New owner some additional info needed!

Hey,

I am snake phobic. My son is intrigued by them. Advised that ball python a great starter snake. Of course I purchased a book on them to educated my son about them and the care needed. The snake store said they should be handled a little bit each day to get them used to it. The snake is approximately 4 mos. old. The book states that they are terrarium snakes, and should only be handled when necessary. They also stress easily, is this true? The snake is kinda curled up in an oblong position, not coiled tightly.....is he stressing? Any feedback from more experienced owners would be greatly appreciated. My son loves having him, and wants to hold him, but we don't want to upset the little guy in his new home.

Thanks
geralyn dooley

Welcome!!! I recommend allowing some time for the new guy to get used to his surroundings (2 to 3 weeks), no hands in the tank. The exception is the water bowl being changed daily. By the way, I would also suggest that you describe (as best as you can) the setup you have him in. Husbandry if not just right will cause additional stress. Let us know, there are plenty of seasonal folks here who can point you in the right direction. Till then.

P.S.
How is old is your son and is this his first herp?

Welcome! Letting your snake settle in is very important.. and also difficult! I let all my new snakes settle for one week before handling.. then I start off slow.

Ball pythons are shy snakes. They have their name because they tend to curl up in a ball with their head in the center when they feel threatened. With gentle persistence, your BP will learn that he/she doesn't need to ball up and should become docile and calm easily.

After the initial week, offer your snake food, and if it eats, don't handle for 48 hours after the meal (this is a constant rule.. with any snake, any time)

Here's our caresheet for Ball Pythons, tons of great information there as well as in the forums on Husbandry.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=52

Please feel free to ask any questions you might have as you go along and welcome to our little corner of the herp world!


~~Joanna~~

Good job getting the book to educate yourself. Great job on finding us, because here you have access to the "state of the art" so to speak in ball python husbandry.

I think the pet store gave you some mis-information regarding handling. I feel like ball pythons should be handled minimally, 2-3 times a week for 10-20 minutes at most. This handling routine should be practiced only after at least a week or two of complete solitude in new surroundings. BPs get very irked out when a change of scenery occurrs and excessive handling only exacerbates the problem.

So, the logical type I am, if they gave you misinformation on handling, what kind of setup did they send you home with for your snake? Does the cage have a bright overhead heat lamp? Did they give you sand or cedar chips to line the bottom of the cage? A lot of new BP owners run into a lot of problems simply because they are unaware that their setup is not appropriate- a good initial setup is the key to keeping these guys happy and healthy.

Welcome to the site!

Welcome! I'm still a newb myself, so I'll let the more experienced folks here speak, but just wanted to say hi and you've come to the right place to get help, support and community. :)