New Owner

[C4t4StRoPhIc]

I got a Ball Python last night because its been a dream pet of mine since i was around 8 years old, and its more than i ever thought it would be. he/she has beautiful coloration, probably just the normal coloration, just a little lighter. but i have a few questions. currently i have him/her set up in a 10 gallon aquarium with a wire mesh lid, i broke my day bulb last night, (lamp fell while moving the cage. DOH!), but i have the night bulb on right now, will this be ok until i can get my hands on a day bulb?

the substrate i have is called aspen snake bedding. i assume that is ok because the lady in the pet store insisted on it. (thank God my room mates were with me, they helped me cover the cost of getting it).

its about a foot and a half or so long.

i have a single piece of wood in there for like a basking spot.

i really just need some info and ideas on how to better take care of this little guy/girl. (is there any way to tell the sex besides violating their orifaces?)

any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks,
C4t4StRoPhIc

[BPelizabeth]

Take a look at this......it has so much info in it that you will need to do.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

Get yourself an accurite thermometer....you can pick it up at wally world or lowes for $12. It will measure you humidity and you temps.

You need to tight fitting hides for your snake that are not clear. You can do this on the cheap get low dollar store bowls and cut a hole in it. I typically burn the edges so they are not sharp.

You need a water bowl big enough that they can get in if they choose to. But not super deep ok.

You need to have 2 different temps....cool side 82-83 warm side 90-92

You do not need a basking spot! Also you do not need two different lights as BP's dont need it. If you have to do a heat lamp then I would get the red one....leave it on.

Also with a whole mesh top you WILL have problems keeping your humidity at 60%. foil most of it over so that it locks in some of the humidity. You can also spray a couple times a day. Just don't make it too too wet.

Remember to feed your BP either on an every 5 to 7 day schedule. The prey item needs to be the size of your BP's thickest part. If you feed Frozen thawed...hit it with a blow dryer right before you give it to him. If you feed live NEVER just leave it in there.

Also since you just got him....get his cage right and leave him alone for 7 days at least. This will give him time to calm down. This is truly the hardest part.

Ok.....welcome to the obssesion!!! By the way pet stores tell you crazy stuff sometimes.

Oh yea and feed in the enclosure...some stores tell you not to...but it will stress out your snake if you take him out to feed. Also they WILL NOT bite you because they think you are a mouse unless you handled one and did not wash your hands.

[dembonez]

i was at the petstore today getting silkworms and while i was there i was holding a sub adult ball python and i was talking to the clerk and he said that the snake i want (pastel) is $10,000


shows they don't all know so it best to do research aswell and not just take their word

[BPelizabeth]

Wow that must be one HOT pastel......

[WaRocker]

OK , now that the basics have been posted above.
Lets talk wood. Where did you get this wood from ? If it's a piece of outside wood then get it out. They have bugs and would need to be cured.
Other than that , I can't wait to see pics.

[C4t4StRoPhIc]

its wood from the store that was in an iguana cage for 1 day, so i didnt think it would mess with anything. im having trouble getting pics onto the computer, it doesnt have a compact flash card slot and i dont have the usb cord for it.

[singingtothewheat]

i was at the petstore today getting silkworms and while i was there i was holding a sub adult ball python and i was talking to the clerk and he said that the snake i want (pastel) is $10,000


shows they don't all know so it best to do research aswell and not just take their word

10,000 for a pastel?
You know, there are just some breeders who seem to price their stuff so far out it's goofy, however, those folks should not be chastised because they also help keep the market at a certain level and a certain standard. You have to wonder how they ever sell anything but I've also seen some awesome looking animals for big prices that I would buy if I had that sort of money.

[C4t4StRoPhIc]

seeing as it is a young snake, as far as handling goes, what are some do's and dont's? like, how long and what is safe amount of time for him/her to be handled?

[Kaorte]

First of all I would get him some nice snug fitting hides if you haven't already. These can be as simple or as elaborate as you want them to be. Some people like the exo-terra rock cave hides, but I prefer using plastic cereal bowls from the dollar store. I just cut out a small entrance and they work great and are easy to clean.

Also, I would go with an under tank heater with a reptile thermostat instead of the light. The light, you will find, kills the humidity causing bad sheds. Since ball pythons usually hide in rodent burrows and termite mounds, they are used to getting heat from the ground and not from the sun. They don't come out at all during the day so shining a light on them isn't really the most efficient way to heat. The catch with using an under tank heater is that it needs to be used with a thermostat to be safe for the animal. The cheapest reptile thermostat is the reptitemp 500r for about $20. It is great for a single setup and I highly recommend it for beginners.

Wait one week from the day you got your snake before handling it. On the 7th day, offer him food. If he eats, don't handle him for 48 hours so that he can digest. After that, short handling sessions a few times a week are ok. Just remember that you are a big scary monster to these little guys and they only really tolerate the handling, they don't "like" it.

Hope this helps! And !!

[dembonez]

Wow that must be one HOT pastel......

tru dat!