Finally got a snake!! couple questions

[gusanr14]

Finally got a banana ball python named pudding. Pictures are in the pic forum also!
I just wanted to make sure I am in a good shape for my new baby.

1) I asked them and they said he was about 4~5 months old, I came home weighted and he is 134 g. He doesn't look dehydrated or skinny at all but I was doing research and it seems like 4~5 months seems to weigh more? or is he good as long as body shape looks good?

2)And what should I feed him? Place where I got it from was saying he was on hopper mice and I should feed that for 2~3 feedings. According to the feeding chart I saw here states that first 3~5 meals are hopper mouse and from then up to 200 g should be small mouse. Should I just go with small mouse?

3) As temp wise, I temp gunned the snake body and it was at 81 degrees. Am I in a good shape? I know they are cold blooded and just depend on the environment temperature. Should it be warmer if it is on the hot spot?

4)Lastly, are they escapers? Do they want to escape from their enclosure? or are they just trying to explore but end up escaping. Reason why I ask was he was exploring the tub but was exploring the top sides of the tub.

Thank you!

[spellbound04]

I can't answer everything bc I'm just a recreational snake owner but I would say for the food try offering a small mouse if u think he can handle it, a snake can eat food thats as wide as the widest part of its body. If he can't handle it he won't eat it and you can try hoppers for a couple more weeks. If you search "mouse feeding chart" you'll find pictures to give you an idea of mouse sizes for each weight. Ball pythons dont have a tendency to try and escape. They honestly dont really even have a tendency to roam around too much. They're called ball pythons bc they're characteristically known to stay curled in a ball in their hides. When you first put him in his tank he may explore but will likely settle into a hide with no problem. For weight, I'd edit this post and put the images here if possible. As for temps just make sure you have a warm and cool side, around the 75-90 range (someone can definitely give you more specific temps than me, but thats the general range) make sure his humidity stays up at around 55-60% bc that makes sheds easier. Hope any of this helps, congrats on your new noodle! I've always loved bananas!

[c0r3yr0s3]

Speaking from personal experience, they seem to grow different. An example would be my 2 normals. They are the same age and on the same feeding schedule but the male is almost twice the size of the female. My female is very healthy and always sheds in one piece, she's just petite. Both are proportionate with no sausage butt and neither are skinny. As far as escaping, I think they usually try to get out when they aren't happy. It's natural for any type of animal to explore a new enclosure but if it keeps at it, it's probably not comfortable. My first bp was an escape artist but that was 20 years ago when a heat rock was common and most people weren't aware of the humidity and temperature needs. Nowadays the only time mine "explore" is when they're hungry

[Regius_049]

1) I asked them and they said he was about 4~5 months old, I came home weighted and he is 134 g. He doesn't look dehydrated or skinny at all but I was doing research and it seems like 4~5 months seems to weigh more? or is he good as long as body shape looks good?

He's a on the small side for 4-5 months, but that does not necessarily mean he is unhealthy. My guess is they didn't feed him as much as some people recommend. You can see a chart of age and average weights here.

2)And what should I feed him? Place where I got it from was saying he was on hopper mice and I should feed that for 2~3 feedings. According to the feeding chart I saw here states that first 3~5 meals are hopper mouse and from then up to 200 g should be small mouse. Should I just go with small mouse?

I suspect this is the chart you are referring to. A small mouse should be fine...that said, I am surprised he was still on hopper mice at that age. I suspect that is why he is on the smaller side.

3) As temp wise, I temp gunned the snake body and it was at 81 degrees. Am I in a good shape? I know they are cold blooded and just depend on the environment temperature. Should it be warmer if it is on the hot spot?

The snake will modulate its body temperature as needed. Just knowing the snakes body temperature (outside significant extremes), doesn't tell us much. You should have a gradient in the enclosure ranging from approximately 88-90 degrees to 77-78 degrees. A little colder or warmer is not a huge deal.

4)Lastly, are they escapers? Do they want to escape from their enclosure? or are they just trying to explore but end up escaping. Reason why I ask was he was exploring the tub but was exploring the top sides of the tub.

All snakes will explore the entirety of their enclosure. If a ball python is doing this excessively, they may indeed be unhappy with the setup and may be looking for a better hiding location, which I presume is the crux of your question. There is some measure of experience needed to determine the difference between night time foraging and "wall surfing". For example, all my animals move about their tubs, but they don't constantly trying and get out. Usually you can tell the difference by whether or not a ball python is eating. If they are unhappy or in 'flight mode', they will not (usually) accept food.

If you are concerned about your setup, you can peruse the forums here. This type of information is all over the place.

[gusanr14]

He's a on the small side for 4-5 months, but that does not necessarily mean he is unhealthy. My guess is they didn't feed him as much as some people recommend. You can see a chart of age and average weights here.



I suspect this is the chart you are referring to. A small mouse should be fine...that said, I am surprised he was still on hopper mice at that age. I suspect that is why he is on the smaller side.



The snake will modulate its body temperature as needed. Just knowing the snakes body temperature (outside significant extremes), doesn't tell us much. You should have a gradient in the enclosure ranging from approximately 88-90 degrees to 77-78 degrees. A little colder or warmer is not a huge deal.



All snakes will explore the entirety of their enclosure. If a ball python is doing this excessively, they may indeed be unhappy with the setup and may be looking for a better hiding location, which I presume is the crux of your question. There is some measure of experience needed to determine the difference between night time foraging and "wall surfing". For example, all my animals move about their tubs, but they don't constantly trying and get out. Usually you can tell the difference by whether or not a ball python is eating. If they are unhappy or in 'flight mode', they will not (usually) accept food.

If you are concerned about your setup, you can peruse the forums here. This type of information is all over the place.

I think he is set lol he went in the hide on the hot zone. Then just now, he moved to the cool side hide. I guess he wanted some cool air haha hot spot is like 87~89.

[Sunnieskys]

You are doing fine. If husbandry is on point it's all good. And both my snakes stay in the warm hide after eating. Usually also during the day and go to the cool side at night.