New BP owner in need of some serious help. Any and all answers are much appreciated

Hey there! I just recently got my first Ball Python this past sunday from Repticon in Georgia. My snakes name is Monty, and from what the breeder told me he is about 1 1/2 years old. I set up his cage to the best of my ability...I bought the tank and everything from the show on hand, but i'm not quite sure if i'm doing everything right. This is my first snake, and I wouldn't want to do anything by accident to end up hurting or stressing the poor guy out. He's been somewhat active during the day, but at night is when he's the most fun to watch. However, i'm worried that i'm not heating the tank properly, and he's more than stressed out with the care that I've been giving him. I've picked him up a few times and had him around my neck, along with misting his cage to keep the humidity at a good 60-70 according to the thermometer that I have. Any suggestions, advice, or knowledge shared would be much appreciated! Heres a few pictures of my set up and the little guy.



[IMG]http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...psa7aptf4b.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...ps49bhbdsr.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...ps25nc2tec.jpg[/IMG]

Those stick on the glass things are very inaccurate. I would invest in a temp gun.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-With-Pictures!

Those guages are both really inaccurate and in the wrong place.... Gonna wanna get a digital one instead also if you havent yet cover your screen top in aluminum foil to help trap the humidity and heat in the tank. To further help your little budy you can also cover the back and 2 sides of the tank to give some more privacy

how are you heating the tank? do you have a thermostat? how you heat and how you monitor the temps are extremely important. I would also recommend adding some clutter to the tank to make the little one feel more secure (paper towel rolls, fake plants, etc.) I would deff. replace the dials you have and get something that measures temp and humidity digitally. let us know how you are heating the tank and don’t stress too much

Congrats on your first snake!!!

the temps you want to monitor are not the top of the tank, but the floor, right above the substrata. if you have the correct temp reading at the top, like you do, then your snake will be roasting. You want the temp on his warm side to be around 90, right above the substrata, about an inch or so above it. Think about it, your snakes height is about 2 or 3 inches high, even if it is a couple of feet long. The ground temps are the ones that affect the snake the most.

You also want to put a cool side hide in the tank as well. The cool side should be around 80, again, thats 80 a couple inches above ground height. There fore your temp gauges need to be near the bottom of the tank. You may also want to invest in a digital temp probe.