Some Questions..

Hello! I'm new here at and this is my first ever thread! I have a a few questions.. Three days ago I bought a beautiful ball python and still don't know BP body language so I need help, my ball python seems to be pretty active around 6 AM and bumps into the glass enclosure a lot, and I read that its (probably) a sign of stress and I'm worried, He also began hissing at me even though the first two days he didn't? but he still didn't get used to me so I get why. also I bought a 14W heating Matt, is it too hot? I searched online and never found an answer.. can anyone give me tips how to bond with him faster and how to handle him in a way he likes? (ik snakes DON'T like being handled but I read that some owners said that their snakes like to be stroked/handled a certain way.. so yeah that's that)

With that said, I'd like to be friends with you all and thanks for Taking your time to read! :)

You need to both measure and control the temperature of any & all heating devices.

He might be over-heated & that's why he's restless & wants out...excess heat can injure (burn) or even kill a snake, so PLEASE take the temperatures IMMEDIATELY &
adjust them so that the 'cool' end of the tank is about 80* & the warm end is not over 90*. This is IMPORTANT & readings must be accurate.

No way to tell you if 14W heat matt is enough or too much...depends on size of tank. There's also more than just heat to setting up a snake enclosure. Doe he have 2
hides, one on the cool side, & one on the warm? (that's another essential, & that they are the right size & type) Humidity is another thing you need to pay attention to.

You've only had him for 3 days, so you should be letting him settle in, & NO handling until after he's eaten preferably 3 times at normal intervals, & only then begin to
think about handling him. Right now he's afraid, & it's more important to allow him to feel safe enough to eat; a snake that is too stressed will not eat or do well for you,
& like most creatures, stress lowers their immune system too, so they're more at risk of illness. Many new snakes will not eat right away...they may need a week or 2 to
calm down enough to feel safe enough to eat. Be patient!

Tell us more about your set-up...pics help too, also age of snake, etc, so we can better help you sort this out. :snake:

Hi there! yes he has two hides in his enclosure and I spray water two times a day to keep the humidity right, though I have no idea how to send pictures in here. the enclosure is quite big so he can stretch properly and so he can have room to check out and explore his new home. I have a log of wood he likes to chill in, a water bowl and I put fake plants ontop of his hides, he is around 4-5 months old.

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Originally Posted by Hunkysteph

Hi there! yes he has two hides in his enclosure and I spray water two times a day to keep the humidity right, though I have no idea how to send pictures in here. the enclosure is quite big so he can stretch properly and so he can have room to check out and explore his new home. I have a log of wood he likes to chill in, a water bowl and I put fake plants ontop of his hides, he is around 4-5 months old.

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What are your temperatures?
How are you measuring temps?

**VERY IMPORTANT** ARE YOUR HEAT SOURCES REGULATED BY A THERMOSTAT???

Also, the large enclosure may be an issue, what exactly is "quite large"?

Let's get the basics down before we get into handling. You don't want to be handling the snake until he's eating consistently (at LEAST three weeks from now).

PLEASE make sure your heating devices are run by a thermostat. Your heat pad could easily get to 120° and cook your snake. Buy a point and shoot thermometer ( $10) and keep track of your temps. Hot spot 88, cool side about 78, ambient 80.

Do you have anything keeping your ambient temp up?

Sent from my LM-X220 using Tapatalk

Also, keep in mind that the cooler your room (or house) is where the snake is located, the harder it will be to adequately warm the snake's enclosure. To help that,
you may be able to "insulate" the sides, back & bottom of the container he's living in. Easier to do if it's a glass tank, or a professional plastic one...do tell?

For posting pics: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures

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Originally Posted by Hunkysteph

Hi there! yes he has two hides in his enclosure and I spray water two times a day to keep the humidity right, though I have no idea how to send pictures in here. the enclosure is quite big so he can stretch properly and so he can have room to check out and explore his new home. I have a log of wood he likes to chill in, a water bowl and I put fake plants ontop of his hides, he is around 4-5 months old.

