A Soon To-Be BP Owner Has Some Questions

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Originally Posted by Seviper

1. Should I switch off the red heat lamp at night and turn it back on when I wake up?
I have a ceramic heat emitter and a "blue night time bulb" both on thermostats. They stay on 24/7 since the thermostat keeps the temps stable. If your going to go the lamp route - this one works for me

2. When I purchase pre-killed frozen rodents, how do I store them, and how would one go about defrosting it so it is suitable for my BP to eat? & When defrosting, how long should it take before I feed it to the snake?
I take my frozen rats out or the freezer the night before or 1st thing in the morning on feed day and move them to the fridge. By 10pm that night the rats are thawed completely. Then about 10 min before feeding I put the rat in a bag (to keep it dry) and soak it in 101*F water to bring it to the same temp that a live rat would be, then I feed it.
3. Is Orchid Bark substrate ideal for BP's inside a vivarium?
I've never seen that, but if it is similar to coconut or cypress bark it's probably fine. I think the only things snakes shouldn't be on are cedar, low quality pine, and walnut
4. What is the maximum amount of time one should handle a BP before returning him to his vivarium?
That is going to be dictated by your snake when you get him. Some don't seem to mind, some are more shy, you'll learn his personality, and he'll let you know when he's done
5. Should I put the snake in a safe container and move him to another room when I use a vacuum cleaner in my room? This probably an obvious one, but I HAVE to be 100% sure!!!
I don't, mine does not react to the sound. However it's really important not to use strong chemical cleaners near the tank, I've read the bleach and lysol fumes can be irritating to their lungs
6. When people say to spray the hide with water using a sprayer, do I lift up the hide, spray the roof of it one time and put it back?
I never spray my tank. I use sphagnum moss and keep that moist in a 3rd hide that he can choose to use if he wants. To keep the ambient humidity up, I have a damp cloth on top of the screen top of the tank and cover the top (towel and all - leaving room around the lights) with aluminum foil. This keeps the humidity 50+%
7. What is the most amount of times per week an owner should handle their BP? Once? Twice? ( Also, I am aware that you should absolutely never handle a BP until 48 hours have passed after feeding, since they can regurgitate their food if handled before its food is digested. )
Other than after feeding I take mine out or at least check him over every other day when I change his water and look for messes
8. On top of the red heat lamp, would there be any other lamps inside the vivarium to provide light? ( Again, another obvious one but I need to be completely sure. )
Just because I like being able to see him when he does come out and to give him a better day/night cycle I have a thin strip of LEDs on the lid of his cage. These are attached to the outside of the lid with cable ties and are on a kitchen timer. The come on at 8am and go off at 8pm
9. When feeding the BP, should I wait for him to come out of his hide, or lift up the hide and attempt to feed?
Mine starts coming out and "hunting" about two to three days before feeding day (Sunday). Right before feeding I let the smell of the rat waft around his cage - he usually is trying to climb the sides of the tank by the time I open the lid. Some snakes will also eat if you just leave it sitting in font of their hide, so this will be trial and error to learn what your snake like once you get him

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Good Luck finding your new friend. This site has been incredibly helpful to me, as I am also relatively new to snake keeping. Welcome to the Forum :)

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Originally Posted by Seviper

Hello, so I signed up for this forum today because I need some help. Basically, I have never owned a pet before and I have always been especially fond of BPs. I have looked after people's pets before as a sort of pet-sitter, though I was never allowed to have one of my own as long as I lived with my parents and in several months that is about to change.

Now, I have done plenty of research over the past few weeks on BP care though I feel the safest option I can possibly take is to completely confirm what I already know, and clear up the air on a few things I am unsure of - please be very specific because I tend to process things very literally due to my condition.

1. Should I switch off the red heat lamp at night and turn it back on when I wake up?

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I have a red heat lamp on the warm side of the enclosure. It's on a timer like this one:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/24-Hour-P...5119/100685881

Around 12 hours on and 12 hours off (like the UTH) but I change it with the seasons so it's on longer in summer, shorter in winter.

As for handling: I handled it more often at first but over the long run: feed once per week, handle once per week. And as for duration, observe the snake and it will let you know when it's had enough, by trying to move away or 'escape' from your handling. Mine is generally okay for 30-45 minutes.

Also sometimes I will return it to the tank but hold it outside, so if it wants to go back in it can, and if not, it will either grip me harder or try to go somewhere but not into the tank. So I'll give it another 10-15 minutes to explore outside the enclosure.

One more point about the red light, in addition to the timer it's also on a dimmer so I can control the intensity.

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/in...1ey/R-I3674485

>1. Should I switch off the red heat lamp at night and turn it back on when I wake up?

Doing this depends on the temperature range in the room. If you do, use a cheap timer for turning lamps on and off automatically. It has worked for me.

>2. When I purchase pre-killed frozen rodents, how do I store them, and how would one go about defrosting it so it is suitable for my BP to eat? & When defrosting, how long should it take before I feed it to the snake?

Store in a freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Or thaw under a warm light bulb. Or thaw on top of a snake cage. Or thaw in a plastic bag placed in warm water. Method is not critical, as long as there are no hard (frozen) spots inside the rodent when it is fed to the snake.

>3. Is Orchid Bark substrate ideal for BP's inside a vivarium?

Never used it. For what it's worth, there are a number of acceptable substrates, but I have never found any that I consider ideal.

>4. What is the maximum amount of time one should handle a BP before returning him to his vivarium?

I would not handle one for more than four hours. This would be after the snake has settled in and is eating well.

>5. Should I put the snake in a safe container and move him to another room when I use a vacuum cleaner in my room? This probably an obvious one, but I HAVE to be 100% sure!!!

I will not argue if you want to do it, but I don't think it is necessary. Snakes have to put up with thunder storms in the wild. I am against playing a radio or television at levels where you can feel the sound vibrations in your lungs.

>6. When people say to spray the hide with water using a sprayer, do I lift up the hide, spray the roof of it one time and put it back?

I would only do this when the snake is getting ready to shed. One to three sprays should be adequate.

>7. What is the most amount of times per week an owner should handle their BP? Once? Twice? ( Also, I am aware that you should absolutely never handle a BP until 48 hours have passed after feeding, since they can regurgitate their food if handled before its food is digested. )

I absolutely never use the term "absolutely never." :) IMO, the 48 hour rule is a good guideline instead of an iron-clad rule. For example, some people feed snakes in a separate container. Then the snake must be handled gently for a few seconds to return it to the vivarium.

I wouldn't handle a BP more than 20 times per week. Again, this limit is for a snake that has settled in and is feeding well.

>8. On top of the red heat lamp, would there be any other lamps inside the vivarium to provide light? ( Again, another obvious one but I need to be completely sure. )

There could be if required for heat. Like others, I prefer an under tank heater or radiant heat emitter.

>9. When feeding the BP, should I wait for him to come out of his hide, or lift up the hide and attempt to feed?

I put the rodent on the cage floor a couple of inches from his head if the head is outside the hide. If the head is inside the hide, I put the rodent's head right at the door. IMO, lifting the hide is unnecessary disturbance.

Crowfingers I made a 5 minute video showing the cleaning and setup of a terrarium for a snake that's around 18 months old now. Might help you.

There's a UTH on the left side, it's obvious when I check the temperature. Controlled with a Herpstat 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQtxirwlOR0

I'm using orchid bark for my 2 year old male. It keeps the humidity up fairly well even in a screen topped tank and it's big enough he doesn't have any problems like ingesting it during a meal. All of the reptile stores near me use this as well for most of their BPs. Hope this helps! :)