New Owner

I got a Ball Python last night because its been a dream pet of mine since i was around 8 years old, and its more than i ever thought it would be. he/she has beautiful coloration, probably just the normal coloration, just a little lighter. but i have a few questions. currently i have him/her set up in a 10 gallon aquarium with a wire mesh lid, i broke my day bulb last night, (lamp fell while moving the cage. DOH!), but i have the night bulb on right now, will this be ok until i can get my hands on a day bulb?

the substrate i have is called aspen snake bedding. i assume that is ok because the lady in the pet store insisted on it. (thank God my room mates were with me, they helped me cover the cost of getting it).

its about a foot and a half or so long.

i have a single piece of wood in there for like a basking spot.

i really just need some info and ideas on how to better take care of this little guy/girl. (is there any way to tell the sex besides violating their orifaces?)

any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks,
C4t4StRoPhIc

Take a look at this......it has so much info in it that you will need to do.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

Get yourself an accurite thermometer....you can pick it up at wally world or lowes for $12. It will measure you humidity and you temps.

You need to tight fitting hides for your snake that are not clear. You can do this on the cheap get low dollar store bowls and cut a hole in it. I typically burn the edges so they are not sharp.

You need a water bowl big enough that they can get in if they choose to. But not super deep ok.

You need to have 2 different temps....cool side 82-83 warm side 90-92

You do not need a basking spot! Also you do not need two different lights as BP's dont need it. If you have to do a heat lamp then I would get the red one....leave it on.

Also with a whole mesh top you WILL have problems keeping your humidity at 60%. foil most of it over so that it locks in some of the humidity. You can also spray a couple times a day. Just don't make it too too wet.

Remember to feed your BP either on an every 5 to 7 day schedule. The prey item needs to be the size of your BP's thickest part. If you feed Frozen thawed...hit it with a blow dryer right before you give it to him. If you feed live NEVER just leave it in there.

Also since you just got him....get his cage right and leave him alone for 7 days at least. This will give him time to calm down. This is truly the hardest part.

Ok.....welcome to the obssesion!!! By the way pet stores tell you crazy stuff sometimes.

Oh yea and feed in the enclosure...some stores tell you not to...but it will stress out your snake if you take him out to feed. Also they WILL NOT bite you because they think you are a mouse unless you handled one and did not wash your hands.

i was at the petstore today getting silkworms and while i was there i was holding a sub adult ball python and i was talking to the clerk and he said that the snake i want (pastel) is $10,000 :rofl::8:


shows they don't all know so it best to do research aswell and not just take their word

Wow that must be one HOT pastel......:rofl:

OK , now that the basics have been posted above.
Lets talk wood. Where did you get this wood from ? If it's a piece of outside wood then get it out. They have bugs and would need to be cured.
Other than that , I can't wait to see pics.

its wood from the store that was in an iguana cage for 1 day, so i didnt think it would mess with anything. im having trouble getting pics onto the computer, it doesnt have a compact flash card slot and i dont have the usb cord for it.

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Originally Posted by dembonez

i was at the petstore today getting silkworms and while i was there i was holding a sub adult ball python and i was talking to the clerk and he said that the snake i want (pastel) is $10,000 :rofl::8:


shows they don't all know so it best to do research aswell and not just take their word

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10,000 for a pastel?
You know, there are just some breeders who seem to price their stuff so far out it's goofy, however, those folks should not be chastised because they also help keep the market at a certain level and a certain standard. You have to wonder how they ever sell anything but I've also seen some awesome looking animals for big prices that I would buy if I had that sort of money.

seeing as it is a young snake, as far as handling goes, what are some do's and dont's? like, how long and what is safe amount of time for him/her to be handled?

First of all I would get him some nice snug fitting hides if you haven't already. These can be as simple or as elaborate as you want them to be. Some people like the exo-terra rock cave hides, but I prefer using plastic cereal bowls from the dollar store. I just cut out a small entrance and they work great and are easy to clean.

Also, I would go with an under tank heater with a reptile thermostat instead of the light. The light, you will find, kills the humidity causing bad sheds. Since ball pythons usually hide in rodent burrows and termite mounds, they are used to getting heat from the ground and not from the sun. They don't come out at all during the day so shining a light on them isn't really the most efficient way to heat. The catch with using an under tank heater is that it needs to be used with a thermostat to be safe for the animal. The cheapest reptile thermostat is the reptitemp 500r for about $20. It is great for a single setup and I highly recommend it for beginners.

