New Ball Owner

Hello! I have a few questions as a new ball python owner. My ball had been doing really well for the first few weeks I had him (eating well, docile but not lethargic, not trying to escape his tank) but now he's been acting a bit weird. It may be because he's about to shed, but his eyes haven't changed color yet. I've been trying everything to get the humidity up in his tank (tinfoil on the top, damp towels on the bottom, spraying the tank and him with Zilla reptile spray) but last time I tried to feed him he attacked it and got about half down before losing his grip and losing interest. Additionally, it seemed like his mouth may have been mucousy (but that might just be because I'm paranoid of him getting a respiratory infection. He seems to be breathing fine. Now that I've put the damp towel down, he's been moving around a lot and just been generally restless. He also hid under his water bowl in the divet and (afraid that he was stuck) i coaxed him out. When I attempted to wiggle him free I could hear him breathing kind of hard and he tensed up/got antsy. I keep both his UV and bright light on during the day and and only his UV on at night. I'm just really concerned because this si my first time owning a reptile of any kind and I want him to be happy. (Tank is about 4x1 ft., temps range from 85-75, and humidity is 40% with the towel but can drop down to 20% (I know that's too low I'm trying my best to get it up))

first off, welcome!

have you checked his belly? pink belly is the first sign of an upcoming shed.
in regards to the feeding: did he strike the mouse and constrict? he got half down, then spit it back up?
how are you checking his temperatures and humidity? and what type of enclosure is he in? depending on your enclosure there's a number of ways to keep humidity in.
when you mentioned he was hiding and you coaxed him out: that sounds like he hissed at you. i remember the first time my baby hissed: i had no idea what he did!

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

first off, welcome!

have you checked his belly? pink belly is the first sign of an upcoming shed.
in regards to the feeding: did he strike the mouse and constrict? he got half down, then spit it back up?
how are you checking his temperatures and humidity? and what type of enclosure is he in? depending on your enclosure there's a number of ways to keep humidity in.
when you mentioned he was hiding and you coaxed him out: that sounds like he hissed at you. i remember the first time my baby hissed: i had no idea what he did!

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Thank you! No his belly was ok, good to know it will turn pink though (The only reason I know he might shed soon is because he had just shed before we purchased him and it's been about a month since but not quite) He's a little goofy with the feedings. He'll grab the mouse from my tongs (I'm feeding him thawed pinkies, he might be ready for a bigger size, but considering his struggle with the small ones I'm hesitant) but once he grabs the mouse and constricts it sometimes it isn't parallel with his body so he can't get it down. This time he had struck, grabbed the mouse, bit the legs off (sorry graphic) and then lost interest rather than trying for it again which he usually does. I left the mouse in his tank for a short time but he showed no interest still so I removed it. So he didn't regurgitate it he just didn't quite grab it. I have a Zilla thermometer/humidity checker in his tank (I need to get another for more accurate readings) but right now it's at 55% humidity and about 80 degrees. He's in a glass Zilla tank with a mesh top (all my Zilla products tank, lights, water bowl, hide, etc. I received in a kit.) He spent a little bit exploring and he would go against the sides of the tank, raise his head, pull backwards and turn around, and kind of burrow his nose into the substrate. Now, however, he is back in his hide and seems to be doing ok, so maybe he was just exploring the cloth I put in there to help with the humidity. I think maybe it was a hiss, that would make sense, I wasn't sure balls were able to hiss (sounds stupid now that I type it). My biggest question now is why he decided to go under his water bowl in the first place instead of stay in his hide. Sorry for the novel, I just wanted to give you an idea of what was happening.

i'm not sure i can help with your feeding issue, but maybe others will chime in.
regarding your tank: since it's glass, 3/4 of the sides should be covered with dark fabric or paper: this helps the BP feel more secure. trying to hide somewhere besides the hides could be a sign they don't feel secure. do you have 2 identical hides?
for the humidity: you can buy sphagnum moss to wet and place in one of the hides to bump your humidity up. you say you have a temp/humidity checker: is it one with a dial? those are very inaccurate, which might make you think your humidity is low. a digital temp/humidity reader is much more accurate.

Ok, he's got walls on three sides, but I will also cover them with something dark, his hides aren't identical, so I'll try to get to the store and buy another one that's the same along with a more accurate humidity/temp gauge (any suggestions/brands for this?) His humidity is just right now, but I don't know how long it will last so I'll also try to purchase some moss. Thank you soooo much for your help and making my first experience with this forum informative and welcoming!

Don't have time to get into this deeper right this second, but you have to up your temps !! They are on the low side. Humidity also.

It does sound like he might be working his way up to a Respiratory infection. Mucous and sounds are never good, so keep an eye on that.

UV light is completely un-needed. They are nocturnal snakes and usually spend their days in some burrow/hide. Correct temps however, are very important.

Pinky mice sound WAY to small for a Ball Python. They have to be able to work their teeth along the prey to get it to move down the throat.

Could you post some pictures of your snake and also your setup ?

There are great people on this form, and with some tweaking, you will have your setup and feeding corrected in no time ;)

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Originally Posted by spellbound04

I'll try to get to the store and buy another one that's the same along with a more accurate humidity/temp gauge (any suggestions/brands for this?)

