The adventures of Dad and Daughter snake keeping

Recently my 5 year old stumbled across some bhb videos on YouTube and brought up wanting a snake. For me no problem, but for mom......well that was a different story. Surprise to me though after mom and daughter made some trips to a pet store(I kno my bad) a few temper tantrums later. we are now the proud owners of Mike Thythin the Ball Pythin.
The temps are good the humidity is good and he eats like a savage. This brings up question number 1-he is eating fuzzies two about an hour apart, should I bump him up to the next size mouse? And the last one- we have decided on a new cage for Christmas astetically I like the exo terra large wide but I also like the t10( I think) because it stacks and will be nice for when I inevitably add another snake( I'm really pushing for a Bel) thanks for any info anyone puts out. This is a super exciting time for me and my little one and we r doing the best we can for our first little snake.

p.s sorry about the horrendous grammar and sentence formats

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Originally Posted by DandD

Recently my 5 year old stumbled across some bhb videos on YouTube and brought up wanting a snake. For me no problem, but for mom......well that was a different story. Surprise to me though after mom and daughter made some trips to a pet store(I kno my bad) a few temper tantrums later. we are now the proud owners of Mike Thythin the Ball Pythin.
The temps are good the humidity is good and he eats like a savage. This brings up question number 1-he is eating fuzzies two about an hour apart, should I bump him up to the next size mouse? And the last one- we have decided on a new cage for Christmas astetically I like the exo terra large wide but I also like the t10( I think) because it stacks and will be nice for when I inevitably add another snake( I'm really pushing for a Bel) thanks for any info anyone puts out. This is a super exciting time for me and my little one and we r doing the best we can for our first little snake.

p.s sorry about the horrendous grammar and sentence formats

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Hi! Man I wish my dad was still alive when I got into snake keeping but I think it's great you and your daughter are getting into a hobby together like this. For the new cage, I would definitely recommend a T8 for a ball python just make sure there's enough hiding room and it should be great. That's what I'm getting my BP for Christmas too lol. I have an exoterra for my bp rn, and while it is a great display tank and looks cool, keeping humidity in is such a vassal, I have to put foil over he top, keep moss in his tank, and spray once or twice a day. PVC is great because it helps with humidity, it's stackable and it looks pretty good too!!! One word of warning though, when it comes to stacking tanks, I recommend only stacking the same size tanks on top of each other as AP has said so themselves in an email that bowing may occur when stacking enclosures that are different sizes, so you should watch out for that cause you wouldn't want your snake's enclosure to collapse while they are in there lol.

As for the feeding, there's a pretty common feeding chart a lot of people on here (myself included) follow https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...fdf2531721.jpg Now you don't really HAVE TO use this, so if you don't want to, a good rule of thumb would be to go for a prey with the same thickness as the thickest part of the snake's body.

Now I'm going to assume that since you are a new snake owner, you are feeding store bought mice, if the snake is on live, I recommend switching to f/t immediately, it's more cost efficient, it's practically the same thing, and you don't run the risk of the mouse hurting your animal. If your snake is already on f/t, then I would recommend buying your snake food from Big Cheese or Perfect Prey online. Most pet stores over price mice CAZY and the most expensive part about ordering online is just the shipping but if you only have one snake, you get enough snake food to last about a year with just one order in most cases.

One last thing. When I first got into reptiles, I loved BHB and while Brian is a super nice guy, I wouldn't take his word on everything. The tubs he keeps his animals in are way to small in my opinion and he just has way too many animals for them to all be kept in good healthy condition. I've also heard of people buying from him and being sent animals that have mites or other issues. A great family friendly YouTube channel with beautiful animals is Josser'sJungle, I think your daughter would love that channel. Not to say watching BHB is bad, just might not want to use him as a role model per se. He is extremely kid friend and interesting to watch though so I can't blame anyone for being interested in his videos. He's had some amazingly beautiful animals on his show as well which is what drew me in at first, but you should definitely broaden your horizons and find more people that also like helping like AriAwesomeness of IG (he has a YouTube but I can't remember the name, it might be the same) I know him personally and he's pretty cool, takes excellent care of his animals and love to show off his anacondas.

Best of luck with this new hobby, I'm sure you and your daughter will love it, feel free to ask anymore questions if you have any, and sorry about the stupid long message!!!


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What size is he? Feeding depends on the size, a good rule to follow is to weigh your BP, then get feeders that are 10%-15% his weight. Also, feeding hourly? That's way too quick unless you're feeding multiple undersized feeders (no offense), try feeding him every 5-7 days. Here's a caresheet that I use for my ball python: http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care...s/Ball-Python/

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I laughed historically when I read the name you chose for him [emoji23]. So great. Welcome to the world of snake ownership!