Wait one week from the day you got your snake before handling it. On the 7th day, offer him food. If he eats, don't handle him for 48 hours so that he can digest. After that, short handling sessions a few times a week are ok. Just remember that you are a big scary monster to these little guys and they only really tolerate the handling, they don't "like" it.

Hope this helps! And :welcome:!!

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Originally Posted by BPelizabeth

Wow that must be one HOT pastel......:rofl:

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tru dat!

After a week or so you can start handling them. You will get a feel for the snake and know when they are done. When I got mine I held it for hours....probably not the best thing for her....but at the time I had no clue. Just feel it out. If they are restless...then they are pretty much done. I have one that wants to be out all the time...then I have another that is good for about 15 to 20 minutes and thats it.

Try 15 minutes first...then try a little longer..so on. Also remember not to handle for 48 hours after eating. You want them to be able to fully digest their food. ;)

see, i had it out for a few minutes yesterday, and he moved and squirmed for a little bit, and when i went to put him back in, he freaked out and crawled up my arm real fast, and then just sat and stared at me in his cage till i walked outta the room. idk if he was trying to escape or what, but it seemed to me that it likes being held. he will move around for a bit, then just sit still facing the direction of the t.v. idk what that sounds like to yall, but he staight up doesnt have a problem with being held. personal opinion.

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Originally Posted by C4t4StRoPhIc

see, i had it out for a few minutes yesterday, and he moved and squirmed for a little bit, and when i went to put him back in, he freaked out and crawled up my arm real fast, and then just sat and stared at me in his cage till i walked outta the room. idk if he was trying to escape or what, but it seemed to me that it likes being held. he will move around for a bit, then just sit still facing the direction of the t.v. idk what that sounds like to yall, but he staight up doesnt have a problem with being held. personal opinion.

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Some snakes are reluctant to go back into their enclosures but that doesn't mean they like being out or being held.

They are not social animals and don't benefit at all from being handled. They just tolerate it.

so, basically what your saying is, that i shouldnt hold him? what exactly are we getting towards here?

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Originally Posted by C4t4StRoPhIc

so, basically what your saying is, that i shouldnt hold him? what exactly are we getting towards here?

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A new snake should be left alone until it is feeding on a regular basis. Most people will say wait one week with no handling, then offer food. If it takes, then don't handle for 48 hours to let it digest. Then you can handle all you want except for after feedings.

If you over handle your snake you can stress it out causing it to go off feed. I know its hard not to handle a new snake, I have been there, but you really need to keep the snakes well being in mind. Chances are he will tolerate being handled and eat just fine. You have to keep in mind that there is a difference between tolerating handling and liking handling. I believe that this particular animal does not benefit from handling, so it should be limited to a few times a week for short 10-20 minute sessions. Then again, it is easy for me to say since I have 5 ball pythons and I can alternate which one I take out to reduce "stress".

Most new owners are under the impression that their snakes "like" being handled because they are reluctant to go back into their enclosures or they come right out when you come in the room or open the lid. If we think about this in a social way then yes, it would look like they are exhibiting social behavior. But these animals are not social and therefor do not crave attention.

I don't really know why I am going off on this tangent since more often than not, handling a ball python does not result in food refusal. It just bothers me a bit when people think their new snake loves being handled, because they honestly don't.

My advice: Get ready to spend hours and hours reading posts on this forum. TONS of good stuff by people who know and care about their pythons. I can't say enough about how helpful it has been to me in my first year.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

they only really tolerate the handling, they don't "like" it.

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Has this ever been proven:confused:

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Originally Posted by BiggBaddWolf

Has this ever been proven:confused:

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They aren't social animals so why would they like it?

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

They aren't social animals so why would they like it?

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I'm not social either, but I like it :taz::banana::gj::snake::8:
Seriously though, a lot of people get them with the intention of being able to be hands on..WHY if they don't like it????

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Originally Posted by BiggBaddWolf

I'm not social either, but I like it :taz::banana::gj::snake::8:
Seriously though, a lot of people get them with the intention of being able to be hands on..WHY if they don't like it????

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Well, humans ARE social animals so we like to impose our social-ness on other animals.

You can hold your snake all you want but the snake will never "like" being held or pet like a dog or cat would, it will merely tolerate it. Ball pythons do not crave attention.

Actually you are right, they dont crave attention, I think they would rather hang out in their cages and eat mice...:gj: