Arroyo Ball Python is SUPER BAD SHAPE!! HELP ME SAVE HIM PLEASE </3

not too warm, if it feels warm for you, its uncomfortably hot for a BP.

i say its a normal.

Oh! also how long should i wait after giving him his warm bath before trying to feed him? or should i just wait till the next day then feed him?

I'm no expert, but he looks like a normal to me. Also, I read somewhere on here recently that placing him in a wet pillowcase will help with the stuck shed. He does look really skinny (I say that because of the wrinkles). My rescue was like that when I first got him. Do you know how much he weighs or when he ate last? After you get the shed off and he has some time to settle, start feeding him rats. I honestly didn't think they would be much different than mice, but my babies started gaining weight like CRAZY since I started feeding rats.

Take things slowly. The baby is in rough shape, but by no means beyond help. This is a link to a recent story like yours: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...r-situation-is This proves how completely they can recover.

Start with the humidity and stuck shed, and move on to correct temps from there. Worry about feeding later, once the baby is stabilized some.

The caresheets here will help you a great deal.

Gale

OK...Ill be the first to ask...What in the world made you decide your first snake ever should be a rescue in bad shape off of craigslist?!


He looks like a normal and follow everything else everyone above me has mentioned and you should be good...I would however switch those wet paper towels out for damp cheap washcloths (a pack of 6 from Walmart is like 5$). Also tape down 3-4 layers of aluminum foil on the outside of the mesh top for the tank it will help stabilize and keep in the humidity levels. What are you using to heat the tank?? In your picture I didn't see any heating devices?

Whatever the heating device is..it needs to be attached to a thermostat with the thermostat probe between the heat source and the outside of the tank.

I feed my younger, smaller snakes once a week....the bigger and older guys get food every 10 to 14 days....everything is appropriately sized for their bodies and weights...also realize he needs to settle in at least a few days to a week so dont try and feed him (I would not handle him during this time either) until you give him a chance to settle in.

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Originally Posted by OsirisRa32

OK...Ill be the first to ask...What in the world made you decide your first snake ever should be a rescue in bad shape off of craigslist?!


He looks like a normal and follow everything else everyone above me has mentioned and you should be good...I would however switch those wet paper towels out for damp cheap washcloths (a pack of 6 from Walmart is like 5$). Also tape down 3-4 layers of aluminum foil on the outside of the mesh top for the tank it will help stabilize and keep in the humidity levels. What are you using to heat the tank?? In your picture I didn't see any heating devices?

Whatever the heating device is..it needs to be attached to a thermostat with the thermostat probe between the heat source and the outside of the tank.

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Well firstly, the ad in craigslist had no photo, and when the previous owner did send me a photo the snake and it didn't seem that bad and as skinny (as the photo was also a little blurry). So when i met up with the lady, the snake was well.. in horrible shape, she didn't seem to know jack about snakes and it made me want to take the snake from her even more (even with my little to no experience with reptiles). I didn't wanna just leave the snake to someone who doesn't wanna take care of their animals. Even though it's my first snake but i still wanna try doing everything i could to help at least make the snake's life a little better instead of just not helping it.

I have a zoomed heating pad on the left side under his cage around 80-88f according to the zoomed thermometer. Cold side usually rages around 70-85f but it constantly fluctuates up and down. Maybe also because it is winter here in Seattle. I don't know if it is a good idea but i put his tank maybe about 5 inches away from the heater in my room, with the heater at around 70f, just so in case it doesn't go lower than that (i still monitor the temperature he is getting very carefully though). And yeah, I am gonna go get a thermostat for his heating pad to keep a better eye at the temperature he is getting. I did cover up the top with 3 layers of aluminium foil with an inch gap on either side for keep the air moving in his cage) as well as misting it every couple hours. I tried giving him a soak earlier today but he just kept freaking out so i didn't want to stress him out too much and put him back into his cage to let him rest off. (a little shedding did come off though). I will continue to try giving him a soak tomorrow to see how he will do with it.

Don't put him in a tub of water!put him in a wet pillow case for an hour or so.

You can try feeding right away. feed something very small the first few times.


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Wet pillowcase trick:

• Use a standard pillowcase...cheap is best in this case, lower thread counts are more breathable.
• Turn it inside out. Check seams for holes or unraveling threads and secure as needed with a few stitches. Keep it turned inside out so the snake doesn't get snagged on any loose threads.
• Wet it thoroughly with warm water and wring out.
• Wet and wring out a terri-cloth washcloth or hand towel and drop it inside the case. (This gives the snake something to wrap around, crawl through and rub against.)
• Place snake in case and tie the top securely.
• Place the bundle half on and half off the warm side of the snake's enclosure.
• Leave alone for 1-2 hours.
• Open case and remove shiny, new snake.

This trick has always worked for me. And while the poor thing looks pathetic in the original pictures, I have a feeling it will look like a whole new animal once it gets that old skin off. That, plus a few good meals will set it all right. :)

Once you get that stuck shed off of it, if it hasn't already drank any water, hold it next to a bowl of water. If it's thirsty (and it certainly looks dehydrated) it'll start drinking some on its own. This alone will drastically improve its condition and appearance. The dented eye is due to dehydration, so you will probably notice that go away in a day or so after it drinks some water.

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Originally Posted by ViperSRT3g

Once you get that stuck shed off of it, if it hasn't already drank any water, hold it next to a bowl of water. If it's thirsty (and it certainly looks dehydrated) it'll start drinking some on its own. This alone will drastically improve its condition and appearance. The dented eye is due to dehydration, so you will probably notice that go away in a day or so after it drinks some water.

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Alright, i will try that. But i did that yesterday like trying to put it close to his water bowl, but he just doesnt like water. He just sort of hang above right before he touches the water. I tried slowly putting him in his water bowl and he just instantly gets away from it. He just seem to really really hate water.