Any advice???

Hey, so over the weekend I got my first ball python from new england reptile distributers in new Hampshire. The ball python I got is a regular male with a black stripe running down his back. He is about 1 year old. I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice because this is my first snake( except for garden snakes I found wild).

Give him a wicked name :)

Congrats on your new snake and welcome to BP.net!!

What kind of advice are you seeking? We could give better answers if you tell us a little about him or what you want to know.

Also, what are you keeping him in now and with what heat sources?

Would love to see pics of your snake! We love pics here! :gj:

Good advice? Make sure your husbandry is spot on. Good husbandry will make a happy snake and less health problems in the future.
And invest in a thermostat if you have a heating pad/flexwatt.

Read this, it will really help:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

@rebelrachel13, I am seeking any advice, from feeding tips to tips on humidity levels to tips on handling. He is about 1.5 feet long and when I hold him, he calmly pokes his head around and flicks his tongue. He has a 10 with a water dish in one corner and a hiding log on the other side. There is a special mulch I got from the pet store that is the correct type of mulch for snakes. As heat, there is a small heat pad on the bottom of the tank but it does not provide enough heat to keep the tank warm, so I bought a heat lamp that keeps one side of the tank between 85-90, and it keeps the other side around 80.
@Reptilecam- I named my snake Nondo, which means snake in Swahili or someplace.

Hear are some pictures:
http://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/down...Inbox&inline=1

http://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/down...Inbox&inline=1

http://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/down...Inbox&inline=1

http://us.mg4.mail.yahoo.com/ya/down...Inbox&inline=1

Does your heat pad have a thermostat regulating it? if not it will get hot enough to kill your snake. What are you using to measure temperatures?

To insert pictures upload the images to photo bucket (it's free) then copy and paste the "IMG" code into a post here on BP.net

@ The Serpent Merchant
there is two inches of mulch covering the bottom of the entire tank. I was worried that it might get too hot too, so i felt the mulch above the heat pad, and it was just warm, so that is why I added the heat lamp. For a thermometer i have a zoo med thermometer that have a probe on it.

Well you have 2 issues:

first off the heat pad can't heat through that much substrate (needs to be 1/2" or less)

Second you do need a thermostat either get one or unplug the heat pad there is documentation of them melting plastic and getting to 130 + degrees (if you want proof of this put the thermometer probe on the bottom of the cage directly over the heat pad.

Simply having all that substrate won't protect you. BP's will sometimes dig down into their substrate then they are on the bottom of the cage where it is too hot. they get burned and you have to go to the vet or worse your snake dies.

Here are 2 good thermostats don't waste your money on the thermostats sold in pet stores as they are junk.

The hydrofarm thermostat, sold on Amazon for $30 these will work but lack accuracy and safety features. these should be replaced with a better thermostat when possible.

http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR..._bxgy_ol_img_b

The herpstat. These cost more but are extremely accurate and have multiple safety features built in. (starting at $99)

http://spyderrobotics.com/

the heat lamp that I have have a thermostat with it that turns the heat lamp down if the temperature inside the glass terrarium goes above 92 degrees Celsius.
@ The Serpent Merchant, do you know if there are any better heat pads that are safer for my snake?

Not any that don't require a thermostat or cost just as much as a thermostat.

You really don't need a heat pad if your heat lamp is providing the correct temperatures. so just unplug the heat pad.

Quote:

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92 degrees Celsius

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Please tell me this is is a typo as 92 Celsius is almost the boiling temperature of water.

@the serpent merchant
That is definitely a typo. I may be new to snakes but I know that 92 degrees celcius is way to hot. 92 degrees farhenheit is more like it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carsten

@the serpent merchant
That is definitely a typo. I may be new to snakes but I know that 92 degrees celcius is way to hot. 92 degrees farhenheit is more like it.

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I was going to say lol but honestly I have seen crazier thing posted here....

Haha I can only imagine.
I have a question for you? I have seen videos of ball pythons being feed in their cage, and I have seen them taken out of there cage and feeding in a tub or box with nothing inside. I was wondering what you recommend.

Hey carsten do you live in new Hampshire, or did you have the animal shipped. I live right in southern New Hampshire if you are around the area and need any help!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carsten

Haha I can only imagine.
I have a question for you? I have seen videos of ball pythons being feed in their cage, and I have seen them taken out of there cage and feeding in a tub or box with nothing inside. I was wondering what you recommend.

