sleep/inactivity question

[lyricalcyphr]

how much rest does a ball python need? will i kill him if i hold him too much? i just want him to be happy of course. he doesn't try to run away or nothin when i take him out

Of course he (haven't settled on a name but I'm leaning towards KOBE) gets all night to sleep, but most of the time this weekend that i have been awake - i have held or let him crawl outside of his cage

he is very docile - he has not snapped at me at all

got him off craig's list - captive bred hatched from some guys house - mother is captive bred and father is from africa but bought from pet store

this is my first reptile pet - i grew up with dogs - my girl said no pets with fur, and i still caught hell for this one (but he's worth the fight)

i just got mine two days ago, he is 5 weeks old-i actually wake up in the middle of the night to check up on him lol

about a week away from sheding

last feed a week ago - i am waiting for this shed to feed again, I plan to feed once a week to once every 10 days.

[sg1trogdor]

I wouldnt worry just let it be for a while to get used to its new home. They are nocturnal so I wouldn't handle him too much until later in the afternoon. as for your feeding schedule I would feed one rat fuzzy a week. Dont use pinky mice they are just too small for a baby ball.

[Bruce Whitehead]

The general concensus is that they spend 80% of their time resting... but I have a few that if they are not resting 99.99% of the time I would be surprised.

But give that snake a minimum of a week with no handling and no feeding to let it acclimate to its new home.

And yes, you can overhandle a BP. Keep in mind they are a secretive snake so you do not want to stress them out, esp. early in the relationship.

They are preyed on more than they prey on others, so keep that in mind.

If you pick up the snake and take it into an open space you are making it vulnerable, so you want to work on routines with it. BPs are all about routine.

Good luck.
Bruce

[starmom]

Many members report that they feed their young ball pythons every 5 days. I feed mine every 5 days until they weigh about 200g; after this I feed every 7 days.

I always offer food on feeding day (even during their shed cycle) and allow the snake to eat or not- usually they eat!

Ball pythons are nocturnal and are awake most of the night!

Since you just got him 2 days ago, he needs time to settle in to his new environment. Lots of members suggest that new owners refrain from handling a new ball for at least a full week (if not 2 full weeks) before handling. This allows the snake a good 'settling in' period.

If you have any questions about husbandry (temps, humidity, substrate, enclosures, thermostat, etc.) feel free to chime in!! We have lots of long-term ball keepers and breeders on this site who will be more than happy to help with any glitches that you might experience.

Welcome to the world of snake keeping and welcome to BP.Net!!!

[gmcclurelssu]

welcome! like starmom said, lots of great info here for new owners. just make sure you keep reading up on your new pet, and you will really enjoy it!