Temp Low/Humidity High

[BWyant]

My buddy gave his ball python away to me. This is my first one. He admittedly knew nothing about them. He's been keeping him at approximately 80-82 degrees. Apparently his UBH shorted or something and was just working with an overhead light. Now, obviously I can fix the heat issue, unless somebody knows of a way to bump it up a few degrees between tonight and tomorrow. However, how do I drop my humidity? I'm looking at about 78-80% right now. My friend didn't have a hygrometer, so I have no way of knowing what it was like at his place. This little thing looks like it's in a state of perma-shed, so I'm assuming the humidity at my friend's place was pretty low. He (my friend was told that he was a boy) had about inch long pieces of shed in his cage and he's got about 1/8 inch long pieces still on him in a few spot. He's got a little bit of a wheeze as well, which I didn't notice at my friend's house. After the car ride, I took him out of his cage so that I could rearrange a few things and add some stuff. That's when I noticed that I could hear him breathing at times. I don't know if he just got excited or stressed or if it's the high humidity. I'm gonna' check on that again tonight. So, hopefully tomorrow, I'm going to get him a heat-pad for underneath the cage and with your help drop his humidity down, then get him a meal. He's probably about 3 1/2 or 4 feet long. My friend was told that he's 4 years old. Fire away with questions. If you need pictures or more, let me know. I'll be uploading some within the next few days anyway. Thanks.

[BWyant]

I failed to mention that my buddy has been using aspen bedding.

I have some eco-earth coco-soft that I got in expectation of getting a BP of my own, but from my understanding, the coco-soft will just hold in even more humidity than the aspen.

[I-KandyReptiles]

My buddy gave his ball python away to me. This is my first one. He admittedly knew nothing about them. He's been keeping him at approximately 80-82 degrees. Apparently his UBH shorted or something and was just working with an overhead light. Now, obviously I can fix the heat issue, unless somebody knows of a way to bump it up a few degrees between tonight and tomorrow. However, how do I drop my humidity? I'm looking at about 78-80% right now. My friend didn't have a hygrometer, so I have no way of knowing what it was like at his place. This little thing looks like it's in a state of perma-shed, so I'm assuming the humidity at my friend's place was pretty low. He (my friend was told that he was a boy) had about inch long pieces of shed in his cage and he's got about 1/8 inch long pieces still on him in a few spot. He's got a little bit of a wheeze as well, which I didn't notice at my friend's house. After the car ride, I took him out of his cage so that I could rearrange a few things and add some stuff. That's when I noticed that I could hear him breathing at times. I don't know if he just got excited or stressed or if it's the high humidity. I'm gonna' check on that again tonight. So, hopefully tomorrow, I'm going to get him a heat-pad for underneath the cage and with your help drop his humidity down, then get him a meal. He's probably about 3 1/2 or 4 feet long. My friend was told that he's 4 years old. Fire away with questions. If you need pictures or more, let me know. I'll be uploading some within the next few days anyway. Thanks.

That poor thing
Could we see a picture of your set up?
Also, what are your temperatures at?
Bp's need a cool side of 79-81ish and a hot side of 89-91ish. Ambient is fine at 80.

Do you have a regulated heat source?

If you're using a tank, wetting a towel and covering the majority of the lid will work to help keep humidity up. If your humidity is as high as you think, the glass on the aquarium would be fogging up. If humidity is just high in your area, try an oscillating fan.

Could we see pictures of him?

The wheezing could mean he's gotten an ri. If he sounds as bad as you say, a vet visit would most likely be in order.

[I-KandyReptiles]

I failed to mention that my buddy has been using aspen bedding.

I have some eco-earth coco-soft that I got in expectation of getting a BP of my own, but from my understanding, the coco-soft will just hold in even more humidity than the aspen.

Yep. The Eco-earth would've been better for your friend to use :p it works really well for keeping up humidity

[BWyant]

That poor thing
Could we see a picture of your set up?
Also, what are your temperatures at?
Bp's need a cool side of 79-81ish and a hot side of 89-91ish. Ambient is fine at 80.

Do you have a regulated heat source?

If you're using a tank, wetting a towel and covering the majority of the lid will work to help keep humidity up. If your humidity is as high as you think, the glass on the aquarium would be fogging up. If humidity is just high in your area, try an oscillating fan.

Could we see pictures of him?

The wheezing could mean he's gotten an ri. If he sounds as bad as you say, a vet visit would most likely be in order.

Pictures here in a second once I get them uploaded to tinypic. I didn't bother to take him out of his cage tonight, so the pictures aren't real in detail. He's been through quite a bit already and I've disturbed his night routine a couple times already checking on him.

He's doing a lot of nosing around the top of the cage, acting like he's trying to get out. The humidity dropped back down, thankfully. Sitting in the proper zone now, about 54%. Gotta' keep a monitor on that, but I think it may have just been an improper reading or something. I just got a little cheapy non-digital thermo-hygrometer combo. If the humidity does go back up, I've got plenty of fans that I can use. I set a big tupperware full of water in with him. I don't think he's ever seen so much water. He doesn't seem quite sure what to do with it all, but I am pretty sure that he got himself a drink earlier.

Temperature is still low, about 81, so his whole enclosure is a little on the cool side. I don't think I'm gonna' see much change in that until tomorrow. Probe says 81, little dual thermo says about 83 or 84, but it's sitting higher than the probe. Regardless, I'll get that taken care of here tomorrow with a heat pad.

The shedding probably isn't as bad as I make it sound, but he does have probably half a dozen little pieces of dead skin still attached. Nothing bigger than 1/8th of an inch. I think having a pool to swim around in will probably help though. When I picked him up, he actually didn't have any water available and the bowl that my buddy was using was just a regular cereal bowl, definitely not big enough for him to put his whole body into.

