Some questions!

Hey all,

Go easy on me, this is my first time lol.

I just bought a male ball python, my first snake, and I have a couple of questions.

1. They say he is about one. Is that a baby still? Is there a certain bracket for age with them?

2. They say he is about one, but he is over two feet I want to say, does that mean he is closer to two as I have seen they grow about a foot every year for the first three years?

3. How can I take him out with me in public? Any thing I should bring? Anything I need to be worried about?

4. Stupid me went to pick him up about 30 minutes after his first feeding with me to put him back in his tank. He bit me (Barely have a few teeth/fang marks). How long do I need to wait to transfer him? Is there a better way than just moving him by hand? Is it normal for him to go to bite at me like that?

I am sure that I will compile more over time.

Thanks in advance guys/gals!

Hi! Congrats of your new snake! There will not be a problem with transferring your snake, if you feed him in his cage. It is not necessary to move him for dinner! The other issue, snakes grow at different rates. He is still growing yet. If you do not have a scale you should get one to see how much he weighs.
Jimi

Okay, bit me twice lol.

Will they bite more if I have them out for extended periods of time? Will they bite when they hear my dog bark/growl (I think this is why he just bit me now)?

A side note: Both times have not really just, just have more bloody holes now. lol

How long ago did you feed? You should wait 2 days after before you handle him. He might be stressed. Can you describe your setup, and maybe post a pic?

My setup is pretty damn blank. A 40 gallon tank, and a water bowl. That is it. I fed him this past Friday.

I am getting more in the tank soon, just need to find the extra $ now.

:welcome: !!

If you just got your snake then it is scared. That is why it is biting you.

Leave your snake alone completely for one week. No handling or feeding for that week.

After one week, feed him an appropriately sized meal (based on his weight) and then wait 2 more days before handling him. You need to allow him time to digest his food before handling him to prevent a regurgitation.

It is not necessary to feed him in a separate enclosure. He will not mistake your hand for food when you reach into the tank any other day other than feeding day. I feel all my snakes in their home enclosures and I have never been bitten.

A one year old male isn't completely full grown but he should be about close. A full grown male is usually about 1000g. There is no specific growth curve for ball pythons. They all grow at different rates.

I would actually advise not taking the snake out in public. Many people have serious fears of snakes and it could pose a legal issue at some point. With all of this new legislation popping up, we need to give ourselves a good reputation and bringing our snakes around in public is not going to help. :/

Hope this helps you out :)

What Kaorte said ^

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

I would actually advise not taking the snake out in public. Many people have serious fears of snakes and it could pose a legal issue at some point. With all of this new legislation popping up, we need to give ourselves a good reputation and bringing our snakes around in public is not going to help. :/

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Not to mention the stress that it will cause the snake...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

:welcome: !!

If you just got your snake then it is scared. That is why it is biting you.

Leave your snake alone completely for one week. No handling or feeding for that week.

After one week, feed him an appropriately sized meal (based on his weight) and then wait 2 more days before handling him. You need to allow him time to digest his food before handling him to prevent a regurgitation.

It is not necessary to feed him in a separate enclosure. He will not mistake your hand for food when you reach into the tank any other day other than feeding day. I feel all my snakes in their home enclosures and I have never been bitten.

A one year old male isn't completely full grown but he should be about close. A full grown male is usually about 1000g. There is no specific growth curve for ball pythons. They all grow at different rates.

I would actually advise not taking the snake out in public. Many people have serious fears of snakes and it could pose a legal issue at some point. With all of this new legislation popping up, we need to give ourselves a good reputation and bringing our snakes around in public is not going to help. :/

Hope this helps you out :)

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I agree with every single point except one...I am bringing all my snakes to Petsmart to show my co workers. Most of them don't even know a Spider Ball Python exists or what they look like. But then again i work there, so it may be different for me...

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Originally Posted by steveboos

I agree with every single point except one...I am bringing all my snakes to Petsmart to show my co workers. Most of them don't even know a Spider Ball Python exists or what they look like. But then again i work there, so it may be different for me...

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If you are going somewhere that is okay with pets then that is different. If you are at the grocery store, don't bring your snake along.

That being said I wouldn't bring any of my snakes to a pet store. Other snakes there could have mites or infections that could be spread to my animals.

I just don't want to risk anyone getting sick :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

If you are going somewhere that is okay with pets then that is different. If you are at the grocery store, don't bring your snake along.

That being said I wouldn't bring any of my snakes to a pet store. Other snakes there could have mites or infections that could be spread to my animals.

I just don't want to risk anyone getting sick :)

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Honestly i'm the same way with pet stores, if i didn't work there and know for a fact all our snakes are healthy, i would be scared also, especially petland, they house red tails and ball pythons together....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Leave your snake alone completely for one week. No handling or feeding for that week.

After one week, feed him an appropriately sized meal (based on his weight) and then wait 2 more days before handling him. You need to allow him time to digest his food before handling him to prevent a regurgitation.

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I have had him since Friday afternoon. Do I start the week now as I have handled him about everyday other than the 48 hours after he ate?

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Originally Posted by whitemike

I have had him since Friday afternoon. Do I start the week now as I have handled him about everyday other than the 48 hours after he ate?

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I would start now. A week with no food won't hurt him. He just needs some alone time.

