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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Allthingsterrarium" data-source="post: 196083" data-attributes="member: 3930">Hi there! I have wanted a ball python practically forever. I know I'm definitely getting one (or several) someday but right now there is a gorgeous one like nothing I've ever seen before on a great website called morphmarket. He's a deep amber yellow with a light tan head and small black spots and lines. In any case he's jaw dropping stunning and I can't recall ever seeing another like him so I'm definitely considering maybe getting him. weighing the pros and cons. He's probably still available but the listing hasn't been updated in a while. I've done a lot of research on them over the years so I think I have most of it down but there are two things that are currently bugging me. One is lifespan. I know it's a pretty long term commitment and most sources say they live about 20 years on average. That's pretty good for a maximum average in my opinion and its' similar to my gray banded kingsnake but other sources say that with good care they can live 30 or even 40 years. Good lord that's a long time, especially for my current living circumstances. I like my animals to live a good life but I actually prefer it when they have a more modest lifespan if possible because there are so many terrarium animals I would love to experience keeping and I can only care for so many at once. Is it true that 20 years an acceptable norm or is 30 years or more commonplace? Secondly, according to the breeder listing, this particular ball python is unfortunately currently being fed live mice. Now I personally don' freak out about that as much as other people do, after all the snake is much stronger than a mouse and I imagine injury risk would be minimal and that it would also be extremely quick and painless for the mouse. The thing is frozen food would be sooooo much easier to handle, especially when this snake becomes large enough to take rats, not many places sell live feeder rats around here. Also my Mom, who I live with, is really freaked out by live mice. Is it typically difficult to gradually wean them onto thawed food?</blockquote>

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