New baby ball python

Hello,

My name is Tiffany and I was referred here by ginevive for questions about my ball python. I just bought one yesterday and he is 7 days old. He is very active at night and snoops around his tank, he went in the hide once, but has not stayed in it. He is actually laying on top of it as we speak. My questions are:
1. For in future when soaking, should the water be lukewarm or warm?
2. Should the water bowl be big enough for him to soak in?
3. My leopard gecko has a moist hide with moss for shedding, would this be ok for the snake?
4. What kind of substrate do you recommend?


One comment on the site on ball pythons :D Gold fish can live for more than 20 years and are not short lived. Unfortunately, people put them in tanks too small and it stunts their growth and life cycle. Just thought I'd add that, since you mentioned something about them being short lived.

Hello, and welcome to the site! My ball did the same thing as yours when I first got him. Went in his hide once then came right back out and spent most of his time exploring his new home. I also laughed when I saw him curled up on top of his hide, not in it! After a while, he calmed down and uses his hides everyday now. My guy's not as young as yours though.

The rule I've heard on soaking is that if it feels too warm to you, it's definitely too warm for your snake. So maybe I'd say lukewarm, but someone else may be able to offer more advice on this, I've never done it.

Your water bowl should be big enough for him to soak in. Not too deep though, he should be able to keep his head out of the water.

You could use a humid hide when your bp is ready to go into shed. He'll need more humidity then.

Everyone has different opinions about substrate, there really is no right answer. I used bark a while back, but I didn't really like it. It looks nice, but I was worried about him swallowing some when eating, and I don't think it was easy to keep clean. I've used newspaper which I like because it's very easy to see when it needs cleaning, and easy to change. Simply throw away and get a clean one. Now I'm using "Lizard Liner" reptile carpet. I just switched and I really like it so far, and it looks nicer than the newspaper.

We're happy to have you, I bet your baby is so cute! You should post pictures!!

High Tiffany, glad to have ya with us. The more time you spen here the more you learn about your BP, anf how they are so different from each other.

When I first started with my BP, i used newspaper. But now I use Cypres Mulch for his substrate. It looks good, and it holds humidity in better than some of the other substrates.

Humid hides are a good idea if you can't keep their humidity in check. I do not use a humid hde, and have no problems with his shed. I try to keep his humidity at around 60 - 70% during the shed cycle.

Glad to have ya with us.

I was told that he will not eat until his first shed, so I am waiting for that. I am hoping that his shed will go ok. I have no problem with maintaining humidity. I won't add a humid hide, unless it seems that his shed is not going well. I just added a water bowl deep enough for him to soak in. I have other animals so this is not my first herp.
In case you'd like to know I have 1 female white's, 1 female green tree frog, a male and female firebelly toad, a lovebird, a rose hair tarantula (male), a leopard gecko (sex unknown as of now), a cat and 3 freshwater fish tanks, and of course the male ball python

Welcome to best ball python forum. I am not real good with all the detatils on balls but we have resident expert on the subject. When me and my husband soked bob (his ball python) it is just lukewarm, like gen said if it feels warm to you most likely too warm for your snake.

I also have a leopard gecko, who I actually love to death. Your ball python's humidy should be 50-60%. We got a indoor outdoor themometer that has a probe on it, the probe is on the hot side and the readout is on the cool side and it measures both temps as well as the humidity. It only costs about $15 we have one in each of our tanks.

My husband also uses some kind of green lizard liner he has 2 of them so when one is dirty can put a clean one down.

Again welcome to the forum and look forward to hearing more about your snake and seeing pics. Do you have a name yet for your new baby?

Tuffy,

The water should be the same temp as your tropical fish aquarium water. That is normally in the high 70's to low 80's. It feels slightly cold to me, but people are different, so just keep it the same temp as your fish water.

He will not eat until after his shed.
A humid hide will work fine for him.
Substrate is your preference. I use newspaper or Bed-a-Beast. If you use cypress mulch, aspen, or something similar, make sure you don't feed him in that cage. You don't want him swallowing the substrate.

Welcome to the site!

No names as of yet, still thinking. Hubby likes Monty, but I am sure there are tons of python out there with that name.
I am thinking about using bed a beast, is it ok to feed him with this on the ground? I won't be putting anything down for a while, was told it is best to keep it bare for now.
I love my gecko too, he or she just started walking over to me last night. S/he used to run and hide as soon as I opened the door, and last night as I was feeding Eeyore (gecko's name), s/he came right over to the food bowl, then as I was cleaning the cage, s/he followed my hands all over the tank. Was really neat.