Damn! lol

I do not want to let him go when I am home.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by whitemike

Damn! lol

I do not want to let him go when I am home.

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I know how that is. But it is only a week. :) you will survive and your snake will be better off for it.

I am not going to handle him for the week, just wondering how he will be better off?

Also, I am laying in bed and I see it and he is 1/2 in the water bowl and he is rubbing like his wet body against side of tank/himself. Is that normal? What is he doing?

Any new animal needs to adjust to being in a new place. Ball pythons take a week or two to adjust to their environments to become comfortable.

If your snake doesn't feel safe in its new environment then it can become stressed which can lead to food refusal or health issues.

Sounds like your snake is just cruising around and just slithered through the water and around the cage. For the first week or so, he might cruise a lot looking for a way out of the tank. Its normal. Once he starts spending his days (and most nights) in his hides, then you know he is settled in and feels safe.

You sound like my husband when we 1st got our snakes. He wanted to handle them everyday all the time. But you cant. You need to leave him alone for a week, even better 2wks. He needs time to get comfortable in his new surrondings.

Also you need a hide for him, i didnt see you mention anything about that. He needs something to hide in. BP's spend 90% of there life in hiding. Also do you have a heat source? He needs that also.

And i would suggest not to feed him in a differant place other then his cage. Sometimes that can stress them out, and then they really wont eat.

Also rubbing himself against the cage or bowl might be that he is going into shed. Just leave him alone for the time being. He will let you know when he ready to come out :)

Good luck.

Don't mean to be too hard on you, but it looks like you are kind of putting the carriage before the horse!!

You should have done more research before getting the snake -- too late now I guess! Like the previous poster stated, you definitely need hides!! All of this should have been taken care of before getting the snake -- you can't let the snake suffer because you don't have the money for all of the neccessary equipment. If you don't have the cash right now, you can possibley find something around the house to use as a make shift hide box (ideally two -- one for the warm side, and one for the cool side, and please don't say you don't know what that means). You could use a small rubbermaid container with a hole cut in the side, or even a small cardboard box (which would probably only last until the snake defecates).

And like other posters stated -- it's definitely not neccessary to feed in a seperate enclosure.

Anyway -- do the best that you can with what you have for now -- and keep researching!! All of us on here, no matter how long we have been keeping snakes, still learn things on occasion about our snakes, so there is never a time when you know everything!

Later,

George

I think you need to find a good book on snake husbandry, then maybe get the small book about ball pythons. The tank should have been set up properly before you brought the snake home. I don't believe you mentioned anything about temps? Do you have any type of heat in or on the tank? What temps are you keeping the tank?

Stay away from the snake for some time. Each time you add something new to the tank you're changing your snake's environment. Get everything that is needed as quickly as you can and get the tank set up properly as soon as you can.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

Sorry, I did not post, but I do have a heat source.

I went to the pet store and said what all do I need to get this up, and I got what they told me. Sorry for them not telling me about the hides, this has been corrected since. As for the temp, I am following the guide here.

Make sure if you have an under the tank heater that you get a thermostat for it so you can control it. Some places tell you that you will not need it....YOU DO!!! Also be sure to check out the care sheet...tons of info that is very good.

Get the hides...super important....one on the cool side one on the warm side. You can look up self made hides on this site....you can make one for a couple of dollars.

What type of susbtrate are you using...make sure no Cedar!!

It has been said lots of times....but I will say it again...feed in his enclosure...much easier for you and the snake.

The water and rubbing thing....hmmmmm...maybe he is going into a shed. Make sure your humidity is at 60% and I might even bump it to 70% just in case he is. Make sure though that the substrate is not wet though. You can get a hygrometer (probably spelled it wrong) at Wally World pretty cheap.

And give him time...sounds like you got a sassy one...but he will warm up. He is just stressed right now. And trust me I know....it is hard not to hold them for hours everyday!!!

Friend just gave me: http://www.petco.com/product/5963/Ma...t-Refuges.aspx

I know you said no cedar, but I cannot see what kind of wood it is other than "natural."

Will this do?

they really like stuff that is totally closed in with a little opening. Like lets say a plastic bowl (that is not clear). Mine also like the coconuts...though it only works when they are young. I personally get the repti rocks...(not hot rocks) just little reptile hides. That is only because I am not good with making stuff.

Look up homemade hides and you will get some ideas.

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Originally Posted by whitemike

Friend just gave me: http://www.petco.com/product/5963/Ma...t-Refuges.aspx

I know you said no cedar, but I cannot see what kind of wood it is other than "natural."

Will this do?

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Those are definitely not cedar or pine (cedar has a reddish tint to it, along with a distinctive scent, and I'm sure you can recognize pine), so they're not toxic to your snake. That said, the conventional wisdom with regard to ball pythons is that half logs are not secure enough to be good hides for them. The fact that they have large openings makes them unhappy; they'd much prefer something that they can just fit inside, with a single "doorway" just big enough for them to get in and out. That way they can't really be seen when they're inside, thus making them feel safer.

Welcome.....:)...
This site is REALLY going to help you out as you need..everyone is real friendly...but yeah you are going to need a lil more than a 40 gl tank and water bowl...make sure you have the right heat source for your ball specially after feeding...give it a 48 hr "chill time" after it's lunch...lol.....good luck:gj: