humbly asking for expert advice, please

I went into a local petstore in west cork, ireland, today.
I keep rabbits, ferrets, goats, dogs, canaries, and a fire salamander.Though I have nursed countless slow worms back to health after cat attacks in the UK, as you may or may not know already, there are no wild snakes in Ireland.
Anyway, I am fond of all things living and have always had an urge to keep a snake or two.
There was a royal python there, had been there for a week apparently.About 2ft long, maybe a little more.
I lifted her out and she seemed plump and calm.
I made a decision to take her home as the shop conditions struck me as less than perfect, I have arranged to collect her tomorrow, so need to come up with something soon to make her more comfortable
I do take the welfare of my animals very seriously and am prepared to devote time and money into creating a comfortable habitat for her.
Please give me a simple shopping list, ideally using the tank.I have bought a heating pad but need to find a thermostat, the petshop didnt have one . . .and I have 6 frozen slightly hairy baby mice.I have also two heavy terracota chicken brick type things which I thought might make good hides.
I have been reading for hours now, but have found this site most user friendly so far.I have more time and motivation,than money.thanks to you all in advance. p.p.

I have a 4ft by 12" by 18"high glass tank lying dormant.
At the moment there is no lid

Here is a great place to start:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=59

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Originally Posted by pansypotter

Please give me a simple shopping list

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Supply Check list

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1 Enclosure

Your enclosure should not be too big the bigger the enclosure the more stress you will cause to your Ball Python, remember that in their natural environment they spend 70 to 80 % of their time in a tight termite mount.

You can use a glass tank, keep in mind that is you do it will be harder to control temperatures and humidity.

If you get a baby you will only need a 10 gallons to start with and if you chose an adult a 30/40 gallons is all you will ever need. Use the rule of thumb the enclosure should be 2/3 of the length of your Ball Python.

A lot of people chose plastic tubs (Sterilite or Rubbermaid), which allow an easier control of the temperatures and humidity and make Ball Pythons feel secure.

When it comes to plastic tubs here are the sizes you will need according to your Ball Python's size (Remember you will need a drill or solder wand to make holes for airflow)

Up to 500 grams – 15 Quarts (17"L x 11 1/8"W x 6 3/8"H)

Up to 1500 grams – 32 Quarts (23 1/2"L x 16 1/4"W x 6 3/8"H)

Above 1500 grams – 41 Quarts (34 3/4"L x 16 1/2"W x 6"H)


No matter which enclosure you chose remember to secure the lid as Ball Pythons are real escape artists.

1 UTH (Under Tank Heater)

Here are some products that will allow you to provide belly heat and achieve the required gradient temperatures in your enclosure: Ultratherm Heat Pads, T Rex Cobra Pads and Flexwatt Heat Tape (Unlike some other they do not stick permanently to the enclosure).

1 Thermostat

Regardless of the device you chose to provide heat you will need a thermostat, this will allow you to maintain proper temperatures and avoid over-heating.

I would highly recommend you to invest in a digital thermostat such as Ranco ETC-111000 and Johnson on the lower end, or Herpstat Digital Proportional Thermostat and Helix on the higher end, they might seem expensive but they are worth it. Keep in mind that if you get a cheap thermostat like the ESU 1 outlet or 3 outlets starting at 25 dollars you will get what you paid for, considering how long your BP will live you will want to invest in something durable, reliable and safe.

2 Hides

Provide one hide on each side of the enclosure. Ideal hides must be dark, tight (All side touching your Ball Python's body) and identical so your Ball Python does not chose between security and thermo-regulation. In my opinion the best hides are ESU/Zilla Creature Cubbyholes.

1 Water Dish

Contrary to what many believe the water dish does not have to be big enough for your BP to soak (Healthy, mite free BP rarely soak).

1 Thermometer/Hygrometer

When it comes to temperatures and humidity you cannot guess you MUST know. (Avoid stick and dial devices as they are not accurate). To get an accurate reading I would recommend a digital device such as Acu-Rite Hygrometer/Thermometer that can be found at Walmart for 12$ or Zilla Terrarium Hygrometer/Thermometer.

Substrate

Here are some substrates that can be used in your BP's enclosure: Newspaper - Paper Towel - Aspen - Repti-bark - Cypress Mulch etc. DO NOT use pine or cedar bedding as they contain phenols that can be toxic to your snake.

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Basics

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Temperatures

You will need to provide your Ball Python with a warm side between 90-94 F (32.5-34.5 C) degrees and a cool side between 80-84 F (27-29 C) degrees.

Humidity

You should provide your Ball Python with a constant 50%-60% humidity level. This level can be increased to 70% during the shedding period if necessary.

Feeding

Young BP can be fed a prey slightly smaller then the girth size once every 5 to 7 days.

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Welcome to BPNet. Because you are a member from Ireland and may not have access to some of the U.S. suppliers a lot of us use, I've contacted one of our Moderators whose from the UK who may be able to help you with exact equipment/suppliers that are easier for you to get over there.

I'm glad you are getting all set up before you go bring the snake home. That's always a good thing for both you and your new snake. :)

thankyou catawhat.I will check it out straight away.

Reptile supply in UK

Glass Enclosure http://www.everythingforpets.com/per...4775.dept.995/

Thermostat http://www.everythingforpets.com/hab...7295.dept.977/

UTH http://www.everythingforpets.com/hab...282.dept.1486/

Hides http://www.everythingforpets.com/exo...6385.dept.985/

Thermometer/Hygrometer http://www.everythingforpets.com/luc...7790.dept.977/

thankyou for all replies, they are appreciated.The more I have read the more anxious I have become, the only thing keeping me determined is that I know now that she is not okay where she is and I can do better.

Hi there, :)

The main differences are the thermostats we have available over here and the power of the heatmats.

At the moment I am using these ones by habistat.

There are however some others made by microclimate which seem to have some cool safety features built in but I haven't used any of those yet.

Also available on ebay etc are some eurpopean on/off digital thermostats by luckyreptile.

Again I haven't used them and would prefer if they made a proportional model.


The heatmats are underpowered compared to flexwatt ( I recently ordered some flexwatt from America and all I can say is WOW) so you might have to use supplementary heat depending on your room temperatures.

At two feet your snake should be able to handle larger mice than that but I would feed off the ones you have now as there is a chance they may not eat for the first little while till they settle in.

Oh and :welcome: to the forums and remember to share the pics at any opertunity. :gj:


dr del

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Originally Posted by pansypotter

thankyou for all replies, they are appreciated.The more I have read the more anxious I have become, the only thing keeping me determined is that I know now that she is not okay where she is and I can do better.

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It's normal to be a bit nervous when you take on any new creature, especially one you haven't cared for before and with special husbandry needs. The nice thing is once you have the enclosure set up and stablilized, most of the time it won't require too much fiddling with. Ball pythons being quiet natured, mostly nocturnal and fairly shy snakes, are not a very demanding animal and do well if they are properly set up and have a caring, concerned owner such as yourself.

Everyone worries, no matter how many snakes you have, you still worry a bit over the new ones. You'll do fine I bet and the snake will likely do very well once it's all settled in a wonderful new home. :)