Update/thank-you/feedback wanted!

[Kathleen]

All right, so, first of all... I purchased my "normal" BP on 11/18 and initially had it in a 10G tank. I posted pictures here and got constructive criticism on my set-up and husbandry. In just a few weeks, I have learned so much just from browsing around the forums and I just wanted to post a little set of updated pictures.

My BP now lives in a 20GL. I know a lot of hobbyists/experts promote the use of tubs but I only have one snake and it's going to stay that way at least for a while. Also, even though it just lives in my bedroom with me, I wanted it in a nice display tank. I've worked very, very hard to balance aesthetics and proper husbandry. I've pretty much achieved this balance (I think)... although, naturally, when I went to take pictures that included the thermometer measurements (cool side: 83, hot side: 93, humidity: 50%), it blanked out in the flash and/or was blocked entirely.

Anyhow, without further adieu:


My BP really likes this "ginormous" log/stump I bought today for only $10! In fact, right now, it's curled up inside it with its head popping out one of the holes... oh, wait... now it's moving...


I tried to get most of the tank in one shot. It's pretty much a jungle. The cool side is on the left and the warm side is on the right.


Oh, wait, you can sort of see the reading on the thermometer in this one! But of course it's wrong because I had just put it back in after rearranging everything.

I wanted to thank everyone who's helped me, both directly and indirectly! My BP is very sweet, gentle and curious. And it eats like a piglet. I dropped a mouse into its feeding bin (I feed it outside of the enclosure) on Friday night and it struck within 10 seconds. It eats every 5 - 7 days without problem and is basically a sweetheart!

Now that classes are over and finals are almost over as well, I'll have my mornings open to schedule an appointment with the vet to get my baby's health checked out... and get it sexed so I can finally name it.

I would love any name suggestions. Oh, and I know there's always room for improvement so if you have any tips to make my vivarium even better, let me know. I am searching for a good wallpaper for it but I haven't had any luck yet. Any kind of feedback is very welcome!

[LadyOhh]

Very nice.

I like it!

No changes seem to be neccesary. I see the hides, the water, the everything.

Good job!

[plummer]

gj.. looks nice, dont need to change anything

[Kathleen]

Very nice.

I like it!

No changes seem to be neccesary. I see the hides, the water, the everything.

Good job!

Thanks!

gj.. looks nice, dont need to change anything

Thanks.

My friend (and my BP's "godmother") really likes my BP. I've offered my 10G tank to her, along with a few supplies, so she can maybe get a corn snake. Then I will share my snake husbandry wisdom with her. Hooray for spreading good care!

[Jenn]

Kathleen,

Nice set-up!!! That's what this site is all about. You are a success story!!! Now you can share your wisdom with others.

I had a very similar experience on this site, and now I am the proud owner of two snakes, rats, and mice, in addition to the fish and dogs I already had. And I'm already thinking about my next BP.

[Kathleen]

More updates!

I took my BP to see Dr. Jennifer Walker (I originally had an appointment with Dr. Bianca Zaffarano but she had to perform an emergency surgery) at Pennyroyal Small and Exotic Animal Hospital today for a check-up and probe.

Mazeltov! It's a healthy baby boy! He's 43 centimeters long and weighs a whopping 177 grams.

The vet did an "exam" of my husbandry skills and I mentioned that I learned a lot from this online forum. The only problems she had with my snake-keeping skills were my substrate (she wants me to use paper towels because she didn't know what I was talking about when I said "eco-earth") and the fact that I feed live. I told her I feed live but that I have tried F/T and will continue to do so.

She gave me mineral oil just in case he has mites (there are none visible and no behavior to suggest he has any, but I bought the snake from a pet store so it's basically a "better safe than sorry" thing).

Lastly, she also gave me brownie points for feeding in a separate enclosure... something which I wasn't sure was the right thing to do. I feel confident about it now.

For the most part, everything she told me about husbandry and other care lined up with information I've gotten here. I came across as a well-researched herparent... 'cause I am one... thanks to this site. Thanks again!

[littleindiangirl]

That's good to hear! Just to touch on a few points, there is nothing harmful about coconut bark except in the chance that it is never changed, it can harbor bacteria. (Even though it is bacteria resistant to a degree).

