Questions about my new ball python

I just purchased a baby ball python 1 week ago. I had a beautiful Colombian Boa for 2 1/2 years. She disappeared 2 months ago. It was my fault and I will not make the same mistake twice.

Anyway... I have a few questions that I have not been able to find an appropriate answer to online.

1. They told me at the reptile store that he (Soku) looked like he was about to go into a shed. His eyes are very dark and I have not noticed any blueing. Is the blue haze obvious with very dark eyes?

2. Soku is a Pastel. When I brought him home he had a blushy looking orangish tinge on area's closer to the spine. The color darkened into an almost a light brownish grey. I noticed this a few days ago. Not sure if it could be shed related.

3. He has been yawning excessively. His vents are clear, he has no mucus in his mouth and there is no sound indicating RI. His mouth looks very healthy (I see inside it often) Today he yawned and I giggled and smiled at him like I always do when he yawns. He proceeded to open his mouth about 1/2 open and stare at me. He was very relaxed and did not seem a bit aggressive. When I stopped smiling and started to look concerned he closed it. Total time open was about 10 seconds. Call me crazy but it seemed like he was opening it because he liked the response that he received. If there is another reason please inform me.

4. Sometimes he flicks his tongue far out and moves his head straight up and all around. I assume he is getting a feel for his new surroundings. I fed him on Sunday. He has been doing this every day from time to time.

He is a very sweet and docile snake. Curious at times and others he prefers to sit still for an hour and watch me. His Hide is a baseball hat. The center is cloth and collapses and he enters through the brim. He seems to like it and I think it is cozy for him. The reptile shop owner told me that he would not eat f/t and would only eat moving live mice. I tried the f/t and he snatched it up within 5 seconds. I'm so glad because I worry about feeding live. He is a wonderful snake and I want to make sure that I am taking the best care of him possible.

Hi,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aiion

I just purchased a baby ball python 1 week ago. I had a beautiful Colombian Boa for 2 1/2 years. She disappeared 2 months ago. It was my fault and I will not make the same mistake twice.

Anyway... I have a few questions that I have not been able to find an appropriate answer to online.

1. They told me at the reptile store that he (Soku) looked like he was about to go into a shed. His eyes are very dark and I have not noticed any blueing. Is the blue haze obvious with very dark eyes?

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Yes you should be able to see it - here is a picture of one of mine in blue I took because she dented her eye ( it was fine after she shed ). Bear in mind though that they do clear up a couple of days before the actual shed itself so you may have missed the blue stage.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...deyeshrunk.JPG

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aiion

2. Soku is a Pastel. When I brought him home he had a blushy looking orangish tinge on area's closer to the spine. The color darkened into an almost a light brownish grey. I noticed this a few days ago. Not sure if it could be shed related.

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It might be but a picture would help us be more certain - if he is in shed you might also see more wrinkles in his skin where he bends. On mine it is most noticeable on the neck just behind the head.

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Originally Posted by Aiion

3. He has been yawning excessively. His vents are clear, he has no mucus in his mouth and there is no sound indicating RI. His mouth looks very healthy (I see inside it often) Today he yawned and I giggled and smiled at him like I always do when he yawns. He proceeded to open his mouth about 1/2 open and stare at me. He was very relaxed and did not seem a bit aggressive. When I stopped smiling and started to look concerned he closed it. Total time open was about 10 seconds. Call me crazy but it seemed like he was opening it because he liked the response that he received. If there is another reason please inform me.

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The open mouth thing does concern me a little but I would just keep an eye on it until the shed cycle is complete then see where you are. As to why he closed it - did you lean in towards him slightly when you became concerned?

Also it might be worth double checking there are no signs of mucus in the waterbowl or smeared on cage furnishings etc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aiion

4. Sometimes he flicks his tongue far out and moves his head straight up and all around. I assume he is getting a feel for his new surroundings. I fed him on Sunday. He has been doing this every day from time to time.

