r/ballpython • • May 10 '26

I shouldn't have to make this announcement, but stop taking (and losing) your ball pythons in the car

1.1k Upvotes

After seeing a new "Help, I lost my ball python in the car" post pretty much every day for the past month when I log on, I think it's time for a little reminder

STOP TAKING YOUR BALL PYTHONS IN THE CAR UNNECESSARILY.

They don't want to go get coffee. They don't want to go get pizza. Or go to work with you. Or drop the kids off at school. Or go look at the other ball pythons at petsmart. These are not enjoyable or beneficial experiences for them, and each and every time you do this, you're causing an unnecessary risk.

Cars are full of dark, hard to reach and cozy crevices for them to slip into, places they would much rather be hiding in then sitting on your lap or in a bin. It only takes seconds for them to slip out of sight and out of reach, and being able to find them is not a given. Certainly nobody plans on losing their snake in the car, but the amount of times it somehow keeps happening should demonstrate why it's a terrible idea.

Part of being a good pet owner is being aware of the species you have and their habits and preferences so as not to put them in risky situations for your own enjoyment. A dog may enjoy going for a quick ride, not so much for a ball python who would rather be in their warm and cozy hide.

In the event you need to take your snake somewhere (such as moving or the vet), put it in a tied pillowcase in a locking bin (two layers of containment).


r/ballpython • • 1d ago

show us your BPs!

11 Upvotes

Have a cute photo you want to show off? Post it below! We'd love to see everyone's royal friends!

Please remember to keep the thread on topic and only post your ball pythons. Photos of other species/animals will be removed. We also ask that you refrain from spamming the thread - a couple of photos is fine, a couple dozen is not.


r/ballpython • • 7h ago

Chili : Mojave Cinnamon Cypress male - 3 1/2 yrs

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98 Upvotes

Introducing the BP community to my handsome Chili. Chili is almost four years old, alert and active male. When I got him as a wee lad the breeder told me he is a Mojave Cinnamon Cypress morph although over time I have wondered if that is correct. He sleeps during the day and can be quite active in the night. While he will take any type of rodent to snack on, his own preferences actually is more so towards quail chicks and chicks in general. To compensate for the disproportion in fat / protein intake he gets two rather than one chick. He has an infra red heating lamp at one end of his enclosure and that is it. He has never had an uvb light. He likes to play “jazz hands” where he weaves himself in and out of my hands. He doesn’t attempt to escape, it’s more like he wanted a good twisty stretch.


r/ballpython • • 2h ago

Literally has a smiley face!! 😭

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30 Upvotes

Please meet Mr.Smiley! My first ever BP! I’m very excited he is sooo beautiful and has the cutest ever little smiley face print on his body! Picked him up at Scales Expo in West Palm Beach this Saturday 🥳

He is a candy pied!


r/ballpython • • 38m ago

Discussion Background work in progress

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• Upvotes

Background connects to two water fountains without being permanently connected. This first half is about finished! I still need to carve seal and paint the other half.

This is my second ever background! It’s not perfect but I’m pretty happy with results so far :)


r/ballpython • • 19m ago

Cheesecake is my literal baby

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• Upvotes

r/ballpython • • 1h ago

Say hello to my new Friend Zeus!

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• Upvotes

r/ballpython • • 7h ago

First time Bp owner wanted to introduce my baby

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28 Upvotes

Meet Perseus!

(Was setting up his temp enclosure so ignore the gloves)


r/ballpython • • 18h ago

Discussion Seems too good to be true?

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150 Upvotes

My wife saw this post on Facebook and I wanna pull the trigger. I’m not too familiar with all these but can anyone tell me like I’m 5 years old, if this is work it?


r/ballpython • • 4h ago

Peekaboo 😛

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7 Upvotes

r/ballpython • • 19h ago

HELP - URGENT I need help

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97 Upvotes

I feel so horrible for this, I believe this was my fault. She was stuck in a cramped spot and I must have tried to pull her and the tight space caught her skin. Please tell me what I can do. I don’t have the funds to take to a vet right now, so I’m just trying to figure out the best I personally can do for her. I just feel horrible this looks painful..


r/ballpython • • 1h ago

Question 6 month old juvenile in shedding process, cleared up about 3 days ago, still hasn’t shed, is this normal?

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• Upvotes

My 6 month old ball python began his second shedding with me last Friday. I noticed that he was beginning to dull before his feeding, the day after that I left for a trip and then when I came back 4-5ish days later, he was deep in blue. This was Tuesday. I noticed he cleared up this previous Friday, and I went on another trip that same day, expecting to come home to a shed, and there has been nothing.
It’s been a little over a week since he started shedding and 3 days since he cleared up, with no shed. MIs this normal? Is there a reason to be concerned?

His substrate is kinda wet right now and due for a refresh, so I hope he can find it in him to shed very soon 🙏


r/ballpython • • 15h ago

Question - Feeding Switching from mice to rats

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43 Upvotes

Hello! I am going to be trying to switch Mr Buldak to rats his next feeding, I’ve tried them once before with no luck. I tried heating up a mouse with a hair dryer to make it smell like mouse in his tank then offered the rat instead and he didn’t take it even when it was at the right temp. Tried 3 times decided that he wasn’t gonna take it after the third try and just fed him the mouse instead. Any ideas on how to help him transition to rats? How’d you get your ball to make the switch?


r/ballpython • • 6m ago

Update on Gnocchi!

