Preparing for my First Snake

Hi there! I still don't own any snake, but I'm doing my research in preparation for it. I have the species I'm considering narrowed down to a Ball Python or a Sonoran Gopher Snake. Part of the reason I decided to stop lurking and post is to write down my pros/cons of each for myself to mull over. Also hoping someone's experienced input might help me break the deadlock.

I find snakes fascinating and would love to keep one. I don't care to display it. I know I have friends and family that hate snakes and seeing people and dogs pass by all the time probably isn't something any snake wants. I would keep it for my own interest in watching it, feeding it, and handling it. I love wild type camouflage, so morphs aren't a consideration. I've already done a bunch of research, bought some of the things I'll need like a heat mat, thermostat, hygrometer/thermometer, and temp gun. I can use one of my dogs' old water bowls and I have a 48x20x18 plastic bin I can put it in. I measured the ambient temperatures and humidities in the candidate rooms where I would keep it. I've talked to several breeders and keepers, visited a couple, and handled multiple of both species as well as milk snakes, corn snakes, and a hognosed snake.

Ball Pythons
Pros:
- Amazingly fun to handle. It's been a great experience with each one, whether a male or female, baby, juvenile, or adult. They move and observe enough to be interesting while being slow and deliberate enough that you can also do other things while handling them.
- I love the looks with the size, head shape, and heat pits better than any other snake I could legally or reasonably keep.
Cons:
- I worry about providing an appropriate climate for it. It should be ok in the summer even if it means moving its bin from one room to another every day, but in the winter, maintaining an appropriate humidity will be difficult. Just as an example, today my basement was around 70 degrees all day with 66% humidity, while my office was a high of 88 and floated around 50% humidity with no air conditioning or fan. Humidity drops like a rock from November to February, but the air would be around 75-80° near a radiator since we keep the thermostat around 72°.
- The idea that an animal I'm keeping may not eat for months worries me.

Gopher Snakes
Pros:
- Maintaining an appropriate ambient temp/humidity for one in my house will take no effort.
- Reliable eaters.
- Looks, size, and behavior-wise, they're easily my favorite Colubrid that I've seen in person.
Cons:
- They're fun to handle and calm, but handling them is its own thing. I can't see myself sitting at my desk doing work while it hangs out on me.
- One of the things I like best about the Pituophis genus is the warning pose, hiss, and tail rattling, but since a snake that's doing that is trying to scare away a threat, that's not a display I'd like to induce or see in mine.
- I'm told they're notorious escape artists.

This is a decision that ONLY you can make, because you'll be living with this snake (hopefully) for many years to come. I have neither species at the moment, but years back I've lived with a number of BPs & a number of gopher & bull snakes (-which I bred). These days I'm mostly a colubrid person, with a penchant for rat snakes, but I have other kinds & always have. Between these two, they both have pro's & con's, as you've noticed, but I just want to point out a few more things, & maybe offer a suggestion.

The part about BPs being potentially fussy eaters & going off eating for periods of time is a genuine pain. As you've noticed, they're often more challenging to keep healthy if you live in a cold climate, because they need a warmer home with more humidity. And I'm not saying it can't be done, only that YOU have to work more at achieving their needs. Pro's include mostly docile, pretty & mellow. BTW, they're more nocturnal too, & by nature, they're ambush-hunters- so they're not active snakes- in the wild, they literally wait to ambush their prey at night.

Gopher snakes are active daytime snakes- they're active hunters, & they tend to be restless even in a large enclosure- a plastic bin probably won't cut it for long, and yes, they'll push MUCH harder to test it & escape. They NEED larger enclosures, but at least they don't need fussy temperatures or humidity- our normal room temperature is fine for them, with just one corner offering heat for their digestion, & they do better with good air-flow (as w/ a big glass tank & screen top). They have very good appetites also. They're fun snakes, fairly intelligent- not biters when they get to know you, but not so likely to sit still. A hatchling will be self-defensive & may hiss & shake their tails, maybe even nip- but they learn fast to accept handling. Sitting still...eh, not so much, lol.