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Does he just look around then go back to exploring or does he stay with his head elevated for any length of time? If the latter does he ever have his mouth open at the same time?

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Originally Posted by Aiion

He is a very sweet and docile snake. Curious at times and others he prefers to sit still for an hour and watch me. His Hide is a baseball hat. The center is cloth and collapses and he enters through the brim. He seems to like it and I think it is cozy for him. The reptile shop owner told me that he would not eat f/t and would only eat moving live mice. I tried the f/t and he snatched it up within 5 seconds. I'm so glad because I worry about feeding live. He is a wonderful snake and I want to make sure that I am taking the best care of him possible.

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They are wonderfull snakes ( though I admit to being biased :P ).

I would probably try and find a pair of matching hides that would be easier to keep clean and didn't have any loops or anything that he can get himself into trouble with - these needn't be expensive as the drip saucers for putting under houseplants, with a hole made either in the top (minimum twice the thickness of the snake in diameter so he can come and go at the same time without getting stuck ) or in the side, are perfect.

Have a read through our caresheet and browse some threads for good ideas that don't break the bank. :gj:

And :welcome: to the forum. :)


dr del

Thanks for the response.

There has been no mucus and he appears in perfect health besides the frequent yawning. Sometimes it looks more like he is stretching his jaw than a yawn i noticed. When his mouth was open I was perfectly still except for the expression on my face. It honestly looked to me like he was trying to get a reaction out of me. He got a look like "lets see what happens if I do this". I'm probably crazy but that is what I saw.

I'm not terribly worried about the change in his coloring. I was just hoping someone might know what would cause the sudden color shift. Curious really.

I am going to keep an eye on him though for any signs of RI distress.

Thanks again :)

Sounds pretty normal, I think the coloring is shed related, and the yawning is pretty frequent, with Pickles. But thats just my :2cent:. I'm no expert, not in the least. (Pickles is my first herp) :oops:

edit: WOW, dr del, that dent scares me. Glad it got resolved with the shed.

Still don't see any signs of RI. He's been yawning sometimes several times an hour but I see absolutely no sign that there is anything wrong. I think it's just one of his things.

I added another identical hide. It is another baseball cap that is cloth and collapses. From everything that I have read, they perfect hide is one that they are completely hidden and touches their body all around as much as possible. The baseball caps definitely fit the bill and he seems to be very comfortable in them

I fed him 2 mice today. A hopper and a fuzzy. The hopper didn't look quite big enough and 2 hoppers seemed like too much. He was very excited to see the second mouse appear. It startled him but as fast as he was startled, he struck. He squeezes them for a couple minutes until they are dead (they are f/t) and he gets them down very easily.

I found an interesting trick with my Colombian Boa. She would get a dent from time to time. Humidity levels were good in her habitat but she spent a lot of time outside of her cage. If it was a small dent, I would lick it occasionally for several minutes and it would pop right out. She had a large one once. She must have hit her head against something. I was worried she might go blind in that eye. I licked it regularly for about 10 minute and then applied and then ever so gently I sucked it out... No snake will be happy while it's eye is dented in because of impaired vision and I can only imagine how it would feel. I know it sounds totally crazy but the first time it happened I had a thought pop in my head about the qualities of saliva and thought it might soften the eye cap. It was almost like an instinct. Hey...it worked anyway and she did not go blind.

Here are some pics of Suku:

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...100909_021.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...091003_181.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...100909_019.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...100909_012.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...101109_046.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...101109_033.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...101109_032.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...100909_028.jpg

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Originally Posted by lepidunce

Sounds pretty normal, I think the coloring is shed related, and the yawning is pretty frequent, with Pickles. But thats just my :2cent:. I'm no expert, not in the least. (Pickles is my first herp) :oops:

edit: WOW, dr del, that dent scares me. Glad it got resolved with the shed.