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I would say to maybe put the foliage on the ground as well. It offers some coverage for your bp while they slither around, and adds stimulus for them. Just make sure that you have enough ground space to offer them to stretch out (ideally). As well, the ideal tank size is between one where the length of the tank is the same length as your bp, or your bp length is the total of the length and width of your enclosure. Ive read many different sources on proper tank size and what is right but I think this range would be a good way to distinguish the right size. However if you find yours is larger than that id definitely add some more clutter to make it feel smaller internally rather than having to buy a new tank, or close off a portion of it.

And as mentioned above temperature is very important. Be sure to use some type of temperature controller and a way to gauge the temperature inside the tank. I use a temperature controller for my heat mat. Note that most controllers have an influx of 2 degrees up and down the desired temperature. Make sure your heat mat doesn’t exceed past 33.3 Celsius when you read it inside the enclosure(I know a lot of people will say 32.2 but I’ve been reading a lot on it and I believe that 33.3 is also safe just don’t exceed that temperature(I also live in a colder area and need that to keep the ambient and cool side up)). I personally use a temperature gun to check and it’s absolutely fantastic. You can check the temperature absolutely anywhere in the enclosure and gets you a more accurate reading of what temperature your ball python would be feeling. Make sure to use it inside the enclosure, on top of your substrate so that you know what temperature your ball python is getting.

I got my bp 2 weeks ago and she was definitely a little defensive within the first few days. At this point she doesn’t seem to mind me very much anymore when I’m doing regular checks, changing water and stuff, so it just takes some time. I’ve also found covering the enclosure with a towel helps a lot. Definitely get her on a set feeding schedule before handling. Ive handled my ball python within these two weeks. I’ve found she ate one meal, but hasn’t eaten one since. So I’m definitely avoiding handling for a week and attempting to feed her again until she’s being consistent.

But on another note congratulations, and I hope what everyone has mentioned or said helps. Looking for advice is a great sign of a caring owner, and a great way to get some real insight. ����

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Originally Posted by Hunkysteph

I searched online and never found an answer.. can anyone give me tips how to bond with him faster and how to handle him in a way he likes? (ik snakes DON'T like being handled but I read that some owners said that their snakes like to be stroked/handled a certain way.. so yeah that's that)

With that said, I'd like to be friends with you all and thanks for Taking your time to read! :)

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There are a lot of opinions about this and I’m just going to give mine because it worked for me, however this case might not for you. I would put her inside of a dark pillowcase and just get her used to handling and being stroked(do this for about 20-30 minutes after you feel your bp relaxing). Did this for a few times within 2 weeks. About the 5th time I did this I actually handled her and found she wouldn’t contract her muscles or push herself away for me when I would stroke or pet her. So I think using this pillowcase method works fantastic. Keeps us both calm; no bites, and less stress. What I’m also planning on doing in the future is to designate one day to handle her for about 2 hours and then just leave her alone until her next meal. I’ve read on many sources that say handling your bp one tome for a really long time can help them become tame really fast. I’ve yet to try it but I think this method would really work.

However, I’ve also read that once they are consistently eating at each meal time, then you can handle your bp at most 2 times a week and only 15 minute sessions. And slowly increase the time as the weeks go by but don’t exceed 30 min. If this works then definitely go for it. This method gives your bp a lot of time to adjust and reduces the amount of stress.

definitely avoid handling 24-72 hours after a meal(check to see when bump is minimized, or completely gone, then you know you’re safe to handle without regurgitation) and also avoid handling the day of feeding as well. Also when they are going to shed(typically when eye caps are blue and skin pigment becomes dull).

But I hope these methods listed above can help with taming and bonding with your snake. I know there are going to be alternative opinions, and I definitely am not opposing to those. This is just my opinion, and the research I’ve found on it.

I use a thermometer that sticks on inside the enclosure and its pretty accurate, I put one on the cold side and one on the hot side, all is well don't worry :)!

thanks that was very helpful! will do that, also you sound like you've had years of experience, suprising that you've had your ball python for a few weeks.
hope you get along with it well <3

You said you have a thermometer, but are your heat sources run by a thermostat??

Sorry if you already answered and I didnt see it.

Sent from my LM-X220 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Also, keep in mind that the cooler your room (or house) is where the snake is located, the harder it will be to adequately warm the snake's enclosure. To help that,
you may be able to "insulate" the sides, back & bottom of the container he's living in. Easier to do if it's a glass tank, or a professional plastic one...do tell?

