I've read up a fair amount on both types of snakes and I'm trying to decide which I would like to get as my first snake. I am aware of the different keeping requirements each has and the feeding difficulties often encountered with a BP...but can somebody who has kept both speak to the differences in temperment and handling behaviors?
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Corns vs. BP in regards to temperment and handling..whats the difference?
- Thread starter Abemas
- Start date
desertanimal
2003 UB313
BPs don't move, corns do. :grin01:
No but seriously, in my experience, BPs are way less active than corns. That's cool if you want to walk around with your snake around your neck or sit there absentmindedly watching TV. But I tend to get a little bit bored with them. I only had one, though, so perhaps your experience may vary.
No but seriously, in my experience, BPs are way less active than corns. That's cool if you want to walk around with your snake around your neck or sit there absentmindedly watching TV. But I tend to get a little bit bored with them. I only had one, though, so perhaps your experience may vary.
Tula_Montage
It's Jager time!
I keep both species... and I enjoy both species a lot. They each have their own unique qualities and benefits (perhaps not the right word) to being kept in captivity.
Personally I have a thing for royals... I love their laid back stupidness and oddly proportioned bodies. Compared to corn hatchlings, royals are much much bigger, much hardier, less skittish, easier to assist feed (if ever needed however proper care and the purchase of a well established feeder should rule this out) and are generally a much calmer snake.
Corns however need much less attention to detail ie humidity and temperature wise. They are hardy wee'uns too however can be VERY skittish as hatchlings. IMO I hate handling the corn hatchlings... I much prefer to leave them to grow for the first good few months. Whereas with the royals I can relax with a wee baby curled in my pocket quite content to enjoy the warmth and darkness.
If its appearance your after, you have a much better chance of finding a genetic mutation that suits your tastes and is in your price range by getting into corns. Royals tend to cost an arm and a leg for anything more than a pastel. Thats not to say normals are not just as beautiful in their own ways.
To be honest its all to do with what you personally feel you can cope with and what you think is right for you. A 3/4 ft heavily bodied python or a slender 4/5ft corn snake.... :shrugs:
Heres a few pictures of my own specimens concerning both species.
Personally I have a thing for royals... I love their laid back stupidness and oddly proportioned bodies. Compared to corn hatchlings, royals are much much bigger, much hardier, less skittish, easier to assist feed (if ever needed however proper care and the purchase of a well established feeder should rule this out) and are generally a much calmer snake.
Corns however need much less attention to detail ie humidity and temperature wise. They are hardy wee'uns too however can be VERY skittish as hatchlings. IMO I hate handling the corn hatchlings... I much prefer to leave them to grow for the first good few months. Whereas with the royals I can relax with a wee baby curled in my pocket quite content to enjoy the warmth and darkness.
If its appearance your after, you have a much better chance of finding a genetic mutation that suits your tastes and is in your price range by getting into corns. Royals tend to cost an arm and a leg for anything more than a pastel. Thats not to say normals are not just as beautiful in their own ways.
To be honest its all to do with what you personally feel you can cope with and what you think is right for you. A 3/4 ft heavily bodied python or a slender 4/5ft corn snake.... :shrugs:
Heres a few pictures of my own specimens concerning both species.
Attachments
Thanks for the feedback regarding corns vs. bps. Finally somebody that didn't just reply "get both."=) If I had to decide on temperment alone I think I'm leaning towards a BP. I'm not real big on constantly trying to keep a corn in my hands as it moves and wiggles. Still...I have a good friend that breeds corns in his classroom to teach 8th graders about genetics so my access to various colors is hard to resist. But I suppose its not good to make a decision on availability. =)
I've heard that BP's just "sit in their cages and don't move"...I can't imagine this is completely true....don't they move around atleast some? Also, since a BP needs a higher temp and humidity...I would think having a BP out of its viv would really stress it out (considering the average home is much cooler than the viv.) Are they okay as long as they are next to your body?
I've heard that BP's just "sit in their cages and don't move"...I can't imagine this is completely true....don't they move around atleast some? Also, since a BP needs a higher temp and humidity...I would think having a BP out of its viv would really stress it out (considering the average home is much cooler than the viv.) Are they okay as long as they are next to your body?
lefty_mussolini
Start Wearing Purple
Ball Pythons are calm... too calm. You will rarely see them moving around their cage, and when you take them out, they generally just sit there. Some folks like that, but not this folk. I like an interactive snake.
Baby corns can be a bit more flighty and bitey, but at that size, the bites will barely be felt. If you get a jumpy baby BP, you WILL feel the bite. It's not horrible, but it doesn't feel good.
Corns are usually very good feeders and will almost always readily take frozen mice. BP's tend to go off feed, sometimes without provocation and are a bit difficult to get eating frozen rodents.
Adult Corns will do well in a 20 gal. tank. Adult BP's should be kept in something larger.
Corns will not need any food items any bigger than an adult mouse. BP's will get up to large (and in some cases, Jumbo) Rats. So the food bill is a bit higher.
BP's stress easily, especially when handled too often. Corns can be held all day (except for the 24-48 hours after feeding.)
With all of the morphs in Corn Snakes, there is something for everyone, usually for under $100. With all of the morphs in BP's, there is something for everyone... with money. A normal, captive bred baby Ball Python will cost you around $60. The lowest cost of any BP morph that I've ever seen has been $300.
All in all, Corns are just a better first snake.