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Originally Posted by Tonald Drump

What size is he? Feeding depends on the size, a good rule to follow is to weigh your BP, then get feeders that are 10%-15% his weight. Also, feeding hourly? That's way too quick unless you're feeding multiple undersized feeders (no offense), try feeding him every 5-7 days. Here's a caresheet that I use for my ball python: http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care...s/Ball-Python/

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I ment that he eats ever Wednesday but he eats 2 fuzzies about an hour apart. He just seemed so damn hungry going after the first one I thought the pet store might have underfed him.

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Originally Posted by DandD

I ment that he eats ever Wednesday but he eats 2 fuzzies about an hour apart. He just seemed so damn hungry going after the first one I thought the pet store might have underfed him.

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Oooooh lol, I thought you were feeding him every hour. Alright then, good job!

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Originally Posted by OneEyedFox

Hi! Man I wish my dad was still alive when I got into snake keeping but I think it's great you and your daughter are getting into a hobby together like this. For the new cage, I would definitely recommend a T8 for a ball python just make sure there's enough hiding room and it should be great. That's what I'm getting my BP for Christmas too lol. I have an exoterra for my bp rn, and while it is a great display tank and looks cool, keeping humidity in is such a vassal, I have to put foil over he top, keep moss in his tank, and spray once or twice a day. PVC is great because it helps with humidity, it's stackable and it looks pretty good too!!! One word of warning though, when it comes to stacking tanks, I recommend only stacking the same size tanks on top of each other as AP has said so themselves in an email that bowing may occur when stacking enclosures that are different sizes, so you should watch out for that cause you wouldn't want your snake's enclosure to collapse while they are in there lol.

As for the feeding, there's a pretty common feeding chart a lot of people on here (myself included) follow https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...fdf2531721.jpg Now you don't really HAVE TO use this, so if you don't want to, a good rule of thumb would be to go for a prey with the same thickness as the thickest part of the snake's body.

Now I'm going to assume that since you are a new snake owner, you are feeding store bought mice, if the snake is on live, I recommend switching to f/t immediately, it's more cost efficient, it's practically the same thing, and you don't run the risk of the mouse hurting your animal. If your snake is already on f/t, then I would recommend buying your snake food from Big Cheese or Perfect Prey online. Most pet stores over price mice CAZY and the most expensive part about ordering online is just the shipping but if you only have one snake, you get enough snake food to last about a year with just one order in most cases.

One last thing. When I first got into reptiles, I loved BHB and while Brian is a super nice guy, I wouldn't take his word on everything. The tubs he keeps his animals in are way to small in my opinion and he just has way too many animals for them to all be kept in good healthy condition. I've also heard of people buying from him and being sent animals that have mites or other issues. A great family friendly YouTube channel with beautiful animals is Josser'sJungle, I think your daughter would love that channel. Not to say watching BHB is bad, just might not want to use him as a role model per se. He is extremely kid friend and interesting to watch though so I can't blame anyone for being interested in his videos. He's had some amazingly beautiful animals on his show as well which is what drew me in at first, but you should definitely broaden your horizons and find more people that also like helping like AriAwesomeness of IG (he has a YouTube but I can't remember the name, it might be the same) I know him personally and he's pretty cool, takes excellent care of his animals and love to show off his anacondas.

Best of luck with this new hobby, I'm sure you and your daughter will love it, feel free to ask anymore questions if you have any, and sorry about the stupid long message!!!


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This is is all great information thank you so much. I did notice Brian keeps snakes in some small enclosures,seems his passion is right but just a few too many pets. We will definitely be checking out the other channel you suggested. We are having so much fun I have to calm her down she just wants to hold him all the time, so we go back over the rules we set lol. The animal plastics cages seem daunting to new owners because it is all do it yourself but I thinks that's what we are gonna go with. I'll just hit the forums up with advice and get it established before we move him. Once again thank you all for this info what a great resource this is.


also codi. My family is a big fan of boxing and mma and it was so fitting no disrespect to mike though if he somehow reads these forums lol

Out of the blue, my 14 year old daughter asked for a snake for her birthday this year. I kept snakes in my younger days, so I was all for it. Like you, mom was less than enthusiastic but nonetheless acceded to her request. Our pastel banana boi is now 230 grams with a great feeding response and a great demeanor. It's a wonderful thing when fathers and daughters can share a hobby. Enjoy. They grow up way too fast.

