Hi all, just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself! I am brand new to the world of Ball pythons! I grew up with boas in my home all the time but now with a home of my own I have recently aquired my very first ball and am completely in love!!!
Savannah! A few weeks ago I found an ad for a snake with a tank so I inquired! The story sounded a little sketchy but they were offering a ball python with her tank for a reasonable price so I made the 2 hour trip there to pick it up. When I arrived they really had no info for me about it, they said that they had had her for about 6 months and she had never eaten and was not a happy snake, she was covered in cuts and scars because they were constantly placing aggressive live mice in with her and leaving them alone. They did not know how old she was or wether she was even female like they had advertised, the tank was disgusting with no lights or lid, there was mice feces mixed in the sand she was kept in, she had one very small plastic hide (that she did not fit in completely) and an extra small under tank heater she also had no water at all, they said they sprayed her once a week and she never took her head out of her hide! She was triing to shed but seemed as though she couldn't, her eye caps were so thick I don't even think she could see! I felt awful for her! I took her home and reseached for hours and hours and hours how to make her as happy as can be! I set up a beautiful tank with her with multiple heating sorces a very large pool and live and fake plants and trees and many different hides! I have now spent $600 just on supplies alone for this one snake!!!
I have had her for 4 weeks now and she seems like the happiest little snake ever! She loves exploring her tank and is usually out with me for about 3 hours a day! She is absolutely petrified of mice, even though I have only offered her frozen thawed, she slithers away as quickly as she can, she has however eaten some raw chicken meat for me and she has already shed twice in the time I have had her! I am not too sure how I can begin to offer her rodents without scaring her, I would never feed her live because of what the poor thing has gone through... Any ideas about how to help her get over her fear will be greatly appreciated! I also would like to hear opinions about whether shedding twice in a month is okay? She is very trusting of me now and I do not want to ruin that by scaring her... It has been so cool to see her transformation into such a beautiful snake, she has the prettiest yellows and oranges all over her, (pics do not do her justice!) She is about 28 inches long but I have no clue about an age for her or if she is even a her lol, any estimates?
Needless to say I am now addicted and cannot wait until she is 100% healthy so I can begin to add on to my family!!! Thanks in advance for any advice and for your time in reading my ridiculously long post! LOL I was just dieing to share her with people who love snakes, as I do not personally know a single other person even willing to touch her! : (

Kerry!