Just acquired a rat mualed BP last night - Advice pls!

Good for you for helping the little one, I'm glad you decided to hang on to her.

Poor little lamb, some people are just thoughtless.

While I hope there is nothing serious wrong, I do think as bad as her condition is/was, I'd do a vet visit to be sure.

I don't know if you kept her in her big enclosure, or moved her to a smaller one, but it is something you may want to consider, just to help her relax.

It seems odd to me that warmer temps stress her out, I wonder if that could be related to an RI, or some other type of disease ? That is really strange.

From what I understand, leaving the light off is a good idea for now, as long as she's not in total darkness. What kind of heat are you using ? I know most people prefer belly heat for balls, especially as opposed to heat lamps.

I wish you the best with her.

Gale

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Originally Posted by angllady2

It seems odd to me that warmer temps stress her out, I wonder if that could be related to an RI, or some other type of disease ? That is really strange.

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My two rescues like it cooler than most BPs as well. The recommended ambient temps are ~85*, but mine like it ~75-82* MAX, with a 90* hot spot. I believe it's because they were kept for years with no heat at all... Not sure how they even survived that.

What size of mat should I get? Exo-terra has a rainforest and desert heat...is there really a difference? I have access to ZooMed Mats as well. Will providing a basking spot of 90ish keep the ambient at 82-85? If not, in a plastic tub, what other heat source....the traditional light/ceramic on top seems to me it would melt the tub. Also, pics of your hole configurations and general set up would be helpful. Also, completely opaque or translucent tub?

I'm shooting for having her in her new enclosure tonight.:)

Zoomed should work fine - but don't forget to get a rheostat or dimmer to go with it - to prevent it from over-heating and burning her. Un-regulated heat pad will get hot enough to burn the belly of a ball python.

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Zoomed should work fine - but don't forget to get a rheostat or dimmer to go with it - to prevent it from over-heating and burning her. Un-regulated heat pad will get hot enough to burn the belly of a ball python.

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Dimmer thingy from Lowes $2.49....what size of mat? I was thinking the up to 5 gallon one for a basking spot...though I'm not sure how big it actually is. lol

I went shopping for the tub, UTH etc, and when I came back, my husband said she was crawling all over the place. I looked at the enclosure and sure enough, she was half in her water tub and half out. She was checking out the crack in the door, testing all the new smells. So I took the opportunity to get her out. SHE WAS AWESOME!! Never made a strike pose in my direction. I handled her very gently and tried to use fluid motion to let her exercise. I took her out into the sunlight and let her exercise a bit. While I had her out I had my husband put more neosporin on her back. Her mouth looked like a wet scab where she had been drinking and soaking. lol I coulda swore I felt a belch too. lmao I had her out for about 15 min, put her back into her enclosure and turned on all her basking sources....she seemed to get another drink, then curled up to take another healing nap. :) We are pleased thus far with her temperment and progress. I'll be making a vet appointment tomorrow, and start on her new enclosure tonight.:banana:

Have you gotten her to eat yet? You do not want to handle your snake until they are properly settled in and on a decent feeding schedule.

Congrats! Considering the condition she is in, I doubt the previous owners rarely gave her clean water. She's soaking it all up now! That's awesome! And as far as the UTH goes, I use the one for the 10-20 gallon tanks. I'm really happy that she found a good home :)

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Originally Posted by AkHerps

Have you gotten her to eat yet? You do not want to handle your snake until they are properly settled in and on a decent feeding schedule.

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This is how I understand u may want to do it under normal circumstances, but she really needs a vet right now more than anything. Therefore I have to handle her a bit first in order to get her there.

Besides, she made it abundantly clear she wanted to explore. I feel a little, and I mean little, better about her face. The swelling has gone down just a bit and she seems to act like a normal python...flicks her toungue, wants to investigate stuff, and tracks warm mammals still (my cat walked by). Admittedly, I do not have much experience with reptiles, but I've nursed many an injured mammal back to health. And I could be wrong, but I take her progressive behavior as a good sign. I will feel much better after speaking with a herp vet tho;)

Just keep in mind that it isn't normal for ball pythons to explore. If they're hiding they're happy. If they're cruising they're uncomfortable or hungry. In your case I'd imagine she's probably extremely uncomfortable. Handling her now isn't a huge deal. After she's all healed up and your vet gives you the okay to feed her, leave her alone for a week then feed. Good luck! I'd like to see some pics of the little girl if you can get some. Also, did you name her?