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dents in eyecaps are hydration related. Boost the humidity and the dents will go away.

He is certainly a good looking snake. :D

One other thing hides need to be is easily cleaned and maintained.

If we think reptile carpet is a bad idea because it is hard to clean thoroughly to stop it stinking and harbouring germs how do you think baseball caps will cope with being dumped and P'd on? :P

And, as mentioned, simply raising the humidity works fine - stop licking your snakes before those nice people in white coats come and take you away. :P


dr del

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aiion

I added another identical hide. It is another baseball cap that is cloth and collapses. From everything that I have read, they perfect hide is one that they are completely hidden and touches their body all around as much as possible. The baseball caps definitely fit the bill and he seems to be very comfortable in them


I found an interesting trick with my Colombian Boa. She would get a dent from time to time. Humidity levels were good in her habitat but she spent a lot of time outside of her cage. If it was a small dent, I would lick it occasionally for several minutes and it would pop right out. She had a large one once. She must have hit her head against something. I was worried she might go blind in that eye. I licked it regularly for about 10 minute and then applied and then ever so gently I sucked it out... No snake will be happy while it's eye is dented in because of impaired vision and I can only imagine how it would feel. I know it sounds totally crazy but the first time it happened I had a thought pop in my head about the qualities of saliva and thought it might soften the eye cap. It was almost like an instinct. Hey...it worked anyway and she did not go blind.

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adding the same notes as Dr. Del here.

you want easy to clean, sanitary or easially replaceable hides. They really do have a tendency to pee EVERYWHERE. all at once it seems hmm...

Plastic is good for something you can clean (bowls, kitty litter boxes turned upside down or tupperware thats opaque) or cardboard boxes (tissue boxes, shoe boxes, etc) depending on size. these can be thrown away and replaced when soiled.

Also. ..licking your snakes is in poor taste (SEE WHAT I DID THAR :D )
seriously, thats one way to get salmonella. Misting or a quick soak in some lukewarm water will do the trick just as well..without getting your tongue involved o.O

I can throw the baseball caps in the washer. If they get hard to clean I will buy new ones. I have thrown very dirty clothes with any number of different kinds of gnarlyness and they have come out perfectly clean so I am not worried. I used the baseball cap for my Colombian Boa and it never became unmanageable by any means. Just in case someone likes the idea... baseball caps certainly do the trick.

Thanks for all the advice and information. I still appreciate any and all advice, even if I don't agree with something I appreciate the will in which it was offered.

I think he is handsome as well. He is turning out to be very photogenic and I love to take pictures...so it works out. He likes to chill with me too. He'll sit on my hand for several hours just looking at me or whatever is around. I feel very grateful to have found him.

Very pretty pastel you have there! Ummmmm....freaked me out a little with the lick thing...but hey I kiss mine!! soooo......hmmmm...

Anyways...bout the cap......IMO...which is not a whole lot...the thing I would worry about is not that you can wash them but they do tend to go potty in their hides. I would be afraid it would hold too much and give them scale rot due to it being wet. A quick solution is a a plastic dish with a hole cut in it and burn the edges down or my favorite is the top of a pitcher...I put the eco earth over the top and they seem to really like that too. As far as the yawing...if there are no signs of RI then he is just yawning......one of mine yawns alot and she has quite the personality just like yours.

For a snake that size, a baseball cap as a hide is way way way too big. You want something that fits them snugly on all sides.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aiion

If it was a small dent, I would lick it occasionally for several minutes and it would pop right out. I licked it regularly for about 10 minute and then applied and then ever so gently I sucked it out... I know it sounds totally crazy but the first time it happened I had a thought pop in my head about the qualities of saliva and thought it might soften the eye cap.

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I'm still kinda new to snakes. Is this a common practice? Or is it as freaky to others as it sounds to me? :weirdface

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Originally Posted by Patricia

I'm still kinda new to snakes. Is this a common practice? Or is it as freaky to others as it sounds to me? :weirdface

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No this is not...I would not recommend licking your snake...Salmonella...

