Just got my first Ball Python. A few questions.

Hi all! So after a couple months of research, purchasing and setting everything up I finally purchased my first ball python. I had to purchase him from Petsmart because of my location and that was the only place to get him. I don't have a name or know the sex of him yet but I'll think of one soon! I put the box in the tank and he eventually crawled out and has been going around the tank for hours now. He went in his cool side and then came right back out. He's mainly been hanging along the glass on the sides and climbing up to the screen and the slides back down and has been doing this since he went into the tank. Could this be star-gazing? I did watch a video or two that was in the threads about star-gazing but I'm still concerned so I took a video of my snake. Here's the link to it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vmRXJIacFY Could this be star-gazing or is he just exploring his new environment?

His temperatures are as follows - Cool side is 77-82F Hot side is 89-90F. Humidity depends on the time of day. It can go up to 70% for a little but is currently around 45% but I will mist this evening to raise it.

He's mainly just been hanging out on the sides where I have the leaves and things so there's cover. Only concern is the raising up to the lid.

Another quick question is should I feed Thursday or wait till Tuesday when it's been a week? The store gave me all his feeding logs since he came there. He's just been upped to 1 hopper mouse once a week and he was last fed Thursday. Should I try Thursday or just wait till Tuesday? Also from the video does his weight appear to be good?

Should I also feed in a separate container? At the store he was fed in a separate container and they just recommended I do the same although I was planning to feed in his enclosure because it would be easier and no stress to the snake.

I think that's all the questions for now but I'll definitely have more in the coming days. Thanks you all!

Hi. Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new snake. I had a few questions to ask because the glare in your video blocked a bit of the inside of your tank, and having more information will help us give you advice.

1- Do you have hides in your tank? You should have one hide for each side of the tank (warm and cool) that are both sized so that your BP is very snug in them. If it isn't snug enough then the snake will feel uncomfortable.

2- How are you measuring your temps? How is your tank heated?

The "star-gazing" could be due to his exploring, but it could also be due to temps being off. When I first got my BP he moved around a lot, and I found it was because he was stressed in his environment and was trying to escape. I had husbandry issues I had to fix before he would settle down or eat for me.

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Originally Posted by JoRandom

Hi. Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new snake. I had a few questions to ask because the glare in your video blocked a bit of the inside of your tank, and having more information will help us give you advice.

1- Do you have hides in your tank? You should have one hide for each side of the tank (warm and cool) that are both sized so that your BP is very snug in them. If it isn't snug enough then the snake will feel uncomfortable.

2- How are you measuring your temps? How is your tank heated?

The "star-gazing" could be due to his exploring, but it could also be due to temps being off. When I first got my BP he moved around a lot, and I found it was because he was stressed in his environment and was trying to escape. I had husbandry issues I had to fix before he would settle down or eat for me.

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I have two identical hides that are the correct size and have one entrance. I have an UTH heating the hot side which is plugged into a hydrofarm thermostat set to 93F. I have an Exo-Terra digital thermometer/hygrometer with a probe postioned under the warm hide on the glass. On the cool side I have a 100W infrared bulb hooked up to a dimmer. I also have a Zoo-Med thermometer with a probe placed under the cool hide.

I just checked on him and found him laying against the glass on the warm side behind the warm hide among the vines. Didn't see him moving so I tore the construction paper off where he was and found him like this http://imgur.com/XpBkSAq I did get quite a scare but tapped on the glass twice and his tongue flicked out so I was very relieved. I'm assuming he's just sleeping now?

Yeah, so it sounds like your setup is good, guess he is just exploring, or he is a bit quirky :)

I wouldn't try feeding him till he has been settled into his new home for at least 7-10 days.

I honestly would feed in tank, that's just my opinion, less moving of the snake, so less stress and less likelihood of regurgitation. Just watch the substrate. Ingesting a bit of substrate is not harmful, but if a piece is too big or gets caught in the mouth at the wrong angle, etc, could mean bad news, so just keep an eye on the tank during feeding.

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Originally Posted by JoRandom

Yeah, so it sounds like your setup is good, guess he is just exploring, or he is a bit quirky :)

I wouldn't try feeding him till he has been settled into his new home for at least 7-10 days.

I honestly would feed in tank, that's just my opinion, less moving of the snake, so less stress and less likelihood of regurgitation. Just watch the substrate. Ingesting a bit of substrate is not harmful, but if a piece is too big or gets caught in the mouth at the wrong angle, etc, could mean bad news, so just keep an eye on the tank during feeding.

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I'll try feeding him on Tuesday then. I just tapped on the glass again but no movement or tongue flick this time, even went in with a snake hook to move the vine near the back and still nothing. My biggest fear is finding him dead tonight or in the morning. They said he didn't use his hide much at the store and he's in a tight area that's dark so I'm guessing he found a place to sleep for now? Should I just leave him be and check on him later?

