First time BP owner, and I have questions. :/

[snake.named.fuzzy]

Let me start off with thank you in advance for your opinions. All is appreciated. I've never been a snake person but he has and I want to get over my fear of snakes. Needless to say I'm clueless when it comes to common knowledge about snakes.

Here are my questions:
How can I keep my humidity up?
What kind of mulch or substrate is best?
Is it better to feed them two fuzzies or one larger mouse?
Is there anything better to feed them?
Do BP's like foliage in their housing?
Is having two hides necessary?
Are all BP's head shy?

Again, thank you. You don't have to answer all the questions, just a little advice would ve welcome as well.

[PJoBaby]

Not all are head shy
I had one that would wrap around my wrist and tuck
Her head under my thumb so I could pet her ..
Humidity depends on your tank.. If you have an open screen top try covering part of the top. Maybe with a wet towel..

As for feeding bigger bps will eat rats well.. Can get gerbil or fancy mice.. I'm sure someone else will be along to help more soon

[snake.named.fuzzy]

Not all are head shy
I had one that would wrap around my wrist and tuck
Her head under my thumb so I could pet her ..
Humidity depends on your tank.. If you have an open screen top try covering part of the top. Maybe with a wet towel..

As for feeding bigger bps will eat rats well.. Can get gerbil or fancy mice.. I'm sure someone else will be along to help more soon

We've been using wet towels across the top. It just seems like they dry out fast. Is misting the tank necessary?

[JMBall's]

Put aluminum foil and tape ( no exposed tape for the snake to stick to) over the screen top to keep humidity in. Wet towel on top does nothing. Water evaporates and rises. If covering the top doesn't quite get the humidity up add a larger water bowl or substrate. Aspen or reptibark (coconut husk) is good. Never use cedar. Feed rats if you can, more nutritious. Gerbils and fancy mice are 2x the price so don't bother. They like to feel safe and sound...no foliage or open, spacious hides.

[thejennabird]

I'll add my own two cents:
How can I keep my humidity up? Follow this tutorial (especially the foil lid suggestion) for a time-tested, reliable way to achieve proper conditions in your BP's home. As was mentioned above, foil is better than a damp towel because a) towels are absorbent, and b) foil will reflect heat and moisture back into the enclosure.

What kind of mulch or substrate is best?There is no one "best" substrate. It depends on your needs and preferences. Newspaper and aspen are popular for easy maintenance. For humidity issues, cypress mulch or cocohusk are better are increasing moisture. I personally use cypress mulch.

Is it better to feed them two fuzzies or one larger mouse? Is there anything better to feed them? Even a baby ball python can probably take an adult mouse. In the long run, a single large prey item will be cheaper and more convenient than multiple smaller items. It is frequently recommended to switch your BP to rats if you can. While mice will work (and sometimes are the only thing they'll eat), it is more efficient to feed an adult BP a single rat than 4+ mice. There is some discussion on this topic.

Do BP's like foliage in their housing? BPs like feeling secure and unexposed. Adding plastic plants (no wires or loops) is often recommended for small BPs in large enclosures, to help "fill the space" and make it feel enclosed. I have silk plants from a craft store in my enclosure because I like the aesthetic and I think it provides some enrichment. Is it necessary? Not really. Balled up newspaper would probably be just as good.

Is having two hides necessary? No, but again, BPs like feeling secure. If you only have one hide on one side of the tank (ie. the "cool side") your BP may have to sacrifice staying warmer to feel safe. Two hides are recommended so your BP has a place to rest/take shelter in two different temperatures.

Are all BP's head shy? No, and it's something they can grow out of with regular gentle handling and patience. My girl is getting progressively less shy all around. On the other hand, some will always be timid. Depends on the snake.

Hope that answers your questions! But seriously, read the caresheet on this forum and check out that tutorial linked above!

[anicatgirl]

How can I keep my humidity up? Follow the above mentioned tutorial. I use foil on top of my mesh top with it just crimped under the edges and it holds just fine without tape.

What kind of mulch or substrate is best? Depends on preference. Mine is cypress to help with the humidity. NO PINE or CEDAR, the oils can be toxic.

Is it better to feed them two fuzzies or one larger mouse? Is there anything better to feed them? One meal is always better, both money speaking and for the snake. Rats are the better choice if you can manage it.

Do BP's like foliage in their housing? I have a fake branch for mine to climb on, which she sometimes enjoys. But ultimately it is about security, if they need more to feel safe add what you need to.

Is having two hides necessary? I consider 2 hides to be necessary. One on the warm, one on the cool side. So you snake can thermoregulate it's temperature itself, with no discomfort.

Are all BP's head shy? Not all are, and mine was super head shy but she's slowly getting over it cause I kiss her on her head sometimes and just because I handle her alot.

[snake.named.fuzzy]

Thank you all! I did read the care sheet after I posted that post. I felt so dumb! Thank you for not bashing on me. One thing I read said to have two identical hides. Is that necessary, or can they differ a little? Again, thank you!

[thejennabird]

Here's the reason people recommend two identical hides: sometimes a snake may prefer one hide over another (maybe it's tighter fitting, smaller entrance, better smelling... who knows. Any number of possible reasons). If a snake prefers one hide over another, they may sacrifice thermoregulating (eg. cooling down or heating up) in the "less good hide" in order to stay in the protection of their preferred hide.

Again, lots of assumptions about the preferences and behaviors of the snake. Some people use two different hides with no problem. Some snakes probably don't care. It also depends on the hides you're using. But two identical hides can be high quality and cheap, and you can spice them up with plants or twigs on top, so there really is no reason not to get two of the same hide.

[JMBall's]

Thank you all! I did read the care sheet after I posted that post. I felt so dumb! Thank you for not bashing on me. One thing I read said to have two identical hides. Is that necessary, or can they differ a little? Again, thank you!

Bp.net is more user friendly then some of the other forumns. Alot of people on BLBC have major egos and there seems to be a lot of trash talking on there.

[LivingwithBalls]

Bp.net is more user friendly then some of the other forumns. Alot of people on BLBC have major egos and there seems to be a lot of trash talking on there.

I find this forum to be that way as well, though the responses on this forum are much quicker. My favorite is SsnakesS


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