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Originally Posted by larryd23

Out of the blue, my 14 year old daughter asked for a snake for her birthday this year. I kept snakes in my younger days, so I was all for it. Like you, mom was less than enthusiastic but nonetheless acceded to her request. Our pastel banana boi is now 230 grams with a great feeding response and a great demeanor. It's a wonderful thing when fathers and daughters can share a hobby. Enjoy. They grow up way too fast.

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I agree whole heartedly. I lost my father at a young age and I was in Iraq when my son was born. So between football and snakes quality time comes in boatloads at my house.

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Originally Posted by larryd23

Out of the blue, my 14 year old daughter asked for a snake for her birthday this year. I kept snakes in my younger days, so I was all for it. Like you, mom was less than enthusiastic but nonetheless acceded to her request. Our pastel banana boi is now 230 grams with a great feeding response and a great demeanor. It's a wonderful thing when fathers and daughters can share a hobby. Enjoy. They grow up way too fast.

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After having a ball python, while they are beautiful animals, I'm into bigger, more active snakes so I feel like I might not ever get a bp again unless it's one of two morphs, banana Pastel or banana pies. Banana Pastel really is beautiful. I just have a normal but he's also beautiful in his own way.


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Congrats on your (her) new pet snake. :)

I'd go for the AP cage if you are looking to upgrade. Keeping heat and humidity stable and correct in an all glass exo is not fun.. I use them for heavily planted terrariums with frogs and geckos, but my snakes are housed in AP cages . The PVC cage will hold heat and humidity better and will end up costing about the same as an equivalent sized exo. Plus, you won't have to modify it like you would an exo to make it work. I get the sliding glass doors, the optional door lock, heat tape, and recessed LED lighting (that option isn't on the site, you have to call and ask about it) for all my AP cages. Because I have boas and snake that climb, I usually opt for the basking shelf as well. I would not attempt a shelf in anything shorter than 15" though (all of my cages are 4'x2' x 15" tall or 18" tall).

If you are feeding frozen / thawed, you might want to consider ordering in bulk online. You can save yourself some serious money that way, but you have to consider shipping costs. I order about 6 months worth at a time, but some people order a whole years' supply. If you are interested in looking into it, check out perfect prey or big cheese rodents. Both are good suppliers with fair prices and quality packaging. If you are on the west coast, layne labs had good feeders at a good price as well.

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Originally Posted by artgecko

Congrats on your (her) new pet snake. :)

I'd go for the AP cage if you are looking to upgrade. Keeping heat and humidity stable and correct in an all glass exo is not fun.. I use them for heavily planted terrariums with frogs and geckos, but my snakes are housed in AP cages . The PVC cage will hold heat and humidity better and will end up costing about the same as an equivalent sized exo. Plus, you won't have to modify it like you would an exo to make it work. I get the sliding glass doors, the optional door lock, heat tape, and recessed LED lighting (that option isn't on the site, you have to call and ask about it) for all my AP cages. Because I have boas and snake that climb, I usually opt for the basking shelf as well. I would not attempt a shelf in anything shorter than 15" though (all of my cages are 4'x2' x 15" tall or 18" tall).

If you are feeding frozen / thawed, you might want to consider ordering in bulk online. You can save yourself some serious money that way, but you have to consider shipping costs. I order about 6 months worth at a time, but some people order a whole years' supply. If you are interested in looking into it, check out perfect prey or big cheese rodents. Both are good suppliers with fair prices and quality packaging. If you are on the west coast, layne labs had good feeders at a good price as well.

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yep he definitely eats f/t and after what I payed for 6 fuzzies I immediately started to look online. I am for sure going with the ap cage after some more research the t10 I believe( the same as t8 only taller right?) but is the flexwatt belly heat enough? Or do I need to install a RHP As well. I'm so use to just seeing light fixtures on top of screens that a enclosed plastic cage seems weird to me. But I'm a noob and I'm for sure open for criticism and ideas. Thanks guys

It depends on your ambient room temperatures. If they drop below 75 degrees you'll need supplimentary heat, such as the RHP. And if you want a light you can do LED lights or a low percentage (2-6%) UVB light housed inside the cage. Not necessary for ball pythons, but they will utilize it if given the chance and opportunity to hide away from it in their own enclosure.

