If you’re looking for a pet snake, then both the ball python and the corn snake are often the first two that come up; and for good reason! Both of these snakes make wonderful pets and are also great snakes for beginners. But, which is best? In this article: Ball python vs corn snake!
Let’s be honest, you don’t need to read thousands and thousands of words comparing the ball python and corn snake. This isn’t worth your time. We’ve tried to condense this article into the most relevant information, and left out all the fluff that often comes with similar blog posts online!
Here’s a laughable excuse for an infographic that quickly sums this post up!
So, should you get a ball python or a corn snake? – This really depends on your own preferences and what you’re looking for in a pet snake.
The corn snake is much more active and personally, this is one we’d suggest over a ball python for beginners. The main reason being that feeding a corn snake is generally a lot easier than feeding a ball python. But there are a lot more things to consider! Let’s get into a few…
Table of Contents
The differences that matter
When wondering whether to get a corn snake or a ball python, there are certain differences that matter and others that simply don’t. First, the differences between ball pythons and corn snakes that actually matter…
Feeding
Feeding is one we’ve already covered, but ball pythons are fussy eaters when compared to corn snakes. Even though feeding usually isn’t an issue once you get to know your snake, ball pythons can still be a bit of a challenge and it can take up a lot of your time trying to get them to eat.
On the other hand, ball pythons will not have to be fed as regularly as corn snakes, which may be an advantage or disadvantage depending on whether you like feeding snakes or not!
Feeding is one of those things that people often overlook when first getting a pet snake. Dogs and cats won’t have problems with feeding unless they’re sick. Unfortunately, reptiles are a little more complicated.
Whether you go with a ball python or corn snake shouldn’t be based solely on this though…
Care difficulty
When it comes to the care of ball pythons compared to corn snakes, there is one difference that shifts the choice even more towards the corn snake. Ball pythons require a higher humidity which can (depending slightly on where you live) be a bit of a pain to monitor.
Small changes throughout the day won’t matter, ball pythons aren’t extremely sensitive. However, the higher humidity combined with the difficulty when feeding does make the corn snake slightly more attractive, especially to newcomers!
All of that being said, there are a lot of tools available to monitor the humidity. It’s also easy to raise or lower the humidity level by moving a small water bowl around. More on this topic in our post on ball python humidity and temperature.
Activity
When comparing ball pythons with corn snakes, there isn’t a huge difference in activity. Both snakes are nocturnal and therefor mostly active during the night. However, from our own experience here at UrbanReptiles, corn snakes are a little more willing to move around and make for slightly better display animals.
Handling
Ball pythons are also called royal pythons because they used to be worn by royalty as a necklace. If you’re unsure whether to go for a ball python or a corn snake and you’d love to handle your pet often, you can’t beat a ball python.
Corn snakes are great for handling too and don’t fall short of a ball python by much, but given the history of the ball python, we couldn’t give this category to any other snake!
Looks
One of the first things you’ll notice when you’re deciding between a ball python or a corn snake is the difference in looks. If you’re after a cute little face, ball pythons have this one in the bag. There are memes galore on ball pythons and their cute little faces to keep you busy for hours on end.
However, looks are subjective, and corn snakes are beautiful snakes in their own right. If you’re after interesting morphs, nothing beats a ball python. There are the coolest morphs available. That being said, corn snakes have some cool morphs too so it’s all a matter of preference!
Regardless of it being a matter of preference, it’s still an important difference for many snake owners.
Lifespan
When you run a corn snake vs ball python comparison, lifespan is another factor that can make a big difference. While corn snakes live to be up to 20 years old in captivity, ball pythons can reach ages well over 30.
Since you’re going to have to care for your pet snake for as long as they live, corn snakes may be slightly more accessible given the shorter lifespan of the animal.
Unimportant differences:
Size
Length-wise, corn snakes beat ball pythons by a hefty margin. However, ball pythons are a lot more stocky than their corny counterparts. Size isn’t important in the slightest as they both fair well in the same kind of enclosure. The main difference is in appearance, but we’ve already covered that under “looks.”
So, should I get a ball python or a corn snake?
As you can probably tell after reading this blog post, this question isn’t so easy to answer. Both ball pythons and corn snakes make for great pet snakes, and both are great for less-experienced reptiles keepers.
If you want something that’s as easy as possible to take care of, go with a corn snake. Even though the differences are small, a corn snake is probably going to take up less of your time and be less of a challenge.
If you love cute sneks and want a beautiful ball python morph, then go for it! Ball pythons are great pet snakes and come with advantages of their own.
Conclusion
When deciding whether to go with a ball python or a corn snake, there are a lot of differences that matter, and a lot that don’t. Hopefully, after reading this article you’re in a better position to make your choice and decide which one is right for you!
