I picked up my first Ball Python/introduction :)

Hey everyone, I picked up my first ball python today! I'll start off with a little introduction, my name is Mason and I am from Wisconsin. I have always had an interest in reptiles (a lot of animals to be honest haha) and have had a few creatures in the past. I have had a few small furry creatures, some cats, some dogs, a green anole, a leopard gecko, and I raised a few snapping turtles (I rescued about 20-25 eggs that were laid on a gravel road because it was going to have construction work done, I made my own little nest and had all but 3 hatch then released most of them but kept a few for a while before releasing them as well). I had wanted a BP when I was younger but my mom wasn't keen on the idea because she thought they were too much work and I was too irresponsible haha. Teenage life got in the way of me getting any more pets other than a cat and beagle for a while but this last year I went off to college. I had been thinking for a while recently that I really wanted another scaley friend and decided to go with a ball python for a combination of reasons. Anyways, I have spent the last few days looking for good breeders and found a place called Reptile Rapture in Madison, Wisconsin. Today I went up there to browse and see what they had for BPs with my girlfriend, they had a few nice looking morphs and a lot of other reptiles that all looked to be incredibly healthy and well taken care of. I spoke with the owners for a while and asked if they had any baby normal BPs in stock. She came out with 4 little gems and let my girlfriend and I look at and play with them. They all were bred by the owners friend (2012 babies) and looked very healthy. Three of them kind of stayed in balls and were a little afraid but that's normal of course. One seemed to just want to explore and slithered all around my arms and hands. His coloring is pretty cool and I decided I fell in love with the little guy so I asked if I could buy him. They were all pretty young (not sure exactly when they hatched) but all have shed and were eating good. She said they were putting them out in a display this week and he is ready to go if I wanted him today. I of course said yes :) I bought him along with a 10 gallon tank, locking lid, a hide, a water dish, head pad, lamp, dark cypress substrate, and a few frozen hoppers. On the ride home he seemed like he was begging to get out of his little container so I let him creep around and get comfy in between my legs where it was warm. I got him home and set everything up with his hide on the hot side of the tank above the pad, lamp kind of in the middle but more towards the hot side, and an upside down paper bowl with a hole cut out on the cool side along with the water bowl. I am very happy with my new little buddy and have decided to name him Sativa :) I have a few questions to ask everyone on the forums as you guys seem to have a lot of knowledge and I have read many conflicting opinions, so here they are:

1. I purchased a 75W blue day light for the lamp at Petco because my room is dark during the day and I wanted him to have a good day/night cycle. I know that they do not require UVA or UVB light, but I was just wondering if there is a different bulb I should get instead? There was red, blue, white, really a large assortment of lights and was unsure. I figured the blue light would be a little darker than it is but its not an issue or anything. I just want him to be comfy and not have more light than he needs.

2. I have a dorm room type set up that is basically one decent size room. My roommate has no issue with Sativa living here before I move at the end of August, but I was just wondering if it will be too much traffic for him? My roommate and I both work 8 until about 5 and really aren't in the room a ton until night time.

3. What else should I put in the enclosure? I know that BPs don't really like wide open spaces, and while it isn't a huge tank or anything, all has is the two hides (the bowl is buried under substrate) and his water dish. Is there anything that they like to climb around in or something else I can add in to take up space and keep him cozy?

4. When I move at the end of August it will be about a 4-5 hour car ride, is this going to stress him out too much or anything? I know they are shipped but I still worry. Also, even though he will be in the same enclosure, should I give him more time to resettle in again?

5. The lady I talked to at Reptile Rapture said he was in an enclosure with 3 dark sides and one glass side, should I put black construction paper on the back and two sides to make him more comfy?

6. Tonight I took him out (after the lights were turned off, I am putting him on an 8 AM to 8 PM light and vice versa for dark schedule) and he explored a little for about 15 minutes before I put him back in, I read afterwards on the forums that I probably shouldn't take him out for a few days to a week, I hope I didn't stress him too much. He hasn't really explored too much other than going into the warm hide after I put him in the first time and the cool hide after putting him in the second time. I suppose he will take time to adjust, but when would be a good time period to wait before I take him out again?

7. He was fed live hoppers at the place I got him, I would like to switch to F/T (what I got at the store) because I would like to reduce injury rise, will this be difficult? I know what I have to do to warm them up and seem appetizing to him but was just wondering how this will go. When should I try to feed him for the first time? Also, I have read conflicting opinions on whether he should be fed inside or out of his enclosure, what do you recommend? I am mainly concerned about him accidentally getting some cypress along with his meal, would laying down newspaper or something over the cypress work?

