Beginner's husbandry mistakes

We were all beginners once-upon-a-time, and for a lot of the people on this site, they're still beginners too!
I know almost all of us have probably made bad husbandry mistakes here and there-- especially about some of the things that we as herp keepers generally warn people against on a semi-daily basis.

What were some of your early husbandry mistakes when you were starting out, if any?

I was one of the people who were misinformed by bad pet stores and the like and believed what they were saying and when I look back on my experience while learning, sometimes I want to smack myself.

1. My very first snake ever was a BCI that I had gotten from a pet store. When discussing the species, I had been informed that they were just as good a beginner pet as a corn snake. Oi.
2. I had a heat rock at one point.
3. I used unregulated heat sources other than the heat rock.

Thankfully I was lucky enough that no harm ever came to the snake, who was re-homed when we had to move about a year into her care.

Anybody else have a similar history?

I would probably still be feeding Nessie too small if I'd listened to the pet store. They told me once every three to four weeks was plenty for a BP. Eesh.

My sister is a vet tech who worked with BPs at the Toronto zoo in the past and I made some bad husbandry mistakes from what she was taught there.

They said a heat lamp is a must as they like to bask also tree branches as they are "tree climbers".
I was also told that feeding inside the same enclosure is 100% not allowed as they get very aggressive. Oh and as close to 50% of the floor should be water. And a hide is not mandatory.

Needless to say after discovering this site I've been trying to get them to change the housing situation at the zoo through my sister.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

The biggest one for me was that I was told there is no need for a thermostat because the reptiles will move if they are too hot, that an the stick on thermometer was "highly accurate" so no need for a digital one.

Relying on stick-on digital thermometers and hygrometers! Oh, and thinking that the snake was the most expensive part of the hobby! Haha

I did not have a computer for the first few years i had BPs. The only information i had was what i read from old books, and from the pet store i worked at. I kept a pair in a 55 gallon tank, with giant tree branches that i got outside, used liquid crystal stick on thermometers, and unregulated heat sources. I gave my female a pretty bad belly burn :(. I also loved to take my snakes with me everywhere, all the time. That was 15+ years ago. I also had a clutch of eggs every year that i couldnt hatch. I didnt have an incubator and didnt know how to make one. It wasnt until i made friends with a few breeders at a reptile show did i realize i was doing everything wrong. A little while later i found this site :D. A newbie and not-so-new bie can learn a lot from here. ;)

sent from my incubator

50% water? whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat that's insane

I had the same mistake of a lamp too-- well not really mistake but an unnecessary measure that my snake didn't care about.

I also was told that if they're hot they'll just ~move~

I came to this site after becoming not-so-newbie-ish and I have to say I've learned a lot from here too. I wish I had people like everyone here back when I was 10 and got my first snake.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tpkaos

My sister is a vet tech who worked with BPs at the Toronto zoo in the past and I made some bad husbandry mistakes from what she was taught there.

They said a heat lamp is a must as they like to bask also tree branches as they are "tree climbers".
I was also told that feeding inside the same enclosure is 100% not allowed as they get very aggressive. Oh and as close to 50% of the floor should be water. And a hide is not mandatory.

Needless to say after discovering this site I've been trying to get them to change the housing situation at the zoo through my sister.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

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And zoos and vets are the 'experts'....

Letting the stupid pet store lady talking me into getting a tank. I should of gone the PVC route to begin with. I think I spent 100 or 150 for a 20gal tank set. That's a lot of money when I only ever used the tank/screen top/ and dome fixtures. The bulbs were wrong for it, water bowl too small, hide not secure enough, and the dials crap.

Relying on advice from a local big box pet store, where I was told:
- A mouse pinkie is an adequate meal for a 100 gram BP
- All snakes have mites (well the ones in your store do!)
- You don't need a thermostat for a UTH because the snake will move if it gets too hot
- Tanks are fine for ball pythons
- The half-log wooden hides are fine for ball pythons
- Analog thermometers and hygrometers are plenty accurate
- Ball pythons can co-habitate just fine