With the ball python arguably being the most commonly kept snake in the world right now with it being ever so slightly more popular than a corn snake, we commonly see people asking questions about keeping a ball python.
One thing that we have noticed people asking about more recently though is if the ball python is right for them or if they should be going with a different type of snake.
With the carpet python becoming more and more popular, we have noticed a spike in people asking for a carpet python vs ball python comparison article recently.
With so many people asking about adding a carpet python or a ball python to their family, we wanted to publish our own article on the two snakes to try and help as many of our readers as possible decide what snake they should be adding to their family.
Maximum Length!
The ball python is going to reach a maximum length of 3-5 feet while the carpet python is going to get much larger and can grow up to 15 feet in length!
Most carpet pythons raised in captivity will usually be closer to something like 8-10 feet though but some can easily get to 15 feet if their vivarium setup and diet are perfect.
This size difference is something that you are definitely going to want to take into consideration when trying to decide which snake is right for you.
If you are looking for a smaller snake that you can easily handle, the ball python is going to be your best choice.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a larger snake that will provide you with years of enjoyment, the carpet python is going to be a much better fit for you.
Habitat!
The ball python is going to come from Africa while the carpet python is going to be found in Australia.
This is something that you are going to want to take into consideration when trying to decide which snake is right for your habitat setup.
The ball python is going to require a warm and humid environment while the carpet python will need a drier and hotter environment.
If you live in an area with a warm climate, the carpet python is going to be the better choice for you.
If you live in an area with a cooler climate, the ball python is going to be the better choice for you.
Required Diet!
The ball python is going to eat smaller prey items than the carpet python.
This is something that you are going to want to take into consideration when trying to decide which snake is right for you.
The ball python is going to eat things like pinkie mice while the carpet python is going to eat things like pinky rats and fuzzy rats once its gets larger meaning they cost more to feed.
If you are looking for a snake that is going to eat smaller prey items, the ball python is going to be the better choice for you.
If you are looking for a snake that is going to eat larger prey items, the carpet python is going to be the better choice for you with people within the reptile keeping community seeming to enjoy the challenge of getting their carpet python to grow as long as possible in captivity with their diet being the main deciding factor.
Ease Of Care!
The ball python is going to be easier to care for because it is a smaller snake and it does not require as warm of an environment as the carpet python does.
That said though, if you do have prior experience with keeping a pet snake, you can easily keep a carpet python if you want to take that route.
If you are looking for your very first pet snake then the ball python is definitely going to be the better option for you.
Life Span!
The ball python has a potential life span of 25-30 years while the carpet python has a potential life span of 30-40 years.
This is something that you are definitely going to want to take into consideration when trying to decide which snake is right for you as the carpet python is a far greater commitment.
It is also much harder to rehome a carpet python too due to its higher cost of feeding, larger size, and potentially higher aggression levels than a ball python too.
This is another reason why most people just go with the ball python over a carpet python is so many situations.
Tank Requirements!
The ball python is going to need a 40-gallon tank when fully grown while the carpet python is going to need a 60+ gallon tank when fully grown, sometimes even larger.
If you do not have the space for a larger enclosure, the ball python is going to be the better choice for you and just like the feeding options, the carpet python is going to end up costing you more for its basic tank too.
You then have to factor in the costs of the additional substrate for the larger tank too with many people often overlooking this.
Price Of The Snake!
The ball python is going to cost you around $50-$600 on average depending on the morph while the carpet python is going to cost you around $100-$300 on average.
With the lower price tag of the carpet python, this can commonly lure people towards a carpet python rather than a ball python but you have to keep in mind the on going costs of keeping the snake and the carpet python is far higher than the ball python.
The rarer the morph of your ball python, the higher the price will be and in some cases, this can end up going above $10,000 with ease so keep that in mind.
The vast majority of our readers who are trying to work out if they should go with a ball python or carpet python will probably looking for the entry level colors and morphs though.
Costs Of Keeping The Snake!
The ball python is going to cost you around $30-$80 a month to keep while the carpet python is going to cost you around $50-$200 a month to keep depending on the size of the carpet python and what you feed it.
The initial investment of buying the snake is going to be lower with the carpet python but as we have already covered, their on-going costs are considerably higher.
You have to factor in the costs of feeding the snake, heating the enclosure, and then the substrate to fill the larger tank too which is something many people often forget about.
Does The Snake Bite?
The ball python is going to be far less likely to bite you than the carpet python is but both snakes can and will bite if they feel threatened.
That said, the ball python is going to be the better choice for handling as they are just generally far calmer snakes than what a carpet python is.
A lot of this does come down to the individual snake too as some carpet pythons can be quite calm while others can be very aggressive and bite happy.
Carpet Python Vs Ball Python – What Is The Best Snake For You?
We have to go with the ball python for the vast majority of our readers, especially if you are looking for your very first pet snake.
Not only are they cheaper but they also tend to be easier to feed and care for too.
If you are an experienced snake keeper and are looking for a more challenging snake to keep then the carpet python may be the better option in this specific case but even then, we would usually recommend the ball python for the vast majority of people.
