# Ball Python or Corn Snake? 1st timer



## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

I've been researching getting a snake (i met my friend's the other day and it was awesome) and on my friends suggestion I looked up Corn snakes and Ball pythons. Both are apparently good for noobs but some of the care sheets don't seem to agree for balls. Do they need a basking lamp? what is the ideal viv size and which is the better snake for noobs, I think I want the ball python but is this a good idea?

cheers

p.s. the only experience i have with any reptiles is looking after my flatmate's leo while he's away


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

IMHO

A newbie can look after a ball python no problem although many will say they are unsuitable due to feeding issues.

If you are prepared for some feeding issues there is no problem with getting a ball python.

As longs as you have the right temperatures it doesn't really matter how you get them as long as you use gaurds on your heat sources where appropriate : victory:


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## SaZzY (Mar 4, 2009)

what bobby said. i started off with corns then got the python,both fairly easy to keep but my pythons feeding issues are heartbreaking sometimes


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

bobby said:


> If you are prepared for some feeding issues there is no problem with getting a ball python.


cheers :2thumb:

not really bothered about feeding issues, some of the care sheets said that they could fast for up to a year for no apparent reason and to just keep trying to feed them once a week and there should be no problem as long as they're not loosing weight. are there any other issues i should be aware of, and do balls actually need a basking lamp because some of the sites say they do and some don't, v. important because i have electricity conscious flatmates. they won't mind a heating mat running but they would object to a mat + lamp


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## My plague (Aug 15, 2009)

Biffy Pyro said:


> cheers :2thumb:
> 
> not really bothered about feeding issues, some of the care sheets said that they could fast for up to a year for no apparent reason and to just keep trying to feed them once a week and there should be no problem as long as they're not loosing weight. are there any other issues i should be aware of, and do balls actually need a basking lamp because some of the sites say they do and some don't, v. important because i have electricity conscious flatmates. they won't mind a heating mat running but they would object to a mat + lamp


Just a mat (with stat) is fine alone :2thumb:
My royal has stopped eating at the mo, bloody things:whip:


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## My plague (Aug 15, 2009)

And personally I'd go for a royal, they're much betterer than worms with a crayola fetish :lol2:
But I have 2 and love em :lol2:


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

If you go for a wooden vivarium as everyone will recommend, you wont need a bulb going but if you use an aquarium you will probably need another heat source (such as a bulb or ceramic heater).

Go for a wooden vivarium : victory:


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

My plague said:


> they're much betterer than worms with a crayola fetish


ROFL

as for the viv, i was going to go for a RUB at first and them build a wooden viv later


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

RUBS cool too, and I know im an insomniac


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

Allthough I have lots of lizard experienced I knew little about snakes but chose a royal as my first snake. I was unsure about the feeding issues but was assured that most CB animals should be fine. I fell in love with my royal straight away and have had no issues as yet with feeding allthough I've only had her 9 months and she's still young but I feel confident now to cope with any feeding issue in the future. I loved her so much I went and bought and albino royal recently lol. 

For rubs I have used a heat mat with no problems and for vivs a ceramic. As they are nocturnal by nature I prefer non light emitting heat sources.


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

Really helpful, cheers guys, I'm going to go and see the guy that my flatmate got his Leo off, see what he can do for me :2thumb: 

Really exited now!

I'll upload pics when I get my new royal!


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## TEENY (Jan 4, 2008)

I would say corn imo. Only because Pythons have a habit of being fussy feeders and that isn't ideal as a first snake


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## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

I started out with 2 Corns, 2 months later i bought my first Royal & i haven't looked back (by this time next week i'll have 4 Royals). The only one i really have trouble with feeding is my Spider female, sometimes she'll take & like last night she just didn't want to know :bash:. My little Super Pastel is the best feeder i have, he fed after only 2 days of having him & has eaten every feed since :2thumb:. So long as you research b4 you buy then i see no problems with getting a Royal or a Corn. Also perhaps buy from a Breeder, they will give you so much more "after sales" advice & help. Good luck & don't forget that pics are compulsory :2thumb:.


