Ball python care

Hello everyone i am new to this forum sorry that i didnt at least introduce myself first. i just had some questions about ball pythons. i have been saving a little bit of cash to make sure i have everything i need before i even think about buying a BP. i took a look at the caresheet that this site provides. i think im gonna go with the steralite/rubbermaid tubs. my question for that is i want to buy a juveinile and keep it in the same enclosure for its whole life. i also do plan on getting another tub for feeding (sanitary reasons) so what size would be recommended for them. i am going to be purchasing a UTH for his heat source but i seen that it is recommended to get a red/blue night bulb or a CHE to keep a good heat gradient which one would be best ? is eco earth a good substrate for them ? . i was kinda leaning towards making a humidhide as well i have a leopard gecko and the humid hide does wonders for her . how would i prevent the bulb from melting the top of the tub ? . and finally should i just stick a a once a week feeding schedule ?im open to any suggestions i am an experienced herp owner i just never had a snake i have 2 bearded dragons and a leopar gecko. i dont have alot of knowledge about snakes so please correct me on anything i might have missed thank you for taking the time to read my post :)

O i also have a digital hygrometer/thermometer and an IR Gun

Welcome to the forum!

Just a few quick things before I pass out (I just got off work haha) the tubs are great but you might want to get an appropriate sized one for the Bp that you get. Some snakes will feel uncomfortable with a lot of open space... I think it breaks down to 6qt for hatchlings and up to 300 grams, then
28qt should be good for most adult males, and 41qt females males over 2000 grams.


The uth should be fine by itself especially sense there isn't really a way to use it with a tub =( just make sure you have the uth hooked up to a thermostat or a rheostat to keep the temps correct and prevent it from burning your snake.

As far as hides go, if the tub is the right size then you might not need one. It just depends on individual the snake. I love my leopard gecko's humid hide but the tubs usually do an really good job of holding humidity =P

I'm sure someone will be along that will be able to answer the rest of your questions soon and give more details =P

I think Scubaf250 was thinking you are using a tub in a rack system not just a tub by itself.

You can use the uth but will need a tstat. A far as lamps go, that depends on the temp of the room the snake is in. The uth will create the hot spot but the rest of the tub will need to be around 80. You keep lamps from melting things by using lamp stands. Laying a fixture on the tub or tank is not the correct way, is the cheap and easy way. A lamp stand ($30 at both big name pet stores, ZooMed) gives you the added ability to move the lamp up and down therefor raising or lowering the temp as needed. Stands will also extend the life of the bulbs because your not knocking them around moving them off and on.

If you decide to use a adult size tub for a young bp be sure to give it fake plants and plenty of cover so when it moves around from hide to hide it will feel secure. If it doesn't feel secure you will find yourself dealing with a stressed snake.

What's the sanitary reason for feeding in another tub. You think mice are dirty? Remember that even when feeding f/t your snake will usually wrap it up to make sure its extra dead. Mice and rats are part of the hobby and feeding in another tub is just not needed. You would have to clean the snake after feeding to really be rid of anything you may think is on the prey and that will certainly cause stress and a possible regurgitation.

Using humid hides is fine if you have naturally low humidity. I use them.

Feeding weekly is fine.

I forgot to mention. Eco Earth is fine but when it dries out it gets pretty dusty. I use it for my hognose so she can burrow. For my bp I prefer ForestFloor cypress mulch.

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Originally Posted by KMG

I think Scubaf250 was thinking you are using a tub in a rack system not just a tub by itself.

You can use the uth but will need a tstat. A far as lamps go, that depends on the temp of the room the snake is in. The uth will create the hot spot but the rest of the tub will need to be around 80. You keep lamps from melting things by using lamp stands. Laying a fixture on the tub or tank is not the correct way, is the cheap and easy way. A lamp stand ($30 at both big name pet stores, ZooMed) gives you the added ability to move the lamp up and down therefor raising or lowering the temp as needed. Stands will also extend the life of the bulbs because your not knocking them around moving them off and on.

If you decide to use a adult size tub for a young bp be sure to give it fake plants and plenty of cover so when it moves around from hide to hide it will feel secure. If it doesn't feel secure you will find yourself dealing with a stressed snake.

What's the sanitary reason for feeding in another tub. You think mice are dirty? Remember that even when feeding f/t your snake will usually wrap it up to make sure its extra dead. Mice and rats are part of the hobby and feeding in another tub is just not needed. You would have to clean the snake after feeding to really be rid of anything you may think is on the prey and that will certainly cause stress and a possible regurgitation.

Using humid hides is fine if you have naturally low humidity. I use them.

Feeding weekly is fine.

