New Ball Python Owner

[cubano07x]

Hey everyone! This is my first post...I've been looking for a forum like this for a while until I finally found this one! Anyway, as the subject line says, I'm a proud new owner of a BP...naturally, I have a lot of questions.

I'll start off with just a few for now. I've been reading a lot about how you need to let the snake relax in its new home without handling for about a week. Thing is, when I first got him, I did the opposite of that...I handled him a lot and within 3-4 days I tried feeding him and of course he didn't eat it. I've had him for about 2 weeks now and I have tried to feed him every so often both frozen and live food but he just isn't eating.

So, I'm wondering, could my prior mistakes have done something extremely bad to him? I'm kinda worried and frustrated cuz I just don't understand snakes!

I've been keeping handling to a minimum since I have read that but have I caused some sort of psychological stress to the snake that he just won't want to eat now? Also, another reason I was handling him was cuz he seems really active. He always comes out of his hide and explores the tank, and if I open the top he'll get out and explore things around him (under my supervision of course).

So any tips? I also own a bearded dragon and the 2 are so different it's just crazy. So any ideas and comments are more than welcome!

Thanks people!

[Shaun J]

Hey everyone! This is my first post...I've been looking for a forum like this for a while until I finally found this one! Anyway, as the subject line says, I'm a proud new owner of a BP...naturally, I have a lot of questions.

I'll start off with just a few for now. I've been reading a lot about how you need to let the snake relax in its new home without handling for about a week. Thing is, when I first got him, I did the opposite of that...I handled him a lot and within 3-4 days I tried feeding him and of course he didn't eat it. I've had him for about 2 weeks now and I have tried to feed him every so often both frozen and live food but he just isn't eating.

So, I'm wondering, could my prior mistakes have done something extremely bad to him? I'm kinda worried and frustrated cuz I just don't understand snakes!

I've been keeping handling to a minimum since I have read that but have I caused some sort of psychological stress to the snake that he just won't want to eat now? Also, another reason I was handling him was cuz he seems really active. He always comes out of his hide and explores the tank, and if I open the top he'll get out and explore things around him (under my supervision of course).

So any tips? I also own a bearded dragon and the 2 are so different it's just crazy. So any ideas and comments are more than welcome!

Thanks people!

Ok, don't hold him for a week. Start today and leave him alone until sunday.Then on Sunday, you feed him. But to tell you the truth it could be anything not causing him to eat. Wrong temps, low humidity, high humidity, hides not secure, too much stress, etc. Make sure the temps and humidity are right so you can rule that out.

Yes, handling may cause stress, which is why it is not recomended to handle your snake very often. I handle mine once or twice a week and they are fine.

Welcome to the site, your questions are welcome too!

[Shelby]

First off.. welcome!

If you haven't already, give our caresheet a read through: http://ball-pythons.net/modules.php?...warticle&id=59

Handling right away isn't good because of stress, but it won't ruin him for life. Likely there is something not quite right in his cage/environment. Can you describe your setup.. and if possible post pictures?

Where did you get your BP from? I'm guessing a pet store.. which is one of the worst places to get one.. breeders are much more likely to give you a healthy eating snake. Some BPs will only eat live food.. at least at first. If you go this route you must never leave a live rodent in the cage with the snake without supervising.. rodents can injure snakes if they are left alone with them for too long.

[OSU_Snake keeper]

Welcome,

I can tell you that I made a lot of mistakes when I first got my ball python, and he's just fine now. If you take some time to research then you'll be able to learn everything you need to know. There's a ton of helpful information on this site.

[tigerlily]

The first thing I'd check is your environment. You want a warm side of 92-94 and cool side of 82-84, with the temps measured digitally.

In addition I would advise a trip to a qualified herp vet. http://www.arav.org/USMembers.htm Internal parasites can also cause feeding issues, and can be easily check and treated.

[TheAudOne]

Welcome,

I can tell you that I made a lot of mistakes when I first got my ball python, and he's just fine now. If you take some time to research then you'll be able to learn everything you need to know. There's a ton of helpful information on this site.