Just use a wet pillowcase. Has the same effect.

Yeah, I thought it was the saliva's properties that softened the cap enough to pop back. If that were so then the information might have helped someone but being that is not the case I feel a little silly. Oops...it happens :rolleye2:

Here is a pic of Soku's habitat. I plan on darkening 3 sides but I'm afraid of causing too much change at once for the little guy so I am going to wait a week or 2.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2578/...aa5ece2a56.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2595/...40d44be18e.jpg

I am also going to get a digital thermostat and hydrometer but for now I am using a digital for temps every day. I am now using a heating pad which on medium setting is staying a steady 93-94 degrees on the warm side and around 80 on the cool side. I have 2 humidity gauges that read about 10 degrees different. The high has been a steady 60 and lower reading gauge 50.

Thanks again for all of the advice.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aiion

Yeah, I thought it was the saliva's properties that softened the cap enough to pop back. If that were so then the information might have helped someone but being that is not the case I feel a little silly. Oops...it happens :rolleye2:

Here is a pic of Soku's habitat. I plan on darkening 3 sides but I'm afraid of causing too much change at once for the little guy so I am going to wait a week or 2.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2578/...aa5ece2a56.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2595/...40d44be18e.jpg

I am also going to get a digital thermostat and hydrometer but for now I am using a digital for temps every day. I am now using a heating pad which on medium setting is staying a steady 93-94 degrees on the warm side and around 80 on the cool side. I have 2 humidity gauges that read about 10 degrees different. The high has been a steady 60 and lower reading gauge 50.

Thanks again for all of the advice.

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Get rid of the half log and baseball caps. Ball pythons enjoy being hugged on all sides. Try the exo terra reptile cave; look it up on google. My bp absolutely loves it!

What kind of substrate is that? Most commonly used and best substrates are generally cypress mulch, newspaper, and aspen. Newspaper is very easy to use.

Umm, the warm temps COULD be a little lower, generally around 89-91.

Between 50 and 60 is very good.

You should most likely change the cage size to a smaller cage, a 20 gallon is probably too big for such a little snake.

p.s. You have a beautiful pastel! :gj:

It's healthy Pet Colors Pet Bedding. It absorbs 3 times it's weight and is non toxic. It says that it is reptile safe and recommends feeding outside cage to avoid ingestion. I find that it absorbs then distributes the humidity evenly. Leave package open for a while before changing bedding so it doesn't lower humidity initially. It is super easy to spot clean and quickly absorbs waste. I personally love it and Eden seemed quite comfortable once I made the switch. Little Soku seems comfortable as well. As for the log, he likes to use it to travel from side to side but if he changes his mind i have no qualms about removing it. Kind of wanted to actually but I get the feeling removing it would be stressful for him.

those analog temp and humidity gauges are known to be WAY off (over 10 degrees in either direction) so your temps may not actually be what they say they are until you get your digital probe.

Also, human heating pads are a touchy subject. Personally, I would not recommend a human heating pad for heating a reptile cage because that really isnt its purpose (to be used in a low air flow environment 24/7), I'd use a reptile under tank heater or flexwatt and a reliable, quality thermostat.

The heating wires are completely insulated and should never be exposed to air. Especially since it will rarely be moved. The temps are not high enough to cause any heat damage and the temp stays very steady. The warm side I measure under the hide, since that is where Soku spends most of his time. it covers exactly half of the tank bottom and is kept underneath the tank. I did wander about stress from the larger tank but have seen none of the classic signs...or even any that may be unique to him. I used my logic to overcome some of issues that I see with traditional care and research intently until I am satisfied with my choice. I also spend much time observing so that I am aware of anything that may be bothering him and what he prefers. I am always happy to add to the quality of care but rarely take away after some time if it is working well.