Got a ball python for Christmas and really don't know much(but am willing to learn)

I originally posted this here but haven't gotten any responses. http://www.reddit.com/r/snakes/comme...d_really_dont/

I know it is terrible to see someone with little knowledge recieve a snake as a gift, which is why I want to learn. The person that gave it to me has a son who is a breeder. He gave me a 10 gallon tank(which i plan on upgrading after a few weeks. the owner said for his size he is fine in it), cyprus mulch, a water bowl(3 or 4 inches in diameter), and a heat pad which I have sitting under the outside bottom of the tank(on a little less than half of the tank).
I have read this, which gave me a ton of knowledge about things I didn't even think about.
I still have some questions though:
HEAT: Last night he moved the mulch around so he could sit closer to the heat. My apartment stays around 68-70 degrees. I don't know if he is being kept warm enough. I think maybe since he had to clear out a space that he may be asking for more heat? Maybe some heat from a different source would suffice? Any suggestions?
UPDATE: I bought him one of those heat lamps that doesn't emit light. It is 50 watt and seems to be keeping him warm. He is staying on that side and has not moved any wood chips. Last night when I went to bed he was curled up under it and had his head resting on his rock hideaway. When I woke up this morning he was the same way. I hope that this is a good sign as I have read they don't really move around too much. The thermometer says that it is 75 degrees. I can tell he is much happier now, but I am not sure if the 50 watt lamp is going to cut it. Maybe I should get a hotter one?


HUMIDITY: I live in Georgia, which is pretty humid during the summer, but a little dry in the winter. Should I add anything other than his water bowl?
UPDATE: The humidity level is around 50(I forgot the scale). I have done some reading and I think moist towell over the top of the mesh will add to the humidity along with some spraying in the tank. He is in a fish tank so I know that the heat and humidity will escape. I think I may put some aluminum foil across some sections of the mesh on top(below the towell).
TAKING OUT: I have made a rule that only my girlfriend and I can take him out of his cage. What is the best way to get him out? I have been reaching in, rubbing him a little bit, lightly touching his side, then scooping him up. He seems fine with this. Maybe i'm just overthinking my questions...
CLEANING: How often should I clean his tank. By clean I mean just take the wood chips out and give him fresh ones. Is there anything else I need to do?
I kind of got this answer here
" Maintenance: Fresh water should be maintained. Newspaper is easily replaced when soiled. Wood shavings should be spot cleaned as needed. Periodically, the enclosure should be disinfected. A 5% bleach solution or 2 % chlorhexidine solution makes an excellent disinfectant. When using the bleach solution, the cage should be thoroughly rinsed and allowed to dry. As always, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling your ball python or any cage accessories."
JOURNAL: I plan on keeping a journal of the out of the ordinary things that I notice. Not really a question.
This snake is extremly friendly and chill, which I have heard from ball pythons. I am very excited to have him and want to give him the best life possible. My girlfriend and I are going to go to barnes and noble this weekend and pick out a book about them. We agreed to both read it so we can both have the knowledge.
Is there anything that I said that throws up red flag? Anything extra that I should know? I plan on reading the links in the sidebar since /r/snakes has already supplied that knowledge. :) Thanks in advance.

Welcome. First, start with this caresheet http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...s%29-Caresheet

It will answer most of your questions! Welcome to BPnet! :welcome:

Thank you for coming here! You made the right choice :D Best thing to do is look at that care sheet ^^

You've done a great and responsible thing by coming here. Welcome! The care sheets should answer most of your questions. The most important thing is to regulate his heat. Get a thermostat and an accurate thermometer. Make sure he feels cozy with hides in each side of his tank, and try to handle him as little as possible for at least a week.

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Originally Posted by elbee

You've done a great and responsible thing by coming here. Welcome! The care sheets should answer most of your questions. The most important thing is to regulate his heat. Get a thermostat and an accurate thermometer. Make sure he feels cozy with hides in each side of his tank, and try to handle him as little as possible for at least a week.

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Thanks guys. I will check out that care sheet.

We have been handling him a lot and he seems fine with it. With that being said we are going to give him some space and maybe let him get out during the night. He has been sleeping all day so I'll wait for him to get active before picking him up.

He may not seem stressed from handling, but I would refrain until he eats for you. Congrats on your ball by the way! Pics?

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Originally Posted by elbee

He may not seem stressed from handling, but I would refrain until he eats for you. Congrats on your ball by the way! Pics?

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makes sense.

Yep, here is one . more later http://24.media.tumblr.com/79923e648...8mco1_1280.jpg

Nice looking snake you have there and welcome to the addiction. You are asking all the right questions so your snake should have a happy future with you.

The care sheet will definitely help.

The main things to keep in mind:
warm side low 90s (not above 95)
cool side high 70s (not below 70, 75 IMO)
2 identical snug hides, one cool side, one warm side (if there is room for two)
water bowl, doesn't have to be big enough for them to soak in
bedding, I use newspaper, paper towels, and aspen -don't have to worry about impaction
if they aren't eating they are stressed, typically because of handling or poor habitat set up

Thanks for all the replies guys. I took the heat lamp back to the store and got a better one with a dimmer and a stronger lightbulb. It is 83 on the hot side of the tank(measured by a analog thermometer at the top) + there is a heat pad under the tank. I also put a bowl of water under the heat lamp in the tank and that brought the humidity up from 47% to 60%. I also put a damp washcloth on the top of the tank, taking up about 1/3 of it. Apparently this helps with humidity as well. He has been in his hide all day. He only has one hide that is kind of in the middle of the tank and he seems to be hiding toward the cooler side of it. From what I have read these were the proper steps to make his home better and I think I have a happy snake. Last night when we took him out he was very active and all tongue. We are going to try to feed him on Monday. We'll see how that goes. I'll report back. Thanks again!:banana:

welcome:cool:

remember to get a thermostat for that UTH, it can cook your snake if left unregulated.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

welcome:cool:

remember to get a thermostat for that UTH, it can cook your snake if left unregulated.