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yea im just using one tub


Ok a tstat it is then would a dimmer work by anychance ? and i will be sure to buy enought plants and other decorations in the enclosure to make the BP feel safe and secure. No i dont think mice are dirty . i was told before that if you feed a snake in its enclosure that it could bite you if you had to move stuff around or clean im probably wrong but like i said i have no experience with BPs. im aware that its part of the hobby just wanted to be precocious about everything. i guess ill just have to checmk my humidity reading when i get it to see what adjustments need to be made as for the eco earth i use it for my leo that stuff does dry out fast. would misting it daily (or when needed) suffice ? and as for cleaning the snake after feedings just soak him in luke warm water ?

thanks you and Scubaf250 for your help

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Originally Posted by Parallels92

yea im just using one tub


Ok a tstat it is then would a dimmer work by anychance ? and i will be sure to buy enought plants and other decorations in the enclosure to make the BP feel safe and secure. No i dont think mice are dirty . i was told before that if you feed a snake in its enclosure that it could bite you if you had to move stuff around or clean im probably wrong but like i said i have no experience with BPs. im aware that its part of the hobby just wanted to be precocious about everything. i guess ill just have to checmk my humidity reading when i get it to see what adjustments need to be made as for the eco earth i use it for my leo that stuff does dry out fast. would misting it daily (or when needed) suffice ? and as for cleaning the snake after feedings just soak him in luke warm water ?

thanks you and Scubaf250 for your help

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A dimmer would work if your tub is in a very temperature stable part of your house, but honestly you will end up tweaking it constantly. You can get a cheap thermostat by Hydrofarm on Amazon.com. They are about $30. Not the most accurate, but they will keep your temps within a safe range.

Cage aggression from feeding in your enclosure is a myth. You are actually more likely to get bitten when feeding in a separate enclosure. Just think of taking the snake out of the separate enclosure and it still being in "attack/feeding mode". THIS is how you get bit. We feed all of our snakes in their tubs every time and have for years and we have ZERO cage aggressive snakes. Any breeder will tell you the same. Also, feeding ball pythons in a separate enclosure causes a lot of unnecessary stress and is a common factor in ball pythons going off feed.

Lastly, don't bother with mice. Ball pythons can eat appropriate sized rats right out of the egg. Mice won't be a substantial meal for very long (a couple months as best) and then you will have to feed multiples at every feeding. Getting them started on rats right away is a LOT easier than switching a mouser who has imprinted on mice. Rats are also slightly more nutritious than mice.

Don't soak your snake after feeding. When you said you would use another tub for sanitary reasons I was taking a guess at what you meant. A soak every one in awhile can be beneficial though. Just remember that what may feel Luke warm to you is probably hot for them.

Just feed in the one tub. It will not make it aggressive.

If you find yourself needing to mist to keep humidity up then it may help to make the eco earth less dusty but I would not say mist it just to keep the dust down. I let mine dry out and stay dry.

I would suggest getting a tstat over a dimmer. A tstat will cut power if things start getting to hot but a dimmer will continue to heat which could cause the tub to overheat.

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Originally Posted by KMG

Don't soak your snake after feeding. When you said you would use another tub for sanitary reasons I was taking a guess at what you meant. A soak every one in awhile can be beneficial though. Just remember that what may feel Luke warm to you is probably hot for them.

Just feed in the one tub. It will not make it aggressive.

If you find yourself needing to mist to keep humidity up then it may help to make the eco earth less dusty but I would not say mist it just to keep the dust down. I let mine dry out and stay dry.

I would suggest getting a tstat over a dimmer. A tstat will cut power if things start getting to hot but a dimmer will continue to heat which could cause the tub to overheat.

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yea im just going to get a t stat instead of a dimmer that makes sense and im going to feed the bp rats in the same senclosure thank you for clearing that up with me . and as for the soaking i know that whats warm to us to warmer to a reptile im gonna use my ir gun when i do soak him once in a while so with that being said what temp would you recommend ? so your saying just let the eco earth dry out ? when should i mist it then ? or does it depend on how the humidity is in the tub ?

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Originally Posted by AK907

A dimmer would work if your tub is in a very temperature stable part of your house, but honestly you will end up tweaking it constantly. You can get a cheap thermostat by Hydrofarm on Amazon.com. They are about $30. Not the most accurate, but they will keep your temps within a safe range.

Cage aggression from feeding in your enclosure is a myth. You are actually more likely to get bitten when feeding in a separate enclosure. Just think of taking the snake out of the separate enclosure and it still being in "attack/feeding mode". THIS is how you get bit. We feed all of our snakes in their tubs every time and have for years and we have ZERO cage aggressive snakes. Any breeder will tell you the same. Also, feeding ball pythons in a separate enclosure causes a lot of unnecessary stress and is a common factor in ball pythons going off feed.