I have a Monty, heheh.

Try eco-earth for a substrate. It is cheap, easy, and safe. Plus it's more natural.

Bed a beast is fine to use. I use it with my babies, and it has never caused problems when they eat it.

I used to have a Monty too. Yeah, there are lots of those. :)

As far as substrate goes, I personally feel that any loose substrate are unecessary and are more of a hassle than they're worth. If you use loose substrates, you can't feed in the same cage, so you have to move the animal before feeding, which can be a problem with ambush predators such as Ball Pythons.....I just use a few layers of newspaper and all of my snakes are thriving.

My hubby tried either bed a beast or eco earth don't remember which one but he had a had time drying it out therefore making it hard to maintain the humidty levels in the tank.

Yeah, I know what you mean with the bed a beast being too moist. What I have to do with my solid top tanks is after soaking the BAB to get it to expand is to let it sit in an empty tank or bucket and stir it twice a dat till it dries out (this is after wringing all the water out of it). Once it is dry, or slightly moist you can put it in the solid top tanks and leave it be and only need to lightly mist to keep humidity up. It's great with frogs and humid loving animals, but can be used in low humidity if it's only lightly misted.

Wayyy too much trouble if you ask me. I'll stick with newspaper, lol.

lol, but in the long run BAB is less trouble. Don't have to change it (I mean when you have frogs). I just put some plants in and then every week I stir the dirt a little to recycle the "fertilizers" and that's it. How about tiles? I have some 12x12 floor tiles on bottom of my gecko tank, that I just take a wet paper towel to every night to clean them. Would this be ok for a snake, they absorb heat evenly and make a nice cozy spot to bask.
I read the humidity should be above 50% no more than 75%, when I mist the tank to increase humidity, should I wipe up the water that puddles to the floor? Is it ok to leave this little bit of water on the bottom for them to move around in. I know some animals get irritations when they are kept too moist.

For frogs, maybe......but not for snakes, lol. There are some other ways to boost humidity other than misting, which I only do when my snakes are in shed, such as using a larger water bowl, or using a rubbermaid as a cage because they hold humudity ALOT better than glass tanks.

Ball pythons will get scale rot if kept on too moist a substrate, so I would definitely not suggest using the tiles and misting them.

Good point, Marla.

I am not planning on misting unless he is in a shed or unless the humidity gets below 50, which it usually doesn't. But since he is in a shed I thought maybe I should raise the humidity a little, this was before I put the bigger water bowl in there. I noticed that there was water on the bottom of the tank, and since all my other tanks except the gecko have BAB I don't have to worry about the water. So I went ahead and wiped the water up, this is what I do with my gecko. I have the tiels on the gecko tank and everytime I mist Eeyore's tank, I wipe up the tiles. This may seem like a lot of work, but as I am wiping the misting water off the tiles I am also cleaning the previous nights dirt :D I do have a large dog water bowl in there that is doing a good job of keeping humidity high without misting. So are the tiles ok, as long as I keep them dry? I like the way they look and they are easy to clean and I'd rather tank a moist paper towel to the bottom of a tank than take everything out and change the paper. Besides we don't get the newspaper and I have some for my bird, but I am forever forgetting to get it since I use so little of it. I have some pretty blue ones in the gecko tank that are kind of textured like the top of a cliff, but worn smooth with age. Also like I previously mentioned they absorb heat and distribute it evenly. They do not get hot or have hot spots etc. Can often find my gecko lying as flat as possible on the tiles.

it's a tough call - don't know if i've ever heard of tiles being used with a BP but I'm open to new ideas :) be sure to disinfect regularly of course and be absolutely sure there is no water on the tile because scale rot is not good... some bp's like to nestle themselves in a bit.. not to say that they are a burrowing snake per se but I know my bp likes to kind of twist his way into the ground a bit to feel more secure when he is inside his hide so you may have a bit of added stress in that dept. BP's like it close and secure. I've read of them living inside of trees and even underground tunnels in the wild - but I imagine if the repticarpet and newspaper work then tiles should work too as long as there isn't any extra heat and water. If the extra effort is worth it to you than give it a shot but others know a lot more than me :) good to see you around the forums! :)

I tried Astroturf, and I think that it's the "ultimate" substrate. I keep two pieces per cage, and when one is soiled, I soak it in a 5% bleach solution for a day or overnight. I replace it with the second piece while this is done, then just airdry the first piece so it's ready for the next changeout. Here's a pic of Goblin's 30-gallon tank cage. I use plexiglass with a few drilled airholes, weighted down with rocks and clear duct tape, as a lid and it holds humidity in like a charm. The log hide sitting outside the tank is the hide that's usually placed on the right side where you can see Gobby; I removed it so I could feed him.
Astroturf rocks! It gives you something nice to look at besides newspaper, and it is safe to feed on, and it is cheap at your local home improvement store! I highly recommend it.


