Want to be a new baby python's owner :D

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Originally Posted by TurnTable

Oh no, I hear its very important to replace your ball python's water bowl every day! Thats a problem for me, I'm out of the house every monday and Tuesday the entire day and do not return till wensday. Unless I got some1 I know to change the water for me would on those days could that really harm my snake?

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I wouldn't worry about it :) I honestly can't think of anything harmful that could happen if it's not absolutely positively refreshed on a daily basis. I check my snakes for water every day, but it usually only needs refilling/replacing every 3 days or so.


Also, welcome to the forums! :D

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Originally Posted by TurnTable

Oh no, I hear its very important to replace your ball python's water bowl every day! Thats a problem for me, I'm out of the house every monday and Tuesday the entire day and do not return till wensday. Unless I got some1 I know to change the water for me would on those days could that really harm my snake?

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Your snake will be fine without fresh water every day. I change out the water every 3-4 days and top off as needed between then. I give the bowl a good scrub once a week.

Good! lets c... I was wondering about how to transition from day time tempature/humid. to night time, If I bought a heat lamp, would I turn it off at night? ( It is important to make it feel like night time for the python right?)

or... is a heating pad better, wouldn't need to change a bulb, or better yet, no real chance of lamp explotions!

Finaly, I read that if a snake's water bowl is large enough I dont need to "spray" to cage to maintain humid. Ill mostlikely just attempt this for myself when I buy the cage and monitering tools but always want a second opion, like b4, I cant spray the cage daily all the time.

Ty for welcoming me to the forums and Ive really used your information so far :D
-TurnTable

I have to agree with everyone else on this. Ball pythons do not like being on display. They live most of their life in a borrow deep under ground. They are naturally shy. They do not do well in large cages. The wrong enclosure can cause a stressed unhealthy ball that will not eat. They need multiple tight fitting hides. Wooden cages are not very good since they are hard to maintain temps and humidity in without creating a breeding ground for bacteria, mold and fungus.

Females are not more aggressive than males. It totally deoends on the ball. They are generally very docile no matter age or sex.

I dont mean to ramble on but be sure you do your homework before getting a ball. Otherwise you may end up with a very expensive vet bill or a dead snake. Definately look for one through a known breeder. There are lots a scam artists out there. Even at shows.

A friend purchased a surinam boa (female) from a show that turned out to be a male which died less than 2 months after. He later found out it was from a group of imports that were unsexed and obviously sick.

Research prospective breeders/sellers by looking at the feedback thread here and the BOI on fauna classifieds.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TurnTable

Good! lets c... I was wondering about how to transition from day time tempature/humid. to night time, If I bought a heat lamp, would I turn it off at night? ( It is important to make it feel like night time for the python right?)

or... is a heating pad better, wouldn't need to change a bulb, or better yet, no real chance of lamp explotions!

Finaly, I read that if a snake's water bowl is large enough I dont need to "spray" to cage to maintain humid. Ill mostlikely just attempt this for myself when I buy the cage and monitering tools but always want a second opion, like b4, I cant spray the cage daily all the time.

Ty for welcoming me to the forums and Ive really used your information so far :D
-TurnTable

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IF you used a heat light you would not want to turn it off at night. Temps would fall too much. This would be very annoying for a dark loving ball. Its best if it will not be kept in a rack/tub, to have it in a completely enclosed tank or cage with a few ventilation holes. Heat coming from underneath and if you want a display light it would be a good idea to add an extra heat source like a ceramic heat emmitter. So the temps never fall drastically.

If the cage is large or tall rather than short and wide it will be very hard to keep the temps and humidity right. Most of us who breed or keep many of these snakes do not let temps fluctuate at all unless it is breeding season. Then some breeders will "cool down". Or if the snake is sick temps will be raised slightly above normal. Otherwise they should be kept consistant.

Read the "Sticky" threads about housing and husbandry here. There are some on shedding, covering tanks etc.. You can find out all you need to know right here.

Their is a reptile show on Nov. 14 here in Colorado. As far as breeders I do have one I have bought from and have been very happy with. If you would like I can give you the name and number.

As everyone else has said, they dont make good display animals at all. I only see my snake sometimes at night and thats because im usually not in my room and I have the lights off and my door closed. During the days shes under her water dish all the time.

Get a female because... theyre bigger then males but theyre still not that big and if you ever decide to breed them you will have a snake ready to go. I use a glass tank just because I never got my second snake to put in tubs so ive just left my first snake in her tank. I was planning on moving both into tubs... glass would be the best display tank. I cant imagine anything home made being to good of a display case unless your a good wood worker or something. And it still probably wouldnt hold temp and humidity well. I also have to spray my tank daily.

Its really not that much for the bare minimum stuff. The most expensive thing will probably be the thermostat. I have a repti temp 500r on a UTH, along with a 75 watt bulb during a few hours of the day.

Thermostat $30
UTH $15-30
Glass tank?
Screen top
Lid clips
Hides
Water dish
and it would be smart to have a fake plant or something to clutter up the tank and make the snake feel more secure.

Start with a 10g and move up to a 20g as it gets older.

Get a UTH with a thermostat, a couple thermometers with probes, two good hides (no log hides!) and aspen, cypress mulch, newspaper, or paper towels for bedding. (no cedar, pine, or sand!)

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Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Start with a 10g and move up to a 20g as it gets older.

Get a UTH with a thermostat, a couple thermometers with probes, two good hides (no log hides!) and aspen, cypress mulch, newspaper, or paper towels for bedding. (no cedar, pine, or sand!)

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... yep thermometer/hydrometer seemed to have slipped my mind on list of things to get.

I would get newspaper because other beddings are not worth the hassle if your going to feed in the enclosure. Neither are that hard to clean but eh. some beddings are dusty even though they say they arent...

BPs may not be the best "display" reptiles, but if you have to keep them in a public area, you still have to look at all their crap. My BP's enclosure is in the living room, so whether we get to see him or not, I still want the thing to be attractive. He's got "rock" hides, a "rock" water bowl, artificial vines, branches, logs, rocks, and Repti Bark (to clutter his cage in support of his antisocial tendencies). Even if he's not gracing us with his presence, his enclosure is still pleasant to look at.

I don't think for one minute that he appreciates the aesthetics, and my priority is his health, safety, and comfort, but there's no harm in attempting to avoid an eyesore in a public part of your home. If I get more snakes, I'll most likely switch to tubs and/or a rack (in an out of the way location), but with one snake, it's not *that* hard to balance aesthetics and proper husbandry.