Lastly, don't bother with mice. Ball pythons can eat appropriate sized rats right out of the egg. Mice won't be a substantial meal for very long (a couple months as best) and then you will have to feed multiples at every feeding. Getting them started on rats right away is a LOT easier than switching a mouser who has imprinted on mice. Rats are also slightly more nutritious than mice.

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ok so a rat pup like once a week would be good for the BP ? and i didnt know that rats were a tad more nutritious thanks for telling me that im hoping to have everything i need in the next week or 2 im very anxoius to get one just dont wanna get it without all the needs for a BP

Mist according to what the tub needs. Most tubs hold humidity very well so misting will probably not be needed often, if at all. You may even need to let the EcoEarth dry out some before using it in a sealed tub. I would get that set up so you can start testing the tub before you get a snake.

If you put the Eco Earth in the tub and you start getting moisture collecting on the sides or lid try letting the substrate dry out some then try again. You may find that it just holds to much moisture for tub use. I use ForestFloor cypress mulch, which is moist in the bag. When i set up a huge tub for my blood python's temporary home I had to let it dry out before putting the lid on because i had way to much humidity. I let it dry out and keep 55 to 67 humidity now. I think you would have a much easier time just using cypress mulch.

I have never tried using the temp gun on water but i guess that would work. I have a watch with a thermometer i use. I try to keep the water 80-85. I haven't soaked for awhile now. I started keeping moss in the hides and just mist it every few days.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

Mist according to what the tub needs. Most tubs hold humidity very well so misting will probably not be needed often, if at all. You may even need to let the EcoEarth dry out some before using it in a sealed tub. I would get that set up so you can start testing the tub before you get a snake.

If you put the Eco Earth in the tub and you start getting moisture collecting on the sides or lid try letting the substrate dry out some then try again. You may find that it just holds to much moisture for tub use. I use ForestFloor cypress mulch, which is moist in the bag. When i set up a huge tub for my blood python's temporary home I had to let it dry out before putting the lid on because i had way to much humidity. I let it dry out and keep 55 to 67 humidity now. I think you would have a much easier time just using cypress mulch.

I have never tried using the temp gun on water but i guess that would work. I have a watch with a thermometer i use. I try to keep the water 80-85. I haven't soaked for awhile now. I started keeping moss in the hides and just mist it every few days.

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ok gotcha . that actually makes alot of sense and your are right i will have to get my whole setup going, make adjustements to heat/humidity before i get the snake . im just honestly having debates about what heat source to go with. i read the caresheet on here says they require a heat graident . i was kinda leaning towards a red bulb and a uth or a just a uth or just a bulb im very confused on what to use. if i used a bulb i figured i could just cut a hole and attach a screen to rest the lamp on is this ok ? i was just always told that snakes use heat from the ground to help digest their food thats another reason im debating i want to do all this the proper way not some caresheet from a pet store lol i am going to try the eco earth let it dry out a day or 2 before i get it and make adjustments in needed.

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also im planning on getting a 32 quart what size UTH will i need if i got one ?

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Originally Posted by Parallels92

ok so a rat pup like once a week would be good for the BP ? and i didnt know that rats were a tad more nutritious thanks for telling me that

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The definition of "pup" varies greatly. A true pup is larger than a fuzzy, but smaller than a weaned rat. They are usually between 2-3 weeks of age. Their eyes will be open and they will be mobile, but they will still be dependent on their mother. The differences between mouse and rat nutrition may be negligible on paper, but most of those who have experience with both mousers and rat eaters will tell you there is some difference in growth rate and body mass. A snake can be perfectly healthy on a mouse only diet, but feeding multiple mice in a feeding can be a real pain and the costs can add up.

The general rule of thumb for feeding young snakes is 10-15% of their body weight every 5-7 days. As adults this can be cut back a bit. Most folks here recommend getting a cheap digital food or postage scale to weigh your snake and prey. This helps new folks get a feel of feeding appropriate sized prey as overfeeding and especially underfeeding is a major problem with new keepers. After a while you'll be able to eyeball it and be pretty accurate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AK907

The definition of "pup" varies greatly. A true pup is larger than a fuzzy, but smaller than a weaned rat. They are usually between 2-3 weeks of age. Their eyes will be open and they will be mobile, but they will still be dependent on their mother. The differences between mouse and rat nutrition may be negligible on paper, but most of those who have experience with both mousers and rat eaters will tell you there is some difference in growth rate and body mass. A snake can be perfectly healthy on a mouse only diet, but feeding multiple mice in a feeding can be a real pain and the costs can add up.

The general rule of thumb for feeding young snakes is 10-15% of their body weight every 5-7 days. As adults this can be cut back a bit. Most folks here recommend getting a cheap digital food or postage scale to weigh your snake and prey. This helps new folks get a feel of feeding appropriate sized prey as overfeeding and especially underfeeding is a major problem with new keepers. After a while you'll be able to eyeball it and be pretty accurate.

