help a beginner! first post

just got my ball on tuesday. he's a gentle 4 year old about 3 ft at most. he lives in a 30 gallon tank that fits him well. i dont have much money cause i spent it all on him but im planning on getting some nice hides. for now he just has a half log on each side of the tank and a bamboo stick across the diagonal.

is it normal to find eclipse on the cool side of the tank cold to the touch?
i use a heat pad under the tank on the warm side and no heat source on the other side, but i use a lamp along with the pad during the day so he can get a good cycle going. his previous owner sad he used only the heat pad since he got the snake and thats worked fine but im not sure

is it normal for him to jerk back almost like flinching when he's out of the tank and theres movement close to his head? he does this quite often, should i put him back when he does this so he doesnt get scared/ stressed?

how often should i disinfect my tank, hides, and water bowl?
what should i use?

i know they say you cant teach a dog new tricks but i want my snake to chill with me while im watching tv but all he ever wants to do is slither away and climb on the bars of my headboard, i know this is normal but how do i get him to hang out?

is there such thing as handling him too often?



hope you guys can help! im really happy i found this site (((:<3

As long as they have access to a warm and cool hide, they will thermoregulate as they wish.

Yes, bp's are very head shy. Sometimes over time they get used to your touch, but it really depends on the snake.

I use common dish soap. But you can use a 5-10% bleach solution or chlorohexadine.

Bp's cannot be trained. They will do whatever they want. Most likely he is just looking for warmth or a dark place to hide. Maybe if you have a blanket on your lap with a little opening into a cave, he might go into it and chill, but don't expect it.

Yes, if handled too often they can become stressed. It's a good rule of thumb to handle (once they settle in to a new home) maybe two times a week for up to 30 minutes. But there's no real definitve amount of time.

Welcome btw! :gj:

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Originally Posted by mrshawt

As long as they have access to a warm and cool hide, they will thermoregulate as they wish.

Yes, bp's are very head shy. Sometimes over time they get used to your touch, but it really depends on the snake.

I use common dish soap. But you can use a 5-10% bleach solution or chlorohexadine.

Bp's cannot be trained. They will do whatever they want. Most likely he is just looking for warmth or a dark place to hide. Maybe if you have a blanket on your lap with a little opening into a cave, he might go into it and chill, but don't expect it.

Yes, if handled too often they can become stressed. It's a good rule of thumb to handle (once they settle in to a new home) maybe two times a week for up to 30 minutes. But there's no real definitve amount of time.

Welcome btw! :gj:

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x2:gj: but one of my BPs is not head shy at all shes very chill but my other one is very head shy, there all different i guess

If you want some nice hides for cheap, I'd just out an opening in a plastic flower pot. =] Cheap and effective.

If your Eclipse is on the cool side, it's no big deal. Snakes will thermoregulate. It's normal.


Yeah, it's normal for them to jerk and flinch away from motion near their head. Some ball pythons don't like their heads or necks touched and plus, being new, he's nervous and under some stress.

How often are you handling him? If you only got him on Tuesday, I'd leave him alone until at least a week has passed and then try getting him to eat. Handling so soon can stress out a snake very much.

i try to leave him alone but hes irresistable and my boyfriend doesnt listen to me at all! ive taken him out once a day. hes in the same set up he's always lived in so i thought that would offset the normal stress of changing owners.

how often do you disinfect your tank and accesories?

Well, I haven't had my snake very long and I've just been spot cleaning, but her breeder reccomended I soak everything in a 4% bleach solution every month.

I'd still leave him be for at least a week. Being patient is tough but you'll be rewarded. Like I said before, let him get acclimated and then attempt at feeding. Wait two or three days after he eats before handling. [If he doesn't eat, wait another week, and try again.]

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Originally Posted by drucebennedict

Well, I haven't had my snake very long and I've just been spot cleaning, but her breeder reccomended I soak everything in a 4% bleach solution every month.

I'd still leave him be for at least a week. Being patient is tough but you'll be rewarded. Like I said before, let him get acclimated and then attempt at feeding. Wait two or three days after he eats before handling. [If he doesn't eat, wait another week, and try again.]

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thank you !
im going to leave him alone for a while. today is his usual feeding day, his previous owner fed him once a week, every thursday but im thinking i only wanna feed every 10 days because he's already 4 years old. is it ok to switch it up? i know snakes can go without food for good periods of time. when exactly should i try feeding?

i dont know anything about frozen thawed ,you buy frozen already or freeze it yourself? and what do you thaw in? the idea of any dead mouse in my freezer and around the kitchen will disgust my family and theyll probably get mad haha. should i just go with live mice or is there really any difference?

i plan to feed in a seperate box and i will supervise feeding with live mice

What is the temperature in the warm side? do you have something regulating the heater? those get hotter than a BP needs and on top you have a light too. It is probably too hot and thats why he doesnt go in the "warm" side. I started just like you too. I dont use the lamp anymore. They get light cycle just from ambient light (sun light through your window) in your room.

95 should be the most hot. 93 or so recomended. Even at 95 they will leave the warm side alot.

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Originally Posted by eclipsesmommy

thank you !
im going to leave him alone for a while. today is his usual feeding day, his previous owner fed him once a week, every thursday but im thinking i only wanna feed every 10 days because he's already 4 years old. is it ok to switch it up? i know snakes can go without food for good periods of time. when exactly should i try feeding?

i dont know anything about frozen thawed ,you buy frozen already or freeze it yourself? and what do you thaw in? the idea of any dead mouse in my freezer and around the kitchen will disgust my family and theyll probably get mad haha. should i just go with live mice or is there really any difference?

i plan to feed in a seperate box and i will supervise feeding with live mice

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Switching feeding day won't be of harm to your snake. When you say 'when exactly should I try feeding' I assume you mean the time of day. I've heard some people say their bps will eat at any time, but evening seems to a more popular answer.

I'd use whatever your snake will take and whatever is readily available. I use live because its easy to obtain and my snake has been eating live all of her life. Use whatever you want; one is no better than the other.

Feeding in a seperate box isn't really needed. You can feed him while he's in his enclosure. Just be sure to wash your hands if you've been handling rodents before handling your snake. [he could mistake you for a meal] With daily upkeep of his enclosure and gentle handling, he shouldn't become agressive and begin to realize that you're no threat.

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Originally Posted by Danounet

What is the temperature in the warm side? do you have something regulating the heater? those get hotter than a BP needs and on top you have a light too. It is probably too hot and thats why he doesnt go in the "warm" side. I started just like you too. I dont use the lamp anymore. They get light cycle just from ambient light (sun light through your window) in your room.

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the heater just plugs in, no way to regulate it. it does get pretty warm so i put an extra amount of aspen bedding beneath his hide. the ambient temp with the light on is about 90 (give a take a few degrees my thermometer isnt very hi tech), and its probably warmer in the hide.. your probably right im turning off the light for good. especially cause it drys everything out. do you spray your tank? if so how often?
ive been reading a whole bunch of stuff but facts vary and id rather get the advice straight from the source ((: thankyouu !:D