Thank you very much for reading! I'm sorry it was a bit lengthy, but I would appreciate any responses :) I should have some pictures of the enclosure and Sativa tomorrow providing he decides to explore! I'm sure I'll end up having some more questions too. Thanks again for any input :)

Welcome to the site!

1. lights are not necessary at all if you already have the proper temperatures in the cage. if you want a day/night cycle (light) then a whit, blue, or red light will be fine. if you are using it for heat I would use an infrared bulb.

2. traffic can bother them but it really depends on the individual snake

3. This is how I set up my cages... works great:

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_0455.jpg

4. the main issue will be keeping him warm enough. other than that it isn;t the end of the world. I'm a college student myself and have done this.

5. This is a good idea, it makes the cage more secure for them

6. I would wait 7 days then attempt to feed. if he eats then wait 2 days (to digest) then you can start handling I wouldn't start handling until he starts eating.

7. switching with some is very easy... other not so much. give it a shot, see what happens then deal with it. (come back here and we'll help!) as for where to feed I suggest feeding right in the cage. this will not make them aggressive, and a small amount of substrate isn't going to hurt. (larger amounts is usually easy to remove with a pair of needle nose pliers.

A few things to add:

how are you measuring temperatures/humidity?

you mentioned that you are using a heating pad... do you have a thermostat regulating it? if not you need to get one ASAP as they get hot enough to kill a snake in the matter of hours

check out these 2 threads:

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

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...04#post1845904

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Welcome to the site!

1. lights are not necessary at all if you already have the proper temperatures in the cage. if you want a day/night cycle (light) then a whit, blue, or red light will be fine. if you are using it for heat I would use an infrared bulb.

2. traffic can bother them but it really depends on the individual snake

3. This is how I set up my cages... works great:

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...s/IMG_0455.jpg

4. the main issue will be keeping him warm enough. other than that it isn;t the end of the world. I'm a college student myself and have done this.

5. This is a good idea, it makes the cage more secure for them

6. I would wait 7 days then attempt to feed. if he eats then wait 2 days (to digest) then you can start handling I wouldn't start handling until he starts eating.

7. switching with some is very easy... other not so much. give it a shot, see what happens then deal with it. (come back here and we'll help!

A few things to add:

how are you measuring temperatures/humidity?

you mentioned that you are using a heating pad... do you have a thermostat regulating it? if not you need to get one ASAP as they get hot enough to kill a snake in the matter of hours

check out these 2 threads:

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

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...04#post1845904

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Thanks for the response! I am going to Walmart tomorrow to pick up an Accu-rite thermometer/hydrometer, I completely forgot about them when I was in the store because I was too eager to get him home and into the enclosure. Just to make sure he is okay tonight I have the temperature in my room at 80 and misted the cage a little. I do not have a thermostat at the moment because I was told I wouldn't need one with this pad (it's an 8x8 inch under tank stick on Exoterra heat wave), to be sure it isn't too hot I have about 2.5-3" of the substrate in the tank. If you think I should pick up a thermostat still I will tomorrow as soon as possible. Thanks for the links too!

Those absolutely need thermostats... I have yet to come across one that did not.

Here are 2 good ones, the ones sold in pet stores are junk (overpriced too)

Budget: http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR.../dp/B000NZZG3S

Quality: http://spyderrobotics.com/

with 2.5-3 inches of substrate the heating pad isn't going to be able to get the right temperatures. they only heat the bottom of the cage and not the air in the cage so you will need a thin layer of substrate, 1/2" thick or less. Also simply having a thick substrate layer does;'t make it any sdafer. BP's can and aty times will dig down into their substrate and lay on the bottom of the tank (which with an unregulated heating pad can easily be hotter than 120 degrees.

Make sure that you put the probe of the act-rite on the floor of the cage directly over the heating pad

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Those absolutely need thermostats... I have yet to come across one that did not.

Here are 2 good ones, the ones sold in pet stores are junk (overpriced too)

Budget: http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR.../dp/B000NZZG3S

Quality: http://spyderrobotics.com/

with 2.5-3 inches of substrate the heating pad isn't going to be able to get the right temperatures. they only heat the bottom of the cage and not the air in the cage so you will need a thin layer of substrate, 1/2" thick or less. Also simply having a thick substrate layer does;'t make it any sdafer. BP's can and aty times will dig down into their substrate and lay on the bottom of the tank (which with an unregulated heating pad can easily be hotter than 120 degrees.

Make sure that you put the probe of the act-rite on the floor of the cage directly over the heating pad

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Just ordered the one from Amazon, I didn't realize they could get that hot! I was thinking of mainly having the pad heat substrate and not so much the air in the tank, then use a light for heating the air. Then I run into an issue with the humidity though... Would the infared light be fine to leave on at night too? I will remove some substrate in the morning, thanks again for the help. I'm glad i posted on the forum.