He's still got the little wheeze going on. Kind of sounds like a whistle, which I've heard is a respiratory issue. Any way for me to treat that without taking him to the vet? I think just having proper temps and humidity and a decent meal (apparently he hasn't had anything to eat in about 4 weeks either), will improve his health a little bit. He's also yawned (or whatever that was) a couple of times too. Do ball pythons yawn? LoL.

[BWyant]

[I-KandyReptiles]

Pictures here in a second once I get them uploaded to tinypic. I didn't bother to take him out of his cage tonight, so the pictures aren't real in detail. He's been through quite a bit already and I've disturbed his night routine a couple times already checking on him.

He's doing a lot of nosing around the top of the cage, acting like he's trying to get out. The humidity dropped back down, thankfully. Sitting in the proper zone now, about 54%. Gotta' keep a monitor on that, but I think it may have just been an improper reading or something. I just got a little cheapy non-digital thermo-hygrometer combo. If the humidity does go back up, I've got plenty of fans that I can use. I set a big tupperware full of water in with him. I don't think he's ever seen so much water. He doesn't seem quite sure what to do with it all, but I am pretty sure that he got himself a drink earlier.

Temperature is still low, about 81, so his whole enclosure is a little on the cool side. I don't think I'm gonna' see much change in that until tomorrow. Probe says 81, little dual thermo says about 83 or 84, but it's sitting higher than the probe. Regardless, I'll get that taken care of here tomorrow with a heat pad.

The shedding probably isn't as bad as I make it sound, but he does have probably half a dozen little pieces of dead skin still attached. Nothing bigger than 1/8th of an inch. I think having a pool to swim around in will probably help though. When I picked him up, he actually didn't have any water available and the bowl that my buddy was using was just a regular cereal bowl, definitely not big enough for him to put his whole body into.

He's still got the little wheeze going on. Kind of sounds like a whistle, which I've heard is a respiratory issue. Any way for me to treat that without taking him to the vet? I think just having proper temps and humidity and a decent meal (apparently he hasn't had anything to eat in about 4 weeks either), will improve his health a little bit. He's also yawned (or whatever that was) a couple of times too. Do ball pythons yawn? LoL.

It's a good thing you're letting him settle in

Those analog thermometers are a waste of money. Id suggest going to Walmart and picking up an Accurite thermometer. They're about $12. It will be able to read your hot spot, your cool spot and your humidity. The probed thermometers are much better

There's not much you can do till tomorrow. will you be hooking your UTH to a thermostat?

When he yawns, try to look into his mouth. See if you can see mucus. If it is an ri, he would need to see a vet for medication.

[I-KandyReptiles]

I'd also add, those log hides are not the best for bps. It doesn't feel secure. A hide with one opening is best. So a cardboard box with an entrance even. They like to feel snug in their hide as well so I wouldn't suggest anything big and roomy

[BWyant]

I'd also add, those log hides are not the best for bps. It doesn't feel secure. A hide with one opening is best. So a cardboard box with an entrance even. They like to feel snug in their hide as well so I wouldn't suggest anything big and roomy

Didn't think about it, but that totally makes sense based upon what I've read. Why I thought the logs were a good idea, I'm not real sure. Yeah, I'll find him something a little more suitable tomorrow.

The UTH will probably just end up on a rheostat for the time being unless someone can recommend another better or more accurate thermostat control device for a relatively small amount of dough. I'd have to look into the more expensive thermostats before I hooked his cage up to one, but I'd be more than happy to do it for him once the time is right. I want to get a rack, maybe RBI. So, if the thermostat could control both, that would be ideal. Unfortunately, I kind of figured as much about the little analog combo thing, but the reptile shop that I went to (I was lucky to find a reptile shop around here at all) didn't have anything else available, and for six bucks, I figured it was better than me just guessing.

I'll try and get a look into his mouth, but I think that might be easier said than done. Is there any way of getting a snake to proverbially say "Ahh" ? What does a trip to the vet for a respiratory infection cost for a snake?

I suppose I can't complain too much. I got him for free and he's my learner snake, so it's better than I have the learning experiences with him than some 1,000 dollar mystic or something like that. I still want him to be happy and healthy though, for sure.

Thanks for your replies.

[I-KandyReptiles]

Didn't think about it, but that totally makes sense based upon what I've read. Why I thought the logs were a good idea, I'm not real sure. Yeah, I'll find him something a little more suitable tomorrow.

The UTH will probably just end up on a rheostat for the time being unless someone can recommend another better or more accurate thermostat control device for a relatively small amount of dough. I'd have to look into the more expensive thermostats before I hooked his cage up to one, but I'd be more than happy to do it for him once the time is right. I want to get a rack, maybe RBI. So, if the thermostat could control both, that would be ideal. Unfortunately, I kind of figured as much about the little analog combo thing, but the reptile shop that I went to (I was lucky to find a reptile shop around here at all) didn't have anything else available, and for six bucks, I figured it was better than me just guessing.

I'll try and get a look into his mouth, but I think that might be easier said than done. Is there any way of getting a snake to proverbially say "Ahh" ? What does a trip to the vet for a respiratory infection cost for a snake?

I suppose I can't complain too much. I got him for free and he's my learner snake, so it's better than I have the learning experiences with him than some 1,000 dollar mystic or something like that. I still want him to be happy and healthy though, for sure.

Thanks for your replies.

A lot of users here recommend this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NZZG3S

For a cheaper alternative for a thermostat.

I use herpstats. My herpstat 2 can do a lot of cool things and can control 2 separate zones. They are more expensive though. They can be bought here:
http://www.spyderrobotics.com

As for the ri, It depends on what vet you go to. An experienced reptile vet is a must! They would need to do a culture and then there would be antibiotics.