help teach a novice some basics

Hey all, I purchased a new bp a week ago. I spent the first few days researching my a@# off about proper husbandry. Now that I'm finally comfortable that my set up is adequate for a happy and healthy snake, I have a few other questions.

1.) How can I tell the sex of the snake?
2.) How long should one typically wait before offering food for the first time?
3.) When getting ready to feed him, is it normal to have to remove him from his hide or should I wait until he comes out on his own. I know from reading other posts that dusk and dawn are the best feeding times, but just need to know if its cool to just pull him out from the hide before feeding?

Also wanted to thank those that have helped me with my husbandry issues. This site has been a terrific find! My BP (Nigel) and I both appreciate your feedback.

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Originally Posted by stevebidw

Hey all, I purchased a new bp a week ago. I spent the first few days researching my a@# off about proper husbandry. Now that I'm finally comfortable that my set up is adequate for a happy and healthy snake, I have a few other questions.

1.) How can I tell the sex of the snake?
2.) How long should one typically wait before offering food for the first time?
3.) When getting ready to feed him, is it normal to have to remove him from his hide or should I wait until he comes out on his own. I know from reading other posts that dusk and dawn are the best feeding times, but just need to know if its cool to just pull him out from the hide before feeding?

Also wanted to thank those that have helped me with my husbandry issues. This site has been a terrific find! My BP (Nigel) and I both appreciate your feedback.

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Congrats, and welcome to the addiction!
1. The only accurate way to tell the sex is by "popping" the snake or probing the snake. Both methods are dangerous if they are not done properly, so its best to either have an expert show you how to do it in person or simply have them do it for you.

2. Typically a ball python will be a little worked up about being in a new environment for about a week since its arrival and may not accept food before they are adjusted. There is no harm in offering food on the day that the snake would have normally eaten wherever it was before you purchased it. The worst that could happen is the snake rejects the meal, and you just try again in 5 to 7 days.

3. You shouldnt have to mess with your snake on feeding day. If he's in his hide, you can pre scent (if you do frozen thawed) so that he knows its meal time and he'll get the idea quickly (though you might have to dangle the prey in front of the hide entrance the first couple of times for him to take it). Pulling the snake out of his hide on feeding day especially the first few times while he's still adjusting will stress him out more than is necessary and he may refuse to eat, which you dont want your growing boy to do.

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Originally Posted by Alexandra V

Congrats, and welcome to the addiction!
1. The only accurate way to tell the sex is by "popping" the snake or probing the snake. Both methods are dangerous if they are not done properly, so its best to either have an expert show you how to do it in person or simply have them do it for you.

2. Typically a ball python will be a little worked up about being in a new environment for about a week since its arrival and may not accept food before they are adjusted. There is no harm in offering food on the day that the snake would have normally eaten wherever it was before you purchased it. The worst that could happen is the snake rejects the meal, and you just try again in 5 to 7 days.

3. You shouldnt have to mess with your snake on feeding day. If he's in his hide, you can pre scent (if you do frozen thawed) so that he knows its meal time and he'll get the idea quickly (though you might have to dangle the prey in front of the hide entrance the first couple of times for him to take it). Pulling the snake out of his hide on feeding day especially the first few times while he's still adjusting will stress him out more than is necessary and he may refuse to eat, which you dont want your growing boy to do.

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Thanks for the feedback.

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Originally Posted by stevebidw

Thanks for the feedback.

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Any time :) and don't hesitate to ask any questions on the forums, I'm sure everyone on here would love to be of assistance to you.

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Originally Posted by Alexandra V

Congrats, and welcome to the addiction!

3. You shouldnt have to mess with your snake on feeding day. If he's in his hide, you can pre scent (if you do frozen thawed) so that he knows its meal time and he'll get the idea quickly (though you might have to dangle the prey in front of the hide entrance the first couple of times for him to take it). Pulling the snake out of his hide on feeding day especially the first few times while he's still adjusting will stress him out more than is necessary and he may refuse to eat, which you dont want your growing boy to do.

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That's interesting didn't know that and I just fed my new BP yesterday and i scented the room for like 30mins and and he wouldn't come out of his hide, so I figured he would be a problem eater. But he is so young I thought that couldn't be so I took away his hide only because I thought me dangling the mouse out side his hide would scare him more but after I removed his hide he took the mouse fairly quickly. If I knew this then I probably wouldn't have but it worked I don't know?