For posting pics: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures

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its a glass tank so I just put a towel over it to keep it warm since I turn on my ac and his tank is in my room, I check the temperature every few hours and it's all good.
I'll post pictures after a while.

thanks you were very helpful!

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Originally Posted by Turningstar

You said you have a thermometer, but are your heat sources run by a thermostat??

Sorry if you already answered and I didnt see it.

Sent from my LM-X220 using Tapatalk

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no not by a thermostat I searched every store but to no avail. I ordered one through amazon so no worries!

and it's fine, your very polite!

https://imgur.com/a/ovhptcY

I don't I think I got the hang of posting pictures? anyways here's what it looks like.. not the best angle and I know it seems half-assed but I promise it looks better in person.

Try to stand back and post an overall picture of the tank from the front or from a further distance. How old/what size in the snake and what size is the enclosure? As others have already said you need a way to keep one side of the tank at 78-80 degrees and keep the other side at 88-90 degrees. Every heat source you have needs to have a thermostat on it. Make sure you understand the difference between a thermostat and thermometer. The ones you have hanging on each side of your tank are thermometers, they just give you an idea of what the temps are. Many of them are not real accurate. The thermostat is the important part of the setup because they keep you from cooking the snake. The easiest thing I found for my 20 gallon glass set up is 2 under the tank heaters and two thermostats. One side is set at 79 degrees and the other is set at 89 degrees. Once you get a thermostat you should trust them readout on them, that is why you need an IR temp gun. For example. The thermostat on my hot side has to stay set at and shows the temp at 94 degrees yet the glass surface is 89 degrees. The one on my cool side is set at and shows 79 degrees and the glass surface temp is exactly 79 degrees. Depending on what the ambient temps are in the room the snake is in you might need an additional heat source as well. The room mine is in requires a small CHE in the winter but nothing other than the UTH heat in the summer.

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Originally Posted by Midwest

Try to stand back and post an overall picture of the tank from the front or from a further distance. How old/what size in the snake and what size is the enclosure? As others have already said you need a way to keep one side of the tank at 78-80 degrees and keep the other side at 88-90 degrees. Every heat source you have needs to have a thermostat on it. Make sure you understand the difference between a thermostat and thermometer. The ones you have hanging on each side of your tank are thermometers, they just give you an idea of what the temps are. Many of them are not real accurate. The thermostat is the important part of the setup because they keep you from cooking the snake. The easiest thing I found for my 20 gallon glass set up is 2 under the tank heaters and two thermostats. One side is set at 79 degrees and the other is set at 89 degrees. Once you get a thermostat you should trust them readout on them, that is why you need an IR temp gun. For example. The thermostat on my hot side has to stay set at and shows the temp at 94 degrees yet the glass surface is 89 degrees. The one on my cool side is set at and shows 79 degrees and the glass surface temp is exactly 79 degrees. Depending on what the ambient temps are in the room the snake is in you might need an additional heat source as well. The room mine is in requires a small CHE in the winter but nothing other than the UTH heat in the summer.

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yes I know they are not exactly very accurate I put it against the heat mat above the glass to get an idea about the heat since if I put it against the glass it shows the degree against the glass and not the area surrounding it, but again thank you that was extremely helpful!
I ordered a temp gun from amazon so it should get here soon, and my snake is 5 months old, the enclosure is bigger than him by a few inches but I will check his exact size in a while as well as post more pictures of the enclosure.
he has a heat lamp that I turn on in the mornings and close at night.

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Originally Posted by Hunkysteph

yes I know they are not exactly very accurate I put it against the heat mat above the glass to get an idea about the heat since if I put it against the glass it shows the degree against the glass and not the area surrounding it, but again thank you that was extremely helpful!
I ordered a temp gun from amazon so it should get here soon, and my snake is 5 months old, the enclosure is bigger than him by a few inches but I will check his exact size in a while as well as post more pictures of the enclosure.
he has a heat lamp that I turn on in the mornings and close at night.

