Have a ruined my snake!?

Hello! i just recently purchased a spider ball python from a exotic pet shop near my home. I started him off in a aquarium that was made for fish(20 gallon, horizontal) with a heat lamp, news paper, water bowl, and a hide that was made for a fish tank. I quickly did some more research and realized that the environment that i placed him in was not correct! i moved him to a 15 gallon vertical tank heated by a heat lamp (a purple bulb is used inside), changed his bedding to coconut fiber dirt, kept his hide and water bowl, and placed a block on wood over one side of his tank to keep his tank at a 90 degree temperature range. i have some trouble keeping his humidity up to a moderate to tropical range and would love advice. Please give feedback if you have any ideas to keep the humidity at a constant level!

I also made the mistake of handling him often when he first arrived to my home. for the first couple of days he was very active and loved to crawl around my arms.About two days after i brought him home is when i moved him to his appropriate tank. When i placed him inside of his new tank he became very active again! he moved all around his new tank exploring, buried himself in his new dirt and adjusted to the tank within a few hours (so i though). i noticed that he started to open his mouth often and seemed to be yawning. i did little research as to what this could mean and came to the conclusion that he was hungry and that i should fed him. so i pulled him from his new tank (that i placed him in just a couple of hours before) and put him in his old tank to feed him. i thawed out a pink mouse and placed it in his tank so that the food would be already in the tank waiting for him. i understand that this is not the correct way to feed him. I also placed his hide inside of his feeding tank because he refused to come out of it. he refused to eat and after an hour i removed him from his old tank and placed him back in his new tank.

I realize that i have made many mistakes that could have been prevented if i had done the correct research. i am scared that i have scarred my BP forever and i will never be able to handle him again! he has become inactive and very frightened with his surroundings. i am trying my best to give him his space and keep his temperate and humidity at the correct level so he will feel at his best! Is he acting this way because of stress? Any suggestions about humidity control? Should i change his hide so that it is easily removed when needed? I understand that i did not do the correct amount of research before buying my new friend and i want to make him as happy as possible! Please respond with feedback, advice, ANYTHING!!

PS i will be moving him across the country in a car making frequent stops (ETA a week) in about a month and a half/two months. i am very concerned about this move and will be posting more information about my plan of action for this in the near future.

-Anna:tears:

No you haven't ruined him. Give him a week or two with out handling him. Also mice pinks are to small for him to eat. I'll let someone else chime in with more advice. He will be fine, just slow down with moving him around. By the way welcome to the forum. You came to the right place for advice.

Vertical tank? Like the ones used of chameleons? Have you read the sticky threads on this site?
Your snake is not ruined, it'll be okay :)
Could you post a pic of your set up?

Please read the stickies on this forum. They will walk you through the setup and care.

Here are the stickies you need to read through, in case you can't find them: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...s%29-Caresheet

This is very helpful on getting them set up correctly, from the basics. https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...e-Basics-*DUW*

I think there are currently too many things you're doing wrong (sorry!) with your ball python right now, so it's hard to go into detail about it in a post. Reading through these will answer all your questions, and you can fix everything that's wrong.

For one, pinky mice are too small for ball pythons right out of the egg, and you don't need to move him into a different enclosure to feed.

And don't handle him at all until he starts eating.

Snakes aren't emotional beings like us. He'll recover :) In the mean time, please read this thread, and welcome to the wonderful world of snakes!: How to Setup a Glass Tank (20 long) With Pictures!

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...0&share_type=t
The thermostat mentioned in that thread is pretty critical. Ball pythons aren't climbers per se, so vertical isn't appropriate. You can put tinfoil on the mesh top to retain more humidity. What size is he? That would help determine correct prey size. You'd be surprised what they can swallow! Rule of thumb is to feed the same size prey as the widest part of your snake. Yes, it will likely be bigger than his head, but he can stretch it like crazy. I agree with what others said about letting him be for a week or so once you get a final setup. They can go a very long time without eating.

Sorry, I'm not sure how to add the links. The users above posted the links to the stickies you need to start with.

Please read and follow them. Please leave your snake alone for at least a week to let him settle in and adjust at least a week. If you get it together, you will have this animal for 30 years, so get things right and enjoy your snake once you've done a LOT more homework and research.

Without fixing all of your mistakes your snake WILL suffer, so please fix your mistakes.

We all started somewhere and were all beginners once. Moving forward, do research BEFORE bringing an animal home.

Get your setup and husbandry right FIRST. Then learn about the species, learn about proper prey size, etc....

Good luck, keep us posted on your progress and we will help you get over the learning curve. It seems like a lot at first, but once you're all dialed in things will get much easier and you can stop stressing and start enjoying this amazing hobby and your awesome new pet.

thank you this was very reassuring

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Originally Posted by Timelugia

Vertical tank? Like the ones used of chameleons? Have you read the sticky threads on this site?
Your snake is not ruined, it'll be okay :)
Could you post a pic of your set up?

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i havent figured out how to post pictures!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chiveon757

i havent figured out how to post pictures!

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Download the free forum app called TapaTalk .

Instant photo upload option - one click !


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Download the free forum app called TapaTalk .

Instant photo upload option - one click !


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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thank you so much! I'm down loading it now I am going to the pet store today and getting everything I need and setting up his tank the correct way! everyone's advice was much needed