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Just saw this comment,

In the past i use to take my ball python out and transfer her to another enclosure for feeding. Mainly for view purposes, and the myth that if you feed them in another enclosure they are less prone to bite. I say myth because i don't know how this could be proven or become a FACTUAL theory.

NOW! My snake has grown soooo much and transferring her to another container is really just not an option.

My advice to you is to just follow basic handling guidelines and you will avoid being bit. With that noted, i would say feed your snake within the enclosure. For two major reasons, one being that the least disturbance to the snake is ideal for preventing regeneration. Secondly, not saying it will happen but, my snake has been very defensive when it comes to her meals. If she sense more heat around her after she lets go of her freshly strangled prey, if she does not feel safe she will telescope up and defend her meal.

So really the choice is up to you but i really don't see that many pros to feeding your snake in an alternate enclosure. Its easier on the snake to just receive its meal within its enclosure were it feels safe. Then it can relax for 24 hours in which it then can be handled by you again.

Sloppy post but i think you will get the idea.

@AMBien22
Thank you for the offer and the advice on feeding. I drove to the store to get Nondo (my snake), the store is called New England Reptile Distributors or NERDS. Have you ever been? the place is great, there are many morphs of ball pythons there. I took the tour there, and I saw some of the ball pythons they have bred that are priceless. The morph, called the Spider originated from that store. I highly recommend going if you have not already gone.

@ AMBien22
I have another question for you. What size mouse or rat do you recommend for me to feed by ball python. He is about a year old and about 1.5 feet long.

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Originally Posted by Carsten

@ AMBien22
I have another question for you. What size mouse or rat do you recommend for me to feed by ball python. He is about a year old and about 1.5 feet long.

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I agree with AMBien22 feeding in the cage or in a separate container doesn't matter, cage aggression is a myth. I feed all of my snakes in their cage with 0 issues.

there are 2 ways to determine rodent size. for young BP's the best way is by weight. get a scale and weigh your snake (we use grams for this) take your snakes weight and multiply it by 0.15 this will tell you how much rodent to feed your BP

Example:

say you have a 100 gram snake. 100 grams x 0.15 = 15 grams so that 100 gram BP should eat 15 grams of rodent every 4-7 days.

the other way that works better with adult BP's is by getting a rodent that is the same width as the fattest part of your snake.

This is the scale I use (Cost $15 at a grocery store... you evan get them for about the same at Walmart as well)

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...t/f79cdeb5.jpg

@ The Serpent Merchant
Thank you, I will remember this when I buy Nondo and rat on Sunday. Is there a certain time of day that I should feed by snake? Morning, evening or anytime?

Evening is best as BP's are nocturnal, but anytime is usually ok. If you have trouble getting your BP to eat try feeding later and in the dark.

I live only 20 minutes from NERD, and i have been their on multiple occasions. I will most likely be getting my males from there. Hope to be picking up a Fire and a Spider soon.

When it comes to feeding i completely agree with serpent merchant on this one. When i first got my snake i weighed her in and fed her 10% of her body weight every 5 days. Once she hit 500 grams however i started feeding her every 7 days and 15% of her body weight. Since she outgrew the scale i had in a matter of two months i have not gotten a weight on her recently. But grew comfortable with the food size i felt appropriate for her. (Went with the old girth trick) Hopefully my scale will be in tomorrow as the tracking says and i can get an official weight on her. From there, as i mentioned above, i will continue to feed her 15% of her body weight.

Also i feed my snake F/T (Frozen Thawed) rats, so i buy from another local breeder that sells them relatively cheap)

P.s. there is a reptile show in Manchester this Sunday that you should check out.
http://www.reptileexpo.com/nefirst.htm

@AMBiEN22
I hopefully will be able to go to the reptile expo in Manchester, thank you for the link. Can you tell me were you buy your frozen mice?

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Originally Posted by Carsten

@AMBiEN22
I hopefully will be able to go to the reptile expo in Manchester, thank you for the link. Can you tell me were you buy your frozen mice?

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Rodent Pro is great

http://www.rodentpro.com/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carsten

@AMBiEN22
I hopefully will be able to go to the reptile expo in Manchester, thank you for the link. Can you tell me were you buy your frozen mice?

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They will have them for sale at the expo. I would stock up there to avoid shipping costs!

Thank you, how many frozen mice do you recommend that I buy?