new to this and already a problems

okay i just bought a baby ball python for my gf BDay and what ever i havent finished with the set up but it not like it had a great set up at the petshop either. Anyways the guy who sold it to me said it was due for a feeding the next day so i attempted to give him a pinky w/ no succes. I know that it might be the stress but heres the thing my gf was worrying so I took him to several other pet shops for advice and they all told me that the snake looked dehydrated and weak and one told me he had to poop. So i put him in warm water still nothing. Today i bought myself a baby python sor myself and compared to the other snake he seems a lot more lively. the old snake if picked up (i've been trying to avoid this but my sister couldnt help herself) rest it's head on the persons hand and seems limb. The new one move around and is alot stiffer. Is there something wrong with the snake should I try to exchange him for a healthier one or just wait it out. Oh just to let you guys know there both in a 10 gallon tank (just temparary untill i get one for myself tommorow) with eco earth substrate dry at the surface and damp underneath. A little plant in one corner a big climbing tree on the other one and a course a large water dish.

Im no expert, but it sounds like a vet visit is needed, NOW, and not tomorrow, or next week.

Best of luck.

Wow, where do I start? First off, you might get bashed a little bit for such an impulse buy. Any pet should be researched first before bringing into your home. You might be right about the poor setup at the pet store, but adding stress by bringing it into an unprepared setup is probably worse for your snake.

You may want to exchange it or get a refund from the pet store, however if it doesn't look too bad you might want to consider taking it to the vet. I would recommend that you take any new snake to the vet regardless of whether or not it looks sick, though. Many pet store snakes will come with parasites, and other problems that you might not be able to detect, so it's a good idea to get it checked out and have a fecal done to rule out any problems that they might have in the long run.

Now onto the care... please read this caresheet thoroughly. Essentially a Ball needs certain things from it's caregiver: a comfortable enclosure (a 10 gallon tank will work fine for ONE snake), a temperature gradient from the low 80s to the low 90s 24 hours a day, fresh water, and a hide on the cool and warm end of the cage. You should give the snake a full week to settle in to its environment before attempting to feed or handle it. After a week, you can try to feed an appropriate sized meal. Most pet store Balls are captive hatched (from Africa) and you will have the best luck trying to feed it a live mouse hopper. Put it in the tank about an hour after sunset for about 15 minutes. If your snake doesn't eat it, take it out and try again in one more week. Your snake will most likely eat when it feels secure and is comfortable in its environment.

Good luck!

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Originally Posted by abyss_x3

okay i just bought a baby ball python for my gf BDay and what ever i havent finished with the set up but it not like it had a great set up at the petshop either. Anyways the guy who sold it to me said it was due for a feeding the next day so i attempted to give him a pinky w/ no succes. I know that it might be the stress but heres the thing my gf was worrying so I took him to several other pet shops for advice and they all told me that the snake looked dehydrated and weak and one told me he had to poop. So i put him in warm water still nothing. Today i bought myself a baby python sor myself and compared to the other snake he seems a lot more lively. the old snake if picked up (i've been trying to avoid this but my sister couldnt help herself) rest it's head on the persons hand and seems limb. The new one move around and is alot stiffer. Is there something wrong with the snake should I try to exchange him for a healthier one or just wait it out. Oh just to let you guys know there both in a 10 gallon tank (just temparary untill i get one for myself tommorow) with eco earth substrate dry at the surface and damp underneath. A little plant in one corner a big climbing tree on the other one and a course a large water dish.

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Where are the hides for them? The pet store guy needs to come here so we can inform him the correct ways to care and keep ball pythons!!! First off the snake that just lies their has something wrong with it going by your description i would take it back and get your money.A healthy snake should grip onto your fingers or arm when held.It should seem alert and flick its tongue in and out.The snakes skin should not be stretchy as this is a sign of dehydration.When you purchase a new snake it needs to be left alone for at least a week or two.No handling for these times.Ball python babies are stressed very easily.I will not preach to you about keeping them together since you explained that part.I will let you know if the first one has something your second one now has it.Were they both from the same pet store? If you have any more questions ask away.:)

Well what i mean about not having the perfect set up is just the hides i have the heat source water and humidity down. And as for the 10 gallon tank im getting one for 10 dls tommorow so its just for today there gonna be sharing a tank. Im thinking of exchanging the BP on thursday because thats when all the petstores around my house get their shipments. I really dont want to get attached to it if it seems week and might die. But is there anything i can do for it i mean its late a vet is not an option for me oh and I already read that caresheer and im adding hides right now.

Is there a way you can divide the tank down the middle (so the gradient temps are even)? Your healthy snake can get infected from the older one if it has something.

It's difficult to say how bad off the snake is from a description, but until you can get it to a vet or to the pet store you might want to bump the temps to about 84-94 and give it fresh water and some hides. You've already mentioned that you soaked it for a while which will help with dehydration, but that's all you can do for now until it either improves or gets worse without assistance from a vet.

well I have a 5 gllon tank i could pu it in untill tommorow would that work? I dont wanna stress it out

okay well i added a clay pot for a hide is that okay? Well heres a quick update Literaly. I picked up both pythons and put them near the clay pot. Now this "healthy" one semeed a little limb but quickly reacted to my finger motion and the other one slivered around my fingers not tightly but still a progress. So yeah i put them donw in the middle of the tank the "healthy" one went back behind the tree where it was and the other one went for the hide. Should I wait and look for progress maybe just let them be for the another week or should I just exchange him?

Separate them!!!!! Don't assume they'll be okay together.