New to this forum

Hello my name is TJ, and my wife is Amy we currently have 1 female ball python. I have spent a lot of time on here going through the forums for ideas and to refresh my knowledge of Ball Python care. We live by Dothan Alabama. Ok enough about us, more about Mika. We got Mika over the 4th of july weekend, My wife works at Banfield in the local Petsmart, last fall petsmart had a ball that wouldn't eat so they were asking the staff if anyone wanted to take her home because they can't sell an animal that is sick, won't eat (they can only feed f/t), or agressive. so my wife called me to ask what I thought and I said we could do it, so she brought it home, due to the level of malnutrition i decided to try to feed him a small fuzzy that night which he ate almost immediately, but unfortunately it was too little too late and he died about a week later.
:tears:

Then in the end of June they had a snake brought back because "it was aggressive and wouldn't eat" so they again asked my wife if she wanted to take her home, this time she said yes without even having to ask me. I had her pick up a Fuzzy on her way home, and Mika immediately ate it. We have had Her for almost 2 months now and she is doing well.
Her tank setup
http://imageshack.us/a/img821/1424/n8zm.jpg

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Before anyone asks I have a Rheostat set up for the UTH and I check the temps on the warm side multiple times a day. I am planning on getting a good thermostat soon but finances have been tight due to the start of school had having to move into a new place next week. In the next few months I also plan on getting her a larger tank/Terrarium.

when we first got her

[IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img853/7286/3dkb.jpg Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/IMG]

And here she is today

[IMG]http://imageshack.us/a/img849/1174/hf41.jpg Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/IMG]

I am new to this forum too, and new to Ball keeping in general. I am so sorry to hear about the first little guy you brought home :( But congrats on Mika! I love that you guys adopted her. She is so very pretty :)

Congrats on helping this little beauty out. Try and get on that thermostat pronto...Hydrofarm is good to start. I think they're only $35 on Amazon.

and what size are you feeding??

On the first picture, what is that red, round thingy on the left? I'm curious, lol.

Nice pick up, I'm glad she is eating :)

I used 2 sandwich size plastic tubs and cut holes in the tops and lined them with paper towels as hides 1 on each side of the tank. she seems happy with them, although she still spends more time on on the branch or under the log than anywhere else.

I just tried a small rat, she struck and wrapped it up, but didn't eat it, so I will wait until next weekend and try again. And I will look into that thermostat when I get paid on the 1st.

If she didn't eat it, she likely decided it was too big. Are you going from fuzzies to small rats or was there a step in between? Given that your wife works at Petsmart, she should get a little bit of a discount. I would pick him up a pair of small identical hides. The thermostat is def more important. $32.06 on Amazon, free shipping. Glad he is doing well.

She has been on adult mice for a few weeks now, I offered her mouse after she didn't eat the Rat but she didn't show any interest in it so I'll wait and try to feed her mid to the end of the week again. Being as we are going to be getting a larger terrarium we plan to make sure everything is done properly from the heating pad to the top.

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Welcome!!! She's looking pretty darn good! Sorry about the loss of your first one, but I'm glad you were able to rescue her.