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I'm not exactly sure what you are describing here. How it should be set up is the heat mat should be on the outside of the tank on the floor of the tank. The probe for your thermostat should be sandwiched between the heat mat and the bottom of the tank, both are outside the tank not inside. Then you want to use your heat gun to get the inside surface of the glass to the desired temps. Then you can put your substrate on top of that. That way if your snake feels it needs to be a little warmer it will burrow down to the glass. For example if you turn the heat up enough that the top of the substrate is 90 degrees then the glass surface will be too hot.

The probe should be between the heat mat and glass. Putting the probe under the substrate is pointless, and can also give incorrect readings which leads to heat spikes which leads to burns and other issues. Also, speaking of substrate, what IS your substrate?... it looks like gravel or something...
Sorry if this was already mentioned.

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Originally Posted by Hunkysteph

https://imgur.com/a/ovhptcY

I don't I think I got the hang of posting pictures? anyways here's what it looks like.. not the best angle and I know it seems half-assed but I promise it looks better in person.

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What type of substrate are you using in the tank?

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Originally Posted by Midwest

I'm not exactly sure what you are describing here. How it should be set up is the heat mat should be on the outside of the tank on the floor of the tank. The probe for your thermostat should be sandwiched between the heat mat and the bottom of the tank, both are outside the tank not inside.

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you can still have your probe on the inside of the enclosure(which is what I do). That way you get a reading of what temperature your snake is getting. At the same time just set your controller a degree or two higher because it has to warm up past the glass and substrate. Just make sure you use the thermometer to read inside and you’re fine. Outing the probe between the heat mat and glass, or on the inside of the enclosure really doesn’t matter, because at the end of the day you can change the set temperature on the controller to get the desired temperature within the enclosure.

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Originally Posted by vivi

The probe should be between the heat mat and glass. Putting the probe under the substrate is pointless, and can also give incorrect readings which leads to heat spikes which leads to burns and other issues. Also, speaking of substrate, what IS your substrate?... it looks like gravel or something...
Sorry if this was already mentioned.

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I agree 100%. The probe goes OUTSIDE the enclosure. If it's inside it can be moved, peed on, laid on, etc...which can all cause potentially dangerous heat spikes.

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Originally Posted by Faith.luu

you can still have your probe on the inside of the enclosure(which is what I do). That way you get a reading of what temperature your snake is getting. At the same time just set your controller a degree or two higher because it has to warm up past the glass and substrate. Just make sure you use the thermometer to read inside and you’re fine. Outing the probe between the heat mat and glass, or on the inside of the enclosure really doesn’t matter, because at the end of the day you can change the set temperature on the controller to get the desired temperature within the enclosure.

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I disagree, for all the reasons above.

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Originally Posted by Faith.luu

you can still have your probe on the inside of the enclosure(which is what I do). That way you get a reading of what temperature your snake is getting. At the same time just set your controller a degree or two higher because it has to warm up past the glass and substrate. Just make sure you use the thermometer to read inside and you’re fine. Outing the probe between the heat mat and glass, or on the inside of the enclosure really doesn’t matter, because at the end of the day you can change the set temperature on the controller to get the desired temperature within the enclosure.

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The snake can urinate, poop or alter the placement of the probe which can lead to incorrect readings, which can lead to heat spikes and fluctuations. You do not want to be taping it down inside the enclosure either to prevent the snake from moving it, because tape should never be used inside an enclosure. You can use a temp gun to use know what temp your snake is getting, and adjust.

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Originally Posted by vivi

The snake can urinate, poop or alter the placement of the probe which can lead to incorrect readings, which can lead to heat spikes and fluctuations. You do not want to be taping it down inside the enclosure either to prevent the snake from moving it, because tape should never be used inside an enclosure. You can use a temp gun to use know what temp your snake is getting, and adjust.

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Sorry i forgot to include that you can still have it inside, as long as its secured. I have a suction cup and it stays on even when I pull on it. I also place mine under the hide where the heat mat is and so there is no/low chance of defecation or urination on the probe.

You can also use silicon meant for aquariums as well.

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Originally Posted by Faith.luu

Sorry i forgot to include that you can still have it inside, as long as its secured. I have a suction cup and it stays on even when I pull on it. I also place mine under the hide where the heat mat is and so there is no/low chance of defecation or urination on the probe.

