new to ball python care. want to know if this is normal (pic heavy)

i have had my first bp (severus) for less than a week. i got him from a small local (very trusted) pet store. i thought i did enough research to know what to expect, but this little guy is proving that i know absolutely nothing. dont get me wrong, i love him and have no intention of getting rid of him. i just want to make sure the things he is doing are normal and that i am doing things right. im sorry if there is WAY too much info in here, but i see a lot of people asking for more info in other forums, so i didnt want to take a chance. bear with me please!!

my first question involves me holding him. when i first got him, he curled up in a ball, like i expected. i did not hold him the first day at all. after that, i would hold him anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes, to get used to having humans handle him. i didnt keep him out too long tho because i wanted to make sure his body temp stayed okay. i wont hold him 48 hours before/after feeding or while shedding for obvious reasons. however, by day 3, he was already wanting to slither all over me, instead of curling like i thought he would. he only stays still for a few seconds in my hand, then wants to slither around, going up my arm and even poking his head out away from me to look around the room. i use low voices while hes out, try not to make quick movements, and generally it is just me in the room. is he stressed out, or is he just curious?

next, his first 2 days, he stayed under his log day and night. however, on the 3rd night, he started coming out to explore. i expected him to explore for a few minutes and go back, but no, he has been known to stay out for an hour or more, constantly looking around. i have read everywhere that a sheltered bp is a happy bp. is this a sign that he is stressed, or just overly curious? he only does it at night. in fact, i barely see him during the day because he usually sleeps under his log.

also, he spends a LOT of time sniffing out the top screen of the tank. he hasnt tried to push it open that i have seen, but i just sticks his tongue out and sniffs. again is he just curious, or is this some sign of stress or wanting to escape? for the record, im not sure he knows it even opens honestly. i plan on using the top for feeding and the front sliding doors for all other handling. and since i am following the pet stores schedule for feeding (every other saturday) i have yet to open the top.

and finally, just out of curiosity, does anyone want to take a guess at how old he is? i know there are a lot of factors and theres no way to get the exact age, but i know he was sold with a baby ball python label, is about 16-18 inches, and has been fed every other week his whole life. before i got him, he was in a smaller (prob 10 gallon tank) with another bp, but was about to be moved to a bigger home until i bought him.

random facts: he has never struck, or even gotten in a striking position that i have seen. he sticks out his tongue and sniffs the air a lot, but never hisses. 99.9% of the time, his movements are very slow. only times he makes quick movements is when he flops himself over to go in a different direction, which he has done maybe 2 or 3 times total.

yes i know there are a lot of questions, but i really want to make sure i give him the best life he could wish for.

ok here are the pics to show you some of what he does:

sorry you cant see this one very well. my flash was off. but he was mostly laying in the grass, with a small part of him perched on the door lid of the tank. just one of the MANY crazy positions he gets himself into.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psd8a62fa0.jpg

the rest of the pics:
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5e1e4862.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps334a9bb5.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7aa911a5.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...pse6abdfc4.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...pse8889196.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psf53917e0.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5adb4a44.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps61d37b40.jpg

here is his basic cage set up, in case you were curious. you cant see it, but there is a reptile heating pad under his log shelter. his tank is about a 30x12 and i use alpine mixed with a tiny bit of bark that i had leftover (half a small bag, if that):
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps718bdf56.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psa6d6f55c.jpg

What type of bark is mixed in? What is alpine?

You need a thermometer for cool and hot sides (try the accu-rite ones from Walmart...they are like 10 bucks and measure humidity too) and a thermostat for the under tank heater to plug into directly to control teh temp of the under tank heater

You also need 2 hides one for the hotspot and one for the cooler side....the cheap black plastic ones from Reptile Basics are awesome....

Ideally 88-90 for hot side and 78-82 for cool side...humidity should be 40-60% and when shedding 70%+

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kldoss89

i have had my first bp (severus) for less than a week. i got him from a small local (very trusted) pet store. i thought i did enough research to know what to expect, but this little guy is proving that i know absolutely nothing. dont get me wrong, i love him and have no intention of getting rid of him. i just want to make sure the things he is doing are normal and that i am doing things right. im sorry if there is WAY too much info in here, but i see a lot of people asking for more info in other forums, so i didnt want to take a chance. bear with me please!!

my first question involves me holding him. when i first got him, he curled up in a ball, like i expected. i did not hold him the first day at all. after that, i would hold him anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes, to get used to having humans handle him. i didnt keep him out too long tho because i wanted to make sure his body temp stayed okay. i wont hold him 48 hours before/after feeding or while shedding for obvious reasons. however, by day 3, he was already wanting to slither all over me, instead of curling like i thought he would. he only stays still for a few seconds in my hand, then wants to slither around, going up my arm and even poking his head out away from me to look around the room. i use low voices while hes out, try not to make quick movements, and generally it is just me in the room. is he stressed out, or is he just curious?

