New baby BP / First time snake owner question

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Originally Posted by MarkS

Actually, wood fibers, being cellulose, is not digestable.

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So would it be safest for me to feed him separately for now? I'd eventually like to get a different bedding for him, the aspen sucks for humidity. Any suggestions for a nice bedding that looks good and holds humidity well?

I use cypress mulch for my ball and brb. No issues feeding on it and holds humidity well. Plus it looks nice.

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Originally Posted by Lemmywinkzz

So would it be safest for me to feed him separately for now? I'd eventually like to get a different bedding for him, the aspen sucks for humidity. Any suggestions for a nice bedding that looks good and holds humidity well?

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When I was using a wood substrate I used to feed the snakes their rats on a paper plate. Might sound a little weird but I think it helped. I've used several types of bedding in the past, I always seem to come back to newspaper.

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Originally Posted by Lemmywinkzz

So would it be safest for me to feed him separately for now? I'd eventually like to get a different bedding for him, the aspen sucks for humidity. Any suggestions for a nice bedding that looks good and holds humidity well?

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Eco Earth is awesome for humidity in tanks :)
And if you're that worried about swallowed substrate, it's the most dirt like... I used it in my tank. I like the look of it as well for more of a display tank

Fed my girl in there no issues, now they are on aspen and I feed in the enclosure... still no issues
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I prefer eco earth. Easy to use, holds humidity, and easy to clean when they poop or pee. I've seen people use cypress mulch, and the reptile kind of forest floor ( looks like mulch). I always go back to coco husk also called eco earth. I also like the smell better. It smells more like dirt.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

When I was using a wood substrate I used to feed the snakes their rats on a paper plate. Might sound a little weird but I think it helped. I've used several types of bedding in the past, I always seem to come back to newspaper.

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Who says it's weird? Lots of people do that, and I know of more than a few BIG name breeders who have suggested it. Certainly not any weirder than talking to an animal with no ears. Newspaper substrate, on the other hand...

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Originally Posted by patientz3ro

Who says it's weird? Lots of people do that, and I know of more than a few BIG name breeders who have suggested it. Certainly not any weirder than talking to an animal with no ears. Newspaper substrate, on the other hand...

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They don't have ears? Do they only sense vibrations or what?

Mine were trained to read lips.

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Originally Posted by Lemmywinkzz

They don't have ears? Do they only sense vibrations or what?

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Not complete ears, no. They have no auditory canal or tympanic membrane, but they have the small bones that would later evolve into the bone structure of the inner ear. I read studies stating that they can detect certain frequencies of sound waves in the air as well as vibrations transferred directly through the ground, for example. It's also been theorized that they can not only detect certain frequencies, but they can recognize them. That would mean they can potentially learn to recognize people by voice.

It might sound a little far fetched, but it's already been well established that snakes can learn to recognize things by smell. Well, the Jacobsens organ is as much a taste receptor as scent, so they actually recognize things by "smaste". You get my point, though.

The bad news is that the frequencies that they seem to detect as "sound" are pretty low. Still within the range of human hearing, but if you're a girl or you just have a really feminine voice... You might as well not bother. That would actually explain why the albino burm that Justin Bieber bought from Britney Spears hasn't strangled either of them. Barry White though... I bet he could even get an anaconda in the mood!

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Originally Posted by KMG

Mine were trained to read lips.

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You should train them to read newspapers. That's like a 2 for 1! Substrate AND entertainment! I tried teaching mine to read the HSUS newsletter. All she did was crap on it. I think it was a sign.


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Oh dang I needed a good laugh thank you so much. I'm still laughing lol.

On pooping: it happens, just tell her to be happy it was on her since washing your girlfriend is easier than washing your persian rug (or in the case of my first snake "accident" all over my super fancy new mattress :mad:). Also consider taking your GF out for ice cream or something to show her how much you appreciate her trying to overcome her fear to make you happy.

On feeding: I feed all of my snakes who live on paper in their tubs. Some of them get multiple feeders (the mouser, the big girls on ASFs, and the male who prefers a mouse appetizer to his rat main dish). I have one baby who is on aspen, she is fed in a separate tub. I had a boa who got aspen imbedded in her mouth when her rat moved at the last second and she missed. Fighting an angry boa (poor girl was in a fair amount of pain, trying to close her mouth just pushed the aspen deeper) made me very leery of feeding on any kind of wood substrate (coco coir being the only exception). If that baby starts stressing (refuses, regurges, bites me, etc) then I'll reevaluate either her substrate or how she's fed.

