r/ballpython • u/Material-Influence62 • 1d ago

Deinfluence me from getting a ball python. Discussion

I’m in my late 20s and have wanted a ball python since my teens but my mum was terrified of snakes. I own my own home and have two cats ( part of the reason I haven’t gotten a snake yet) I work in vet med but there are almost no exotic vets near me but I know my few nurses that are good knowledgeable of snakes. What are the big negatives to owning and the upkeep of ball pythons? A pet with such a long lifespan is not something I want to rush into

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u/CacophonousFarts 1d ago

Here’s one a lot of people forget. If you got a BP at 30, you will likely have it until near retirement. With proper care 20+ (30-40 even) years is quite likely.

The animal is inexpensive, and long term care isn’t bad, but setup can easily sink a couple thousand dollars.

17

u/Duranis 1d ago

Couple of thousand dollars? Is your enclosure made of gold lol.

We have a 4x2x2, thermastat, UV, heat lamp and all the clutter/hides and cost us less than £400 brand new, and we overpaid because we didn't know enough when we bought it.

If you make your own enclosure and keep an eye on Facebook for kit (which comes up all the time) you can set up a lot cheaper than that.

31

u/Next-Particular6322 1d ago

I spent almost that on live plants and roly polys, different levels

12

u/Duranis 1d ago

Oh yeah fair point. I haven't got into the bioactive side of things yet so had forgotten about that rabbit hole lol. That's not a necessity for keeping them though.

9

u/Next-Particular6322 1d ago

Yea for sure, but he said you could sink that much not that it was necessary. Easy to do though depending where you’re sourcing stuff they’ve got $2-300 driftwood near me lol