When it comes to choosing a snake as a pet there are a lot of options to choose from. There are nearly 3,000 snake species in all with hundreds that are commonly sold as pets and there can be big differences in size, coloring, and cost from one species to another. And while the herpetological community may not always agree on things like whether snakes can feel affection or not, one thing that most can agree on is the snakes that are the best to keep as a pet. There are three species that routinely top these lists and are enjoyable by newbies and experts alike. No matter what you’re looking for in your future pet snake, you’re sure to find a winner with either a kingsnake, a corn snake, or a ball python.
Ball Pythons are low maintenance
Snakes in general are significantly lower maintenance in comparison to a dog or cat. So it’s saying something when a snake is considered to be low maintenance by reptilian standards. Ball pythons are healthy and independent snakes that are born well-adjusted to humans and don’t require regular handling, they have low food costs, and with an average size of 3-4 feet (males), they’re easy to accommodate in even the smallest of studio apartments.
They’re non-aggressive and get along great with humans
It’s natural to want to have physical interactions with your pet. Friendly ball pythons are great for the hands-on snake owner who wants to regularly hold or hang with their friend. Through decades of breeding paired with a naturally pleasant disposition, ball pythons are known for taking to handling quite well. They’re even docile enough to be handled by children, with supervision of course.
Easy (and cheap) to feed
When it comes time for food, ball pythons are not picky eaters. Adult ball pythons eat and defecate about once a week, and juveniles only need to be fed slightly more often. Since these snakes are on the smaller side, owners can save on feeding costs and get away with feeding their ball pythons smaller mice that average around $2-3 each. Don’t have the stomach to feed your snake live food? You don’t have to. Ball pythons can easily be trained to accept frozen/thawed rodents.
Buying a Ball Python is also easy
Ball pythons offer everything that a beginner or expert snake owner could ask for in a pet. In fact, it’s difficult to imagine a circumstance where a ball python would be a bad choice. These small and docile pythons are incredibly low maintenance, visually beautiful, and surprisingly social. It certainly doesn’t hurt that they’re pretty affordable as well.
You’d think that such a popular animal would be difficult to find. But thanks to a growing interest in the exotic pet industry, finding a ball python for sale is super easy. These wonderful snakes can be found in online or brick and mortar pet stores in a variety of colors and patterns to fit your price range. If you can’t decide on which morph you like best, talk to your local baby python breeder to learn about the specific color and pattern variations.
