New python is doing well I think.

[Crosstongue]

Well I read around on the forum and Noir seems to be doing well.

I don't have a digital thermometer yet but my hang three hang-ons average an ambient temperature of about 82-85 degrees dropping to 78-82 at night. The basking spot is 88-92 during both day and night (at night I have a "moonlight black light heat lamp") The humidity has never dropped below 50 and is almost always between 60-70 saturation.

I have a nice piece of river wood and a few fake plants, a water bowl thats about 8in dia, and a 9x9 cardboard hide box with a entrance in the top and side. I read on here that smaller is better so I tried the bottom of a terracotta pot with a spot chipped out for him to enter in. It had about a 6in dia. Noir went in and then after five minutes left and started looking for a way out of the tank. I put his massive box bottom back in and he calmed down. I don't see him at all, I have to take a flashlight and shine it through the hole of his hide box just to catch a glimpse of him, my dad says every once in a while he'll poke his head out or go lay on the driftwood or drink at night but he's never seen him during the day. (his cage is in my dad's room)

So again from what I read, that means he's happy right?

I have 4 clips holding the lid down and 2 bricks on top for good measure. The heatlight and heat pad are on a thermostat.

I bought a snake hook for removing him from the cage with, when ever I need to move him I reach in and stroke his back with it a few times before lifting him, then once hes out of the tank I use my hands. He's very calm and doesn't ball up when handled. I've only held him three times now, the first time was before I knew I wasn't supposed to touch him much for the first week, the other two were when I had to remove him to try to change the hide box or when I changed the reptile carpet stuff because some water spilled in there.

He does have like three or four scales on his belly that are loose, you can feel the sharp tips of them run over your skin. I checked these for ticks or any parasites but they were clear so I assume something happened at some point and they just got snagged on something, those will be fixed when he sheds wont they? Should I buy some shedding aid or anything?

His belly is whicked with a subtle peachy pink. So I assume he is going to shed soon right? Hes only about 16 inches long and was new in the petstore where I bought him so I assumed hes a hatchling.

Lol.. again I'm long winded but I figured I'd get the details out of the way now rather then make you guys wait for a reply.

[Vypyrz]

Hello, and to BP.net...

From what I can tell, it looks like you just about got it. You should have 2 hides the same size. One on each end. Cardboard is ok, except you can't clean it when it gets poop or pee on it and it will have to be replaced. I recommend some type of plastic hide mainly because of ease of cleaning. You can pick up a couple of plastic bowls for $1-$2 at the dollar store and cut or melt an entrance and they will last a long time. Also, at some point you might want to consider covering 3 sides of the tank with something. This will make the tank feel not so open. You can use anything like construction paper, colored poster board, foam board, aquarium scenery, or anything like that.
How and where do you have the thermostat probe mounted?

You shouldn't need anything to aid in shedding as long as you have the humidity up around 70% when he starts going into shed...

[Coils]

WELCOME!

Sounds good and you'll find lots of helpful advice here like stated above! I love plastic hides and -do- recommend anything cheap that can be cut and used instead of boxes. I use boxes myself from time to time with new arrivals, but yes they need to be replaced eventually.

If it's a VERY light pinky color running down along most of the body, yes there is shedding in your snakes future. Make sure it's not in blotches or more brown/red as this could indicate the starting of scale rot. I use a couple glass cages for my ball pythons since I bought them a long time ago and even though I have them rigged certain ways my humidity is hard to handle.

If you find yourself lacking in humidity I myself recommend something for shedding...such as a humid hide. It can't hurt and my ball pythons like them a lot actually. I always find the skin curled inside the container and no where else.

What I do is use a tupperware container with a lid and keep it closed, you can cut a hole anywhere you want so your ball python can get inside. I like to buy sphagnum moss and stuff it inside...getting it rather wet and keeping a damp paper towel on the very bottom. I have done this for a while and it's turned out great. You just have to get it moistened again from time to time, making sure it's nice and damp during the shed!

[Crosstongue]

Yeah its a very light pink and the eyes are completely blue now.
I went to the reptile show down here and got myself a digital thermometer/hyrdometer. Apparenly my stick on was only .5 degrees off temperature wise, but the humidity was alot lower then the stick on read. The stick on read 70% but the digital says its only about 51.5% =/

which I found really odd because the water bowl takes up almost 1/3 of the tank. I misted it but it only went up to like 56.2

Is that humidity okay for shedding or do I need to put a humidity box in there too

[wax32]

Adding a humid hide can't hurt. IF your snake has a bad shed because you skimped on a $2 fix you will feel silly.

[Crosstongue]

Lol yeah, now his tank is pretty crowded though, hes in a 15 gal o.o