The Potential Dangers of Owning a Ball Python

Over the course of his career as an entrepreneur and executive leader, Samuel Raymer has managed operations at Raymer Land Services, LLC; Jett Marketing, LLC; and Great Lakes Mortgage, among numerous other businesses. Samuel “Sam” Raymer has been primarily involved in the mortgage and finance industry. When he is not functioning as owner and chief executive officer at six unique companies, Sam Raymer is busy developing his ball python breeding operation.

A ball python can be a beautiful, interesting pet for a responsible and educated owner. However, individuals with less experience raising reptiles may be concerned about the potential danger a python can pose to humans, particularly young children. To begin, ball pythons are too small to constrict humans, even children, in the way that a larger snake might approach prey in the wild. That said, there are still a few risks for aspiring ball python owners to be aware of.

Like many animals, pythons generally respond to stress or fear by hiding. Aggressive individuals or extremely frightened pythons, on the other hand, may react in different ways, namely biting. As is the case with constricting, ball pythons are too small to cause life threatening injuries with a bite, but the experience can still be painful, traumatic, and expensive. Owners are advised to purchase ball pythons from infancy so that the snake can be properly trained and socialized.

Finally, owners must be aware of the risks associated with bacterial infections, including salmonella. Though this may sound like an exotic danger, dogs, cats, rodents, and birds can all transfer bacterial infections to human owners. Fortunately, maintaining proper sanitation processes, including thorough and regular cage cleanings, can all but eliminate the chances of an infection.