One you might want to look into is an Australian spotted python- their natural coloration is very cool, they stay a smaller size (adults are 3.5-4' long but far more slender than a BP) & while they need a warm home like a BP, with humidity (can be just a humid hide), they're more into climbing branches (esp. at night, but you'll see more of them- they're not shy, actually rather nosy!) and they have GOOD appetites on small mice (nothing larger, for life); they also PREFER dead prey- either fresh-killed or f/t (frozen-thawed) & will eat from tongs. They tend to hug you & sit still for a while- so that might be a plus for you? I only have one- & she's much easier than a BP, IMO. Of course any new snake will be defensive until they learn you're not a predator, but if you search, there's a few threads on this forum about these- several of us keep them, or the very similar "Children's python" (also an Aussie, slightly smaller). BTW, these are captive bred- you don't have to get them from Australia either- that would be impossible. ;) A little harder to find though- not "everywhere" like BPs are. (adults need roughly 40 gal. size home)

Take your time deciding- research is ALWAYS a good thing- & keep asking. There's many other kinds of snakes too- & they all have pro's & con's- but pick what appeals to you & fits your life best.

Oh, & :welcome:

BTW, I was thanking you for "doing your homework" on snakes- not just jumping in. It just makes for a better experience, knowing what to expect.

Here's some recent threads on Spotted or Children's pythons (they're very similar)- that should keep you busy for a while. :D

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ldren-s-Python


https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...t-Time-Outside



https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ldren-s-Python



https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...dren-s-Pythons



https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...Spotted-Python

I think you have a really good list of points there - some places will push a generic "pro and con" list without realizing one person's "pro" is another person's "con" and stuff like that. I think the enclosure temps and humidity are definitely an important thing to think about, struggling to maintain those levels can cause a huge amount of stress and worry. When I was looking for my first snake, I was initially looking at rosy boas but eventually decided I wouldn't be able to maintain low enough humidity for them since they're desert dwelling and it's very humid here - *but* it's perfect for ball pythons, so my sheds with mine are very stress-free. You also have consider the probability of power outages (we have a ton here) and what you'll have to do to care for them if that happens. If you're in a very cold place it's going to be a bigger deal than here in California, where herps will be annoyed and chilly but otherwise fine for awhile.

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Originally Posted by plateOfFlan

...When I was looking for my first snake, I was initially looking at rosy boas but eventually decided I wouldn't be able to maintain low enough humidity for them since they're desert dwelling and it's very humid here...

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Just so you know, it's humid where I am too, but that doesn't seem to be an issue for my rosy boas, nor for my other desert snakes (TX longnose & Trans Pecos rat snakes). For one thing, the heat & A/C takes a lot of humidity out of our houses, as does heating part of a snake's enclosure with good air-flow (ie. screen tops). Also, I use Carefresh (mixed 50:50 along with paper shreds) for their substrate, & Carefresh is known to be hygroscopic (-it sucks some moisture out of the air). So if you ever still want a desert species, it's probably do-able, fyi. ;)

Thanks for your input guys, it's been really helpful.

Bogertophis, I seriously considered the Antaresia genus and Rosy Boas as well. My issue with them that dropped them out of my consideration is that between MorphMarket and calling reptile stores, I haven't been able to find one within 100 miles. Since it's my first snake, it's important to me at a minimum to see and handle at least one member of the species before I buy it. Ideally, I want to see where it's being kept and meet the individual animal first.

I do appreciate your opening the door to a massive rabbit hole I went down. I re-researched the Antaresians, Rosy Boas, Hognoses, and Blood Pythons. After looking back on my notes and giving it some thought, I think a Ball Python would be the best bet. I like the Pituophis a lot, but I like the looks and personality of a Ball Python better. Even within Pituophis, a Gopher Snake was my second choice behind a Bull Snake (but again, none available locally).

The environmentals might be harder to dial in at certain times of the year, but it's definitely doable with some observation, adjustments, and all the Ball Python info available out there.

And PlateofFlan, we pretty much never lose power here. Any time I can think of, it's been in the summer. But you do raise a great point in that snakes do seem to require some emergency preparation in case of something like a power or gas outage. I'm going to keep a log book for the snake, and a couple of emergency action plans to deal with excessively cold or hot weather contingencies would be good material to write down in the back of the book.

