Royal Pythons a.k.a Ball Pythons

The Photo is from http://www.ra-reptiles.com/baby-ball-pythons/

Snakes are extraordinary creatures. They are quite different than just about anything else out there. No legs, Shiny scaly bodies, long flickering tongues, and some of the most beautiful colors out there. While there are many that make great pets, some aren’t for everyone. One particular snake species that I find suits most snake lovers is the Ball Python or also named the Royal Python.

Royal Pythons are native to Africa and do quite well in captivity.  A 50-gallon aquarium will do just fine for the entire length of its life. One great aspect about Ball Pythons is that they are hearty snakes. These snakes aren’t as unforgiving to temperature changes as some of the other pythons and reptiles are.

The temperament of Royal Pythons is quite docile. I have kept them for over 10 years and have never been bitten.  I would trust most of them in the hands of children. I think it mostly has to do with its defense mechanism. Once threatened, they will ball into a ball and hide their heads. Hence, the name "Ball" Pythons.  So even naturally they rarely attack. With that being said, another good point is these particular pythons don’t get as big as most of the others in the pet trade. Most Royal Pythons max out in length at around 4-5 feet.

Feeding them isn’t that expensive either. At most you will feed your full grown Ball Python one medium sized rat a week.  I am quite fond of them in that they are vary friendly and inexpensive to maintain. They’re great for beginner herp lovers.

However, its always good practice to make sure your pythons is eating no matter what type. Ball Pythons are particularly finicky eaters. Some will just stop eating all together and several babies will choose to not eat at all. So as a good herper I will tell you to make sure that cute Ball eats before taking him home.

I have had many Ball or Royal Pythons throughout most of my life. One particular Ball that stands out in my mind was my first. His name was Samson. My Uncle Jay bought him for me in a small pet shop inside a mall in North Carolina. Looking back, I can even remember the ride to the pet shop with my uncle. Filled with excitement and intrigue, I felt as if I had just won the lottery. The coolest part was he bought him one too. Which my uncle named Goliath. Inevitably, I got Goliath as well.  I can remember thinking about how Samson was my first "big" snake. I was like 13 and up until then all I had ever taken care of were Garter Snakes.One thing I was fascinated by was the fact that when Samson was either on the bed or floor, if there was an object in his way, he would simply raise up his head and look over it. It sort of gave him a personality. Samson, Goliath and I had many wonderful years together. I had Samson for almost 10 years before he passed. A picture of Samson and I still hangs on my wall today. 

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Responsibilities of an Exotic Pet Owner

Exotic pets are intriguing, beautiful, and just different than a dog or cat. With that difference comes a huge amount of responsibility. Most of these animals have needs that are unique to them. With their “coolness” comes lots of work on the owners’ part. Although some exotics require more effort than others, I’ve found that the more you put into taking care of them the more you get in return. Whether it is a longer life or a happier animal.

Being a responsible exotic animal owner not only requires someone to care for that particular animal, it also demands for a person to be aware of the potential dangers that animal may pose to others. Keeping the animal in a secure environment is essential. Not only should the main goal be to keep an animal from doing harm to others, there are other issues that could arise if an animal were to escape and get into the nearby woods. This might prove to be devastating to the environment. This can be seen in several examples like the Monk Parakeets thriving in New York City (http://www.brooklynparrots.com/) or the python problem that persists in the Florida Everglades (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/06/0603_040603_invasivespecies.html). There are several other cases where this has occurred. So with that being mentioned. An issue that comes from this is the uneducated pet owner.

Most who buy a pet do it on impulse. Many don’t go home and do the homework before taking an animal home.  A good example is those who purchase the baby pythons that eventually get much larger than they expected. Most think that the animals will only grow to the size of their environment; however, this is far from the truth. By not giving the animal a proper environment someone is actually neglecting that animal. It stunts the animals growth and causes the bones to form improperly leaving the animal deformed. It is the duty of an exotic pet owner to educate themselves and others. Many of the exotics sold in pet stores aren’t really pets that everyone should be purchasing. While some may get educated and decide to keep these animals, not everyone has that particular ability. For instance, American Alligators are cute when their little babies calling for their mommies with that distinct sound.