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here's the digital gauge i use. they can be found at walmart, also.

agreed with zina- pinkies are way too small for ball pythons except for their very first couple meals. they can eat food about the same size as their thickest part. most of my snakes also tend to go for the belly/back area first, but they usually figure it out on their own when I leave them be. sometimes it can help in how you hold the food- if you hold it near the middle, they tend to go for the ends instead. good luck with your new friend! :)

If its a screened lid your going to have to cover it or all humidity and heat will be lost. Tape cardboard to the lid and to 3 sides of the tank for insulation. That alone will change your temperatures and humidity a lot. After that if you want to poke a few holes in the top for a little circulation that's OK but the screened lid terrariums for a ball python are no good until you modify them for heat retention.

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Originally Posted by zina10

Don't have time to get into this deeper right this second, but you have to up your temps !! They are on the low side. Humidity also.

It does sound like he might be working his way up to a Respiratory infection. Mucous and sounds are never good, so keep an eye on that.

UV light is completely un-needed. They are nocturnal snakes and usually spend their days in some burrow/hide. Correct temps however, are very important.

Pinky mice sound WAY to small for a Ball Python. They have to be able to work their teeth along the prey to get it to move down the throat.

Could you post some pictures of your snake and also your setup ?

There are great people on this form, and with some tweaking, you will have your setup and feeding corrected in no time ;)

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Thank you VERY very much! If they're not right now, how high should his temps and humidity be? Also, if I don't use a UV lamp how do I keep them up? I will definitely try some larger food (he's still only about 18 inches long) I'll try my best to post some photos I'm new to the site so it may take me a try or two.

Thank you!!! Should I purchase one for each side of his tank?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing This link has some photos of my ball. The photo of him climbing up his tank is from when I first put him in so he was just exploring, but it gives an idea of how large it is. The one of him in his hide is how he usually is. Sorry the photos aren't better it's difficult for me to get them from my phone onto my laptop onto this site :/ I'll try to get better, more informative ones up soon! Thank you to everyone for their help!!!!

Here's what I do; one side cooler in the 70s, middle 80ish, hot side 90. Humidity I keep 60 pretty much and it works. I use aspen bedding for substrate and a wooden hide. Most say lights are not needed but I personally do use them and I know others who do, I use one for the day and one for the night which is called "moonlight". I use a uth - under the tank heating pad, most say you'll need a therm but it is optional if you use a low watt one, for instance my tank is a 30gal so I use an 8watt 10gal uth and it works great. I keep my light on over the wooden hide as the hot spot and the uth on that side as well. I cover half of the lid with a towel to preserve humidity and I mist daily.

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Originally Posted by Kristaok

Here's what I do; one side cooler in the 70s, middle 80ish, hot side 90. Humidity I keep 60 pretty much and it works. I use aspen bedding for substrate and a wooden hide. Most say lights are not needed but I personally do use them and I know others who do, I use one for the day and one for the night which is called "moonlight". I use a uth - under the tank heating pad, most say you'll need a therm but it is optional if you use a low watt one, for instance my tank is a 30gal so I use an 8watt 10gal uth and it works great. I keep my light on over the wooden hide as the hot spot and the uth on that side as well. I cover half of the lid with a towel to preserve humidity and I mist daily.

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Ok,thank you!That sounds very similar to what I've been doing. My temperatures stay about there and I've finally got my humidity up to 55% by placing a damp towel down on his substrate, however I will try putting it on the top of his tank instead so it will be less invasive. I mist him often if I see the humidity drop. i use the coconut husk substrate but am going to explore other options in the future. I have a heating pad on the side (that's where the instructions recommended it be placed) and my hide is... ceramic? I think. Some type of clay type stuff. I use only the UV light at night to mimic the day/night cycles, however if I don't put both lights on during the day his temps drop down to the 70s. I have the top covered with tinfoil and this really helps with holding in the humidity and heat, but it doesn't seem to be enough.

I mist the deco and the wood hide and it helps retain more humidity and the sides of the tank as well. Moss can also be used to up the humidity.

Yea definitely put the towel over the tank and not in it. :P

depending on his size/weight, I'd move him up to hopper mice for the next feeding.

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Originally Posted by spellbound04

Thank you VERY very much! If they're not right now, how high should his temps and humidity be? Also, if I don't use a UV lamp how do I keep them up? I will definitely try some larger food (he's still only about 18 inches long) I'll try my best to post some photos I'm new to the site so it may take me a try or two.

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Get a 100 watt Ceramic Heat Emitter (CHE) for the Heat Lamp Fixure for a 20-30 gal size tank. The snakes dont like or need light and these are 100% better and they are around $15.
If you want to use the the aspen or other substrate that helps with Humidity you might like it like several others do. I myself dont like wood or the cleaning/smell of urine/feces that seep into it. Some say spot cleaning works good with it but I tried it 15 years ago and could smell the urine in the wood chips and hated it so ive used Craft/Butcher paper. I order 800' foot rolls that are the width of my enclosures.. 12" or 24" or 30"'ect... They last years and you wrap the paper up and throw it out, wipe the enclosure down and replace with another sheet...simple. I spray the sides of the enclosures to raise Humidity if it falls below 50%.
At some point when funds allow, look into a different enclosure. The PVC hold humidity and you can use RHP (radiant heat panel) and hold your Humidity easy with a large water bowl because that isnt a dry heat like Bulbs or Ceramic heaters...
Check out APCAGES. The T8 is on sale $150. Thats what most of us have for Balls. As far as the RHP, check out Pro Product Heat Panels. He is #1 in the business. They arent cheap.. $120 for a T8 size heater panel but will out last any other RHP out there. 10 year warrenty on heat element.

PS- my 3 month old eats Mice twice a week and she is thin and 16". Feed that snake a mouse hahahah