New Owner with a couple of questions

We just purchased our first ball python - female, about 1 or 1.5 years old. When we bought her this evening she was in shed and looked like she hasn't been taken care of very well (with some feces and old sheds in her cage). I know that before handling her she needs at least 1 week (or more) of becoming acclimated, but she is supposed to eat on the weekends. So I was planning on trying to feed her next weekend - I want to switch her to f/t but she is currently on live, so I plan on feeding her live for the first few feedings before switching to f/t.
So my question is - is it okay to clean, possibly completely clean out the old bedding and put new bedding in, and clean her tank soon or should I wait until she completely sheds? Also, should I try and feed her before next weekend since she is young and usually eats on the weekend (someone recommended that I go ahead and feed her) or wait the full week like I was planning on?

thanks alot!

Go ahead and clean out the tank and then try and feed her. If she doesnt eat you can just bring the rat back to the petstore and wait until the weekend or hold onto it for a week. Or wait until she sheds. If you want to convert her to f/t you dont have to wait for a few feedings. Just go ahead and try it right away if you want. If shes an aggressive eater she may take it right away.

If you are keeping her in the same cage that she has been in then there really shouldn't be any need to wait a week at all. (Her environment hasn't changed)

Just make sure that you take better care of her:

Care: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

Cage Heating: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...t-Thermometers

thanks for the quick replies - also her previous owner fed her in a separate place - a cardboard box that I also have. Would you recommend that I continue to feed her in the cardboard box or feed her in her enclosure?

Just feed her in her cage, there is no reason to feed in a separate container. (if anything you are more likely to get bit feeding in a separate container)

How is the cage being heated? cage temperatures?

I have a heating pad - is that ok?

Is there a thermostat regulating the Heating pad? Do you have any thermometers in the cage/if so what type?

Without a thermostat to regulate the heating pad it can/will get hot enough to kill the snake. (130+ degrees)

Checkout this thread: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...t-Thermometers

What is the temperature of the room that the cage is in?

The UTH did not have a thermostat - I was just reading about probed thermostat, it seems like you recommend that I also get a thermostat to regulate the UTH - how do I set that up?
I do have a thermostat/hygrometer (sticky one on the glass) in the cage right now and the room she is in will stay at room temperature 70-72.

You are confusing a thermoSTATs and thermoMETERs

A thermoSTAT is a devise that uses a temperature probe to control a heat source

a thermoMETER is a device that measures temperatures

You need both. The thermostat has a temperature probe that will be taped to the heating pad. the thermostat will then keep the heating pad at the temperatures that the thermostat is set to (the heating pad plugs into the thermostat then the thermostat plugs into the wall)

you will then need a probed thermometer to measure the temperature inside the cage.

Here are some good thermostats, stay away from the thermostats sold in pet stores they are junk

Budget: http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR.../dp/B000NZZG3S

Mid-Range: http://www.reptilebasics.com/ranco-etc-111000-pre-wired

Best: http://spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html


Here is a good probed thermometer, they can be purchased at Walmart for $12. The probe sit on the floor of the cage directly over the heating pad, and the unit sits on the cool side. this will tell you how hot the hot side of the cage is, and how cold the cool side is. You want the hot side to be 90 degrees, and the cool side to be 80 degrees.

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...nt/photo-3.jpg

Heating pads cannot heat the air inside the cage. this means that if the room that the cage is in gets colder than 75 degrees you will need a heat lamp to increase the temperature of the air inside the cage.

Thanks for the clarification. I do have a heat light that came with the snake but it needs a new bulb - what kind of bulb do you recommend, I read that blacklights were good?