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## Sprocket (Apr 21, 2008)

Go for a corn, you should not be heart broken with the eating issues that the Pythons may have. Visit a shop or a friend that has both and check them out for your-self.

I love the corns, people call them worms :? etc, but they are the easiest snake to look after and a great entrant into the snake world.


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## eeji (Feb 22, 2006)

i'd go for a corn, much better than those fat lazy overgrown non eating slugs they call royals - and you can tell the difference between corn morphs, a lot of royal 'morphs' all look like normals! :whistling2:


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## TBreptiles (Dec 11, 2009)

*noobs*

noobs get a common boa.

tame easy,eat good,and look amazing.

but will get 9ft ish.

boa my first lol,then i got a corn,then ball.

boas best one by far.


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## Rain (Oct 9, 2007)

What is with everyone and the "royals dont feed" thing? If you have a royal thats not feeding then you are doing something wrong. We've nearly 200 royals and apart from 3 live feeders they all feed weekly on defrost rats no problem.
4-6ft, dont feel as fragile as a corn, not nearly as fast as a corn, placid and friendly animals. What's not to love 

Plus, this is just so darn cute!;


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## RedDragon619 (Jan 1, 2010)

i would say corn or royal. i got a 18month royal 1st then within a week of having her i wanted more, so i went a got 2 corns aswell (pics of all in my profile)

So its up 2 u. so if u want.........

Slow, chilled & don't relly do 2 much but "MIGHT" play up at feeding time = Royal
(I use a heat mat and a Redheat bulb in a wooden Viv and temps r all gd)

But if u want......

Fast, funny, normally Gd eaters = Corns
(heat mat and strip bulb In Wooden Viv. Dont realy need Strip light but i wanna see them so i do)

Gd luck and which ever u go 4, WE WANT PICS!!! lol :2thumb:


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## animalialover (Oct 6, 2009)

i would go for a corn i've had mine for like 1 and a half months there soooo easy to look after. I've heard lots of stories about bad eaters who are ball pythons. although corn snakes are said to be more docile corn snake hatchlings are very small and it can be quite scary holding a tiny snake because you get afriad of it running down cracks. Where as pythons are bigger and you hav more to hold. But i'd probably suggest getting to a corn:2thumb:


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

> i'd go for a corn, much better than those fat lazy overgrown non eating slugs they call royals


:gasp: Some of us love those fat lazy overgrown slugs :lol2: . To be honest the royal was my first choice rather than a corn for the very reason that they aren't as fast moving. I suffer from arthritis and can't really do with anything too fast lol.



> My little Super Pastel is the best feeder i have, he fed after only 2 days of having him & has eaten every feed since


Same with my first one and the little albino ate the next day after getting him lol. They both love their food so much I can't imagine them ever not feeding.


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## fjfenton (Jan 4, 2009)

Personally I prefer ball pythons (having kept both). The main reason I can think of that some people say they are not the best for noobs is that they can be finikity feeders....but as long as you don't let this stress you and the snake doesn't lose condition you should be fine.
Also I feel it is best to go for what you prefer.

BTW I keep my adult ball pythons in 3' vivs


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## mrchrissyb (Jan 25, 2010)

SaZzY said:


> what bobby said. i started off with corns then got the python,both fairly easy to keep but my pythons feeding issues are heartbreaking sometimes



and dont i know it!!! still having probems getting mine to eat.. and she seems very underweight grrrrrrrrr


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## Lottie Lou (Feb 2, 2008)

Ball python every time


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## Lottie Lou (Feb 2, 2008)

My plague said:


> And personally I'd go for a royal, they're much betterer than worms with a crayola fetish :lol2:
> But I have 2 and love em :lol2:



Haha *crayola fetish* made me laugh


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

i went to the guy today, the guy my mate got his leo off (which i often look after), and he's really good for after sales advice and he seems to know his stuff. i might be getting the housing ready on friday. I'm pretty much decided on a royal, now that I know they can have feeding problems i'll be okay, it might have stressed me if i didn't know b4 hand but i'll be fine now. for my first snake i think i'd prefer something a little more docile so that I can get used to handling a snake as i've never kept one.

excellent advice guys, when i get it sorted i'll upload pics of the snake and the setup so you guys can give me advice on it!