Very well put. I think every first time owner worries over every little thing, relax and spend some time on here using the search up top and finding your answers....post some new ones and know there are alot of people here to help you out on your journey.

[cubano07x]

Oh wow thanks for the quick replies everyone! Well here's a pic of my set up and a description of how everything is set up.

Also, yes I got the snake from a petstore but they told me that they had just fed it 2 days prior to when i bought it and that it was eating Hoppers. On top of that, it looked healthy to me aside from apparently a small impartial shed on the top of its body (really small dry piece of skin). They told me it was eating frozen thawed, which I have tried with no luck, which is why I tried live. Anyway, here is my set up:


The condensation you see on the glass is there because I had just finished misting the tank b4 I took the picture. Normally, it isn't close to that humid.

Ok so here's how I have everything set up that you can't see right away. The hot side is on the right side, I have a UTH with a reptile carpet over the glass and then the substrate over that. I did this cuz I read that it will prevent possible burns if the snake decides to bury itself in the subtrate.

I completely covered around 3/4 of the screen top with insulating vinyl to retain heat and humidity. As you can see, I have an infrared bulb over the hot side which keeps ambient temps within the acceptable ranges. My probe is on the ground, near the front of the hide (look near the stick) and it reads 85F. I don't know how accurate it is because it seems pretty cozy in there when I open it and stick my hand in there.

I do NOT have a Hygrometer...YET, I'm gonna be going out within the next couple days to buy one, so I'll be able to tell you the exact humidity. As it stands, I lightly mist the cage once a day, so I'm *guessing* my humidity should be either around where it needs to be or perhaps a little bit higher.


As you can tell from that pic, that's what I mean about him being really active. He constantly looks up and searches for a spot to escape along the top. He seems to really like his new home, which is why I'm so confused on why he won't eat!

Sorry for the long post, but hopefully this clears up a lot more of your questions on my husbandry.

Here's a couple more pics of him being silly:











ps-> His name is Kanihbus because he so laid back and even tempered.

[frankykeno]

Hey everyone! This is my first post...I've been looking for a forum like this for a while until I finally found this one! Anyway, as the subject line says, I'm a proud new owner of a BP...naturally, I have a lot of questions.

I'll start off with just a few for now. I've been reading a lot about how you need to let the snake relax in its new home without handling for about a week. Thing is, when I first got him, I did the opposite of that...I handled him a lot and within 3-4 days I tried feeding him and of course he didn't eat it. I've had him for about 2 weeks now and I have tried to feed him every so often both frozen and live food but he just isn't eating.

So, I'm wondering, could my prior mistakes have done something extremely bad to him? I'm kinda worried and frustrated cuz I just don't understand snakes!

I've been keeping handling to a minimum since I have read that but have I caused some sort of psychological stress to the snake that he just won't want to eat now? Also, another reason I was handling him was cuz he seems really active. He always comes out of his hide and explores the tank, and if I open the top he'll get out and explore things around him (under my supervision of course).

So any tips? I also own a bearded dragon and the 2 are so different it's just crazy. So any ideas and comments are more than welcome!

Thanks people!

Welcome to BPNet. Don't worry unduly that you've done the snake anytime long term damage, just work the problem. Usually feeding refusals are related first to husbandry so I'll address that first.

This is what we often recommend you buy. It's an Acu-Rite from Walmart (sold under different brand names as well at Home Depot and Lowe's) for around $12.00 plus the cost of a AAA battery. You place the unit itself on the cool side of tank, run the probe wire either under the substrate or out and back into the tank and tuck the probe into the cool side hide. Push a couple of buttons and you get IN temp (cool side), OUT temp (warm side inside the hide) and overall humidity. Find out the actual numbers and then if they are off we can help you adjust them. The stick on temp and humidity analog gauges from the pet store are next to useless.



You want temps 82-84 cool side, 92-94 warm side and an ambient humidity of about 50-60% 24/7, no need to drop temps at night. You can help the snake shed by temporarily upping your humidity to about 60-70% during his entire shed cycle.

