Worried about my Python

Check for mites! Rubbing and frequent soaking can be an indicator of mites.

As for the hissing... as with people... some snakes are just plain jerks :cool:

Yeah, the hissing isn't a big deal. My little Pinstripe can be a sweetheart sometimes, then like today he was hissing at me when I wasn't even doing anything to him. They just have their days.

In my opinion the big cage can work just fine as long as you give it plenty of places to hide that are tight fitting and you can keep your temps and humidity in the correct range . It is harder to do in a large cage but it can be done. If you have problems with it eating I would recommend getting a smaller cage. Also for the soaking and rubbing I agree with the others who said you should check for mites and check the mouth for signs of RI.

If you have $50 you could easily set her up in a storage tub.

How old is the snake? I gather that she is a little bit older since you got her from someone else?

I will just write up a little shopping list for a juvenile BP tub setup.

32qt tub: Found at walmart, meijer, bed bath and beyond, target for about 5-$10

Under tank heater: Found at major pet stores for about $20

Accurite thermometer/hygrometer: Found at walmart, lowes, home depot for about $12

Light dimmer: Found at lowes, home depot for about $10

Hides: Dollar store opaque plastic bowls for $1


A smaller enclosure is the best thing you can do for your animal right now. a 75g is way to big for any ball python. You are going to have problems keeping the heat and humidity up.

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Originally Posted by crusher

the big issue is the 75 g tank... there is a good chance the snake may not even eat until you get a more suitable enclosure.

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She hasn't eaten because the breeder told me to not feed her this week,just give her time to adjust to her new living arrangements...

which she seems to be ok with doing...she travels the length of the tank most of the time,depending on which of the 3 hides she uses... and none of them are "half log" hides...

as for everyone asking me about temperature controls, ive got the cool side at 80, the middle is somewhere around 85 and the hot side is about 90...im having trouble keeping the humidity up but im working on a glass cover for the top of the tank...

someone asked how old she was, to say again, shes just about (maybe a couple weeks more) 10 months old

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Originally Posted by Tiny_loves_Roxanne

So last Saturday I purchased a ball python (a female) about 10 months old from the a reptile show,and she seemed lively and docile like a ball should (I named her "Roxanne" cause I'm a fan of 'The Police') .though over the past couple days she's been acting odd (odd is the best way to put it I guess). she's hissing a lot, whether i try to pick her up or clean out her water dish, and even when i'm not disturbing the tank she hisses. She's also rubbing up against things inside the tank often,and I've caught her a few times laying in the water dish. I think she's getting ready to shed, but I'm not sure...I'm also worried she might become a nervous snake,and be one thats quick to bite if handled etc.

I could really use any help offered

-Tiny

oh couple additional facts:

1. I'm a first time python owner
2.it's a 75 gallon terrarium with an eco-earth/coconut fiber bedding
3. She hasn't been fed since last Tuesday (the man who sold her to me told me to wait a week while she adjusts to the new tank)

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The things I bolded are what stands out to me and other people. Those things are major indicators that the snake is stressed. A 10month old snake will not thrive in a 75g aquarium. You can make it work but it will end up costing you more money then getting a new smaller setup.

Ball pythons are not active snakes. They spend 90% of their time hiding only coming out to look for food when they are hungry. If you snake is just wandering around then it is stressed. Also, sitting in the water bowl usually means that the snake doesn't like its hides. Ball pythons don't normally soak unless they have mites or they don't like their hides. The water makes them feel like they are covered on all sides, thats why they sit in the water bowl.

[QUOTE=Kaorte;1248954Ball pythons are not active snakes. They spend 90% of their time hiding only coming out to look for food when they are hungry. If you snake is just wandering around then it is stressed.[/QUOTE]


Lemme rephrase then

"she moves the length of the tank going from one hide to another "

How often do you see her moving from hide to hide? When I brought my first ball pythons home, I kept them in 10g tanks and I rarely ever saw them out and about, even if moving from hide to hide. They always did it quickly and at night. I really would move her to a smaller enclosure. Ball pythons are not active display snakes. They like their privacy and large open spaces make them feel very insecure. Even though you are waiting to feed her, she might be so stressed that she won't eat. I had a snake of an unknown age (he was about 500g in weight) and he was living in a 40g tank when I rescued him. He was so stressed out and he ended up having an RI. As soon as his RI cleared up (after oral medication) and he was done with QT, I put him in a smaller enclosure and he's been great ever since. He eats like a machine and is as docile as ever (unless I'm holding dinner.)

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

How often do you see her moving from hide to hide? When I brought my first ball pythons home, I kept them in 10g tanks and I rarely ever saw them out and about, even if moving from hide to hide. They always did it quickly and at night. I really would move her to a smaller enclosure. Ball pythons are not active display snakes. They like their privacy and large open spaces make them feel very insecure. Even though you are waiting to feed her, she might be so stressed that she won't eat. I had a snake of an unknown age (he was about 500g in weight) and he was living in a 40g tank when I rescued him. He was so stressed out and he ended up having an RI. As soon as his RI cleared up (after oral medication) and he was done with QT, I put him in a smaller enclosure and he's been great ever since. He eats like a machine and is as docile as ever (unless I'm holding dinner.)

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well my sleep cycle has returned to in bed,asleep around 11 pm and up by 5:30 am (my college class week cycle) lemme try and remember when i've seen her where

when i first brought her home she went right for the stump hide (looks like a tree stump) and stayed in it til i went to bed...

next morning she was in the water dish,soaking...and just before i left for class around 7:20 am...i saw her making her way into her cave hide...

when i got back from class later that day (around 2 pm) she was in what i call the "roots" hide (looks like tree roots,and i added some vines and leaves to cover up the large gaps,left the small ones open for her to go in and out)...when i came back from rugby practice around 8 pm she was still in the roots hide...

now yesterday i woke up (round 5:30-6:45am)to her out in the open,right in front of the roots hide, hissing...then she crawled into it...
when i left for class around 7:30 she made her way out of the roots and was half in the waterdish half out, when i came back at 9 she was in the stump hide (which is right by the water bowl)...

early this morning she was in cave hide...then while i was cleaning and changing out her water i caught her tail going into the stump hide...

so she's making rounds around the tank...and I looked up the other symptoms of RI...shes not breathing heavy, no popping sounds,and when i catch her "yawning" (fixing her jaw right?) i dont see any bubbles or anything...

i wrote an email to the breeder asking him for any help,and i thank all of you who have responded so far

An RI can be very subtle. The rescue I got didn't display any symptoms of an RI except one day I heard the slightest whistle come from him. I barely heard it. If I had not been right near him, I wouldn't have heard it. I took him to the vet, and sure enough he had an RI (vet tech heard him whistle). Keep an eye on her, but she may just be soaking getting ready for a shed.

It does seem like she's moving around a lot. I really do recommend you get her a smaller set up. It can be very cheap to do. People will sell used 10g tanks for very cheap (usually around $10). The whole set up should cost you less than $50. You can use butter tubs for your hides until she is large enough to move into a larger tank, and even then a 75 seems a bit too large, even for an adult female.