cheers guys :notworthy:

much love
"Biffy Pyro"


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

Me again lol

could someone tell me if this size RUB, IKEA | Boxes & baskets | Secondary storage boxes | SAMLA | Box , would be okay for a 2009 hatch royal? :notworthy:


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

sorry its the 39x28x14 one

:lol2:


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## Rain (Oct 9, 2007)

Biffy Pyro said:


> sorry its the 39x28x14 one
> 
> :lol2:


 Go for the 9L Really Useful Box, should do you nicely for a 09 hatchling


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## Brittanicus (May 8, 2009)

My plague said:


> And personally I'd go for a royal, they're much betterer than worms with a crayola fetish :lol2:
> But I have 2 and love em :lol2:





eeji said:


> i'd go for a corn, much better than those fat lazy overgrown non eating slugs they call royals - and you can tell the difference between corn morphs, a lot of royal 'morphs' all look like normals! :whistling2:


 :gasp::gasp::gasp:
So I take it the score is 1-1
:rotfl:


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## TJR (Jun 18, 2009)

Rain said:


> What is with everyone and the "royals dont feed" thing? If you have a royal thats not feeding then you are doing something wrong. We've nearly 200 royals and apart from 3 live feeders they all feed weekly on defrost rats no problem.
> 4-6ft, dont feel as fragile as a corn, not nearly as fast as a corn, placid and friendly animals. What's not to love
> 
> Plus, this is just so darn cute!;
> image


Finally! 
Someone has said what I was thinking.
Not all Royals are fussy feeders my Four never miss a feed 
And to Eeji
My Royals are not
fat lazy overgrown non eating slugs


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

i'm still a little torn, and i'm getting it tomorrow!:lol2:

which is a more engaging snake? i know corns are more energetic but how are both snakes on handling? corn snakes are a bit cheaper but thats a secondary issue, i like the look of both. i guess what i want to know is do both move around and entertain but will they shoot away if i'm not concentrating?:hmm::2wallbang:


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## Rain (Oct 9, 2007)

most snakes will leg it if you're not paying enough attention 
Corns tend to be more engaging, they're more likely to be out about about in the earlier evening, where as royals are happy to sit in their hides until you go to bed then come out to play. 
Royals tend to be easier to handle, less squirmy than a corn, but corns seem to enjoy the interesting aspect of climbing over their new human shaped tree.


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

I know royals have feeding issues, but is it true that they will stop eating if you handle them too much? and how much is too much?


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## darren81 (Aug 13, 2009)

A royal for me there are so many royal keepers on here you will get plenty of advice if u do get feeding issue's.

My first was a sinaloan milk snake but thats not a winge i had just had to get rid of my dog after biting my baby a few times and saw the milk snake and my wallet flew open lol.

By the way the dog was never put down my besst mate had him.


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## emma90 (Jan 28, 2010)

i like royals my male old male royal used to climb around everywhere in his viv all the time, and loved coming out and exploring, they will climb around you when you handle them but arent that fast to get away from you.


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

Well my royals are fine about being handled. I don't handle them uneccesarily though but do get them out occasionally so they are used to being handled and get a bit of 'out' time. They are happy to explore and won't just stay curled up in a ball. When they are hungry they are pretty attentive :lol2: .


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## Mik3F (Feb 6, 2010)

When I first started to keep snakes I started with a corn snake and soon had kept Royals, Boas and Burmese Pythons. Each species was as engaging as the next in my opinion but for different reasons.

Now I have just got back into keeping snakes and went straight for a Royal as I personally LOVE these snakes.

The best thing to do is to look at both types of snake that you are considering in location and then decide yourself which one is best suited for YOU


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

I eventually got a corn, he's an amel and is called loki, i'll upload a few photos when i can find my cable :lol2: , the guy only had corns in, he feeds weekly everytime, no trace of shed and hes friendly to handle. 

I HAVE A SNAKE!!!! YAY!


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

oh and he's a may 09 hatchling


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## badgerboy (Feb 21, 2009)

We got our first corn a few weeks back. He (we think) is a well behaved 3 1/2 - 4ft long 2yr old, and is very well behaved.
This morning though he rattled and struck at the girlfriend... Probably getting ready to shed? 
I think we'll get him out this evening, show him who's boss!
No retreat, no surrender... We, the owners, will overcome!