That is why I suggest infrared bulbs, they can be run 24/7... This is the exact bulb I have used in the past:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...uctId=11147193

I suggest a lamp dimmer so you can adjust the heat output

Like this one (which can be found at most home improvement stores/Walmarts)

http://1000bulbs.com/product/64247/L...Shopping&gclid

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

That is why I suggest infrared bulbs, they can be run 24/7... This is the exact bulb I have used in the past:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...uctId=11147193

I suggest a lamp dimmer so you can adjust the heat output

Like this one (which can be found at most home improvement stores/Walmarts)

http://1000bulbs.com/product/64247/L...Shopping&gclid

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That's the exact one I was looking at, awesome haha. My last lamp I had was nicer and had a built in dimmer but this one doesn't so I'll add that to my Walmart run tomorrow along with the Accu-rite. Any clue what section I should look in the store for the thermometer? Also, if i replace the day bulb with the infared what should I do for lighting during the day? Just leave my room light on? I'm not sure if he needs a 12/12 cycle but I have read its a good idea. I supposed I could just open my blinds but I'm not sure how much light comes in my room during the day.

The act-rites are usually in the section by the lightbulbs/ air conditioner thermostats. but I have seen in them in a bunch of other places as well (outdoor section, paint section, etc.)

in the wild BP's are nocturnal... during the day they stay in rodent burrows or termite mounds, then come out to hunt at night. because of this day/night cycles really aren't necessary. Bp's love dark hides that are nice and snug... That isn't to say that they are bad, but your BP will be fine without one. I use fluorescent lights for viewing on a 12 hour schedule.

Make sure that your tank isn't directly in front of a window, as the tanks can act like a green house and get really hot.

Hello Mason, and :welcome: to BP.net.

I would suggest not using the heat pad until you get a controller. If your room stays around 80F, then your BP should be fine for a few days until the thermostat arrives. Just don't feed him until you get the belly heat running. A thicker layer of substrate over a belly heat device is actually worse than a thin layer, because it will start acting like an insulator and trap the heat under it along the glass, and if you snake happens to push the substrate out pf the way, there is a good chance for a burn.

Sent from my Motorola ATRIX using Tapatalk 2.

I think adequate advice has been given, so I'll just say welcome!

Also, good to see another WI herper :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

The act-rites are usually in the section by the lightbulbs/ air conditioner thermostats. but I have seen in them in a bunch of other places as well (outdoor section, paint section, etc.)

in the wild BP's are nocturnal... during the day they stay in rodent burrows or termite mounds, then come out to hunt at night. because of this day/night cycles really aren't necessary. Bp's love dark hides that are nice and snug... That isn't to say that they are bad, but your BP will be fine without one. I use fluorescent lights for viewing on a 12 hour schedule.

Make sure that your tank isn't directly in front of a window, as the tanks can act like a green house and get really hot.

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Alrighty, I decided I'm not going to open the blinds until I can be in there a full day (on the weekend) so I can know how far sunlight travels into the room. He is far away from the windows but I have no clue where sunlight hits and where it doesn't. The blinds haven't been opened more than 3 days since the beginning of the summer haha. The room lights are fluorescent and would probably be sufficient if the sunlight does shine on the cage too much.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

Hello Mason, and :welcome: to BP.net.

I would suggest not using the heat pad until you get a controller. If your room stays around 80F, then your BP should be fine for a few days until the thermostat arrives. Just don't feed him until you get the belly heat running. A thicker layer of substrate over a belly heat device is actually worse than a thin layer, because it will start acting like an insulator and trap the heat under it along the glass, and if you snake happens to push the substrate out pf the way, there is a good chance for a burn.

Sent from my Motorola ATRIX using Tapatalk 2.

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Alight, I unplugged it before work. My A/C unit is telling me its 80 degrees and the hallway which has a thermometer reading 83 feels about the same. I will be going home at lunch if we aren't too busy (might have to wait until after work) to remove some of the substrate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mackynz

I think adequate advice has been given, so I'll just say welcome!

Also, good to see another WI herper :)

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Thank ya! What region of Wisconsin are you located in?

Last night when I was trying to fall asleep I heard a little movement and even some water sound, but I didn't want to disturb him. This morning when I turned on the lights I looked in the enclosure and it looks like he did a fair amount of moving around! He even came out and said hi, then when he went back into his hide I turned on the light, he just poked his head out as if he was telling me to turn that damn thing off lol. I'm glad to see he was exploring :) Also, this is a noob question I'm sure, but what do the 1.0, 0.1, 1:0:0, 0:1:1, etc in front of your animal lists in your signatures? I have a few guesses but I'm not sure haha.