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Will do! Can you recommend something on the cheaper side? I found this and it seems like it will do the job. http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...6&sr=8-2-fkmr0 i just thought that the one at petsmart for $50 was a little expensive.

Also, I discovered that my heat mat was supposed to have some space in between it and the tank. The tank was just resting on it. (This is the way that it was set up when given to me). I used some bottle tops and raised it up about half an inch.

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Originally Posted by tdrusk

Will do! Can you recommend something on the cheaper side? I found this and it seems like it will do the job. http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...6&sr=8-2-fkmr0 i just thought that the one at petsmart for $50 was a little expensive.

Also, I discovered that my heat mat was supposed to have some space in between it and the tank. The tank was just resting on it. (This is the way that it was set up when given to me). I used some bottle tops and raised it up about half an inch.

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The thermostat you mentioned will do the job just fine, but it would be worth saving up for a proportional thermostat like a Herpstat or Vivarium Electronics model. These will run you up $100-200, but are packed full of safety features to keep your snake safe, and also provide far more precise temps than the hydro farm. The recommendation that I would have for the hydrofarm is to not trust it's temperature readout, and use a digital probe thermometer to double check your temps, as they can be very inaccurate. Best of luck with your snake!
Benek

Okay just an update. On Monday I tried to feed him a frozen/thawed small mouse. I put him in his feeding tub and shut the lid. He kind of just looked at it and walked away. I was unaware of the dangling technique.

With this failure I put him back in his cage and left him alone for a few days. I tried to feed him a live mouse yesterday and he seemed much more interested. He would go up to it, get really close, then the mouse would move and he would back off. After an hour of that(with close monitoring) I took him out and left him alone.

I now have a mouse living in his feeding tub. I'm not too sure about what to do with that... I guess I'll just give it food and water...

Should I wait a week and offer again? Would it be more comfortable for him if I put the mouse in his cage? Any tips are appreciated. :please:

Hi.......

Moving him to a feeding tank may be stressing him out and causing the refusal. I would try feeding in his tank and see if you have better luck.

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Originally Posted by snakecharmer3638

Hi.......

Moving him to a feeding tank may be stressing him out and causing the refusal. I would try feeding in his tank and see if you have better luck.

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okay so should i try this today or wait a week?

Agreed, no need to feed him outside his enclosure. Ball pythons are not particularly cage aggressive and they are smart enough to differentiate between your hand and a mouse.

Love that picture of the two of you!

He looks like he is starting a shed. His eyes are a grey/blue and he is less shiny. Should I still try to feed him the live mouse in his cage? If not, when should I try to feed him?

Oh goody! Another "victim" of the ball python obsession!

It's going to take some time and hit and miss before you get his tank right. Most snakes won't eat when in blue, but you could try. Just be sure to monitor him closely. He can't see well, and a hungry mouse can inflict severe damage in a short time. Otherwise, just set up a little cage for the mouse, give it food and water and wait until he sheds to offer again. There really is no need at all to move him to feed him. That is a very persistent myth, people think it makes them more likely to bite you. In reality, moving a snake that has just eaten and is still in "hunt" mode is a lot more likely to get you bitten. Some people also worry about the snake swallowing bedding. Sometimes the snake will swallow a little bedding, but it's nothing to worry about.

It's going to take a while to learn the in's and out's of owning a ball python, but we are always eager to help you and guide you. Most of us own more than one, and we love our snakes a lot and are only too happy to spread that love to another.

Gale

Argh! I was trying to feed him and in the midsts of moving the mouse into his cage the lid fell in the tank and landed near Drako. After I picked up the lid Drako quickly went back into his hide and hasn't came out. I don't think drako is hurt and I think it is best that I just leave him alone now. :please:

I have several that will eat during a shed, but a couple I don't even offer food to in shed. I agree with feeding him inside his enclosure. Ball pythons can get stressed when moved and you don't have to worry about them being cage aggressive by feeding in the cage. You could wait until he sheds to feed

Thanks for your response. RIght now I am more worried about him being traumatized from the recent event. Do Ball Pythons get traumatized for extended periods of time or am I over-worrying? I guess there is nothing I can do about it now anyway.

They are "fight or flight" based. Their first response to pretty much everything is "HIDE" and/or "RUN AWAY"! I don't think he's traumatized, so I wouldn't fuss over him too much, because THAT'S more likely to cause trauma than the lid falling. I'd just check to make sure the lid didn't hit him or hurt him, then leave it at that. Let him be for a few days, or even until he sheds. He looks great so don't worry, he won't starve if you wait. Once he's done shedding, just drop the mouse in front of him, move a couple feet away from the tank and just observe (since it's not wise to leave a live mouse unattended with your snake, it's possible the mouse could bite or hurt your BP).

I'm sure it just scared him. I'd leave him alone for several days just to give him a break and time to chill out. If he's in shed he most likely won't come out of his hide anyways. No need to worry about that. They get pretty inactive during shed.

So last night I put the mouse in drako's tank. It ran around for about 30 minutes. Drako looked a little enthused, but didn't strike. Finally, I reached in with my tongs to grab the mouse by the tail. As soon as I lifted it Drako struck and did the normal ball python feeding. He had it down in about 5 minutes!:banana:

http://i.imgur.com/bopWr.png

Yay!! Congrats!