Worried about my Python

So last Saturday I purchased a ball python (a female) about 10 months old from the a reptile show,and she seemed lively and docile like a ball should (I named her "Roxanne" cause I'm a fan of 'The Police') .though over the past couple days she's been acting odd (odd is the best way to put it I guess). she's hissing a lot, whether i try to pick her up or clean out her water dish, and even when i'm not disturbing the tank she hisses. She's also rubbing up against things inside the tank often,and I've caught her a few times laying in the water dish. I think she's getting ready to shed, but I'm not sure...I'm also worried she might become a nervous snake,and be one thats quick to bite if handled etc.

I could really use any help offered

-Tiny

oh couple additional facts:

1. I'm a first time python owner
2.it's a 75 gallon terrarium with an eco-earth/coconut fiber bedding
3. She hasn't been fed since last Tuesday (the man who sold her to me told me to wait a week while she adjusts to the new tank)

if you(the forum) want a picture of what her tank looks like, I can post one as well


thanks again for any help

I would first try putting her in a smaller tank, 10-20 gallon. Then fill up her water dish and ignore her for at least 7-14 days. After this time offer food. Only after you establish a feeding pattern begin to handle, but only handle for small periods of time, 5-10mins. Im a new python owner as well and patience is key when setting up a new home with a new owner. Best of luck and welcome to the addiction.

thanks, but i don't have the money for a smaller tank,the 75 gallon was a freebie courtesy of a friend who used to own a bearded dragon that passed on 5 or so years ago,and was looking to get rid of it...

i'll ignore her as you said, minus changing her water out.

Pythons become very stressed in large areas....do you have hides for her to go into? The tighter the better. It makes them feel very safe. If they dont feel safe then they become stressed and can become agressive out of defense.

Why don't you try wedging a piece of wood in (gently), to cut down on the size of the tank? Mine is around the same age, and I have her in a 10 gallon.

do you think after the 7 days i could clean her tank, or should I ignore her still, I feel if i changed the tanks settings around a bit and add another hide (she has 3 hides at the moment) and maybe more fake vines and shrubs

Try checking your local craigslist for tanks. They go for pretty cheap on there, either free or $20-$30.

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Originally Posted by Tiny_loves_Roxanne

So last Saturday I purchased a ball python (a female) about 10 months old from the a reptile show,and she seemed lively and docile like a ball should (I named her "Roxanne" cause I'm a fan of 'The Police') .though over the past couple days she's been acting odd (odd is the best way to put it I guess). she's hissing a lot, whether i try to pick her up or clean out her water dish, and even when i'm not disturbing the tank she hisses. She's also rubbing up against things inside the tank often,and I've caught her a few times laying in the water dish. I think she's getting ready to shed, but I'm not sure...I'm also worried she might become a nervous snake,and be one thats quick to bite if handled etc.

I could really use any help offered

-Tiny

oh couple additional facts:

1. I'm a first time python owner
2.it's a 75 gallon terrarium with an eco-earth/coconut fiber bedding
3. She hasn't been fed since last Tuesday (the man who sold her to me told me to wait a week while she adjusts to the new tank)

if you(the forum) want a picture of what her tank looks like, I can post one as well


thanks again for any help

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What concerns me is the rubbing of the face. Have you inspected her mouth for excess mucuss. When they rub their face a lot their trying to clean off things that may irritate their face. open her mouth and check her to rule out RI.

the big issue is the 75 g tank... there is a good chance the snake may not even eat until you get a more suitable enclosure. as advised above you should try to buy one off of craigslist... there are ads on there that sometimes sell the tanks 10 bucks per 10 gallons.

make sure you arent using half logs as hides and just let the little one settle in before handling it... (though i should probably heed my own advice about the handling im a sucker for new animals)

that being said... my pastel male still strikes at the glass when i walk by his tank... ive had him for over a year now. if im holding him... he tries his damnest to do as much damage to me as his little mouth can... hes just plain sinister lol...

I think your cheapest option is to block off part of the cage. It could be pretty easy to do ....you could even do it with some cardboard though you would have to change it weekly.

Also you might want to take either aquarium liner....or even construction paper and line the outside of the cage....3 sides. This will make her feel safer as well. Make sure that your temps are right on on each side (refer to the care sheet via this site). Bump up your humidity in case she is getting ready to shed ...maybe go for 70% right now. Also double check the water to make sure no black spots...she could have mites as she is sitting in the water bowl....but again...she could be ready to shed too.

Check for mites! Rubbing and frequent soaking can be an indicator of mites.

