couple of questions?

Hey, i have had a ball python before but i was much younger and i got rid of it cuz it bit me. but now that im older i really wanted one so i bought one a couple of days ago. its about 2 monhs old and is a lil over a foot. she has actualy had her first frozen pinkie mouse already. she is not very active and stays in the same spot for the whole night. she doesnt explore a whole lot either. she will move a lil but then she stops and stays completely still for long periods of time or untill i touch or move her. is this normal? also she has like this slit on the bottom of her stomach that is like a quater of the way down her body towards her tail and i would say its like a half inch long, does anybody know what this is or could be? thanx for the help

The slit is where the umbilical cord was ;)

What is her set up like, how is it heated, as much info on it as possible including pictures would help.

Welcome to BP.net, I hope she has had more than a pinky to eat if she's a couple months old. try giving her mouse hoppers every 5-7 days. The slit on her belly is where the umbilicus was attached while she was in the egg.
Look over the care sheets they will give you all the info you'll need for caring for your new girl :)

A pinky mouse is WAY too small for a BP... try a hopper mouse next time, unless you think she's abnormally small. As for her activity level, that seems perfectly normal for a ball - they are very shy snakes, who spend like 90% of their life hiding. So unless she seems listless or weak, I wouldn't worry much about it. In fact, a lazy BP is usually a happy one! :D Got pictures of her?

Oh yeah, and welcome to BP.net!! :welcome:

oh ok. will it go away or just stay there?
ok its a 10 gallon tank. i have astro turf as the substrate and it has a heating pad under the half log hide away. i have a 60 watt dome lamp. and the hot side of he cage stays about 82 to 85 and the cool side satys a solid 78 to 80 and the humidity goes back and forth from 40 to 53. http://C:\Users\A&B\Documents\Nick's...\Photo0191.jpg

Yes it will heal over, loose the heat lamp, it destroys the humidity. Get rid of the half log & get a regular hide. The astroturf mat harbours bacteria, use aspen or paper as a substrate

i dont have to use the heat lamp at all? alright thanx everybody! you have all been a big help.

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Originally Posted by Nick_bp

i dont have to use the heat lamp at all?

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Not unless it's really cold in the room... otherwise the under-tank heater provides all the warmth they need. What are you using to measure and control the temps?

i have two temperature gauges(not digital) at both ends of the tank. there about half way inbetween the top and bottom of the cage. and there is a heated pad under one side. and i just switched from astroturf to aspen substrate. i keep my fan on high all the time but her cage stays about 82 to 85 on the warm side and about 77 to 81 on the cool side

The dial guages can be off by a few major degrees either way, get an accurite digital from wal mart to measure your temps . It wouldnt hurt to bump the temps up a little

Yeah...if you read the care sheet you'd know that the temps need to go up almost 10 degrees (F) on each side! Warm side should be more around 90-95, cool side 80-85. Humidity sounds good though (prob since you got rid of the heat lamp).

Hope all goes well for you and your new bp! Just be sure to do the research so you can be sure he/she stays happy and healthy.

Oh yeah, all of us would like some pics if you've got some!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick_bp

i have two temperature gauges(not digital) at both ends of the tank. there about half way inbetween the top and bottom of the cage. and there is a heated pad under one side. and i just switched from astroturf to aspen substrate. i keep my fan on high all the time but her cage stays about 82 to 85 on the warm side and about 77 to 81 on the cool side

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So you have no idea what the temperature of the heat pad is, is it even plugged into a thermostat?
Those frisbees(temp dials) are good for one thing, training your rat to play fetch :P
To know the temp of the heat pad you have to have a probed thermometer so you can lay the probe on the heat pad and the box of the thermometer goes to the cool end to read that temp.

no i dont know the temperature but yeah its plugged in. i will have to get a digital temperature guage. should i get one with a probe or no? does it work the same and is precisely accurate? so then to up the temperature i need to plug in my heat lamp. should i get a ceramic heat bulb? pictures are in my images, i dont know how to post images in the thread

Yes, a heat pad that isn't plugged into a controlling device such as a rheostat or a thermostat is dangerous.
If you don't know the temperature of the surface the snake is touching, it could easily be dangerously hot, and could burn your animal very quickly. Snakes do not sense temperature with their skin very well, and they will lay on a hot surface until they literally cook.

Always measure the temperature of the hottest thing your snake can touch.

And yes, pinky mice are ridiculously small for a ball python--the prey you feed the snake should be as big around as the widest part of the snake. That seems huge, but it's the right size. Don't worry about the snake's skinny little neck--it will stretch, honest. :)

The belly button will heal over and not really be noticeable once the snake grows. It will always be there, though.

ok thanx so how do i plug in the heating pad into a thermostat? how do i keep the humidity up with my heat lamp on to raise my temp to around 90F?

no i dont. and its not plugged into a thermostat. how would i do that and what would i buy to plug it into a thermostat? what should the teperature of her heat pad be at? would i take the temp through the substrate or on the bottom of the glass terrarium?