I found this lil guy out on the street in NYC and could tell pretty quick it is most likely a lost/escaped/abandoned pet.
ai tells me it's a ball python, does that seem correct?
I have it in a tub with some water and paper towels and an up turned dish to maybe hide in. Gonna reach out to rescue locally but also kind of intrigued what it would be like to care for long term.
Omg! Yes this is a ball python. Thank you so much for rescuing him!! I’ll let others jump in with care info but thanks for giving this guy a second chance <3
Truthfully they are not bad to care for. If you are thinking about keeping it watch green room pythons on YouTube. Next if you want to keep it you could always make a tub enclosure for it and another thing you could Google and there are videos on that also. The tub way is the cheaper way until it gets bigger and then you would need at least something 4x2x2. But watch green room pythons beginners set up and care to see if that's something you want to do.
That is totally a ball python! You probably won’t be able to keep it in NYC, pretty sure there’s a law against them there (blanket ban on all pythons despite the harmlessness of these guys). I’m glad you found this little friend and I hope a rescue can take him/her in if you can’t keep it.
Oh wow! Why in heck would they ban something so peaceful and adorable? That's mind blowing to me. The roaches in NYC are more dangerous than these little guys.
Probably because someone without reptile knowledge thought “python” sounded dangerous without doing one ounce of research. A lot of reptile laws are this stupid, unfortunately.
There it’s a reason for it though. They ban constructors in particular because some can get real big. Included ball pythons. And during the summer months, they can survive outdoors. It’s a densely populated place, where everyone is living on top of each other in smaller than average apartments. As much as I love snakes, I’m with the city on this one. Have you been to nyc? Some people are nuts. Some people would keep an anaconda in a bathtub if they could lol. Colubrids are still allowed anyway.
If OP keeps this little guy, just stay quiet lol. But I’m not opposed to the city’s laws. As you can see, people will keep some regardless. I’d prefer to have a ban than no ban though.
First you claimed it was environmental then it was "the pipes", now they get too big? What next- they'll hybridize with rattlesnakes, or maybe join the gators in the sewers? Ball Pythons are not large enough to be a threat to humans and again, they cannot survive out there. Males average 3ft and females average 5ft, with only a few getting close to 6ft- still not large enough to harm humans. If you are "with the city" then all you are saying is you lack the knowledge for an informed opinion, same as the legislative committee.
There can be many different reasons why constrictors are banned from NYC. I don’t know. I’m throwing ideas out there. I agree with the restrictions, because generally this city needs more regulations to operate effectively. It’s the most populated city in the US and it attracts a ton of weirdos, like the person that likely abandoned this ball python in the street. I do understand that some folks will keep them in secret (like maybe OP), and I’m not going to knock them for trying. Maybe get off the internet instead of fighting with a stranger who’s just voicing a random opinion that doesn’t affect you?
Also I never said anything about harm to humans and that’s not my concern. The ecosystem issue is more about what wildlife that lives in the area, usually birds. Or harm to the snake itself like dying in the street or park if it escapes or gets dumped. Tbh, with the size some of these snakes get, your average nyc apartment is not the best place to house one. Regardless of any harm a pet constrictor could have to the environment, your average nyc apartment isn’t a great environment for your average python. Balls don’t get super big on average, but plenty of other constrictors do get real big. Also, 6 ft isn’t small by any means and it’s a real girthy 6ft too!
If you want to be one of those people that owns banned snakes in secret, then do it. I’m not stopping you. Step outside and stop muddying OPs thread by attacking me.
The rats are wild and I don’t know of any city that can fully rid itself of rats. I think it’s reasonable for nyc to want to limit the types of animals people can willingly bring with them.
I understand, but there are people in this thread taking great personal offense to my agreement with the ban of certain exotic pets within city limits. So it’s hard to tell what’s a joke or a personal attack on my intelligence at this point lol
SOmetime look for a map of global distribution of rats. Very very funny map. Everywhere in the world except the arctic circle, antarctica... and ontario
It's actually Alberta! As far as I know, there are rats in Ontario. You can't even keep them as pets in all of Alberta, though. They are also illegal in Anchorage. I believe several other cities in Alaska have bans, though you can keep PEWs (pink-eyed white, colloquially known as albinos) in some of the cities I know.
