My ball pythons cage has a dead mouse carcass in it!!

My baby ball python about 10 inches long ate about three days ago. Today i went into my room and noticed it smelled foul. I look in her cage and there it is. A dead mouse carcass that looked like it was partially digested. It was kind of flat ish so i think some of its insides were eaten. Why has this happened? is it a reason to go to the vet? do i need to refeed her? Also the mouse was slightly bigger than the last one but only a tiny bit bigger than her girth so i figured it would do any harm. It was a small mouse. HELP!
Would pictures be helpful? i really need help!!

Did you handle her or do anything to her cage after feeding her?
also what are her cage temps?

We need some details on your cage...

cage type/size

what you are using to heat the cage

what you are using to measure temperatures

what your current temperatures/humidity are

have you handled your BP in the last 48 hours?



Chances are that something isn't right and it caused the BP to regurgitate the rodent. You should NOT feed your BP for 2 weeks... she needs time for the good bacteria in her digestive track to rebalance itself otherwise you might have another regurge.

The hot side is about 88 degrees and the other side is about 82. Tank size is a 20g long. I did not handle her at all, usually give her about 3 days to digest.

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I use a red heat lamp to heat the cage. I havnt gotten a humidity gauge yet but i spray it twice a day. I use a stick on thermometer on both sides of the tank. And a big water bowl.
I havnt changed anything since the last feeding which went fairly well, although she recently did have a bad shed so i soaked her. Its a priority to go to the reptile store and by a humidity gauge.

ok, the stick on the wall thermometers suck... who knows what your temperatures could be... what is the wattage of the heat bulb? what is the temperature of the room that the cage is in?

Room temperature is pretty warm. About 80 degress during the day because i open the blinds to let the sun in. I use a 75 watt lamp to heat it.

This thermometer/hygrometer is avaliable at Walmart for $12. They measure 2 temperatures and humidity (hot side temperature, cool side temperature, and humidity)

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...nt/photo-3.jpg

Ill head there soon and buy one. It goes on top of the cage im assuming?

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Originally Posted by bpownerjoey

Room temperature is pretty warm. About 80 degress during the day because i open the blinds to let the sun in. I use a 75 watt lamp to heat it.

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Ok so your cage isn't too cold... If anything it might be too hot.

What type of rodent was this? Live, Pre-killed, frozen?

Live small mouse, i droped it in and watched her to make sure there was no damage from the mouse attacking her. She killed and ate it and then went into her hide.

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Originally Posted by bpownerjoey

Ill head there soon and buy one. It goes on top of the cage im assuming?

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No, inside the cage.

The probe goes on the hot side and the box goes on the cool side (the box has the second temperature sensor and the hygrometer in it)

They area sully by the lightbulbs BTW

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Originally Posted by bpownerjoey

Live small mouse, i droped it in and watched her to make sure there was no damage from the mouse attacking her. She killed and ate it and then went into her hide.

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Ok and it seemed normal? Where did you get it from?

How would i cool it down if its too hot? since the lamp is the only source of heat.

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Got it from petco, looked normal. red eyes was moving very lively. Didnt look ill or diseased.

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Wouldnt that be kind of big to have the entire box inside the cage? i dont think my picturing this right. Also mind linking me that product on walmarts website i can seem to find it.

Here is one in my 20 gallon long tank I use for my bearded dragon (it's in the back right corner

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...n/ec911d3a.jpg

To lower the temperature you will need to get a lamp dimmer to reduce the heat output of the lamp

http://www.google.com/shopping/produ...#hsec:overview

Could i get a lower wattage bulb to put in when the tank gets to hot?

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Nice tank btw

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Here is one in my 20 gallon long tank I use for my bearded dragon (it's in the back right corner

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...n/ec911d3a.jpg

To lower the temperature you will need to get a lamp dimmer to reduce the heat output of the lamp

http://www.google.com/shopping/produ...#hsec:overview

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I've only ever seen the thermometers in the store... For some reason they aren't on their website.

So if the rodent seemed fine then it might have been a number of things, hard to say exactly what. As long as your cage isn't too hot this probably won't be a repeated occurrence.

As for the ball, should i leave her to herself for a couple days or continue with my normal handling? I will definatlely be getting a humidity and temp gauge, and will go back down to the size i used before for the mouse untill she gets a bit thicker. I bought her from petco a little over a month ago and she was quite slim. Doing well though and is great with handleing. Didnt mind be taking her eyecaps off at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bpownerjoey

Could i get a lower wattage bulb to put in when the tank gets to hot?

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Nice tank btw

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A lower wattage bulb would work as well. I prefer lamp dimmers because you can dial them in to get the right temperatures.

Thanks!