You can also use silicon meant for aquariums as well.

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Yes, but...

Why go through all that trouble of making sure it is secured?

Putting it between the glass and UTH eliminates ANY chances of it being moved, peed on or otherwise so there is really no point for it.
Your snake can´t mess with it if it is outside the enclosure.

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Originally Posted by Faith.luu

I also place mine under the hide where the heat mat is and so there is no/low chance of defecation or urination on the probe.

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Not the case at all. My BP for the last 10yrs eliminates his waste in his warm side hide probably 75% of the time. We're not trying to dupe you. Just speaking from a 1/4 century worth of reptile keeping experience, but what do I know...

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Originally Posted by Faith.luu

Sorry i forgot to include that you can still have it inside, as long as its secured. I have a suction cup and it stays on even when I pull on it. I also place mine under the hide where the heat mat is and so there is no/low chance of defecation or urination on the probe.

You can also use silicon meant for aquariums as well.

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Every snake I've ever kept poops in their hide at least some of the time. Most poop in their hide EVERY time.

And those suction cups are also dangerous. They can get stuck to the snake and cause serious injury.

Bottom line: the probe goes OUTSIDE the enclosure. It's the smarter, safer way to go. And as keepers it's our job to provide a safe environment for our animals.

Was hoping it wouldn’t have to come to this, but...
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d54bd28c2b.jpg


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Exactomundo! Anyway, I think we should leave this thread alone until OP responds.

I'm not invalidating your method. I think putting the probe in between the heat mat and enclosure works well. I just wanted to mention that in terms of gauging temperature it works either way. I'm not looking to discourage one or more methods. If in your experience it doesn't work well inside then that is fine. However I personally haven't experienced any flaws and find it works well.

I find that where to place the probe is quite a controversial subject and don't think any opinions or methods should be discouraged. As long as you achieve accurate/desired temperatures then continue doing what you're doing. Just offering other options.

If your bp happens to defecate/urinate inside its warm hide then simply move the probe elsewhere(while still remaining somewhere on top of the UTH as close to centre as possible) or change it up and wedge it in between. As long as it works for you.

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Originally Posted by Faith.luu

I'm not invalidating your method. I think putting the probe in between the heat mat and enclosure works well. I just wanted to mention that in terms of gauging temperature it works either way. I'm not looking to discourage one or more methods. If in your experience it doesn't work well inside then that is fine. However I personally haven't experienced any flaws and find it works well.

I find that where to place the probe is quite a controversial subject and don't think any opinions or methods should be discouraged. As long as you achieve accurate/desired temperatures then continue doing what you're doing. Just offering other options.

If your bp happens to defecate/urinate inside its warm hide then simply move the probe elsewhere(while still remaining somewhere on top of the UTH as close to centre as possible) or change it up and wedge it in between. As long as it works for you.

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This is simply dangerous advice. You're going to do what you're going to do, clearly. But sharing techniques/practices that are well known to be dangerous is irresponsible at best and a threat to the well being of your animal and also a potential fire hazard.

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

This is simply dangerous advice. You're going to do what you're going to do, clearly. But sharing techniques/practices that are well known to be dangerous is irresponsible at best and a threat to the well being of your animal and also a potential fire hazard.

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^^^^ THIS ^^^^
Advocating practices that are known to be dangerous is extremely irresponsible.

Just because it hasn't happened to you....YET... doesn't mean it's safe advice to share.
That's like a cigarette smoker saying cigarettes are harmless, cause they haven't died...yet.

Key word yet!

Just because you have had no flaws yet, does not mean it has not been proven that there are flaws to that method.

A lot of things in the reptile community are controversial, and some methods work as well as the alternative (example: pvc pipe vs wooden branch) but some methods are just, well, more responsible.

I have never heard any controversies over keeping a probe outside the tank between the mat and glass. I can't see how anyone would find this practice controversial.

Controversial isn´t the right word...Debatable?

Anyway, probe goes between heat mat and glass. Thats it.

Again, we should leave this thread alone and wait until OP responds, this is about OP and their questions, not a thread discussing where the probe goes because its pretty straightforward.