Yeah, he will be fine. No need to tap the glass. You probably don't even need a hook unless he has a tendency for being nippy or you aren't comfortable having your hands around him yet. That is just my opinion btw, use a hook if you feel. :) BPs don't generally move a lot. Plus they are nocturnal. He is probably sleeping. They are very much "Im just gonna chill here and not really move all day" kinda snakes. Kinda like me when I get home from exams.

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Originally Posted by JoRandom

Yeah, he will be fine. BPs don't generally move a lot. Plus they are nocturnal. He is probably sleeping. They are very much "Im just gonna chill here and not really move all day" kinda snakes. Kinda like me when I get home from exams.

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That's good that he's settling in then. :D That's exactly why I got a BP instead of a corn snake at first because I'd rather a lazy snake than one always active. Thanks for putting my mind at ease! :)

So how's snakey? Think of a name?


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Originally Posted by JoRandom

So how's snakey? Think of a name?


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Hi. I'm sorry to say but I decided to take him back. It's nothing against the snake or anything I just thought I was ready to take care of a reptile but I realized I'm not prepared to quite yet. I'm just starting to get over mental illnesses from the past year and figured I was well enough to take care of a pet but once I got him here I was a nervous wreck. I took him back now because I figured I wasn't prepared to take care of him and I didn't want to keep him and have him begin to suffer from lack of care. I felt it was the right decision and in both mine and the snakes best interest if I didn't keep him quite yet. I will keep all the supplies I have and focus on getting myself better over the next few months and then go out and see if I'm prepared to take care of one. I have been giving some thought into getting a corn snake in the next few months as it would be overall less stressful for me because they seem to be more hardier than BP's. I just figured I should let you know and this experience still hasn't put me off of reptiles. Thanks! :)

Of course :) no worries. I hope your confidence grows and you feel better soon. If you ever want to talk just send me a private message. I'd be happy to chat. :)


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Originally Posted by JoRandom

Of course :) no worries. I hope your confidence grows and you feel better soon. If you ever want to talk just send me a private message. I'd be happy to chat. :)


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Thank you! Do you know anything about cornsnakes? From what I've read they're more hardier and eat better than BP's and don't have as strict humidity requirements which may be better for me stress wise so I've been thinking of them as my first reptile.

Unfortunately I do not. I happen to live in Florida which is already very humid, so I can see how keeping humidity in other places could be challenging. I do know, research is your friend. Books, blogs, talking to the staff at legitimate reptile shops, etc, is very helpful. Peruse the corn snakes section of this site.


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For when you are ready for a ball python in the future, the snake's behavior was completely normal. When I got my snake she did the same thing for a week and she would move around the cage for literally 12 hours straight with small pauses. Corn snakes are great but keep in mind that as babies they are more nippy and they move really fast. When I was younger and got a corn snake it freaked me out because I was struck at quite often. I gave him to a nice family with a little kid. Ball pythons are stereotypically more docile.

I'm proud of you for making a good decision to focus on your health. It is a hard decision to make but an important and worthy one. Good luck with everything!

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Originally Posted by kir.davis

For when you are ready for a ball python in the future, the snake's behavior was completely normal. When I got my snake she did the same thing for a week and she would move around the cage for literally 12 hours straight with small pauses. Corn snakes are great but keep in mind that as babies they are more nippy and they move really fast. When I was younger and got a corn snake it freaked me out because I was struck at quite often. I gave him to a nice family with a little kid. Ball pythons are stereotypically more docile.

I'm proud of you for making a good decision to focus on your health. It is a hard decision to make but an important and worthy one. Good luck with everything!

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I was familiar that they slept like 90% of the time but when I got mine I was so stressed at the possibility of him lying dead in there that I kept checking on him like every 20 minutes to see if he was in there and would tap on the glass so he flicked his tongue which I give a brief sigh of relief. I was also extremely worried he was going to get out. I had him in a tank with a locking mechanism and would give a slight tug at each corner to make sure but I was still worried he would escape through the night and one of my dogs or cats would get a hold of him. I was also worried that they weren't as hardy as a cornsnake. I felt that if his humidity wasn't perfect 24/7 that he would get either scale rot or an RI. And that every time he looked up he'd be stargazing. After worrying a lot and stressing completely out I realized I was just not quite ready for a BP. Taking him back was a tough decision as I felt bad that he was just settling in and that I wasn't giving him a chance. But I know now that it was the right one. I'm now thinking on getting a cornsnake as my first snake/reptile because they eat better and are much more hardy. I wouldn't have to worry about humidity because the humidity in my house is always 20-40%. Anyways I'm sorry for pretty much repeating myself but I'm just explaining it good. Thanks to all of you for understanding why I did what I did and I'll be sticking around still researching BP's and cornsnakes while I get better so I'll be able to own my first snake when the time comes. :)

Good for you! I can't say anything regarding emotions but your decision making sure seems to be commendable. Give it another try sometime once you've had your corn for a while. You will find it's not too bad once you get a little experience. I was a wreck when I got my first snake which was a BP. They really are very hardy. Take care!

Rob