Also, wish my dad wasn't terrified of snakes. I mean, it's ironic to me but also a bit frustrating. I got him to let my BP tentatively crawl on his hand (turns out she was pretty scared of new people too, but shes always curious and brazen with me alone lol). Never really found a way to connect with him. He is in love with cars. I just want to get from point a to point b without my car dying. Everything I've wanted to do he's supported but he's just never been interested in it beyond that. And now he's scared of something I love deeply. Not saying it's bad or anything, just kind of wish we'd had something like you and your daughter do.

I'm glad you two are enjoying your new snake baby, and being joint snarents! lmao.

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Originally Posted by DandD

yep he definitely eats f/t and after what I payed for 6 fuzzies I immediately started to look online. I am for sure going with the ap cage after some more research the t10 I believe( the same as t8 only taller right?) but is the flexwatt belly heat enough? Or do I need to install a RHP As well. I'm so use to just seeing light fixtures on top of screens that a enclosed plastic cage seems weird to me. But I'm a noob and I'm for sure open for criticism and ideas. Thanks guys

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You definitely need some form of heat for the ambient temperature, so an RHP would be great. I was told 75 watt for a t8 though I might be wrong lol.


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Originally Posted by DandD

I agree whole heartedly. I lost my father at a young age and I was in Iraq when my son was born. So between football and snakes quality time comes in boatloads at my house.

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Yeah, I lost my dad when I was seven thanks to a car accident (one huge reason I'm terrified of driving) and him and I were super close. My mother wasn't the best parent, being in and out of prison as I grew up (she's much better now and think Calliope is cute), but he gave up a life of drugs to be my dad and he spent all of his free time with me. I only wish he was here now so I could show off my knowledge and love for snakes and reptiles. At least I know he's somewhere better now, and ofc if he was here, I probably wouldn't be the person I am now, might not even have a BP (and working to get a Suriname Red Tail Boa). I don't have any family that's really into snakes or reptiles, but my best friend and I bonded over picking out another snake for me (the Boa) and have found so much more in common since then lol.


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I don't have anything to add except, the name of your new baby is A-MAZING!!!! LOL!

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Originally Posted by Quahog

I don't have anything to add except, the name of your new baby is A-MAZING!!!! LOL!

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Thanks quahog I ment to spell it mike tythin in the original post but the everyone got the joke anyways. Once again I can't thank you all enough for the warm reception I have received. We are both new at this and mistakes will be made. Butt we put in the time and research and we are doing good so far.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DandD

yep he definitely eats f/t and after what I payed for 6 fuzzies I immediately started to look online. I am for sure going with the ap cage after some more research the t10 I believe( the same as t8 only taller right?) but is the flexwatt belly heat enough? Or do I need to install a RHP As well. I'm so use to just seeing light fixtures on top of screens that a enclosed plastic cage seems weird to me. But I'm a noob and I'm for sure open for criticism and ideas. Thanks guys

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The T10 is what my BRB and one of my boas is in. It is tall enough (15" I think) to add a basking shelf if you want to give the BP climbing space. My boas use it all the time to stretch out.

Heating depends on ambient temps. I keep my reptiles in a dedicated room and heat the room to 75f, so I only need to provide hot spots for them. If your house stays cold, you might want to add an RHP. AP does not install them, but I believe they work with pro products and you can order one through PP and they will ship it to AP who will install it (you need to let AP know too).

For ordering frozen, I'd figure out how many feeders you use in a month and get enough for ~2 months (or more) of your current size and then a package of the next couple sizes up (or at least 1 size up).

Very similar scenario here. I have a 6yr old that has gravitated towards my love for snakes and we got an awesome piebald from Bob's Balls a few months ago. We started with a nice exo-terra tank but realized immediately what a chore the humidity upkeep is. We just ordered a t10 from AP several weeks ago. Can't wait to get it!

We also feed frozen rat pups and bought in bulk from perfect prey. It takes 30 min to thaw and he eats like a champ. Sitting at about 325g. My little girl loves this little guy :)

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Originally Posted by The Night King

Very similar scenario here. I have a 6yr old that has gravitated towards my love for snakes and we got an awesome piebald from Bob's Balls a few months ago. We started with a nice exo-terra tank but realized immediately what a chore the humidity upkeep is. We just ordered a t10 from AP several weeks ago. Can't wait to get it!

We also feed frozen rat pups and bought in bulk from perfect prey. It takes 30 min to thaw and he eats like a champ. Sitting at about 325g. My little girl loves this little guy :)

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Bob as in Bob Vu? If so, he is great! Congrats on your little one. :)

Another option to get feeder rodents is go to a local reptile show. I was able to find a rodent breeder that makes weekly deliveries.