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• Upvotes

Hey, Y'all! I've posted my baby, Gnocchi, on here a couple times for help during my first year of having her. I wanted to give y'all an update. First of all, she's 2 years old now! She has grown a lot! We finally figured out the issue with her eating. Secondly, turns out, she's just exceedingly picky. She has to be isolated from everyone else in the house. She has to be fed within 30 minutes of her lights going out. She has to have humidity an hour before her lights go out. Her food has to be extremely hot. She will refuse food if anyone else tries to feed her. I'm the only one who can feed her. We found all this out because she went on multiple hunger strikes during the first year. She's now proper weight & on small rats. She hasn't skipped a meal since we've figured all this out. She also has a yearly brumation during the winter that tends to start mid November & end early January. As always, here's pics of her. The first photo is her when I first got her & the second one is a photo I took last week.


r/ballpython • • 22h ago

Please tell me it’s only his dignity that was hurt 😭

115 Upvotes

The camera has been there for months and he bleleleleles at it every night. However, tonight he managed to get around it somehow and then - flump! I hope he is okay? (He seemed to head off in the direction of his ball/frame that he has specifically for climbing on and has only used once in the 5 months he’s had it 🙃)


r/ballpython • • 2h ago

Question - Husbandry This a good set up for my boy?

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3 Upvotes

Hi guys, this is my tank for my boy (Percy), he’s about 7 or 8, he’s been with us for about a year, we got him from the RSPCA reptile centre . I’m happy with his viv but I was just wondering if it’s missing anything or if there was anything that it needs to make it perfect, it’s got: 3 hides, a climbing vine, a humidity water bowl, a drinking bowl, a snake plant.


r/ballpython • • 7h ago

Question - Feeding Help: Juvenile ball python not eating?

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5 Upvotes

So, I’ve owned reptiles before but never a snake (all of my other reptiles are insectivores). This little cutie belongs to my daughter, and she’s named him Nagini after her love for HP.

We brought him home on Sat. Sept. 19 and left him alone for a week to acclimate. He weighed 148g and was estimated to be 6-8 months old. When we fed him a thawed adult mouse on Sept. 26 (1 week later), he “sniffed” at the mouse but did not want it. (To be fair, the mouse’s guts had ripped open and I wouldn’t want that sh*t either LOL.) The following Saturday, Oct. 3rd, he ate with no problem. We handled him for the first time the following Wednesday for just a few minutes to minimize stress. Then when we tried to feed him the next Saturday, he had an unsuccessful feed. He struck and coiled around it, but proceeded to wave it around his tank, ultimately dropping it right in his pool 🤦‍♀️ so we’ve left him alone all week, only bothering him to check husbandry and refill his pool, and he had another unsuccessful feed yesterday. This time he struck and coiled but then dropped it and just sat there staring and flicking his tongue at it. That means he hasn’t eaten since Oct 3rd.

Maybe I’m doing this wrong?? Idk. I’m thawing the mouse in a ziploc bag in the fridge over night, then releasing the air in the bag and putting the bag into 96-100 degree water for 20-30 minutes, dipping the nose in hot water and then offering. I read not to put the mouse directly into the water so it doesn’t get water logged.

I’m worried about him. It always makes me anxious when my reptile babies don’t eat, but this feels different. And my daughter is getting frustrated because she wants to hold him but I’m nervous to let her hold him if he’s already stressed.


r/ballpython • • 9h ago

My first enclosure!!

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9 Upvotes

This is for a year old male! I’m definitely going to add more clutter and enrichment, this is just the beginning:) The ropes are secured inside of the hooks.

The breeder has recommended a heat mat and that’s what he has right now but I did a lot of research and I want to upgrade to a lamp, can you give me some advice on how can I improve his enclosure further, please?

ETA: The dimensions are 100x50x50cm - if he outgrows the enclosure, I will definitely upsize in the future

Also there is a thermostat outside of the view!


r/ballpython • • 16h ago

Question 6 year old BP the size of a yearling?

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25 Upvotes

I took in a ball python from my gfs dad (he has many sorts of snakes) and he had to get rid of some, and i took in his ball python. The ball python is said to be a female, and about 6 years old.

To be clear this is my first time ever owning a ball python, and really ever being around one, so i have no clue on what sort of sizes are normal or not.

Ive eyeballed her, and i would say shes about 2 and a half feet long.


r/ballpython • • 22h ago

Little bit of a cuddle time.

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64 Upvotes

r/ballpython • • 4h ago

New ball hasn’t popped yet is this normal ?

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2 Upvotes

I got her September 3rd she has eaten 4 times since. Once weekly first was a pinky mouse since I heard the first should be small. Then a small mouse then the last two were rat pups. The fourth meal was last night


r/ballpython • • 11h ago

Question - Feeding I just got a ball python, I’ve had him for a week and I’m tying to feed him he won’t eat!

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8 Upvotes

I just got this guy on Sunday and it has come time to feed him but he won’t eat. I got the mice the pet store had been feeding it. I thawed it out and was holding it in front of it and it would come up smell it and go away from the mouse. Idk what to do bc he hasn’t eaten since last Thursday and idk what to do. Should I be concerned or should I be worried. This is my first snake that I’ve had and I’m pretty so I’ll take any advice you guys have!!


r/ballpython • • 44m ago

Question - Feeding Other feeding methods?

• Upvotes

I have a yearling ball python and he’s eating on and off. I’ve had him for 1.5 month. He hasn’t eaten in 2 weeks. He‘s eating pretty big mice (frozen/thawed) right now, I’ve been considering switching him to small rats. I drop feed him as that seems to be the only way he’s interested in eating.

Is there any other feeding methods I should try? Is it a bad idea to try rats?


r/ballpython • • 14h ago

My new boy loves to climb

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9 Upvotes

Added the Hanging branches specifically because he loved climbing in his temporary setup and this seems to be his new favourite spot to sitting as well as hanging from both branches.