General Care Question

I was feeding my BP today, and I was wondering, what's the ideal setup as far as increasing humidity. My tank is at 50% but I understand it should be higher, so naturally I want to learn some tricks. I already attempted to plastic wrap one side of the vent, but that didn't do anything, and currently what I'm doing is keeping a damp cloth over half of the cages lid.

I was also considering switching my BP to live mice once I use up my frozen stash. I am told the only real thing that makes frozen preferable is safety for the snake, but as I watch him whenever he's feeding (or just in general when I'm in my room witch is 90% of the time I'm home) I figure it wont be an issue.

I feed all mine live right now and I've never had much of an issue. My BP received a little bite once, but it healed up nicely. I stay nearby and keep a pencil or something handy just in case the prey tries to dig teeth in, it gives me the chance to push it away. Obviously, the larger the prey item, the more risk there is because their teeth are bigger, sharper.

There is debate over frozen/thawed or live, and with some searching you can find a lot of info and different opinions right here on BP.net.

Originally I thought the whole point of frozen/thawed was to kill any harmful bacteria, but then a friend told me that once they are thawed, bacteria immediatly starts at the mice again. So I figure if Uro can hunt his food it'd make his life a little brighter, and who doesn't that for their pets :D

You can add damp moss to the cage, especially around the hiding spots, to help increase humidity. With the addition of moss, you don't have to keep the entire cage humid - you can create humid hides and let the snake choose how humid it would like to be.

Personally, I feed all of my snakes live just because it is easy for me to bring them home, and everything I have eats readily when it's live. As long as you monitor the snake, and don't leave the prey item in there for too long of a period, you should be set. Yes, there is a minor risk to the snake in terms of scratches or bites from the prey item - but that's why you watch them. You can step in to prevent issues if they arise.

I also would not worry too much about humidity quite yet; monitor it, but wait until after the first shed cycle to really determine how much you need to tweak it. If it sheds in one piece the way you have the cage set up now, you don't really need to adjust the humidity much at all - it's already set. If it sheds in multiple pieces, well then, adjust the humidity. :)

Good luck!

-Jen

I have currently a 10 gallon tank for my BP and it may be a while before I can upgrade him to a nice enclosed large tank he'll be in when he's larger, but I have a thermostat ready for when I have the UTH (currently using heat lamp). Is it a bad idea to use the UTH on a glass tank if I have a thermostat? I also have an electronic heater that measures both sides of his tank seperately.

This is easy to do and will spike humidity. I did it and it worked great!

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...tment-Tutorial

Well, most ball pythons aren't eating mice for very long, anyhow. They're generally on rats by age 1. It's much more convenient to buy frozen rats in bulk online (and a big savings in cash, too). There's always a chance that the rodent will bite your snake, and sometimes these wounds can become infected, or are in a horrible location (like in the eye!) You don't want that to happen to your pet.
I don't recommend switching a ball python that is perfectly happy eating frozen, over to eating live.

Freezing has nothing to do with bacteria, it's about reducing parasite risks (freezing for several months kills most parasites), and about safety for the snake.

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Originally Posted by Miles

I have currently a 10 gallon tank for my BP and it may be a while before I can upgrade him to a nice enclosed large tank he'll be in when he's larger, but I have a thermostat ready for when I have the UTH (currently using heat lamp). Is it a bad idea to use the UTH on a glass tank if I have a thermostat? I also have an electronic heater that measures both sides of his tank seperately.

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You can use the thermostat for the light bulb, too.

UTH's can be used with a glass tank quite safely. Just use the little tabs that come with it to keep the tank slightly elevated, which allows for airflow underneath. The airflow keeps the pad from overheating, especially when used in combination with a thermostat.

-Jen

Freezing does reduce the chance of parasites some. Even for 40 hours it is reduced quite a lot. The people I know whom feed live just do a annual fecal test. It isn't a big deal either way just supervise feedings. personally frozen is so much more convenient that I'd never switch it becomes a pain when you have to keep refusals.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Miles

I was feeding my BP today, and I was wondering, what's the ideal setup as far as increasing humidity. My tank is at 50% but I understand it should be higher, so naturally I want to learn some tricks. I already attempted to plastic wrap one side of the vent, but that didn't do anything, and currently what I'm doing is keeping a damp cloth over half of the cages lid.

I was also considering switching my BP to live mice once I use up my frozen stash. I am told the only real thing that makes frozen preferable is safety for the snake, but as I watch him whenever he's feeding (or just in general when I'm in my room witch is 90% of the time I'm home) I figure it wont be an issue.

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If you're using a glass tank (which is what I'm assuming) it's going to be SO MUCH HARDER to keep the humidity where it needs to be. Misting and keeping a water bowl on the hot side might help. I recently switched my BP to a 34qt plastic tub and it is much easier to keep the humidity regular with no misting or extra precautions. I just have a big ceramic water bowl and its good to go :) 50% is not a bad humidity, really.. but when the snake is in shed you need to up the humidity to around 65%!

Personally, I feed F/T because it seems more humane to me and it's much easier as far as storage goes. I don't think there is really any benefit to switching to live mice, but I could be wrong!

Alright, thanks for the input.

One other thing that came to mind tonight, I was reading other posts on the forum and I've been researching a lot (its what I do when I'm bored) and from what I see, people who breed or have multiple snakes use plastic tubs that fit into a sort of drawer system. Right now I do use a glass 10 gallon tank, but I wonder, would he like it more in a plastic container? I can't afford the pvc for a few weeks, so I want to make sure he's as comfortable as he can be.