Though I would recommend that you not handle him until he eats for you a few times it doesn't sound like he is stressed.

next, his first 2 days, he stayed under his log day and night. however, on the 3rd night, he started coming out to explore. i expected him to explore for a few minutes and go back, but no, he has been known to stay out for an hour or more, constantly looking around. i have read everywhere that a sheltered bp is a happy bp. is this a sign that he is stressed, or just overly curious? he only does it at night. in fact, i barely see him during the day because he usually sleeps under his log.

A hiding BP is a happy BP, but they are nocturnal animals, and will come out at night. I usually see mine active between midnight, and 2:00 A.M. This is especially true when the snake is in a new home. They need to explore. If you see him out 24/7 than you have a problem, but from what you described it sounds normal

also, he spends a LOT of time sniffing out the top screen of the tank. he hasnt tried to push it open that i have seen, but i just sticks his tongue out and sniffs. again is he just curious, or is this some sign of stress or wanting to escape? for the record, im not sure he knows it even opens honestly. i plan on using the top for feeding and the front sliding doors for all other handling. and since i am following the pet stores schedule for feeding (every other saturday) i have yet to open the top.

First off, you should feed him more often than every other week. I would feed him once per week, or even once every 4 or 5 days. Like I said above he is just exploring his new home. He will probably stop doing this in a few weeks or so.

and finally, just out of curiosity, does anyone want to take a guess at how old he is? i know there are a lot of factors and theres no way to get the exact age, but i know he was sold with a baby ball python label, is about 16-18 inches, and has been fed every other week his whole life. before i got him, he was in a smaller (prob 10 gallon tank) with another bp, but was about to be moved to a bigger home until i bought him.

No way to tell for sure, but 1-3 months old would be a good guess.

random facts: he has never struck, or even gotten in a striking position that i have seen. he sticks out his tongue and sniffs the air a lot, but never hisses. 99.9% of the time, his movements are very slow. only times he makes quick movements is when he flops himself over to go in a different direction, which he has done maybe 2 or 3 times total.

yes i know there are a lot of questions, but i really want to make sure i give him the best life he could wish for.

ok here are the pics to show you some of what he does:

sorry you cant see this one very well. my flash was off. but he was mostly laying in the grass, with a small part of him perched on the door lid of the tank. just one of the MANY crazy positions he gets himself into.
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psd8a62fa0.jpg

the rest of the pics:
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5e1e4862.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps334a9bb5.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7aa911a5.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...pse6abdfc4.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...pse8889196.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psf53917e0.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5adb4a44.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps61d37b40.jpg

here is his basic cage set up, in case you were curious. you cant see it, but there is a reptile heating pad under his log shelter. his tank is about a 30x12 and i use alpine mixed with a tiny bit of bark that i had leftover (half a small bag, if that):
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...ps718bdf56.jpg
http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psa6d6f55c.jpg

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A few things I noticed right away:

1. I don't see any thermometers/hygrometers (humidity gauge) Do you have any? if so what type, where are they located? and what are your current readings?

2. Does your heat pad have a thermostat regulating it? Heat pads can and will get up to 130 + degrees which is more than enough to do serious damage, and could even kill a snake.

3. half log hides aren't very good. They don't make the snake feel very secure, and they tend to have molding issues

4. You really should have 2 hides. one on the hot side, and one on the cool side.

Here are some good threads/links for you to check out:

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

Cage Heating: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...t-Thermometers

Good hides: http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes

Welcome to the site!

dang Aaron ya beat me to linking everything :P

It sounds to me like you are off to a very good start with your snake. With only a few very minor adjustments, you two will be on top of everything. The needed adjustments have already been covered, so i won't repeat them. All of his behaviors are completely normal. It isn't often we get someone who has most everything correct from the beginning, so you are already above the curve.

I look forward to getting to know you and your baby, and watching you both grow and blossom here. I know I have over the years.

Gale

If your temps are humidity are managed I recommend a couple terra cotta clay pots to use as hides. They're available in the garden section of Lowe's, Home Depot, and WalMart. Buy them just a little bigger than the size of your snake when it's curled up. Simply bust a piece out of the edge for a door, and turn them upside down. Voila you now have 2 identical hides for hot and cold sides that only cost a couple bucks each. Also you can buy bigger ones as your snake grows.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheSnakeGuy

If your temps are humidity are managed I recommend a couple terra cotta clay pots to use as hides. They're available in the garden section of Lowe's, Home Depot, and WalMart. Buy them just a little bigger than the size of your snake when it's curled up. Simply bust a piece out of the edge for a door, and turn them upside down. Voila you now have 2 identical hides for hot and cold sides that only cost a couple bucks each. Also you can buy bigger ones as your snake grows.

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I'd be too concerned with sharp pieces injuring my snake.

Flower pots and/or litter boxes work fine when you solder out a hole.

I noticed the same thing when I first made the "doors" into my clay pots. All it takes is 5 minutes with the little file that comes in a nail clipper to soften those edges. No sweat to make a cheap and easy hide. I'll probably use this method until the day comes that I build my first rack.

FWIW, I've used terra cotta pots for hides, as well (made my first one over 20 years ago...no RBI back then:O). However, instead of creating a hole along the edge, I've merely widened the drainage hole on the bottom with a hammer and smoothed off any sharp adges with a file or heavy grit sand paper. It's real easy to control the size and shape of the hole doing it this way. Having said this, I'm slowly transitioning over to the RBI hides as they are easier to clean/disinfect.