Steve.


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## SHarte (Aug 27, 2009)

I can back you up on this one loki is awesome and I am just waiting for you to leave the flat so I can look after Him (possibly her)


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## 39761 (Sep 3, 2009)

royal's all day long very nice snake to have :2thumb:


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## herper147 (Feb 7, 2009)

dont go with a corn them things are hard to handle when young they try to jump out you hands and are very quick go with a royal because they are chunkier and slower trust me i have had both


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## jonno7271 (Jan 21, 2010)

*good luck with your corn matey, ive got 3 of them, 2 adults and an 09 grown on, they are lovely placid snakes, yeah they are a bit fast when young but soon slow down as they grow, just keep your eye on them when out and you should be fine, cant wait to see your pics, john.*


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## Symonster (Jul 20, 2009)

Good Luck :2thumb:


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

haha lol sam you can get him out just be careful lol

heres the pics, sorry they're late


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:2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

Very nice : victory:

Cant go wrong with a corn, they are so cool at that size!


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

yeah man hes frickin awesome


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

fed him for the 1st time yesterday, strike feed absolutely no bother, i was so relieved, i thought that he might refuse because of the stress of moving but nope, no problem at all


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

I used to get mine to curl up in my hand, he would sit like that for ages


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

bobby said:


> I used to get mine to curl up in my hand, he would sit like that for ages



Loki is a tad more hyperactive than that lol


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

Biffy Pyro said:


> fed him for the 1st time yesterday, strike feed absolutely no bother, i was so relieved, i thought that he might refuse because of the stress of moving but nope, no problem at all


Good stuff :no1:

Im sure you know but just leave him for a couple of days to digest : victory:
He all wrapped up in the hot end? lol


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

Biffy Pyro said:


> Loki is a tad more hyperactive than that lol


lol, mine was for the first 10 min then went all lazy, still does that actually : victory:


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

bobby said:


> Good stuff :no1:
> 
> Im sure you know but just leave him for a couple of days to digest : victory:
> He all wrapped up in the hot end? lol


yeah i know : victory:

actually he prefers his cool end hide, no idea why, the temps are fine (30-32*C hot end)


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

lol don't worry about it, mine still tries to eat mice bum first?

And sorry if I sounded patronising : victory:


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

bobby said:


> lol don't worry about it, mine still tries to eat mice bum first?
> 
> And sorry if I sounded patronising : victory:


:lol2: haha don't worry i'm a complete noob, i actually appreciate comments like that, if someone says something and i already know it, I know i'm doing something right

cheers
Si


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

lol

cool : victory:

So have you started trying to calculate how many full sized vivs your room could hold?


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

not yet, but now you say it.....

if I got new sockets put in my room could maybe hold 3? at a push

however i have a flatmate whom it is looking likely will move out in april....room stolen! :lol2:


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

You can hold more than 3, your not trying hard enough 

lol

Ive only got a Tarantula and a corn for now, but hopefully a coastal carpet on the way :mf_dribble:

Could be a 6ft viv tho  :lol2:


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

6ft!!? ouch and i couldn't keep a tarantula, i'm a massive arachnophobic lol i'm okay until they move :blush:, the only thing in the world that i'm actually scared of lol (so far). I've been researching feeding common house spiders to my flatmates leo, apparently you can as long as they're gut loaded.

I'd like a royal, a horned lizard, a polynesian tree rat and possibly a hoggie (maybe a moniter too lol)


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

Hoggie is on my wish list too, so is a royal!


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

bobby said:


> Hoggie is on my wish list too, so is a royal!


I was torn between a corn and a royal for my first one, i went for the corn for convenience (the rep shop i go to didn't have any royals in) but i still want one lol


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## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

Biffy Pyro said:


> I was torn between a corn and a royal for my first one


I know I was your first reply 
:lol2:


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## Biffy Pyro (Feb 8, 2010)

so you were lmao, well i eventually got the corn, if the guy had royals i would probably still be in the shop deciding, or i'd have both lol


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