I got him 2 hides from reptile basics and he hasn't been out much or at all since except when I fed him today.

Tanks are just a different set of problems. Tubs often have difficultly keeping ambient temps up. Rack systems (drawer things) usually use a heated room to control ambient and cool end temps. For a single snake it seems over kill to me. There are few options to heat the cool end of a tub tanks offer more solutions that way. Humidity management isn't that hard, a humid hide during shed cycles is often all that is needed if you can hold 40-50% in the tank the rest of the time.

I've never had issues keeping ambient temps up in tubs, when I've used them separately from racks. With a solid top, they hold warm air and moisture in.

However, what I usually recommend to ball python pet owners is something no one has mentioned yet--a good quality solid-top reptile cage from a company such as boaphile or Animal Plastics. With front-opening, locking doors, they are escape proof, most models come with built-in heating, and they have a solid top which holds heat and moisture. Just add thermostat.

Much better than a tank, much prettier and more secure than a tub.

So uro seems to be confusing my hand with food, that or he just doesnt like me to much. How can I help curb this bad habbit?

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Originally Posted by Miles

So uro seems to be confusing my hand with food, that or he just doesnt like me to much. How can I help curb this bad habbit?

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What do you mean? Describe whats happening to make you think this.

Personally I have neverbeen able to get more than two degrees over the room temp when the room temp is 60 that is a problem that cannot be easily solved with a tub. I would guess if a room temp was in the mid to high 70s it should be ok.

A snake striking fast and with drawing is usually stress related. I would just give him some peace and correct temps and leave him alone for a bit let him settle in for a week or so. They usually will calm down as long as the temps and there is correct hides. I also like to add some sort of over head cover either plants or balled up newspaper something.

He's struck at me a few times.

How do you approach him?

U can also use plexi glass to cover half the tank that keeps in humidity great for me

I approach from behind and stroke him real lightly for a few seconds till he calms down some then pick him up (both hands)

Also, today after handling Uro I noticed little black bugs on my hands. I put him back and imediatly cleaned my hands and I'm about to go purchase some 'mite off' as I'm 90% sure they're snake mites. my question now is how can I prevent them from coming back once I kill the little bastards, and the little spritz bottle, is that stuff safe to put on Uro?

Sanitize everything in his tank!!!

Buy Provent a Mite for mites. You can get it from LLL Reptile, or Reptile Basics. It's only available online. It's the best stuff and works the best but you have to follow the directions exactly. If the stuff you have right now has any sort of pesticides in it, don't spray it on him, it'll cause neurological sickness and death within 24 hours or so. Don't even risk it. In the meantime, you can soak your snake in warm water with just a drop of Dawn in it to help drown the mites for 20-30 minutes. Right now, empty out your tank. Dump out all the substrate, everything, clean everything really good and put down paper towels instead of substrate. You'll want to be able to see the mites. When you get your Provent a Mite, follow the directions carefully.

As long as he has mites, don't go to any place they sell reptile feeders or reptiles. You can carry them on you and they'll just spread. Mites are a pain to deal with, they can and will infest anywhere they can get. Be prepared for several weeks of fighting with the mites. You have to break the breeding cycle of the mites and eradicate all their eggs. It only takes one egg to start a whole new infestation.

Sounds like a challenge. I love challenges... I'm gonna f- the little bastards up! Thanks for the quick response

A friend of mine said to soak the snake over night in olive oil then clean em with dawn. Is this a good idea?

Nooooo that is a very very poor idea. If anything a good soak in warm water 85-88.f with a drop of dish soap would be thing I'd suggest if you're trying to get the mites off.
Never use anything oil based on a reptile. Especially if you can help it and never soak one in olive oil. I can just imagine how that would turn out.
Save the snake and yourself that trouble though and grab a can of Pam. (mite spray).


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Oil on skin is one thing but oil can soften up scales and make them flake off opening your snake up to infections, especially if mites are in the equation. Don't use oil of any kind! Stick with a drop of dawn in water that doesn't feel warm to the touch. It shouldn't even feel lukewarm, really. If it feels warm to your 92-95 degree skin, it's way too warm for your snake.

So I got my order in the mail, and I'm waiting for my mite off. After yesterday, I didn't notice anything in the tank which is now bedded with paper towels, until I saw 1 black spot. It wasn't moving, but on Uro's water dish ther seemed to be a larger bug crawlin around, but not much larger then the mites. I'm assuming its a tick. I have to ask, WHERE did these things come from, I don't handle other snakes, I'm pretty sure he didn't have them when he came home. And is it possible they can affect his temperment? I ask that simply because it'd explain the random striking he does at me (especially when he's soaking(I have only done it twice, once for hydrating(didn't see any mites that time)and once for getting mites off Uro)).

If he had eggs on him when he came in, then those eggs hatched and began multiplying. It really only takes one or two eggs to get a full-blown infestation. I doubt he had a tick - did you get a picture of it? A tick would be much larger than a mite. Mites cause stress and stress causes a more irritable, defensive snake.

I killed the little bugger, but it looked almost like a little fatter flea, I think it had wings.

...Huh. That's strange. Wonder if it got into his tank some other way, it doesn't seem like something that would be riding around on a snake.

The stress from mites can definately cause behavior fluctuations. Stress affects balls in many ways but a few if them are defensive striking, racing about the enclosure, refusal to eat, etc.


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