new on here and i have a few questions

[bigblue09]

im new on this fourm. i just bought my first ball python. she is about 5 years old and pretty big. i got her wednesday and i tried to feed her for the first time today and she wouldnt eat. i have only had her for about 4 days. i also cant seem to get the humidity up in her tarrarium. i have the zilla mist that i spray in there and i have tried using a bigger water bowl and sprinkiling water in there and i still cant seem to get it above 30%. i need some help with getting the humidity up. i dont think she is hungry because she was fed like 2 days before i got her. any help with this would be greatly appriciated!

[Herp Hugger]

It can be hard to keep humidity up in a screen-top terrarium. Are you using an overhead heat lamp or UTH? Overhead will dry out the air more than UTH. You can also try moving the water dish closer to the heat source. Just a few thoughts.

[bigblue09]

im using both. i have a uth on one side under her hide and a heat lamp in the middle. today i bought a better thermometer/hydrometer and put some wet moss in there.

[OhhWatALoser]

if you use a screen top t,ry covering your screen also to reduce ventilation, helps with humidity. most adults ball pythons will eat every week or every 2 weeks, also she hasn't had much time to settle in, so don't worry about it.

[bigblue09]

im just kinda on edge with her. i put some wet moss in her hide over the heating pad to get some humidity in her hide. also she often makes wierd noises. it doesnt sound like hissing. like sometimes when she exhales it makes noise but not all the time.

[Black_Shark]

im just kinda on edge with her. i put some wet moss in her hide over the heating pad to get some humidity in her hide. also she often makes wierd noises. it doesnt sound like hissing. like sometimes when she exhales it makes noise but not all the time.

Hmmm... if your snake is making consistent noise through her mouth (such as exhaling, whistling, clicking, etc) then that is a sign of RI (Respiratory Infection) and needs to be treated by a vet if in later stages. Now, an RI can be treated, if caught early enough, by upping the heat to 95/85 hot/cold side respectively.

A second explanation could be shes got stuck shed in her nostril from her last shed. Very possible.

If you see your snake start to breath with its mouth open, make clicking noises, etc. then you may want to take her to a vet.

-Andrew

[bigblue09]

she has opened her mouth a few times but it was more like a yawn. i heard a clicking sound today when she was coiling up in her hide but thats the first time i have ever heard that.

[Black_Shark]

she has opened her mouth a few times but it was more like a yawn. i heard a clicking sound today when she was coiling up in her hide but thats the first time i have ever heard that.

hmmm... well without hearing your snake, I can't say yay or nay. I would keep an eye and ear open and see what happens. Be sure your providing a hotspot of 88-94 and ambient air temps of 78+. DO NOT let the ambient air temp drop below 75 as that greatly increases RI risk.

[bigblue09]

i just wached her for a good 5-10 min and once she opened her mouth and took a really deep breath, closed it and exhaled. but that was only once and she made no noises and no bubbles around her nostriles.

[Black_Shark]

i just wached her for a good 5-10 min and once she opened her mouth and took a really deep breath, closed it and exhaled. but that was only once and she made no noises and no bubbles around her nostriles.

How often is she "yawning"?