On biting: 99% of the time it is very fast, it's already over before you've processed that it happened (much like it is for the rodent). I'm not saying they never bite and latch on, but it's not common. The shock of it happening is worse than the bite, which is like getting scratched with sandpaper (speaking obviously only about BPs here, if this was a retic of course that would be a different story).

Ultimately the best thing you can do is research the the typical routines of relatively experienced keepers, and work out how to best apply them to your animals and your situation. They are individuals, just like we are, what works for some won't for others and you just have to keep trying until you find what works best for yours.

Wow, thank you everyone for all of the input. I never thought this forum would be so helpful. One more question though, my snake keeps trying to escape, like for an hour a day. He climbs up the glass and starts to get top heavy and falls over. Is that okay? Should he not be so clumsy? Just yesterday I was handling him and he climbed onto my shoulder and fell into my lap. He is still a baby.. just curious if his clumsyness and his constant escape attempts are alright.

Its normal if they can't get a good purchase on what they areclimbing to fall. Just like with us. Also its normal for them to try and escape. They're little stinkers. Also if they are a bit stressed they will really try to escape the stress to find a more secure location. Have you tried to cover his enclosure completely with only a small viewing area? I have both my BPs almost completely concealed except a small area for me to check on them. Also you might be handling him too much or he's trying to get out to get more food. There are a lot of ifs, maybes, and could bes when dealing with BPs. Also it could be he just wants to be a stinker and get out and explore lol.

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Originally Posted by Phantomtip

Its normal if they can't get a good purchase on what they areclimbing to fall. Just like with us. Also its normal for them to try and escape. They're little stinkers. Also if they are a bit stressed they will really try to escape the stress to find a more secure location. Have you tried to cover his enclosure completely with only a small viewing area? I have both my BPs almost completely concealed except a small area for me to check on them. Also you might be handling him too much or he's trying to get out to get more food. There are a lot of ifs, maybes, and could bes when dealing with BPs. Also it could be he just wants to be a stinker and get out and explore lol.

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Damn, I hate that there's no for sure answers. When I take him out he loves to slither around and explore, so that's what I was guessing. I'm feeding him tomorrow so he could be getting hungry. I'm also going to cover 3 of the 4 sides of the tank with that scenic tank wrap {stuff}. I need to get him a branch and some foliage, he's kinda on the bare minimum right now, because I just got him. He's got 2 hides and a water dish. He just hasn't stopped trying to climb out and the bugger keeps falling over. Just don't want him to hurt himself or be stressed.

Some of them just like to climb too, despite what some people may claim. I have been told repeatedly that BPs "don't climb." They climb just fine, they're just generally not very good/graceful about getting down again, preferring to go for the awkward flop 'n plop instead.

In some ways that's the fun part of owning a BP, they may not be great display animals, but they will keep you guessing forever why they do the things they do. Of course it's also the part that can drive you crazy ;).

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Originally Posted by Badgemash

Some of them just like to climb too, despite what some people may claim. I have been told repeatedly that BPs "don't climb." They climb just fine, they're just generally not very good/graceful about getting down again, preferring to go for the awkward flop 'n plop instead.

In some ways that's the fun part of owning a BP, they may not be great display animals, but they will keep you guessing forever why they do the things they do. Of course it's also the part that can drive you crazy ;).

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I totally agree with the whole climbing thing. From my experience, it seems like they like to climb when they're younger. I noticed that my younger Balls love their branches and leaves but my older ones just like to lounge around the tank when they're not hiding. Once in a while they also scale their branches but not as often as the youngsters. I figure I'll give them the means and they'll figure out what to do with it. Plus, all the leaves and branches make my tank seem less like a prison. ;)

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Originally Posted by Misha

I totally agree with the whole climbing thing. From my experience, it seems like they like to climb when they're younger. I noticed that my younger Balls love their branches and leaves but my older ones just like to lounge around the tank when they're not hiding. Once in a while they also scale their branches but not as often as the youngsters. I figure I'll give them the means and they'll figure out what to do with it. Plus, all the leaves and branches make my tank seem less like a prison. ;)

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That's one of the reasons I prefer a more naturalistic terrarium to a tub or something similar. Sure glass requires a little more creativity on my part to keep temps and humidity correct, but being able to see Ajja in a "better than real life" habitat is SO worth it. Unfortunately, she's REALLY starting to live up to her name. It's a variation of an African word that means "goat."

As far as climbing goes, she's always had grape wood to climb on and over, and she's always on it. When she was little, I'd come home in the morning once or twice a week and see her doing a pretty convincing GTP impression.

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