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by bpownerjoey

As for the ball, should i leave her to herself for a couple days or continue with my normal handling? I will definatlely be getting a humidity and temp gauge, and will go back down to the size i used before for the mouse untill she gets a bit thicker. I bought her from petco a little over a month ago and she was quite slim. Doing well though and is great with handleing. Didnt mind be taking her eyecaps off at all.

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I would give her 2 weeks to herself, then try feeding again. 48 hours after she eats you can start handling again.

I would see if you can find a reptile specialty shop or rodent breeder to buy your feeders from... They will very likely be cheaper and of a higher quality.

I just noticed that you are in Florida... What part? I might know of a shop nearby.

OK, ill continue to spray twice daily to make sure the humidity doesnt go too low till i get the guage. Thanks for your help, you were extremely informative!:)

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I live in the davie area.

One of the few areas I haven't really been to in Florida... I know the Tampa area, Sarasota area, central Florida, and the Jacksonville area... But not Miami or the panhandle :(

If you have anything you think i should know or do in order to improve my balls living conditions and improve my knowledge to take care of her im all for constructive criticism. Id rather have her healthy and happy.

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Ahh, ill find one im sure. I fell bad for her. Id be mad if i ate a whole mouse and it came out half eaten.

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Originally Posted by bpownerjoey

If you have anything you think i should know or do in order to improve my balls living conditions and improve my knowledge to take care of her im all for constructive criticism. Id rather have her healthy and happy.

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Ahh, ill find one im sure. I fell bad for her. Id be mad if i ate a whole mouse and it came out half eaten.

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Well these threads pretty much cover everything that is important:

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

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

This is how I set up my Cages for my BP's

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

This thread goes over my cages in detail.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...With-Pictures!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bpownerjoey

As for the ball, should i leave her to herself for a couple days or continue with my normal handling? I will definatlely be getting a humidity and temp gauge, and will go back down to the size i used before for the mouse untill she gets a bit thicker. I bought her from petco a little over a month ago and she was quite slim. Doing well though and is great with [b]. Didnt mind be taking her eyecaps off [/]at all.

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Next time she sheds, leave her eyes alone! You can easily damage the baby's eye. If she retains eyecaps, leave them alone. They should come off with her shed :)

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/Dana/AppData/Roaming/Skype/Pictures/Picture%20of%20me%203.png[/IMG]
That is my ball pythons enclosure. Not too good of a pic though. the water is on the right and hide on the left. Turned light off for pic.

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i read that if you leave them on infection can grow.

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hmm pic didnt work.

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Id like to post a pic but cant quite fgure out how.

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http://i45.tinypic.com/aouels.png i think that should work.

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if not maybe this? lol https://lh4.ggpht.com/rVWQHl0D2q4Jkk1s6wY5IyxU2YFdntE3OYl4sjt8NpABJ2Plbz5OuK56bSg31qMJxbwfuA=s85

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http://tinypic.com/?t=postupload one of these is bound to work.

How to post pictures:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...with-pictures)

I have never heard of retained eyecaps causing infections... The issue with removing them is that you risk damaging the eyes. Generally on this site we suggest waiting to see if they will come off with the next shed...

http://tinypic.com/r/aouels/6
This one works guys!

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Good to know. Atleast i wasnt rough with it. I didnt put any pressure just went over it with a soaked que tip and as it got wet it began to come off.

Looks like a good start... Make sure your temps are correct and you should be fine.

Apart from a dimmer I like to use light stands. That way I can raise or lower the light to help get the right temp. They also allow you to remove the top without moving the lights, which helps the life of the bulb and your heat source is never lost so your tank will still be warm when you put the lid back on.

In a room that hot a 75 watt bulb should be to hot. The temp on the side on the tank and the surface temp are two different animals. I found this out when I started using a IR temp gun. Get one. It will make your tank temps much more accurate.

In my 40 gallon tank I have a 75 watt ceramic heater on the warm side and a 60 watt day and night bulb on the cold side because I keep my house at 68. With the 60 watt bulbs hanging about 3 inches above the lid they giveme surface temps in the low 80's. With the 75 watt ceramic heater hanging about 6 inches from the lid it gives me a hot spot aprox 14 inches away of 90. Also the 60 watt bulbs I'm using are the regular style bulbs which throw the heat in a wide area. If your bulb is a basking bulb which gives a more beam like heat zone I can guarantee your surface temp will be way to hot. Again in my cold home a 100 watt basking bulb can give me surface temps near 100 at a distance of aprox 14 inches. I bet a 60 watt on a stand and maybe a dimmer too would serve you well.

I would get a light stand with a 60 watt and 40 watt bulb and see which gives you the right temps.

So from what I have read your room is about 80. Does it stay that temperature year round? If so i think you would be much better off (if you can get the tank off the carpet) using a UTH (under tank heater) regulated by a thermostat. This form of belly heat would help your BP with digestion and you could get rid of the heat lamp which drys the air and causes your humidity to drop.