These little cuties grow to over 16 feet long and weigh over 400 lbs. They won’t just grow to their environment and it gets quite expensive to house them.  As a matter of fact, Sheila, my American Alligator is pushing 6 foot and I am in the process of ordering her a poly tank that will cost around $600 after shipment costs. That’s just for her pond setup.

It is the exotic pet owners duty to keep up with the newest laws for these animals. While most cities and states regulate its exotics in some way, there are a few that have little to no regulation.  These laws are always changing and getting more stricter because of the dangers that some of the exotics pose. Here is a good website that gives a few of the laws by state http://www.bornfreeusa.org/b4a2_exotic_animals_summary.php.  Keeping track of the newest legislation is part of being a responsible pet owner whether its exotics or cats and dogs.

Responsibility is key to safety for the animal and for us. Education is essential to the exotic pet trade. Keep in mind that just because something is cute and easy to handle while its young may not always be the case when it gets older. Keep yourself informed and up to date.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi

If you have any questions or suggestions please email me at JamesDWard24@gmail.com

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Parakeets

Parakeets are amazing little birds. They make a great starter pet too. They can be trained to do tricks and have an excellent nack for mimicking. Parakeets come in a few different color variations from blue to green. These little birds are low maintenance. So long as you keep their food and water bowls clean by washing them daily. A weekly cage cleaning would suffice.

These birds aren’t well suited for distinct declines in temperature. So be sure to keep them in an environment with a relatively constant temperature with no drafts. Parakeets as with most other parrots are a bit on the messy side. They love to throw empty seed shells all over the place. One thing that has to be checked as often as possible is the food dish. Often times the dish seems to have seed and in reality its just seed shells. So the ‘keet could potentially be starving.

Pellets are a great idea for just about any bird. However, it can be a bit tricky to get your bird acquainted to eating pellets. One trick is to put ¼ pellets and ¾ seeds for the first couple of weeks and then slowly increase the pellets until there is nothing but pellets in the dish. Another great idea is to place pellets in the food dish throughout the day and at night a couple of hours before covering the ‘keet to go to sleep allow it to eat as much seed as it wants. The parakeet may play with the pellets at first for a few days to weeks but, eventually it will begin eating but, don’t forget during this time to substitute with seeds at night allowing it to eat as much as it wants, then replace the seeds back with pellets before covering the parakeet up.

My first pet bird was a green parakeet named Pete. He was a wonderful pet when I was about 11 years old. Pete would set on my shoulder for most of the day. Hanging out with me as I played in the house or outside. I really found that I enjoyed his company. Sometimes I would place him in a plastic airplane that I would pretend fly him around in. He was a great pet and a wonderful friend.

My Two Parakeets Brooke and Blue back in October 2009.

 If you have any questions or suggestions just send me an email at JamesDWard24@gmail.com

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Introduction

This is a blog about the care of pets. There are many things that you don't find out until after the pet is home. Things like from certain animals going into hibernation to basic care and behavior. While most care sheets go over factual straightforward advice on caring for animals, there are many issues that come up when caring for our loved pets that can't be found so easily. This is more of a personal approach to caring for the animals that we all love. Whether your new friend is a rescue or adopted from a pet shop, there should be a little something for everyone.

I have cared for many animals over the past 20 years. My particular experience comes from the caring of exotic animals such as snakes, lizards, crocodilians, and parrots. However, I have cared for everything from Labrador Retrievers to 15 ft. pythons. I bred the larger pythons for about 3 years until I had to sell out and move in order to go to college to get more formal knowledge. I currently major in Biology at Mountain State University in Beckley, West Virginia.

This blog will be updated on a weekly basis. Anywhere from one to three blogs will be posted weekly. If you have any specific questions you can shoot me an email at jamesdward24@gmail.com.

Thanks and hope you enjoy.

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