Just got my first ball python

[suzanne]

We just got her last saturday. They told us to feed her that day.She refused the frozen/thawed mouse that we gave her. She was being fed live mice. She is in a 20 gallon aquarium. Right now the temp on the cool side is 80, the hot side is 86 right now. I have a heating pad under it, and am having trouble getting it to stay at 90. I have ordered a UTH, and it should be here next week. We fed her a live mouse today, as she refused the frozen/thawed again. She ate it quickly. After we put her back in her cage, she kept looking around like she wanted more. She is about 15 inches long. I am not sure of her actual hatch date. The mouse we gave her was a small mouse. She also has a big water bowl in the cage. The humidity is around 50-60%. She is very active, and we are enjoying her alot. Just wanted to know if I am doing everything right. Also any tips on getting her to switch to frozen/thawed?

[Strider]

Take a blow dryer and use that to heat up the mouse. Also use tongs and do a little zombie dance with the mouse. That will help make the snake believe it is a live mouse.

[suzanne]

Thanks I will try that.

[tigerlily]

Welcome to the site! Just wanted to make sure you have two hides one on each side. It sounds like you pretty good. Also when you notice a BM I would take it and have checked at the vet's for parasites. (especially if it's a pet store bp - you can put it in a plastic baggie and refrigerate it until taking it to the vet's in the am) Anyway I'm just throwing out things at random. Congrats on the new snake and on the first feed!

[frankykeno]

Sounds like you are on the right track Suzanne and welcome to the forum. Just push her temps up a tad to the recommended levels and you'll be good to go. Remember humidity up to 70% when she goes into shed and they do that often as babies it seems.

The zombie mouse dance (silly name but funny!) does work really well. We just place the pre-killed mouse in a natural position facing the snake and wiggle it in a lifelike fashion. After awhile with our two we are lucky to get a lil wiggle in before they pounce on their mice. Heck last night our 18 month old ball came up out of her enclosure in a full stretch trying to reach my husband who had her mouse on the hemostats but apparently was being to slowwwwwwwwwww. LOL

They are super snakes to keep! Please feel free to keep asking any questions you might have or just brag on your snake like we all do around here LOL.


~~Joanna~~

[suzanne]

Thanks for the welcome. I have two hides on each side, one is a shoe box cut open and the other is a butter bowl that I cut. She also has some fake greenery to climb on. I got her from a breeder at a pet show here in ky. This might be a silly question, but how to I get her temp up on the cool side? I don't have a heat source on it. Hopefully her uth will be her early next week, and I can use that. My husband didn't like snakes until he married me. Now he is in love with this ball python. This is his baby!

[frankykeno]

LOL our first ball was my hubby's idea. I thought "well nice enough snake but don't they just sorta ball up and do nothing and not really pretty colors but well okay". Little did I know LOL. Now our whole family is ball python crazy, heck snake crazy!

My oldest (age 17) wants a corn snake for her birthday in October (gotta have a snake for her new first apartment!). Our 14 and 11 year olds are saving madly for an Albino Nelon's Milksnake and a het for Albino Nelson's Milksnake and busy figuring their future breeding plans

Our 4 year old just wants a puppy!


~~Jo~~

[kurgan]

Congratulations Suzanne, I beat you by only a few weeks so I'm still very much learning too
I'm surprised that the breeder suggested you feed her on the day you got her though, the consensus seems to be to let the snake settle in for a week before feeding.
Good luck switching her to f/t, I'm lucky in that f/t is all Monty has ever known.

[new2BP]

if u are using a heat lamp u could try this. thaw the mouse, then place it under the lamp to warm it up. this also sends the scent of the mouse through the cage and drives my little wild. then i use tongs to feed her. works everytime, but i just eliminated my heat lamp, and am only ussing UTH now.

[kraniumz]

Thanks for the welcome. I have two hides on each side, one is a shoe box cut open and the other is a butter bowl that I cut. She also has some fake greenery to climb on. I got her from a breeder at a pet show here in ky. This might be a silly question, but how to I get her temp up on the cool side? I don't have a heat source on it. Hopefully her uth will be her early next week, and I can use that. My husband didn't like snakes until he married me. Now he is in love with this ball python. This is his baby!

Welcome and grats on the bp! You should not have to worry about the temp on the cool side. 80 is fine.