Need info and help for my ball python!

[jonathon.kopp]

5 days ago, I purchased my first ball python and his name is fartbarf! On yhe second day I got him, he started to shed. It started to come off in patches and has been pretty rough with no results yet. Should I bathe him and help him out or no? And I've seen plently of threads where it says they won't eat during shed, but he hasn't ate and I'm getting a little worried. Should I be? On the hot side, it is around 89 degrees and the cold side is 78 degrees. But Fartbarf keeps going up and down the sides of the tank only at night. Is this normal or is he stressed? Tomorrow I should be puuting black paper around the back and sides of his cage too. Oh, and he is a hatchling in a 55 gallon tank. Please help and answer some of my questions! Thank you

[Stewart_Reptiles]

5 days ago, I purchased my first ball python and his name is fartbarf! On yhe second day I got him, he started to shed. It started to come off in patches and has been pretty rough with no results yet. Should I bathe him and help him out or no? And I've seen plently of threads where it says they won't eat during shed, but he hasn't ate and I'm getting a little worried. Should I be? On the hot side, it is around 89 degrees and the cold side is 78 degrees. But Fartbarf keeps going up and down the sides of the tank only at night. Is this normal or is he stressed? Tomorrow I should be puuting black paper around the back and sides of his cage too. Oh, and he is a hatchling in a 55 gallon tank. Please help and answer some of my questions! Thank you

Hatchling in a 55 gallons tank? Even an adult does not need anything that big.

Yep not a surprise that he is over active, climbing the "wall", not eating and not having a good shed.

So here is where you start http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-hatchling-101 if you hatchling is over 250 grams than use a 12 quarts tub instead.

When you take him out to transfer him to his new enclosure get a damp towel and let him slither through it it will take care of the shed, after that no more handling until it eats.

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[jonathon.kopp]

Hatchling in a 55 gallons tank? Even an adult does not need anything that big.

Yep not a surprise that he is over active, climbing the "wall", not eating and not having a good shed.

So here is where you start http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-hatchling-101 if you hatchling is over 250 grams than use a 12 quarts tub instead.

When you take him out to transfer him to his new enclosure get a damp towel and let him slither through it it will take care of the shed, after that no more handling until it eats.

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Thank you very much. He got the rest of his skin off yesterday and tried to feed him. He struck at it and didn't eat it. Do you know why? And should I try again tomorrow?

[m1lkhoney]

Deborah started this sticky, actually. Check out My Ball Python Won't Eat - Hatchling 101

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Thank you very much. He got the rest of his skin off yesterday and tried to feed him. He struck at it and didn't eat it. Do you know why? And should I try again tomorrow?

Defensive strike, do not try tomorrow, offering to soon after a refusal on leads to more refusal and change your husbandry if you want this animal to eat for you.

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[jonathon.kopp]

Should I try live next? Or what?

[m1lkhoney]

Oh, and since I guess your question didn't get answered: a lot of people recommend that you leave your new snake alone for at least a week before trying to feed it. Let it acclimate. You're already sort of rushing the process. BPs can go quite awhile without eating and be perfectly fine. Repeatedly offering prey after refusal will just stress or annoy, um, fartbarf. Wait a few days, at least. I'm not an expert but that's what I've been told BY experts and it's worked for me.

He's not eating because he's not acclimated yet and his enclosure is WAY too big for him.

Also, I just saw that Deborah already posted her thread. Oh well, it's worth a double post. Also read the FAQs and the caresheet stickies on the top of this forum and the Husbandry forum, if you haven't already. In fact, reading through the Husbandry forum is a good idea regardless.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Should I try live next? Or what?

Follow the link provided and do what it says to a T

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[jonathon.kopp]

Update: I moved him from the 55 to a simple container which is bigger than 6 quarts. It's 32 quarts, but it is tall so I threw in a few fake plants I bought for the big tank and threw them in there. And I had a small bowl that I cut an opening for that he is hiding right now and during most of the day. I put aspen bedding down and drillied many holes in the tops and sides so he has enough oxygen. He also has a water bowl in there that will keep the humidity up. I have a heat mat on the shelter side (hot side) and I have a heat lamp on top of the leaves for basking. They are measured by a thermometer that allows both the lamp and mat to be plugged into. When it reaches that temp. in the tank it shuts both of them off. I will try to feed him live fuzzies next week. Is that better??

[chrid16371]

Update: I moved him from the 55 to a simple container which is bigger than 6 quarts. It's 32 quarts, but it is tall so I threw in a few fake plants I bought for the big tank and threw them in there. And I had a small bowl that I cut an opening for that he is hiding right now and during most of the day. I put aspen bedding down and drillied many holes in the tops and sides so he has enough oxygen. He also has a water bowl in there that will keep the humidity up. I have a heat mat on the shelter side (hot side) and I have a heat lamp on top of the leaves for basking. They are measured by a thermometer that allows both the lamp and mat to be plugged into. When it reaches that temp. in the tank it shuts both of them off. I will try to feed him live fuzzies next week. Is that better??

What kind of thermometer are you using? A digital thermometer with a probe is best or a infared temp gun, a good probe thermometer is an acurite 00891. What kind of heat bulb are you using? Is it red or blue? If not then switch to red or blue or your snake will be come very stressed.. If the temp in the room your snake is kept in is more than 75 degrees you do not need the heat lamp, if it is below 75 then put heat lamp on cool side. Your heat mat temp needs to be measured with a digital probe thermometer or temp gun and you need to check the temp under the substrate (bedding) right on the floor of the tub over the heat mat and make sure it gets no hotter than 94. Reason you check temp under substrate is bc snakes will burrow and a burn will eventually happen if the temp is not in the safe zone. For your heat lamp (if you need to use it) you need to check the temp of the hottest spot it touches and make sure it is in the safe zone, 88-92 is best but I would keep it closer to 88 for a younger snake. How is your heat lamp setup? You said you have a tub so do you have the heat lamp inside the tub? If so remove it immediately. Imo The only way you can really use the heat lamp with a tub is if you made a home made lid since the plastic lid can melt especially if your using it to heat your hot side. I've heard of people using them on cool side to heat the cool side to around 80 but if your cool side is below 75 a heat mat for the cool side would be safer than a bulb IMO. The thermostat your using that shuts off your heat sources when it reaches temp is fine but since your using 2 different types of heat sources that heat in different ways with different wattage you cannot have them plugged into the same thermostat, you need one thermostat for each heat source.

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