Help with an abandoned BP!

Take things slow with him.
I would like to know what his current weight is?
Might start out on a small mouse every 5 to 7 days for a couple feeding then move up in size a little.
What kind of temps are you getting on the surfaces with your lighting?

Welcome to a great forum with people that are willing to help you every step of the way.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Ball Pythons get their name from their tendency to roll up into a ball! He is probably just a little frightened. Over time, he should feel more comfortable around you.


I see that you have a heat lamp and a night bulb. A Under Tank Heater is most recommended for BPs, though a heat lamp can be used to help with heating ambient temperatures. The only problem is they can dry out the humidity.


The whistling I have no clue what it could be. It could possibly be a symptom of a respiratory infection from being out in the cold but I don't know much about RI. Safest bet is just to take him to a vet to get a check up.

I would be worried about temps with that powersun, I use the same for my beardie and it easily reaches 100+ degrees. You might be able to just use the infrared bulb 24/7. Get a decent digital thermometer a lot of people use the one in the link below.

Great info to set up a tank here:
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-With-Pictures!

I would suggest leaving him alone until after his first feeding or two.
Handling him too often can be stressful and that stress can actually lead to not eating.
And eating should be his #1 priority for the next few weeks.

I would offer small meals once a week until his stomach can acclimate to actually having food in it. Feeding a "starving" being too much can cause a stomach upset. So take things slow for a while, then you can feed him more often after.

The wheezy-whistling noise could be a respiratory infection. Keep an eye out for bubbles or mucous. It could just be a stuck piece of shed in his nose too. Just be vigilant.

you are seriously awesome! I second and third just about everybody's responses! there's a bunch of great people on here who will help you with whatever you need! :)

good luck to him and your family!
oh and updates are a must :)


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I don't have anything to weigh him with am afraid...but hes light as a feather & like I said he has hardly any grip.

I think rats would be too big for him, so will probably try the mouse suggestion & I heard that BPs LOVE mice...which is a bad thing for healthy BPs, but in his case if it helps him eat then that would be a plus!

I can understand him being afraid & I know it was probably too soon to even get him out to handle...but my fiance just wanted to get a good look at him as when I brought him home he was cold & hardly moved so we didn't really get to see his 'normal' behavior...good job he did get him out too else we wouldn't have discovered the whistling noise. Now we know to keep our eyes on that.

The powersun bulb does get very hot near the bulb...I have it set up far over one side of the tank over his cave & have been misting, particularly in his cave to keep it humid. He seems to enjoy basking as hes stayed on the hot side of the tank. How hot is too hot? I'd had the bulb for a Chinese Water Dragon...I know VERY different reptiles.
I think I may have another basic blue daylight bulb or I can get another bulb from my job [they have some zilla bulbs] if you don't think the powersun is appropriate? It was all I could find last minute & figured the thing cost me a fortune, may aswell put it to use lol :P

What you need is a thermostat to regulate the heat if it's not already attached to one. Does the bulb have a guard? Even when regulated by a thermostat bulbs can get hot enough to give a BP a nasty burn if they can reach it and if it is in their enclosure they could find a way.

Check out the husbandry requirements for a BP if you haven't already for BP's as they are different from some other snakes and I agree with Satomi, I would do little and often. I would guess this guy was either bought as an impulse and the people decided they didn't want him or he wasn't eating and they gave up and dumped him.

Thank you for taking him in, hopefully he will get better in your care and the whistling isn't anything too serious. I would also advise a vet's trip to check this and also to make sure there is nothing else seriously wrong with the poor guy.

Best of luck and the forum is here to help you when you need it.

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Originally Posted by DaisyB

I think rats would be too big for him, so will probably try the mouse suggestion & I heard that BPs LOVE mice...which is a bad thing for healthy BPs, but in his case if it helps him eat then that would be a plus!

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This makes me really glad you found your way here. Whoever told you this, please do not take any advise from them ever again on anything ever. The only difference between feeding rats or mice is the quantity you will need to feed when they are older and larger. I have a couple 1200ish gram snakes that have never has a rat in their life. They eat between 3 to 9 mice every week.

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Originally Posted by DaisyB

How hot is too hot?

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You want to get the surface temps not hotter than about 95 degrees.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

What you need is a thermostat to regulate the heat if it's not already attached to one.

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You can't use a thermostat with this bulb (the powersun).

Your best bet is to set it up similar to the link I posted above. I would just use an infrared bulb 24/7 then you don't have to switch out day/night bulbs or mess with different fixtures twice a day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tlich

You can't use a thermostat with this bulb (the powersun).

Your best bet is to set it up similar to the link I posted above. I would just use an infrared bulb 24/7 then you don't have to switch out day/night bulbs or mess with different fixtures twice a day.

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Ah sorry! I wasn't aware of that!