I never remove the snake from the hide, rather I remove the hide from the snake about 30 minutes before offering food.

If my snake is in it's hide on feeding day, most of mine are one the hunt but it does happen, I simply reach in from the back of the hide and gently roll/lift it off. Unless the snake in question is obviously in shed, within a little while of removing the hide they are wide awake and ready to eat.

Gale

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Originally Posted by stevebidw

1.) How can I tell the sex of the snake?
2.) How long should one typically wait before offering food for the first time?
3.) When getting ready to feed him, is it normal to have to remove him from his hide or should I wait until he comes out on his own. I know from reading other posts that dusk and dawn are the best feeding times, but just need to know if its cool to just pull him out from the hide before feeding?

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1. Popping is generally the most common way to do it, but probing is more accurate. It can cause problems if you do either improperly, so obviously the best way is to have someone who knows how to do it show you/teach you, but if you don't know anyone who knows how to do it properly, you can watch as many videos of people doing it(youtube is a good source for that), read as many posts as you can find on how to do it, and if you're VERY careful..you can usually figure it out...that's how I learned and all my BPs are fine(just had them all to the vet last week and I was better at popping them than the vet. LOL.) However IMO you should look really really hard to find someone to teach you before you try to learn on your own simply because of the problems that can arise if done improperly.

2. Wait a week is the general rule here..

3. I'd just leave him in his hide..some of my BPs wont even go after the prey unless they are in the safety of their hide..wave the food around the opening of the hide, if he doesnt come out after it, I tap the hide a little just to make sure he sees it, then if that doesnt work then I'll take the hide out and try again..but usually they will take it from within their hide. Also I feed my snakes in the middle of the day most often..but some prefer it at night..

I wake my snakes up about 10 to 15 minutes before I feed them and I take out the hide at this point also.

Thank you everyone! I'll give him a couple more days and then attempt to feed him.

Much appreciated!

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Originally Posted by stevebidw

Hey all, I purchased a new bp a week ago. I spent the first few days researching my a@# off about proper husbandry. Now that I'm finally comfortable that my set up is adequate for a happy and healthy snake, I have a few other questions.

1.) How can I tell the sex of the snake?

Two methods used such as probing or "popping". I'm not experienced in either method, so I'd rather get that done by a vet, or an experienced snake handler. And I wouldn't risk hurting your snake if you've never done it before. But you can always watch videos on youtube to see how other's determine the sex of a snake.

2.) How long should one typically wait before offering food for the first time?

At least a week after you've received your BP. Let your BP get acclimated/adjusted to it's environment for a week. And that requires you not touching/holding/etc. your BP for that amount of time. You don't want to have stressed snake, because a stressed snake won't eat. Then after a week, you can setup your feeding schedule. And offer your BP a mice/rat that is appropriate for his/her size.


3.) When getting ready to feed him, is it normal to have to remove him from his hide or should I wait until he comes out on his own. I know from reading other posts that dusk and dawn are the best feeding times, but just need to know if its cool to just pull him out from the hide before feeding?


BP's at least with mine, can and will stay in their hide as long as they feel. You can't get your snake out of his/her hide unless you physically lifted the hide and took your BP out. They love being in their hides, it makes them feel safe and secure all the time.

Well BP's are nocturnal and active during the night. I've had no issue's feeding my BP during the day/afternoon. He isn't bothered/stressed by it. Only takes a few seconds for him to strike, constrict, then begins swallowing. And back in his enclosure he goes, and stays in his hide to hang out. Oh yah, after feeding you must leave them alone for at least 48hrs. So that they can digest their food, since they have slow metabolisms. Safety precaution as well, if your BP has food in it's stomach. And if they become stressed they can regurgitate their food. Which can be life threatening to them and is definitely bad for their health. Pretty much avoid any handling of your BP when it has food in its stomach. Except for the few seconds that it takes to transfer your BP back in their enclosure. If your feeding in a separate area, which is what I do.

Also wanted to thank those that have helped me with my husbandry issues. This site has been a terrific find! My BP (Nigel) and I both appreciate your
feedback.

Good luck! And keep us posted!

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