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Originally Posted by KMG

Apart from a dimmer I like to use light stands. That way I can raise or lower the light to help get the right temp. They also allow you to remove the top without moving the lights, which helps the life of the bulb and your heat source is never lost so your tank will still be warm when you put the lid back on.

In a room that hot a 75 watt bulb should be to hot. The temp on the side on the tank and the surface temp are two different animals. I found this out when I started using a IR temp gun. Get one. It will make your tank temps much more accurate.

In my 40 gallon tank I have a 75 watt ceramic heater on the warm side and a 60 watt day and night bulb on the cold side because I keep my house at 68. With the 60 watt bulbs hanging about 3 inches above the lid they giveme surface temps in the low 80's. With the 75 watt ceramic heater hanging about 6 inches from the lid it gives me a hot spot aprox 14 inches away of 90. Also the 60 watt bulbs I'm using are the regular style bulbs which throw the heat in a wide area. If your bulb is a basking bulb which gives a more beam like heat zone I can guarantee your surface temp will be way to hot. Again in my cold home a 100 watt basking bulb can give me surface temps near 100 at a distance of aprox 14 inches. I bet a 60 watt on a stand and maybe a dimmer too would serve you well.

I would get a light stand with a 60 watt and 40 watt bulb and see which gives you the right temps.

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I cannot afford and ir temp gun.

Amazon $10 bucks. If you can't afford this you can't afford a snake. What would you do if you need to take a vet visit?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o05_s00_i00

That's the one I bought. It works great and uses 9 volt batteries not the special high dollar ones some need. It does not come with a battery.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

Amazon $10 bucks. If you can't afford this you can't afford a snake. What would you do if you need to take a vet visit?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o05_s00_i00

That's the one I bought. It works great and uses 9 volt batteries not the special high dollar ones some need. It does not come with a battery.

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Then i would go to the vet? There is a difference between things that are necessary and convenient. You can use a digital thermometer, analog, or ir. Its just a matter of the one that works the best.

I don't see the point in a temp gun if you have a thermometer with a remote probe.
I've mostly used mine for checking the temperature on the ground when doing the annual herp hunt, and pointing into my kids' ears to check for fevers. I've virtually never used it in my reptile bins, because once the bin is opened, the temperature immediately changes, so it's pointless. Don't get me wrong, it is occasionally useful, but not what I would consider an essential piece of equipment.

A quality thermostat, which runs over $60, is essential, but not a $10 temp gun.

In order of most important equipment:
1) Thermostat
2) Heat source (Heat mat, heat cord, heat tape--not a heat lamp).
3) Thermometer with remote probe

After that comes hygrometer, cage, water bowl, hides, etc. You can make a good cage out of an $8 plastic bin, a soldering iron, and some strong clips, but there is no substitute for a good thermostat.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bpownerjoey

Then i would go to the vet? There is a difference between things that are necessary and convenient. You can use a digital thermometer, analog, or ir. Its just a matter of the one that works the best.

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Your thermometer on the tank wall is not a good gauge for the surface temp. What is the surface temp under your lamp? I bet you dont know. I use to put a thermometer on the hotspot to try to tell. Once I got the gun I found my temps were way to hot. And yesmy wall thermometers said my temps were good.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

I don't see the point in a temp gun if you have a thermometer with a remote probe.
I've mostly used mine for checking the temperature on the ground when doing the annual herp hunt, and pointing into my kids' ears to check for fevers. I've virtually never used it in my reptile bins, because once the bin is opened, the temperature immediately changes, so it's pointless. Don't get me wrong, it is occasionally useful, but not what I would consider an essential piece of equipment.

A quality thermostat, which runs over $60, is essential, but not a $10 temp gun.

In order of most important equipment:
1) Thermostat
2) Heat source (Heat mat, heat cord, heat tape--not a heat lamp).
3) Thermometer with remote probe

After that comes hygrometer, cage, water bowl, hides, etc. You can make a good cage out of an $8 plastic bin, a soldering iron, and some strong clips, but there is no substitute for a good thermostat.

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Yes i can agree that using a tub system a temp gun would be less useful. The OPis using a 20 long tank with lamps. The thermostat is not going to correct his lamps being to low. I bet they are just resting on the screen which usually always causes them to be to hot.

If knowing the surface temp in your tank is not a necessity than you will end up at the vet. That bill will be more than 10 bucks. And I know my temp gun is cheap but it works, its better than none at all. Im sure it wouldnt stand up to field herping but thats not what i bought it for.

Take the above advise and switch to a tub, it will be cheaper for you.

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Buy your new setup and then sell that tank on Craigslist to get some money back.