Welcome! I'm a newbie too :) The numbers represent the sex of the snake. Male.Fem.Unknown :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by grizzjr1

but what do the 1.0, 0.1, 1:0:0, 0:1:1, etc in front of your animal lists in your signatures?

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1.0 Male
0.1 Female
0.0.1 Unsexed

Quote:

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Originally Posted by grizzjr1

Thank ya! What region of Wisconsin are you located in?

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Small town outside of Madison, yourself?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RoseyReps

Welcome! I'm a newbie too :) The numbers represent the sex of the snake. Male.Fem.Unknown :D

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Always good to see another newbie :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SRMD94

1.0 Male
0.1 Female
0.0.1 Unsexed

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Thanks!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mackynz

Small town outside of Madison, yourself?

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Whitewater, about a half hour SE of Madison. Have you been to Reptile Rapture in Monona/Madison?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by grizzjr1

Always good to see another newbie :)

Whitewater, about a half hour SE of Madison. Have you been to Reptile Rapture in Monona/Madison?

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Sure have, in fact I am heading out there to pick up some f/t rats after work!

Also, their recommended vet, this guy is freaking awesome. He used to breed balls.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mackynz

Sure have, in fact I am heading out there to pick up some f/t rats after work!

Also, their recommended vet, this guy is freaking awesome. He used to breed balls.

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That's where I got Sativa from yesterday, very nice place :) Hopefully they are open today, yesterday there was some pavement work going on and the driveway was blocked for a little while but I parked down the street and walked there. They told me about him, I read the article and I am impressed! I'll definitely have to go to him when I need any vet assistance :)

So I just went to Walmart and my local hardware store, they didn't have the temp/humidity sensor with a probe, but they had the newer version of these, so I picked two up, one for the warm side and one for the cool side. Will they be sufficient? Neither place had a light dimmer that you can just plug the lamp into, I also looked for thermostats but didn't find one of those either (already ordered the Amazon one but could have cancelled if I found the same one in store, oh well). I did find a cheap little timer that will turn the light on at 8 AM and off at 8 PM. I plan on just switching to a fluorescent desk lamp with the timer on it for daylight and an infared bulb with a dimmer on it for heat. Let me know if you guys have any comments/suggestions! Thanks in advance

Home depot has dimmers that you can plug in!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mackynz

Home depot has dimmers that you can plug in!

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Awesome! The Walmart in Whitewater is pretty small and don't have much of a selection for really anything, just basic stuff, so I was planning on heading to Janesville after work to go to Petco and Walmart. I'll end up stopping there too if that Walmart doesn't have anything. Thanks :)

Double posting again :/ But, here is my enclosure set up with just one of the thermometers in. He has been in the bowl on the cold side the whole day so I wanted to see what it was like on that side and didn't want to open the other unit since I might be able to find a better one and return the one I have. Is this good temp and humidity for the cool side?

http://i46.tinypic.com/1zq6i2v.jpg

http://i45.tinypic.com/k51u01.jpg

Check out this care sheet:
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet


BP's soaking can be a number of reasons.


Is that a heat mat underneath do you have a thermostat?
looks like something.

Wait a second... That wall looks an awful lot like the walls of the dorms at UWW....:aww:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SRMD94

Check out this care sheet:
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet


BP's soaking can be a number of reasons.


Is that a heat mat underneath do you have a thermostat?
looks like something.

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I mean in the paper bowl that is upside down as a hide, sorry for the confusion! I have a thermostat on the way, the heat mat is underneath but that cardboard is holding the tank up because the little feet that came with the mat aren't tall enough. I wanted more air flow underneath, its just rigged up that way until I can find something better ha.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mackynz

Wait a second... That wall looks an awful lot like the walls of the dorms at UWW....:aww:

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Hahahahaha, mayyyyybe... Shh, it's a secret! I'm in the guest housing area because I work for the campus at the tech support place and I don't really have any rules or anything, never signed a contract, so I'm going to just guess with this one :p Plus my "RA" type guy has been in my room and seen it. He doesn't even care lol.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by grizzjr1

Hahahahaha, mayyyyybe... Shh, it's a secret! I'm in the guest housing area because I work for the campus at the tech support place and I don't really have any rules or anything, never signed a contract, so I'm going to just guess with this one :p Plus my "RA" type guy has been in my room and seen it. He doesn't even care lol.

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His name wouldn't happen to be Joe would it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mackynz

His name wouldn't happen to be Joe would it?

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Haha, nope it isn't actually

Darn! I have a friend there named Joe who is a summer RA

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mackynz

Darn! I have a friend there named Joe who is a summer RA

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Haha oh nice, make sure he doesn't tattle on me! Lol. As a little update I'm headed off to Petco with $200 to spend... Anything awesome I should get for Sativa?