How Much Is A Ball Python?

How much is a ball python? This friendly snake species may cost anywhere from $50 to $3,000, depending on the type, quality, age, and breeder. Wild – caught Ball Pythons are cheaper than those bred in captivity, but it is not recommended that you get one from the wild as you will encounter more issues such as difficulty for the snake to settle in their new home and a host of potential health risks. In line with the question, how much is a ball python there are other species like Albino Ball Pythons are also more expensive than the regular ones, and those with rarer morphs even more so. In this article, you’ll learn more about how much is a ball python and whether or not you should keep more of these as pets!

How Much is a Ball Python?: Purchase Price and Estimated Costs

How much is a ball python? Well, the money you would have to spend would not be limited to just the purchase price. You have to consider shipping costs and procurement of necessary permits, especially if you are ordering one from an international market.

Shipping fees start at about $30 and will increase depending on the area of origin and delivery place. Also, you must be in possession of a proper enclosure before actually acquiring the snake – it is not recommended that you have the snake before having a proper place to keep it.

Alternatively, you may also consider adopting a rescued Ball Python. Usually, this type of Ball Pythons came from owners who perhaps lost interest in taking care of their pet or had some issues that made them not any more suitable to care for their pet.

Getting a rescued how much is a ball python will cost you less, though you would still have to check with a veterinarian to ascertain that the snake is in robust condition, or maybe even to coax them back to health if needed. Ball Pythons can adapt quickly to new owners so long as their environment and required living conditions – such as appropriate enclosure, temperature, and substrate – are properly maintained.

Aside from the purchase price, how much is a ball python also entails the greatest expense you will incur for your Ball Python and that is a well – provisioned enclosure. This includes heating, lighting, substrate, and proper furnishings. Other costs include veterinary checkups and electricity costs for heating and humidity.

Moreover, if your Ball Python cost you a large sum for purchase alone, say around $1,000, it is a good idea to have it insured. It is also wise to always have spare cash handy in case emergencies involving your snake that you might not have thought of beforehand happen. You should also take into account the costs of a permit or license, the fees of which are subject to change depending on your state or township laws and regulations.

Of course, you should not forget about food and how much feeding your snake will cost. Though not needing constant feeding especially when they are adults, Ball Pythons are known to be picky eaters, especially during winter months. How much is a ball python typically eat mice, but it is recommended that you convert them to eating rats as soon as possible. An adult Ball Python should be fed frozen-thawed food, since older rodents have developed teeth that can damage the snake upon ingestion. 

How Many Should You Keep?

Ball Pythons, being one of the most well-mannered python types, are an ideal choice for first – time snake keepers. As a docile snake species, they adapt rather well with regular human contact. Their non-aggressive nature makes them suitable company for children as well. Since they are also the smallest of the African pythons, sometimes only exceeding four feet in length, they wouldn’t be needing as much space as their bigger brethren. They are also generally shy creatures and would probably just spend their time hiding in a corner, especially when they are still not used to their owner’s presence.

Just like when considering other pets, the decision of whether you can keep more than one Ball Python or not depends on your overall capacity to commit to all of them. Additionally, because of the good temperament Ball Pythons usually have, they are capable of peacefully sharing a burrow with others of its kind, should you actually end up getting more than one.

Of course, you must also keep in mind that keeping more than one Ball Python means an increase in responsibility, how much is a ball python, timewise, and even mentally. Efforts of cleanup and cage maintenance will be doubled, or tripled, if you’re feeling quite up for it.

Before committing to such a huge undertaking, you should objectively assess your capacity to provide what your pets will require without fail. You will have to be completely ready and prepared; taking care of one Ball Python is already a lot, and more than that is quite daunting indeed. Be sure to make an informed and responsible decision on how many Ball Pythons you can responsibly and dutifully care for and keep.

The Ball Python is a carnivorous natural predator, and when in the wild, they kill their prey by constricting it. Adult Ball Pythons are known to feed on adult mice, rats, or young chickens. Despite this, Ball Pythons are generally shy creatures, especially the ones bred in captivity, and they pose no real threat to your dog, cat, or child. If they feel threatened at all, they do not show aggression but rather draw back to their defense mechanism, which is curling into the tight ball for which they are named.

To be honest, perhaps it is the other animals that you should be wary of – sharp claws might hurt your Ball Python and not the other way around. Furthermore, since Ball Pythons do not make a lot of noises, you will also have to watch out that they haven’t found themselves in places they shouldn’t be when you let them out of their enclosure. They have a propensity for tight spaces, after all, and you wouldn’t want to have a missing Ball Python only to later find it curled up in a hidden corner. 

As stated before, Ball Pythons are docile and gentle, and they are the recommended snake to have if you have a child, though, of course, some supervision is still required just in case. Their willingness to be handled makes them the perfect pets, regardless of whether or not you already have other, furrier ones in your household how much is a ball python cost.