As for the hissing... as with people... some snakes are just plain jerks :cool:

Yeah, the hissing isn't a big deal. My little Pinstripe can be a sweetheart sometimes, then like today he was hissing at me when I wasn't even doing anything to him. They just have their days.

In my opinion the big cage can work just fine as long as you give it plenty of places to hide that are tight fitting and you can keep your temps and humidity in the correct range . It is harder to do in a large cage but it can be done. If you have problems with it eating I would recommend getting a smaller cage. Also for the soaking and rubbing I agree with the others who said you should check for mites and check the mouth for signs of RI.

If you have $50 you could easily set her up in a storage tub.

How old is the snake? I gather that she is a little bit older since you got her from someone else?

I will just write up a little shopping list for a juvenile BP tub setup.

32qt tub: Found at walmart, meijer, bed bath and beyond, target for about 5-$10

Under tank heater: Found at major pet stores for about $20

Accurite thermometer/hygrometer: Found at walmart, lowes, home depot for about $12

Light dimmer: Found at lowes, home depot for about $10

Hides: Dollar store opaque plastic bowls for $1


A smaller enclosure is the best thing you can do for your animal right now. a 75g is way to big for any ball python. You are going to have problems keeping the heat and humidity up.

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Originally Posted by crusher

the big issue is the 75 g tank... there is a good chance the snake may not even eat until you get a more suitable enclosure.

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She hasn't eaten because the breeder told me to not feed her this week,just give her time to adjust to her new living arrangements...

which she seems to be ok with doing...she travels the length of the tank most of the time,depending on which of the 3 hides she uses... and none of them are "half log" hides...

as for everyone asking me about temperature controls, ive got the cool side at 80, the middle is somewhere around 85 and the hot side is about 90...im having trouble keeping the humidity up but im working on a glass cover for the top of the tank...

someone asked how old she was, to say again, shes just about (maybe a couple weeks more) 10 months old

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tiny_loves_Roxanne

So last Saturday I purchased a ball python (a female) about 10 months old from the a reptile show,and she seemed lively and docile like a ball should (I named her "Roxanne" cause I'm a fan of 'The Police') .though over the past couple days she's been acting odd (odd is the best way to put it I guess). she's hissing a lot, whether i try to pick her up or clean out her water dish, and even when i'm not disturbing the tank she hisses. She's also rubbing up against things inside the tank often,and I've caught her a few times laying in the water dish. I think she's getting ready to shed, but I'm not sure...I'm also worried she might become a nervous snake,and be one thats quick to bite if handled etc.

I could really use any help offered

-Tiny

oh couple additional facts:

1. I'm a first time python owner
2.it's a 75 gallon terrarium with an eco-earth/coconut fiber bedding
3. She hasn't been fed since last Tuesday (the man who sold her to me told me to wait a week while she adjusts to the new tank)

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The things I bolded are what stands out to me and other people. Those things are major indicators that the snake is stressed. A 10month old snake will not thrive in a 75g aquarium. You can make it work but it will end up costing you more money then getting a new smaller setup.

Ball pythons are not active snakes. They spend 90% of their time hiding only coming out to look for food when they are hungry. If you snake is just wandering around then it is stressed. Also, sitting in the water bowl usually means that the snake doesn't like its hides. Ball pythons don't normally soak unless they have mites or they don't like their hides. The water makes them feel like they are covered on all sides, thats why they sit in the water bowl.

[QUOTE=Kaorte;1248954Ball pythons are not active snakes. They spend 90% of their time hiding only coming out to look for food when they are hungry. If you snake is just wandering around then it is stressed.[/QUOTE]


Lemme rephrase then

"she moves the length of the tank going from one hide to another "

How often do you see her moving from hide to hide? When I brought my first ball pythons home, I kept them in 10g tanks and I rarely ever saw them out and about, even if moving from hide to hide. They always did it quickly and at night. I really would move her to a smaller enclosure. Ball pythons are not active display snakes. They like their privacy and large open spaces make them feel very insecure. Even though you are waiting to feed her, she might be so stressed that she won't eat. I had a snake of an unknown age (he was about 500g in weight) and he was living in a 40g tank when I rescued him. He was so stressed out and he ended up having an RI. As soon as his RI cleared up (after oral medication) and he was done with QT, I put him in a smaller enclosure and he's been great ever since. He eats like a machine and is as docile as ever (unless I'm holding dinner.)