https://ball-pythons.net/modules/cop...10328/cage.JPG

I should mention, I bought the beige/brown Astro instead of the green, which was too garish in my opinion. And it needs to be weighted down with rocks if you have a BP who likes to go under things, since that could bring them too close to the heatsource below the tank. :)

As long as you are willing and able to make the extra effort, I'd think the tiles would be fine, but I'd make doubly sure that you have good, snug, secure hides with a little heft to them since the bp has no chance of hiding under the substrate.

I just have question don't the tiles get slippery? I see they are bathroom tiles so maybe they have texture so they aren't slippery but just wondering. :D

Hi Tiffany! Welcome to our forums!

I'm late jumping into this discussion and everyone has pretty much said everything, but I'll add my two cents anyhow. :)

For soaking, room temperature water, or just barely barely warmer, should be fine. If your humidity levels are correct, you may never need to make a separate "bath" for him to soak in...especially if you have a large enough water bowl for him to soak anytime he wishes. Wait to see how that first shed goes before you start adding more variables such as baths and humid hides and extra mistings.

As for substrate, I don't see any reason why the tiles shouldn't work. It wouldn't be my first choice, but since you're already working with them and know what's involved, and know to keep them dry...I don't see any reason why you shouldn't try them. I would be very interested in hearing updates on how they work for you and your little guy!

I think Marla already mentioned making sure to have really snug hides. They like to cram themselves into very tight quarters and feel most secure if they can feel their hides touching on all sides. And be sure to have at least two...one on the cool side and one on the warm side of the enclosure.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet, and that comes to mind when I think of smooth tiles as a substrate...is having SOMEthing in the cage that is rough and heavy enough for the snake to rub up against during shed. A rock, a climbing branch, a log-type or rock-type hide...just so long as their is something in the cage that is rough enough and sturdy enough to help him shed.

Can't wait to see pictures of the little guy! Keep us updated on how he's progressing. This is the first I've heard of someone selling a baby bp before their first shed, so I'm extra interested in how he gets along! :D

They sold all 6 before their shed. He is doing really good and seems ok, not balling up or acting scared, just curious. He hides in the corner behind his water bowl, I also have a half log in there for a rough spot. I did mention the possibility of using moss in the humid hide for something rough, but I am going to see how his shed goes before I add another hide. Since the half log is so big, I turned it on it's edge, so it forms a smaller space and later when he is bigger I can turn it back. I am currently leaving him alone until he sheds though.
I do have a question though. Since I have a solid top, I attached a porcelain fixture to it and added a 25 watt bulb to it. I was told that it didn't matter whether I used a daylight or nightlight, and they only had daylight, I am going to have them switch it for a night light when they get some in, I don't like leaving daylights on all day. Anyway my question is this, the lightbulb hangs down in the tank, and I am worried about him touching it, do they go after lightbulbs? I am thinking about custom building a lid, I am considering putting a screen lid on top of the tank and then making a solid box top to go over that...the final lid would still be solid top, just raised higher and a screen in between the bulb and the snake. Is this better than the bare bulb?

You definitely don't want any sort of bare bulb exposed inside the cage. They will find a way to climb on it and burn themselves for sure. Have you tried a heating pad under the tank for warmth? An inexpensive human heating pad (make sure it doesn't have an auto-shut-off) works well for most people. Then you may not have to mess with bulbs at all. If you do have to use a bulb, then get the screen lid right away to set it up on. Better to have a screen there, than a bare bulb...even if you have to work harder at the humidity levels.

As for the hides...I would highly recommend a small cave-like hide. You can buy cool looking ones at the pet store but those are usually expensive. They can be made just as easily from all sorts of inexpensive materials. A favorite is to take the bottom piece of a clay flower pot...the little "plate" that the pot sits in. Turn it upside down and cut out a little entry way and you have a perfect little hide. Do two of them so that you can have matching hides at the warm side and cool side of the tank. A bp will often sacrifice proper thermo-regulation for the sake of feeling secure in a favorite hide.

I sense that you don't want to disturb him any more than necessary right now...and completely understand. But I do think more proper hides will help him feel better.

He actually lays under the lamp in the open. I am going to make the new lid tomorrow. I figure if I add a few inches of melamine it will sit high enough that I can add a screen lid.