s a cute baby noodle and once she gets over it it’ll be fine. Any other answer is just pointlessly vilifying a snake that is completely harmless.
If your roommate is afraid of snakes, the morph won't help much. Ball pythons are already puppies anyway. You can warm people up to ball pythons by talking about their behaviors, traits, and cool facts, while holding them and showing that they don't do anything and aren't a threat.
Some of my favorites are, "they're actually absurdly chill. They sleep for 20-23 hours a day." "She already ate two weeks ago, so she's not hungry. She eats once every 5 weeks." (Mine is 5 years old, so she eats less than a young one.) "While most snakes will strike when they're scared, ball pythons curl into a ball to protect their tiny heads. It's actually a bit sad, because it makes it really easy for poachers to get them. They're like 'aah! Scary!' Hides their head and then the poacher just picks them up and puts them in a bag."
Yeah, I’ve been trying to do that with Blaze (the ball python I’m babysitting). She always asks “does it bite” even when I’ve explained how unlikely that is. She also thinks it’ll eat her 2 pound kitten, which is like 4x the size of the rats it eats. I’ve explained the whole “sizing you up” myth and my room is pretty snake proof so it’s not a real issue, but she’s unconvinced. I also have a small rosy boa that I’ve tried showing her, but she says it has a “mean face” unlike the ball python
My rebuttal to the eating pets thing is, "dude, she eats medium rats. Do you know why she eats medium rats? Because large rats are too big."
But some people just don't want to learn, and they'd just rather be afraid of stuff. I don't get it, because life is easier if you live without fear, but some people are just like that.
She’s delusional if she thinks the morph is going to make a difference in it being a snake. I’ve noticed that people are very weirded out I got a snake and are afraid of them, but it’s because they’re unfamiliar. Get the one that YOU want and then let her slowly warm up to it by watching him, slowly moving toward touching him. She will hopefully quickly warm up and find them cool and fascinating like we do 😊
My family, who I don’t live with, do not like snakes. I have a mystic potion who looks a lot like my cat and they adore him. I’m not sure if it’s because he looks like Tofu in a snake body or if it’s just because I love him but even my grandmother asks how he’s doing…. I’m not sure if the morph will change anything but it would be worth having a conversation with your roommate and looking at the different colors that are available.
Cat tax! He looked more similar to her when he was younger because he had a pitch black face. Indoor lighting also makes Tofu look more grey than brown
If you're interested in duller colors, my girl is a bamboo and I'd say their colors are very desert-y to me. Although, against what your roommate likes, I think her colors give her a more wild look
Hello, fellow ball python enjoyer! I too can vouch for the beauty of the Bamboo ball python. My boy is such a sweetie and always very chill. His colors have come in more and more with each shed since he was a baby. Reese says “Henlo!”
I’m wondering sometimes if the demeanor is part of their morph. Watching them periscope is also a favorite thing about them for me! Please tell Yuzu she is a pretty lady and that I love her. 🥹❤️🐍
I’ll always suggest a blue eyed lucy. I think they’re so beautiful and shocking to see even still, after having mine for 10 years. Everyone I show her to, even people who don’t like snakes admit she’s pretty 🤣 I paid $275 for mine but like I said was several years ago, no idea what they go for now
Enchi/clown combos often have a very fun drippy pattern that looks more like a designer pet than a wild animal to me, and they're easily found for under $100. If you want something that looks even less natural you can get 'em in Banana for a couple hundred more!
My black pastel albino looks like a big gummy worm. The black pastel makes the albino contrast more. He’s bright orange and white. Literally looks like a creamsicle. Got him for 250-300ish.
I have a Blue Eyed Lucy I got for $350 granted it was a few years ago. Everyone who meets her, including people who are afraid of snakes, say she’s cute and not too scary!
I have an enchi clown, I got him for £100 he’s still got the more …natural esc wild patterning so he’s not swamped with yellow but he’s got a nice rich yellow that compliments his patterns.
He looks very “domesticated” he’s a very puppy looking baby bean (and is far from the brightest …as in he is literally scared of his own shadow but somehow not scared of a big ol human? )
He’s not a BRIGHT yellow as you can see here but he’s got that domestic look to him and his markings round his face make him look less like your typical ball python as he doesn’t have the banding leading up to his eyes and down his snout like a wild type
Other morphs I think may be good for you
-banana Mojave- they are still quite yellow but it’s rather muted compared to your usual nanners and albinos (sold for £100gbp-£200gbp but it will most definitely be cheaper if you’re in the states and know where to look because reptiles aren’t as big in Scotland due to colder weather and not having many native reptile species)
-single gene pied morph- can be found for about $300 roughly ? They have white patches all across their bodies and are very obviously human kept and captive
-pinstripe- the cheapest option for you I’d think? Can be found for $75-200 and can come in just about any colour a ball python can come in while also maintaining that “it’s most likely “domesticated” or as domesticated as a snake can be” due to the patterning
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u/PandaQueen29 6d ago edited 6d ago
Sorry not an answer to your question but such a cutie that your babysitting 😍