new to snakes - tons of questions

[palmer]

I'm new to this forum (or any)and new to snakes. I've been reading as a guest for many days (yes my eyes are blood shot) and I gotta say I think this site is awsome! Kudos to you all! Brought home our ball python eight days ago. He's supposed to be my son's pet, but I'm the one that is truly gone over this snake. He's a normal ball around 22 inches long and maybe a little bigger than a quarter's diameter around. I thought he looked thin compared to the pics I've seen on line so I fed him the day after we brought him home a F/t pinky and a f/t fuzzy (thats what the pet store gave us). He took it readily- I was ecstatic after all the difficulties I've been reading about. We waited 24 hours before we handled him again (that was as long as we could possibly wait). He seemed fine, but I swear his skin appeared a little looser, muscle tone seemed decreased, back bone appeared more visible. So, the next night we fed him again. He took 1 med f/t and a pinky. We fed him again four days later same amount. This morning I found that he had a slightly loose stool (his first with me), but his skin was less loose and he felt stronger-more dense. His belly is pink, eys may be clouding- is a loose stool ok to just watch and wait? Is it ok to feed so often- especially if the snake is skinny or poss. dehydrated? I don't have pictures-camera was recently dropped.... thanks

[frankykeno]

Congratulations on getting your first ball python and welcome to BPNet. I'm going to assume you got this young one from a pet store and it's likely a bit underfed, a bit dehydrated and very stressed.

First off I'd suggest you ditch the mouse pinky and fuzzies, they are really not much of a meal for a BP of that size. Look for mouse hoppers or weanlings if you can find them, if not then very small adults (usually just weaned). One of those every 5 to 7 days should be sufficient and as your snake grows you can up that to 2 a week or one larger adult mouse and so forth over it's lifetime and as it's requirements for food grow with it.

You should leave the snake for 48 hours after it eats in order to fully digest it's prey. Handling too soon can cause the snake to become stressed and may cause a regurgitation of it's partially digested prey - something you want to avoid at all costs.

You didn't mention how you house the snake but hopefully you've read over our caresheet here and made sure you are providing proper heating, humidity, hides, substrate, etc.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=59

Properly kept and fed your snake will fill in and grow. Most pet stores feed pinky mice to ball pythons so it's not at all unusual for them to be pretty scrawny. Also it is a very good idea with all pet store purchased snakes to keep an eye out for external parasites (mites) and to take a fecal sample into the vet for a fecal float to rule out internal parasites. Fecal floats don't entail taking the snake into the vet, just the fecal sample, and generally run only around $30.00.

The pink belly and clouded eyes are an indication he is going into a shed cycle. Here's some reading for you about that....

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=28794

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=43403

During shed cycles many bp's don't like to be bothered by handling so add that to this being a very young and new snake to your home and I'd suggest as hard as it is, that you don't rush too much handling right now. Let the little scaley kid settle in, get sorted out and you'll have years of nice handling ahead of you both.

[palmer]

Thanks so much for the quick response- THIS IS SO COOL!- I will try to refrain from handling for awhile-It's so hard though... I want another snake already. I have another question- We live in florida and the natural humidity in our house is around 65% and the temp hangs around 80 with the AC. My problem is that the habitat will warm up and get to 94 degrees pretty quick with a heat source. I think thats too hot. I don't have a thermostat, yet. I'm not the most mechanically inclined and it sounds sort of complicated to hook up. He needs a bigger environment than the 10 gal that he's in. Really can't get much of a thermal gradient.

[frankykeno]

Actually ball pythons do very well in small enclosures since in the wild they naturally exist in small, cramped and dark burrows and unused termite mounds. I would suggest with any glass enclosure you cover the back and both sides on the outside with a dark paper or aquarium backing to give the snake a feeling of security. Secure ball pythons tend to settle better and that leads to a nicer snake to handle and a stronger hunter.

You can easily control the heat by spending $10.00 on a lamp dimmer (you'll see them here called rheostats). Here's a link to another thread with an explanation of how to use a lamp dimmer as a rheostat to control a heating device.....

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...823077#p823077

What are you actually using to heat the tank? If it's an undertank heater you only want it covering 1/3 of the underside of the tank at most. If it's an overhead lamp/bulb combo then you can control it but be warned they are notorious for being humidity suckers (doesn't sound like that's an issue for you though).

[palmer]

Thanks again frankykeno, for such a quick response. Right now I'm using an infrared 50 watt bulb. I turn it on and turn it off again when the temp gets above 90. I leave it off at night. Still, on the cool side it doesn't get below 80- Is this a problem? I also wanted to ask about the rather loose stool that I flushed- Is it ok to wait and see if this firms up after the snake settles (my son named him/her "Roper"). I've checked all over for external parasites- so far so good.

[frankykeno]

Try to aim for 90 degrees warm side, 80 cool side. Not need to drop temps at night. That lamp dimmer/rheostat should help you there.

The loose stool maybe just from it eating mouse pinks and not really getting enough of what it needs. It could be an indication of poor health but probably at this point I'd just keep an eye on that. If it continues to have loose stools then a fecal sample taken in for a fecal float is likely your best bet.

You'll notice the snake passing three things from it's vent....

1) liquid urine - typical pee
2) solid waste in the form of feces - pretty much looks like small cat turds
3) urates - white or sometimes yellowish white, they come out soft but quickly harden up, just another form and process of it's urinary function

Putting this snake on a better diet and off those mouse pinkies will likely help a lot but just keep an eye on what goes in and what comes out (pretty much like a human baby that way except they don't poop near as much )

[palmer]

Well I do intend to take a fecal in- will get a sample next time. Pinkies are all gone- so no more of those. He's been getting a "medium" sized mouse- this is about as big around as he is- that ok? Temps don't need to drop at night?

[blackcrystal22]

Well I do intend to take a fecal in- will get a sample next time. Pinkies are all gone- so no more of those. He's been getting a "medium" sized mouse- this is about as big around as he is- that ok? Temps don't need to drop at night?

Yes that's perfectly fine. He sounds about the same size as my ball so a medium-large mouse seems perfect.. especially if its the same size as his width.
90 degrees is not too hot for the warm side.. you might even be fine at 94 but no hotter than that.

You will want to get a UTH. An under tank heater for belly heat regulation, it's much easier to regulate heat and when you have a proper t-stat or rheostat you won't have to adjust the temperatures unless the room temps change.
Also, I'm curious, what do you have for hides? Just a small piece of advice, have two identical hides on the hot and cool sides of the tank.. also stay away from log hides and make sure he's in a secure hide that touches him at all sides. :]

[palmer]

He has a log hide Thats what was recommended yes, by the pet store girl..... he stays in it most of the day, but it is probably too big. No, he doesn't have two. Between the water dish (yes, pet store recommended-big and expensive) and the Big log hide there just isn't room in the tank.... I guess I should just take out the log and get two smaller tupperware containers, huh? Still I feel like the ten gallon tank won't hold it. Is a twenty gallon too big?

[palmer]

Jess-How old is your BP? The pet store girl (who was very nice) said ours was "about six months" I think. When I described him to a different snake person they said he was probably closer to a year...