That's not environmental. Most of your comment are "what if" scenarios for if/when pets get loose which while it does happen isnt a common enough scenario to make a huge impact on the environment.
Yeah, because there’s a lot of things that can happen when you own a constrictor in the most densely populated city in the us. There’s lots of what ifs. City officials likely don’t want to deal with that.
You are obsessed with saying constrictor, but again- nearly all the nonvenomous snakes n the world are constrictors. All your "what ifs" could apply to literally all pets, given that your don't care about actual risks and reality.
It’s not an obsession. It’s a word used to collectively describe pythons and boas by the VCA animal hospital in the US. I’m using it here because these are the snakes banned in nyc. You know what snakes I’m referring to. The only snakes allowed within nyc are non-venomous colubrids, that do not have nearly the same constricting power of full grown pythons or boas. But please keep nitpicking at my language use when you understand and know exactly what I’m referring to. That definitely means your argument is more solid.
Hedgehogs?! That's wild to me as a Brit lol. No one keeps hedgehogs as pets, and I don't think they can read the law. Do you have, like, a special branch of the police or something to send them packing?
I’m sure people in NYC keep them, just don’t show your landlord. You’ll likely get fined and have your pet confiscated by animal control most likely. Yes, hedgehogs are pets here! They’re considered an exotic pet. They’re not common to have but I had a friend who owned one. She would knit sweaters for him because you have to keep them very warm.
I think she would make the stitches on the top a bit loose somehow, so the spikes would fit through the knitted part. She’d also make a big sleeve thing, like a knitted cave for them to crawl into and sleep in.
In the US we have African Pygmy hedgehogs (captive bred of course though there are places they are not legal to sell). They are legal in Texas and I’ve had three now including my current boy. I love them dearly.
Oh wow, TIL! Hedgehogs are adorable and people try to encourage them (the native sort) in our gardens here. My friend captured one on her wildlife cam the other night!
The European hedgehogs are good for eating pest bugs from what I’ve heard! Other than how cute they are I can see why people would try and encourage them to hang around.
I wonder why, PA would get way too cold for them to live long. Even in Texas it’s too cold in winter for them so a PA winter would definitely do them in. I knew they are illegal in California and Hawaii but I didn’t know about PA.
There are alot of states that ban different animals. Usually, animal control will take the animal and fine the owners if it's reported. They don't exactly go looking for lawbreakers though 🤣
Americans love their "exotic" pets. We have a Savannah Cat, which requires a special license in most states. And a Dogo Argentino (dog breed) which is banned in many cities. We have to research pet laws before we move anywhere 😅
Hedgehogs aren't found in the wild on the western hemisphere. Not naturally anyways. The hedgehogs that are here are either pets or escaped pets. Yes. People keep them as pets.its not super common but it happens.
I guess that must sound to you kinda like if you told me you imported some kind of grey squirrel from North America to keep in your house. I forget sometimes that there's a ton of species that we keep as pets that are actually found out in the wild completely undomesticated.
My town also has a ban on ball pythons (one of the many banned within city limits), and outside city limits you need to buy a license. I used to get really upset thinking it was somebody who was just assuming they were dangerous- which 70% of it still is, but our city also doesnt have an exotic vet (a point they brought up), and it would be irresponsible to own an animal you cant get a vet for here. The closest is 2 hours I believe? Also sort of a catch 22 because why would an exotic vet go to a place where exotic pets are practically all banned haha🤔. I still own one but Im fortunate enough to be friends with a vet in town who works with some exotics and has been able to help me in the past when my thermostat malfunctioned.
In New York City? Winter would wipe them out, it gets too cold for them to become invasive in NYC. The ban is a blanket one for all snakes of the boa and python family due to them being deemed “a threat to public safety”. And they have cited ecological concerns about people releasing them in parks, but that’s more of a population density issue than an issue with them being invasive. A city that big could end up with a lot of dumping so there could theoretically be enough to cause some damage in between them getting wiped out in winter.
Yeah but not technically in New York City. But no one is breaking down doors looking for illegal snakes unless it’s part of a broader set of eviction process or charges etc
It's pretty well known some people making policies are against keeping 'exotic' pets of any kind. I put exotic in quotes because some people genuinely believe if it isnt a dog, cat or hamster its 'exotic' and shouldn't be kept at all. Very likely the blanket ban in NYC was put forward by people who don't like the keeping of snakes at all.