Welcome to the site!

Looks like you are doing a good job and sounds like you have done quite a bit of research (generally a commonly forgotten step with new BP owners). With a couple minor tweaks, conditions for your snake will be great.

As far as the snake's behaviour, I have found that with new BP's, they can be quite curious, especially at night as they are nocturnal. Bumping the cage lid/exploring is completely natural - no need to stress.

As for age, I would guess if the pet store was only feeding every other week, your BP could be up to 4 or 5 months old. Mine is not quite 5 months, is approximately 24 inches, and weighs 160 grams. I feed about 4 times a month on an erratic schedule (BP's don't get a meal every Saturday in the wild, why should that change with me?) :P Never closer than 5 days and generally no longer than 10 unless she is going through a shed process. As I am not a breeder, I am not hurrying to get her to breeding size, so as long as she stays healthy, I will continue doing what I am doing.

As for holding, I find there are differing opinions on this. I held mine the second day after bringing her home, like you, for short periods of time. I generally leave her 24-48 hours after feeding, and try not to handle during the shed process. Sometimes it is necessary when doing a spot clean for example. She has yet to refuse a meal for me. Not to discredit those who say not to hold them until they feed for you a couple of times, but I think each BP is different. Your BP seems to be quite curious, with no aggression, so I wouldn't be too afraid of holding it for short periods of time until it eats, then you can start holding it more.

thanks everyone for the quick replies and the welcome! i am going to try to cover everything in my response. hopefully i wont have anything i miss...

what i missed last time:
i have been using the misting method for humidity just for cost reasons, but it is doing a fair job at keeping the tank somewhere between 45-55 in humidity depeneding on how often i mist. i mist with hot water (trick i learned i think from another post here) on a towel that is over the cool side (with no lamp) and on a few pieces of fake moss that are spread throughout the tank. i usually have to mist the hot side twice a day and the cool side once a day.

i also have been using a temp gun until i found a thermometer i liked (which i now have 2 probe thermometers and one stick on the tank thermometer to measure how hot it gets near the top, since he has his climbing log). i was having trouble at first keeping good temps at night when the lamp was turned off, but i have found that keeping a blanket over the cool half of his tank helps. i would cover the whole thing, but i am usually not awake when the timer turns on his lamp, and i worry about fires.

more about heat control:
OsirisRa32 (or anyone), i am having the hardest time finding a thermometer that regulates the temp of the heater. where should i look? how much are they? are there any "bad brands"?

bedding:
sorry, i typed this late at night. it was aspen, not alpine. dont know what i was thinking. and it is the bark that was sold to me in the pet store. he wanted me to use all bark, but i wasnt comfortable with it, so i just used some to add a different texture and make it feel more natural.

hides:
i now have 2 hides. they are not identical, but they will be as soon as he moves up to his next size hide. he really really loves his log hide, so i did not want to take it from him just yet. but i also didnt want to get 2 with what yall said about mold. im also not sure how exactly i am going to fit 2 idential hides any bigger in my current tank, and he will be in this big of a tank long after he needs a bigger hide. guess we will cross that bridge when we get there.

as far as terra cotta pots, since i dont have something that is really regulating humidity (like a humidifier or something) i am nervous about using them. hopefully by the time he is ready for a new shelter, i will have something better for humidity and i can branch out. i have also heard a LOT of good things about those cheap black hides online.

feeding/holding/overall temperment:
i am going to try to feed him today (its been one week). we will see how it goes. i did not hold him yesterday at all. yesterday was also the first day he was not as active at night. i dont know if that is because he has explored his new home enough or if he was mad that i didnt take him out. the pet store owner told me he is the more social out of the two baby bps in the store, and he really does seem to enjoy exploring and crawling up and down my arms (and trying to escape now into the floor lol). if he eats, i will hold him monday night. i will test his temperment without being held and see if it stresses him out more to come out or not come out to decide if i will hold him the day before a feeding or not.

i will keep yall posted on how this feeding attempt goes and if he has really started to calm down or was just pouting since he wasnt being held!

and a special thanks to The Serpent Merchant for your really thorough and helpful reply. the links were especially helpful!

Osiris is spot on about his advice. I also have UTH(Under Tank Heating) and a thermostat. I use Lucky Reptile Heat mat. They are splash proof and has a failsafe. Beautiful snake btw

And yes...When I moved the snake from the previous owner to my home, he aldo became very curious even though it was same cage

so happy! we had a VERY successful first feeding tonight! i left the mouse out all afternoon to thaw (only feeding frozen, no live), held it with some feeding tongs in his tank and shook it like it was walking around about 6 inches from his cave, and in less than 10 seconds, he struck! wrapped it and ate it within about 30 seconds.

so proud of my baby :D no difficult first time feeding for us! makes me happy esp since this confirms in my mind that im doing something right!

http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/...psa57a450a.jpg

Glad to hear everything went well. Sounds like he was quite ravenous, must of been hungry :P