Hides - the ones you have while pretty may not be giving your snake the security it needs since they are open on both ends. If possible I'd see if they can be returned to the pet store for a store credit and replaced with simple plastic containers that are dark, heavy and secure. Things like bowls, plastic plant saucers, etc. Do a search for the word "hides" and you should be able to find lots of pics for example. Here's one I use for my bigger females...it's a heavy rubber dog dish that I pay about $4.00 for from a local feed and tack store. Note how tightly the snake fits....BP's feel most secure when they are stuffed very tightly into their hides...a hide should just fit the snake coiled up and have no spare room.



Think about whether the snake's tank is in a busy, high traffic or noisy part of your home. BP's have no external ears but are very reactive to vibrations and a lot of movement...they are very shy, nocturnal snakes. If a lot of loud bass music, stomping, running feet or people staring at them occur...they can stress and refuse to eat. You may need to relocate the snake a bit as they aren't a display type creature.

If possible contact a herp vet for either a fecal float (just take in feces not snake) or a full wellness check and a vent swab (if the snake isn't pooping). Pet store snakes can often carry internal parasites which will affect their willingness to feed.

The pet store may well have lied to you. They always say the snake just ate. It's a very typical sales tool and often not truthful. They also often tell you the snake is captive hatched when it is a recent import.

You mentioned hopper. I assume you mean a hopper mouse which is an awfully small meal for a BP of any decent size. You might want to try an adult mouse of a reasonable size either frozen/thawed, pre-killed or live. A search here will give you information on proper methods of each feeding style or please ask the memebers experienced in this for assistance. Each feeding style has it's right and wrong way to do it to be successful.

Your UTH is under the tank right? Not actually inside the tank under the substrate and carpet? You might want to rethink the carpet as a lot of people have found it traps bacteria from the snake's waste products. BP's don't generally burrow so a nice layer of aspen is more than enough and will allow heat to pass through it to the snake.

I personally wouldn't handle the snake at all until it feeds for at least 3 consecutive weeks with no problems then start with very short, very quiet 5 or 10 minute sessions.

Sorry for the book length post. Please feel free to ask any questions, express concerns, whatever...that's what we are here for.

[cubano07x]

frankykeno- thank you so much for your reply, you have made me a lot more aware to things that I didn't know and I have adjusted slightly. I'll tell you what I've done and answers to your questions.

As to your question about the hides and it being too open on both ends...as you can see theyre right up against the glass, so it makes as if its closed in on that end. I did a slight modification just now, where I put some folded up, black garbage bag on the side w/o the background. Now both hides appear as if they are completely closed off and more secure.

Thanks for recommending that thermometer, liek I said, I'll be going out in a few days to buy one. So, I'll know for sure if temps/humidity are the problems.

As for the tank being in a busy spot....it's in my basement. There's barely anyone down here except for me. I do play loud music all the time though (not blasting) but ya know...Also, the tank is in a spot where the snake can't easily see me. So it's almost always alone.

As for the petstore possibly lying to me....that could really be a possibility. BUT the thing is, I also got my bearded dragon from a pet store, which all the forums advised against (I always read these things, AFTER I get the animal...sigh) Anyway, she turned out to be in excellent condition and is a very healthy 11 month old lizard with a very nice weight and size to her. So, my point is, this snake may turn out to be the same way...and I have feeling it is healthy just be the behaviours it is exhibiting. I have a rough idea on how reptiles act when they are sick now, so I have at least some idea on what to look for, even if they are completely different species.

Well that's it for now...what do you all think? Oh and I'll remove the carpet again too. As for the mice, the live one I'm trying to feed is an adult mouse.

[snake_lady83]

Don't worry handling your new snake is one of the first mistakes most new owners make (including me), so don't feel bad! Like they said...you haven't damaged your snake for life. You just have to give your new friend time and space to adjust to its new surroundings. I think it's probably one of the biggest challenges: leaving your brand new pet alone . In reality you're probably more stressed then your snake . Hang in there and throw any questions you might have our way. We'll help in any way we can.