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ok i see what your saying how big should they be becaue ive picked up mice and rat pups in the past and idk if the people will kno how old they are when i would pick them up i would just say i need 1 rat pup

If you rest the lamp on the tub it will probably make the tub to hot. Having the lamp on a stand or somehow hanging over the plastic lid will still allow heat to warm the tub.

You can use both. I keep a cold home and have a uth, ceramic heat fixture, and day and night heat bulbs.

What is the temp of the room you will have him? I need to know to tell you my best suggestion.

This is my forty gallon tank with the heat sources on stands.

http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/...g/eb6ed05a.jpg

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A uth that is 1/3 the size of the tub floor is common.

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Originally Posted by Parallels92

ok i see what your saying how big should they be becaue ive picked up mice and rat pups in the past and idk if the people will kno how old they are when i would pick them up i would just say i need 1 rat pup

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And this is the exact reason we weigh our prey items. Most people don't know the difference and even fewer pet store employees know the difference. What one place calls a small rat might be a pinky rat (5-10g) and another place might consider a weaned rat (30-50g) to be a small rat. Kind of a pain, right?

FWIW, 14-21 day old rat "pups" normally weigh between 20-30 grams, which are roughly the size of medium to large adult mice. These would be suitable for a ball python that is roughly 200g in weight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

If you rest the lamp on the tub it will probably make the tub to hot. Having the lamp on a stand or somehow hanging over the plastic lid will still allow heat to warm the tub.

You can use both. I keep a cold home and have a uth, ceramic heat fixture, and day and night heat bulbs.

What is the temp of the room you will have him? I need to know to tell you my best suggestion.

This is my forty gallon tank with the heat sources on stands.

http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/...g/eb6ed05a.jpg

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A uth that is 1/3 the size of the tub floor is common.

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Ok so i can go with a UTH and a blue night bulb ? my room temps hmmm well i have to keep my room cool all the times i run an ac all year around if i dont my room gets unbearably hot shoots my temps for my herps skyhigh.i tdont know if IR guns accurate but the highest temp im getting is 79 and the lowest 76. if an IR gun isnt the way to propely check room temp would my digital thermometer work ? if so where should i place it in my room

A temp gun is giving surface temps not air temp. You will need a thermometer for the wall of the cool side at least. Having one on both sides would be best. You will need to use the temp gun to check your hot spot (90-94) and then have the wall mounted thermometer to tell you the ambient (air) temp (low 80's). Also make sure you do not get a hot spot under the bulb that is to hot.

I create my hot spot with the uth and ceramic heater and had to add a cool side bulb to keep it in the 80's because my house temp stats around 68.

Digital or analog gauges will work for tracking the ambient temp.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

A temp gun is giving surface temps not air temp. You will need a thermometer for the wall of the cool side at least. Having one on both sides would be best. You will need to use the temp gun to check your hot spot (90-94) and then have the wall mounted thermometer to tell you the ambient (air) temp (low 80's). Also make sure you do not get a hot spot under the bulb that is to hot.

I create my hot spot with the uth and ceramic heater and had to add a cool side bulb to keep it in the 80's because my house temp stats around 68.

Digital or analog gauges will work for tracking the ambient temp.

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so my zilla digtial hygrometter that i will use for the BPwill that work to check my room temp ? them analog ones are inaccurate i found that out when i got my digital one lol would a blue night bulb be ok ? or is it true that those bulbs disturbs them if i need to add a bulb on the cool side i will but i think i may have to anyway had to add one to my beardies tank to keep the cool temps in the low 80 "s also where should my humidity be at ?

That thermometer will tell you air temp.

Red or black bulbs can be used for any hours. The blue day bulbs bulbs should only be used for daytime hours. They can throw your snake of its day/night cycle.

I also suggest a red bulb

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk 2

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Originally Posted by KMG

That thermometer will tell you air temp.

Red or black bulbs can be used for any hours. The blue day bulbs bulbs should only be used for daytime hours. They can throw your snake of its day/night cycle.

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yea i ment the black bulb or red bulb . im just having some debates what size do you think i should get i want something he will live in for a good while. whats the appropiate lenght and width i should get when buying a tub

A forty gallon tank is suggested for an adult and they are 36x18, so something near that should work fine. Lowe's has a pretty good selection of tubs.

I would say you will probably need a sixty watt bulb but that is something you will have to play with. Using a light stand or a dimmer should make it easy to dial in.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

A forty gallon tank is suggested for an adult and they are 36x18, so something near that should work fine. Lowe's has a pretty good selection of tubs.

I would say you will probably need a sixty watt bulb but that is something you will have to play with. Using a light stand or a dimmer should make it easy to dial in.

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i have a spare tank just not sure how many gallon or if it would be ok for his whole life. its 36 inchesx12 1/2 inchesx 17 inches