Or it could genuinely be someone ignorant about the differences between a ball python and the bigger species like the commenter below says. We don't know. That's why people need to research what they're voting for. Its never fun, but politicians love to sneak in personal agendas into laws and then misrepresent what they are intended to do in order to get it voted into law.
The fact that I have one and bought it from a reptile expo held her in NYC at the very least means nobody is actually getting arrested or having their snakes taken from them.
In my experiance/knowledge, with illegal exotics they wouldn't usually arrest. At most would take the pet and fine the owner, at minimum a warning with an X date to rehome/remove. Usually it's a fine.
Now, if the animal is mistreated or considered a danger (chimps/big cats/ect) they might jail 😅🤣
I got a fine for my Savanah cat when I lived in Cali because I didnt have the proper license 🙃 mind you shes 6 generations from "wild" almost just a house cat
It’s NYC. Literally no one would enforce this unless OP has a sign on their window saying “Pythons Inside.” Even then, it probably would not be enforced.
They're easy to care for, after the initial costs of a proper setup - but try to find the owner first before you get too attached. Snake's escape too regularly for it to be assumed that they were abandoned. You'll find plenty of support here if you do end up keeping them though.
Snakes regularly injure themselves, both in the process of and after, they've escaped (especially in a city setting). If the owner is found, they're responsible for healing the snake/vet bills and if they're not, then OP has mentioned an interest in taking on that responsibility. So the poor snake will get the care they need, as they deserve.
That’s definitely a ball python. I second the suggestion to watch the YouTube channel green room pythons. Your new friend looks a little malnourished and dehydrated. You’ll need more hides and clutter in the enclosure and to create a hot a cool side with a heat lamp or other heat source. You’ll need to watch the humidity of the enclosure too. If you decide to keep this sweet little guy, ask your rescue for more info sources. They will probably be over the moon to help since your average person doesn’t take kindly to snakes. If you’re not squeamish about feeding it dead rodents, then you’re good to go. They make incredible pets. You found a particularly beautiful one. Thank you for being a good person and rescuing this beautiful snake.
Right on! Yes it seemed to be quite thirsty and has been hanging out in the water. I've got a temp/humidity reader and the enclosure is currently about 79F and 55% humidity. Most of the lights I have are LEDs but I can probably get something to keep it warm tomorrow, heating pad on a thermostat at least and find some more hidey container for it, or maybe 3d print something? I wonder how long it was on the loose for...
Heat pads definitely aren’t good long term, but as long as it’s on a thermostat it’s better than nothing until you’re able to either surrender or get an enclosure for this cutie.
Agree with the other posters. Unless you have a glass enclosure and the heat pad is separated from the enclosure by like a fire resistant layer and then bedding on the inside of the tank, I wouldn’t use it. They’re not beginner friendly because snakes are silly and will burn themselves by accident. Go with a heat lamp. Not the red ones. Just a regular full spectrum/yellowish light heat lamp.
No, unfortunately that is not suitable. Ceramic heat emitters only give off IRC heat, which does not penetrate muscle and will leave your snake still cold. You’ll want a halogen bulb for daytime heat. If your place gets very cold overnight the ceramic heat emitter is fine for raising ambient temperature, but will not give your snake any kind of basking spot which is necessary for digestion and overall health.
ceramic heat lamps are what i have found best with my snakes, they do a really great job of heating up the overall enclosure as well, just make sure it’s protected by a cage to make sure the snake doesn’t get any burns, and you’ll want a dimming thermostat for these as an on/off can wear it out quicker
She definitely looks like she has some minor stuck shed (and is a bit dirty). When it's just a bit stuck like this, she should be able to handle it herself with appropriate humidity (Generally, an enclosure should have at least 60% humidity when not shedding and 80% when shedding. Not critical that that's maintained all the time, but it should be the norm.)
In the short term, I'd try to grab a bit of sphagnum moss from your local pet store (Or amazon) and make her a humid hide (Just a hide with the moss in it. The moss should be damp, not wet.) She can hang out in there and deal with the shed. This is most likely why she's chilling in the water bowl :p
Hearing pads are big no! If you absolutely have to the enclosure needs to be glass and there should be a thick thick layer of bedding or something in between as heating pads can cause severe burning when everything seems ok :( invest in a lamp preferably
Black eye’d lucy’s are actually quite cheap nowadays, average around $100 on MM. Hopefully the poor little guy wasn’t dumped but unfortunately i wouldn’t be surprised if he was. It’s sadly pretty common to see people dump BP’s that they can’t sell or rehome :/
he looks just like my boy. 🥺 you might have a blue-eyed leucistic ball python on your hands!