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

How often do you see her moving from hide to hide? When I brought my first ball pythons home, I kept them in 10g tanks and I rarely ever saw them out and about, even if moving from hide to hide. They always did it quickly and at night. I really would move her to a smaller enclosure. Ball pythons are not active display snakes. They like their privacy and large open spaces make them feel very insecure. Even though you are waiting to feed her, she might be so stressed that she won't eat. I had a snake of an unknown age (he was about 500g in weight) and he was living in a 40g tank when I rescued him. He was so stressed out and he ended up having an RI. As soon as his RI cleared up (after oral medication) and he was done with QT, I put him in a smaller enclosure and he's been great ever since. He eats like a machine and is as docile as ever (unless I'm holding dinner.)

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well my sleep cycle has returned to in bed,asleep around 11 pm and up by 5:30 am (my college class week cycle) lemme try and remember when i've seen her where

when i first brought her home she went right for the stump hide (looks like a tree stump) and stayed in it til i went to bed...

next morning she was in the water dish,soaking...and just before i left for class around 7:20 am...i saw her making her way into her cave hide...

when i got back from class later that day (around 2 pm) she was in what i call the "roots" hide (looks like tree roots,and i added some vines and leaves to cover up the large gaps,left the small ones open for her to go in and out)...when i came back from rugby practice around 8 pm she was still in the roots hide...

now yesterday i woke up (round 5:30-6:45am)to her out in the open,right in front of the roots hide, hissing...then she crawled into it...
when i left for class around 7:30 she made her way out of the roots and was half in the waterdish half out, when i came back at 9 she was in the stump hide (which is right by the water bowl)...

early this morning she was in cave hide...then while i was cleaning and changing out her water i caught her tail going into the stump hide...

so she's making rounds around the tank...and I looked up the other symptoms of RI...shes not breathing heavy, no popping sounds,and when i catch her "yawning" (fixing her jaw right?) i dont see any bubbles or anything...

i wrote an email to the breeder asking him for any help,and i thank all of you who have responded so far

An RI can be very subtle. The rescue I got didn't display any symptoms of an RI except one day I heard the slightest whistle come from him. I barely heard it. If I had not been right near him, I wouldn't have heard it. I took him to the vet, and sure enough he had an RI (vet tech heard him whistle). Keep an eye on her, but she may just be soaking getting ready for a shed.

It does seem like she's moving around a lot. I really do recommend you get her a smaller set up. It can be very cheap to do. People will sell used 10g tanks for very cheap (usually around $10). The whole set up should cost you less than $50. You can use butter tubs for your hides until she is large enough to move into a larger tank, and even then a 75 seems a bit too large, even for an adult female.

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

I really do recommend you get her a smaller set up. It can be very cheap to do. People will sell used 10g tanks for very cheap (usually around $10). The whole set up should cost you less than $50. You can use butter tubs for your hides until she is large enough to move into a larger tank, and even then a 75 seems a bit too large, even for an adult female.

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would it possibly help if i posted a picture...because although the tank is just about 5 feet long,its not very wide(maybe a foot) and some of the hides and stuff i've purchased take up a good deal of space...lemme see if i can get a good picture...

Your key advice in this thread is to knock down the size of the enclosure by however means you want to go about, either buy a smaller enclosure or place some sort of divider inside that 75g and then you will have a happy , unstressed BP. There are many people on this site with tons of experience with all different types of experience. When a BP is set up correctly it will make all the difference in the world.

A picture would be nice but my friend has a 75g tank for her bearded dragon so I know the dimensions pretty well and it is still too large for a ball python, especially one that is only 10 months old. You said she has 3 hides and some decorations. If those 3 hides and a few decorations are filling up a 75g tank, then the hides are too large.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2...n/DSC01054.jpg

full cage view

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2...n/DSC01055.jpg

cold side (water dish and tree stump hide)


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2...n/DSC01056.jpg

hot side (roots hide and cave hide with many vines to help fill in spaces)

The roots hide does not count as a hide. It is too open and will not make the snake feel secure. The other two are fine. It still just seems too large for a 10 month old snake.

You posted about how you were concerned about your ball python's behavior. You have gotten several people's advice about what they think might be causing it. The main issue people are finding is the size of the enclosure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jay_Bunny

The roots hide does not count as a hide. It is too open and will not make the snake feel secure. The other two are fine. It still just seems too large for a 10 month old snake.

You posted about how you were concerned about your ball python's behavior. You have gotten several people's advice about what they think might be causing it. The main issue people are finding is the size of the enclosure.

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then i'll see what I can do about a smaller tank...mostly its a money issue due to college expenses...but any suggestions on a snake that would fill a 75 gallon tank?

I was leaning toward a Blood Python should everything with Roxanne go according to plan (and by according to plan I mean,make her feel at home and raise her to full size)