Any advice??

[Ellatheballpytonlady]

I plan on getting my first ball python April 6 and was wondering if any keepers have tips regarding anything at all. Also how do you guys acquire your F/T rodents? Are the frozen rodents at chain pet stores a bad option? How do you thaw your rodents? Would butcher paper be an acceptable substrate or is something that holds humidity better? Do your feed with feeding tongs? What brand of feeding tongs if so? Is a snake hook over kill for a BP? Do you ball pythons climb occasionally? I have been seeing black plastic hides with small openings on the forum. What brand are those hides? Some members suggested I black out 3 sides of my 40 gal tank. Would blacking it out be best? What is a snake product you couldn't live without? Do you typically let a snake adjust to its environment and not touch them for a little bit? If so how long do you let them adjust?

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. If you can answer a question or two it would be greatly appreciated.

[JodanOrNoDan]

Most of your questions will be answered here. I have not ever had a ball where a snake hook was needed. For the few excitable balls I have dealt with, a light touch with a paper towel roll is usually enough to get them out of a striking mood.

[Ellatheballpytonlady]

Thank you very much! That care sheet was extremely helpful.

[Kira]

I use tongs to place the f/t mouse in the cage but my ball python is shy so she won't grab it off the tongs. I just set the mouse in the enclosure and she will strike it a few seconds after I put it down.

I blacked out 3/4 of the sides of my enclosure with black fabric. It's taped to the outside because I didn't want to risk my snake getting caught in the tape plus this way the material stays clean. This helps ball pythons feel more secure.

When you first bring home a new snake, it's a good idea to leave them alone for a week so they have time to adjust. After that you can handle it about 2-3 times per week. Make sure to give the snake 48 hours after eating to be handled so it doesn't regurgitate it's meal. Pet stores will tell you that you have to feed your snake in a separate enclosure or else it will get aggressive but that's a myth. Feed in your enclosure and your ball will get on a schedule. Mine knows that Tuesday is feeding day and she has never tried to strike at me.

I highly recommend getting your ball python from a breeder. You can find lots of good options on Morph Market and even some members here breed balls. You can check a breeder's reputation on the Fauna Classifeds Board of Inquiry. Just be sure to avoid pet stores because often times their snakes have feeding issues or mites and just generally aren't well taken care of.

If you do a lot of research and read care sheets, you will have a thriving BP

[Slither Seeker]

what size BP are you getting? a 40 gallon is a bit large, some say even 20 gal is too large for a hatchling. I would start setting up now and get temp and humidity dialed in well in advance of delivery day.

[Lizardlicks]

You CAN properly start a hatchling off in the enclosure it will eventually grown into, BUT you're going to have to take some steps to make it work. I'd say at least one, if not two extra hides depending on the size of the hide and how much space you have. I like using half logs and hollow branches not as hides but as tunnels between them so the snake has paths to get around the enclosure with minimal exposure ( keep in mind the width your snake will grow to, you don't want a hollow branch that they end up getting stuck in as they mature). Limit the open space overhead while simultaneously giving it an interesting environment to explore by adding branches, and lastly fill in any empty spaces left with plants; either plastic ones or real ones in potted planters, just make sure they're reptile safe either way. It will look nice to you even when the snake isn't out in the open, and it will fill in what would other wise be a big open void that the baby's brain would interpret as "predator shooting gallery, BEWARE".

[tttaylorrr]

where do you plan on getting your beep from? adult or bby? if bby then i HIGHLY recommend starting it off in a 6qt tub or slightly bigger. super cheap to buy and upgrade (like $6), simple set up and upkeep. i wish i started with tubs. a 40gal is huge for a bby and not recommended, and as a new owner it will be very difficult for you to read stress behavior and correct the issues.

these are my tips, and i learned the hard way how to care and recognize a bby beep in distress, as well as correct the issues. a tub would have saved me so much stress and money.

do what works for you, but keep my advice in mind! i'm trying to save you some steps. and as others have said, set up the enclosure BEFORE any snake comes home.

[cayley]

Def don't need a snake hook unless you have a super problem case. My experience with mine has been... lazy and harmless.

[crenfrow524]

I plan on getting my first ball python April 6 and was wondering if any keepers have tips regarding anything at all. Also how do you guys acquire your F/T rodents? Are the frozen rodents at chain pet stores a bad option? How do you thaw your rodents? Would butcher paper be an acceptable substrate or is something that holds humidity better? Do your feed with feeding tongs? What brand of feeding tongs if so? Is a snake hook over kill for a BP? Do you ball pythons climb occasionally? I have been seeing black plastic hides with small openings on the forum. What brand are those hides? Some members suggested I black out 3 sides of my 40 gal tank. Would blacking it out be best? What is a snake product you couldn't live without? Do you typically let a snake adjust to its environment and not touch them for a little bit? If so how long do you let them adjust?

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. If you can answer a question or two it would be greatly appreciated.

I usually purchase frozen from reptile expos to save on shipping. As the collection has grown though I have been breeding rats to cut down on feeder costs.
I thaw my rats over night in the fridge and then leave in the snake room for about an hour before feeding with a quick shot from a hair dryer to warm.
Butcher paper is fine as long as you can maintain proper humidity. Which if you are using a tank will be a challenge. I would recommend something such as eco earth to help maintain humidity.
I do use tongs for feeding as I do not want to stress my snake if it accidentally misses and tags me instead of the rat. They are just standard grilling tongs. I do not use a hook though.
One thing I would not want to give up at this point is my racks. They maintain temp. and humidity so well it would be impossible for me to go back to anything else.
I do leave the snake alone for a while after I first purchase. It helps to acclimate to the new environment. They are plenty stressed out as it is and I see no reason to increase that stress. Plenty of time to play later. Typically 2 weeks for me with only interaction is to feed and clean.

Don't forget to quarantine once you get more than one! It can save lives! And we all get more than one.


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[Hypancistrus]

The best advice I will give you is to ditch the idea of a glass cage and to buy an enclosed PVC cage or better yet, a rack- preferably an Reptile Basics Iris CB-70 rack. The bins are massive and it comes in 3 or 4-drawer models. And once you have one BP you will want another.

Seriously though... the glass cages are so hard to manage humidity in. My one pied BP used to have awful, awful sheds. Since getting my RB rack her sheds are much better, and my other two also show shedding improvements. BP's, living naturally in underground burrows and termite mounds, take to racks like a duck to water. All of my other snakes are in ExoTerra cages. But the BP's really do better in racks.

I use aspen litter, I buy bulk rodents from shows or online. I have used the Petsmart rodents. They are fine, but way overpriced. If you have only one snake that may not matter. I use a snake hook for my one BP because he tends to assume any time the rack opens a rodent is coming. It keeps both of us safe. He is fine once I rub him with the hook. I always avoid handling my snakes until they have eaten at least 3-4 times with me. I also don't handle my BP's every day. I think it stresses them out. It's another benefit to having multiple snakes. You can spread the handling around. And also you never have wasted mice. 😀

Good luck! I have kept well over 50 different species, and BP's are my only repeat snake.