Baby corns can be a bit more flighty and bitey, but at that size, the bites will barely be felt. If you get a jumpy baby BP, you WILL feel the bite. It's not horrible, but it doesn't feel good.
Corns are usually very good feeders and will almost always readily take frozen mice. BP's tend to go off feed, sometimes without provocation and are a bit difficult to get eating frozen rodents.
Adult Corns will do well in a 20 gal. tank. Adult BP's should be kept in something larger.
Corns will not need any food items any bigger than an adult mouse. BP's will get up to large (and in some cases, Jumbo) Rats. So the food bill is a bit higher.
BP's stress easily, especially when handled too often. Corns can be held all day (except for the 24-48 hours after feeding.)
With all of the morphs in Corn Snakes, there is something for everyone, usually for under $100. With all of the morphs in BP's, there is something for everyone... with money. A normal, captive bred baby Ball Python will cost you around $60. The lowest cost of any BP morph that I've ever seen has been $300.
All in all, Corns are just a better first snake.
desertanimal
2003 UB313
There's a lot of variance in temperaments in corns, from my small sample, but my older ones are a lot calmer than the kids. But still not as comatose as a BP. Don't get me wrong--I enjoyed the BP I had as a kid. But, I like my corns better. Could you "borrow" one of your friend's corns over the winter break and see if you enjoy an adult corn? If it's too active for you, then you could go the BP route.
JasonGranger
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lefty_mussolini said:
I just wanted to say here, a ball python does not require anything bigger than a small rat. Even the huge females. I know of a very successful ball python breeder who has some huge female ball pythons, and they are fed small rats. They eat every week, year round. He used to feed them jumbos and they'd go off feed half the year. It's all up to personal preference and what will get your ball python to eat consistently, of course, but from what I've heard, small rats are the way to go. That's what I'll feed my ball python when he can handle them, and from then on. Again, whatever gets the job done is great. There's always more than one way to do something.
Also, not all ball pythons are lazy!
Mine loves to explore when I have him out.
Beothon Lover
The One an Only Kuro....
i must have an odd BP cause mine moves around a lot even when i'm holding her she'll move then she'll find a dark and warm space in the sleeve of whatever coat or shirt i'm wearing and stay there awhile and then start moving again, also during the night if she's not digesting or shedding she'll come out from underneath her hide and move around her tub all night. Its actualy my corn that doesn't move a whole lot he's just lazes around not doing much...when i'm holding him he'll stay still for minutes on end.
so its up to you. you might get a active BP like mine or even a lazy corn. it just depends on the snake itself
so its up to you. you might get a active BP like mine or even a lazy corn. it just depends on the snake itself
lefty_mussolini
Start Wearing Purple
Fair enough. I'm all for feeding enough as opposed to overfeeding. That's very interesting and thanks for the info.JasonGranger said:I just wanted to say here, a ball python does not require anything bigger than a small rat. Even the huge females. I know of a very successful ball python breeder who has some huge female ball pythons, and they are fed small rats. They eat every week, year round. He used to feed them jumbos and they'd go off feed half the year. It's all up to personal preference and what will get your ball python to eat consistently, of course, but from what I've heard, small rats are the way to go. That's what I'll feed my ball python when he can handle them, and from then on. Again, whatever gets the job done is great. There's always more than one way to do something.
Also, not all ball pythons are lazy!
However, my point still stands, even with small rats. They still cost more than adult mice.
And no... not all BP's are lazy. But in general, BP's are much less active than Colubrids. I've kept many a BP (and other boids), and many a Colubrid, and overall, the small skinnies are more active than the big fatties
desertanimal
2003 UB313
lefty_mussolini said:overall, the small skinnies are more active than the big fatties
Sigh . . . So true, so true. Damn those small skinnies.
antsterr
Always mostly awesome
I went with a corn snakes over a ball python because I like the idea of an active snake. I ended up with a big of both. I have an amel who's very content to just hand on my hand and sit there. When it comes to feeding though all lazyness dissappears and she turns in to a killing machine, I've never seen a snake be so aggressive with a F/T mouse before.
Just know now that it's impossible to only have one snake, It's too dang addicting. You'll feel a need to "catch them all". Corns are much cheaper to collect than ball pythons.
The one ball python on my wish list though is a Piebald, one of the coolest morphs in the world.
Just know now that it's impossible to only have one snake, It's too dang addicting. You'll feel a need to "catch them all". Corns are much cheaper to collect than ball pythons.
The one ball python on my wish list though is a Piebald, one of the coolest morphs in the world.
cornsnakekid92
trouser snake
Generally balls are are calm but when they do bite it hurts a lot more then a corn bite does, to be honest i would say that being bitten from an adult corn is about equal to being bitten by a hatchling ball python, but really it is not bad either way. I would say to go with a corn for your first snake because it is more likly that pets shops will have captive bred corns yet Willd caught ball pythons. Corns are also a lot more forgivving about humidity ETC. And are normally less of a pain with feeding.
Jessicat
All Pied Everything
lefty_mussolini said:
Unless you raise a breeding colony. Actaully when I raised rats I didn't freeze anything and was always over run with hoppers. Hmmm I guess that means if I ever raise rats again I'll have to get a ball python. =D
And a mini fridge... because no matter how tollerant of frozen pinkies and hoppers in the freezer my roommates are, I fear they'd draw the line at rats.