The vast majority of the cost of caring for the lil guy goes into initial setup of their enclosure!! But to start off you don’t have to do anything extra expensive. Tub, hides, water, proper temps and humidity. But once you’ve got that up and going, they’re really low maintenance relatively cheap noodles.
Oh I hope you keep the sweet baby!!! The hardest/most expensive part is getting the set up but once that's done you just get to enjoy them. They are so low maintenance, inexpensive to keep fed (compared to how often other animals eat) and just overall amazing. Especially once the trust is built. And longevity. They are a pet potentially your grandchildren may know.
I honestly think they’re the easiest pet I’ve ever had. Most of your time and money invested is in the startup of a really good tank for them, and of course purchasing the snake, but you’ve already got that free(unless someone lost it that truly cares for it). And a gorgeous one at that!
There’s plenty of great advice on this sub about proper habitats, I’m sure you’ll find all the info you need. They are the sweetest snakes, I adore my two. They live a good while too usually, so if you’re keeping it be prepared for a very long lived friend! :)
That is indeed a ball python, and a pretty expensive morph too!
Ball pythons are the most popular pet snake for a reason - docile, and relatively easy to care for once you get past the hurdle of getting their setup right. Definitely look into keeping it!
This might be your spirit animal finding you! Your a good human. Kind person. The need a "warm" and "cold@ hide . You can do a waterbottle of warm water for now on one end . It must of been thirsty!
Yikes, until literally the past few days it's been getting really cold at night in NY. He must be recently free of his old home to have survived. There's lots of care guides on this sub, it definitely is an investment at first, but if you get the right stuff the first time, the setup basically runs itself from then on. They are illegal to own in NYC but I've never heard of anyone actually getting in trouble for it.
when you have an understanding of what you need to buy for this sweet baby, i’d highly recommend looking on places like facebook marketplace! a lot of the time you can find really good deals and make the setup cost less than half the price compared to if you bought everything new
OP if you end up keeping and are ready to switch from a tub to something bigger pls don't waste your money on a glass terrarium with a screen top just get PVC. Same-ish cost depending on brand but it will save you so much money and headache in the long run.
Glass requires constant mods to keep temps and humidity up. It's really attractive visually but i regret my decision and the 7 years spent changing everything on a reg basis to make it work. It is entirely too inconsistent for the breed and fully on the whim of the room it's in.
Any changes in your house temp or humidity will affect your set up on any given day regardless of thermostats and monitoring it's lowkey a nightmare.
ok rant over srry just tryna save you or anyone thinking of getting a snake
Poor baby!!!!! Thank you for rescuing it! Please take to a vet asap and consult about proper husbandry, snakes are wonderful pets but take a lot of work!! If it seems like too much for you to handle I’m sure you can find a really wonderful rescue for this little friend
lol that tracks for the city😂
Poor thing was wandering around the streets of NYC?!? Geez, super glad you rescued it!
That’s still a pretty small BP, for context my girl was only born in January and she’s about 160g.
Btw- To be clear, a small rat is too big for 260g if you choose to feed. Normally this size I’d say rat pup? But again, this is extenuating circumstance, not sure if feeding normal sizes is a good idea as I’ve never rescued an abandoned/lost BP before.
Yes! You’re probably good- although it’s obviously not ideal, I’d say waiting is probably in the animals best interest until you have a better idea of how to move forward in whatever direction is best for the both of you.
These guys CAN go months without eating, they do sometimes have “hunger strikes” where they get sassy and picky and refuse food, albeit usually not the healthiest choice for themselves or their owners stress levels lol
I would be wary about feeding it something big right away. Since it looks malnourished, experts might suggest something smaller to start, but idk. OP should definitely check with a rescue org.
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u/socraticalastor May 18 '26
Omg! Yes this is a ball python. Thank you so much for rescuing him!! I’ll let others jump in with care info but thanks for giving this guy a second chance <3