Vets I'm sure recommened F/t over live because they have to. There should not be any problems feeding live when supervised correctly. Snakes have been doing it for years, I think they have it pretty well down pat.

As for the oil, I don't know how oil is supposed to treat a mite problem. If there was a problem, that may have been why she recommended paper towels, to better see any mites. A good treatment for killing mites is sticking them with some Provent a mite!

Your set up looks great, if you wanted to make is a little bit more closed in for the Bp, get some jungly background for three sides of your tank. I think it would look just top notch!

[Spaniard]

Sounds great and like you have everything taken care of. My only issue was that your vet made it seem like feeding in another enclosure was better than feeling in the home enclosure. This isn't true and snakes gain no benefit by being fed in a separate enclosure; when it comes to this is it is purely a preference we choose as a keeper. So whatever feels comfortable to you and whatever keeps your snaking feeding is a good rule to follow. You may find that you will have to switch to feeding inside the home enclosure if he ever becomes finicky and thats perfectly ok too. I always feed in my home enclosure without a problem and wouldn't want to risk having one of my snakes regurging during the move back, but that is just my preference. Keep up the good work and enjoy your little guy.

[Kathleen]

That's good to hear! Just to touch on a few points, there is nothing harmful about coconut bark except in the chance that it is never changed, it can harbor bacteria. (Even though it is bacteria resistant to a degree).

Vets I'm sure recommened F/t over live because they have to. There should not be any problems feeding live when supervised correctly. Snakes have been doing it for years, I think they have it pretty well down pat.

As for the oil, I don't know how oil is supposed to treat a mite problem. If there was a problem, that may have been why she recommended paper towels, to better see any mites. A good treatment for killing mites is sticking them with some Provent a mite!

Your set up looks great, if you wanted to make is a little bit more closed in for the Bp, get some jungly background for three sides of your tank. I think it would look just top notch!

That's what she said about the coconut substrate. She was worried that it would harbor moisture and bacteria. But after the initial soak, it's very dry. I plan on changing it as often as needed so I might stick with it.

I supervise very closely when I feed live and, to me, it seems like the mice have no idea what's coming. So... I'm going to stick with it for a while longer as my main way to feed. I plan to offer F/T again at some point because I do have some on standby and I'd like to see if my snake would take either/or.

The vet actually said not to use Prevent-a-Mite... she mentioned some chemicals that BP's in particular may be sensitive to? I don't know. I'm pretty sure my snake doesn't have mites so I'll use the oil, and maybe stick in a few paper towels, but I think I'm good.

And I totally plan to buy a great jungle background once I find one that's aesthetically pleasing + cut to size! I'm picky...

Sounds great and like you have everything taken care of. My only issue was that your vet made it seem like feeding in another enclosure was better than feeling in the home enclosure. This isn't true and snakes gain no benefit by being fed in a separate enclosure; when it comes to this is it is purely a preference we choose as a keeper. So whatever feels comfortable to you and whatever keeps your snaking feeding is a good rule to follow. You may find that you will have to switch to feeding inside the home enclosure if he ever becomes finicky and thats perfectly ok too. I always feed in my home enclosure without a problem and wouldn't want to risk having one of my snakes regurging during the move back, but that is just my preference. Keep up the good work and enjoy your little guy.

She used the "cage aggression" logic and said it's good that the BP associates its feeding bin specifically with one thing: food. I personally agree with you that both can work just as well.

Thanks for the comments, guys!

[littleindiangirl]

The vet actually said not to use Prevent-a-Mite... she mentioned some chemicals that BP's in particular may be sensitive to? I don't know. I'm pretty sure my snake doesn't have mites so I'll use the oil, and maybe stick in a few paper towels, but I think I'm good.

This bothers me. The vet believes that BP's (like in 'particular') are sensitive to the effects of provent a mite?

Well, this is true when used improperly. (and in high doses) But the directions for provent a mite are to use it on the bedding and enclosure. Not on the BP. It's also one of the most researched and experimented sprays out there. Perhaps she should call the manufacturer to confirm her beliefs. She may learn a thing or two.