My vote would be for a Royal ( Ball ) Python for all the reasons you mentioned in your opening post .. or a Corn snake ( so many positives and so many colours lol) .


To my mind the only negative for Royals / Balls is the feeding aspect as already mentioned BUT if you ensure you buy a good eater then there’s really no issue .

( Also if you use the hairdryer method of feeding - where you give the thawed mouse/rat a good hot blast with a hairdryer seconds before offering to your snake - it will eat virtually 100% of the time)

Here’s a couple of my Royals and my Blizzard Corn snake to show some colour options

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...16e8781857.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8a56bd2cd8.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...be07dfae71.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Kryptic,

Congrats on your decision to get a BP. Finding one locally makes sense for a first snake so you can meet them first. Additionally, kudos to you for doing research first and taking your time to make sure you are doing your best for both you and your BP.

I agree with much of what's been said regarding BP's and fasting, etc. However, we will be here to help and as long as you've researched and understand some of the potential issues, and that they can happen, you won't be caught by surprise.

I wanted to add one thing that I do not think has been said yet. Get a proper enclosure for your BP. If you are worried about temps and humidity and consistency, plan on a PVC cage with good heating element(s) and thermostat(s). In my experience, and I keep 7 snakes and 4 species, and two lizards and 2 species, those three things (proper tank - PVC for a BP IMO, good and correct amount/wattage, etc. heating elements, and a good thermostat) make a world of difference. I've been there with trying to care for a BP with a glass tank and skimping on the thermostat etc. It's not worth it for you or the snake.

A PVC tank with proper heating elements and thermostat will keep temps consistent and safe and humidity should be much easier to control. The one caveat to that is if it's too hot. Remember, reptiles prefer a temp gradient and more heat doesn't equal better. 88F for a hot spot is perfect, but not ideal for a whole tank temp, certainly for any length of time. PVC tanks are cheaper to heat because they are better insulated, but no tank will cool itself. I would ensure you can keep temps below 80-82F in the room the snake will be in for a proper gradient. Having said that, I've heard of people keeping their snake room a constant temp, but not as much with BP's.

I have all PVC tanks (two stacks), although my corn snakes (2) probably don't care that much. My BP, Carpet Python, and Boas (3), really appreciate the space (size/strength/weight/cost are all advantages of PVC), temp, and humidity control.

You WILL spend quite a bit to get a proper setup. However, you should have a healthy snake for years to come (husbandry is a major factor in health) and should not have to constantly adjust things. I find when there are big temperature swings or humidity swings in my finished basement where I keep my tanks, which happens about 2-3X a year, I have to make small adjustments. Otherwise, I am spending time cleaning, checking temps briefly, feeding, and hanging with my reptiles, not worrying and adjusting things.

People can give you advice on PVC tanks and what to get. Many people here like Animal Plastics (AP), and I use Boaphile Plastics tanks. That's for another thread.

Finally, I suggest getting a yearling, or at least a fairly established animal as your first BP. This way you know a little better what you are getting, health, and whether or not they are established on Frozen/Thawed (F/T) prey items if that's the route you want to go. As new owner, the last is important. Some BP's can be picky, and most switch to F/T, but if that's what you want to feed, easier to get one that's already happy with that then try to switch one, especially a young one that needs food.

Any other questions don't be afraid to ask and again, we are here to help. Additionally, any points of clarification, just ask.

Well crap... Long story short, today I went to a store with snake mites.

Long story long:

I went to a reptile shop I had been to a few weeks ago to check in since they said they had a clutch hatching soon. One of the owners was there and by chance, they had just brought the cut eggs to the store from the breeder's house. He showed me the eggs with the babies inside, supposedly ready to come out any time now. Very cool to see. They also had one 7-month old and a yearling I really liked. I was handling the little one and was considering leaving a deposit. So I start looking him over for any issues. After a couple minutes of looking him over, I spot a little black bump on my palm that looks like a tiny bug. I try to pin it with my finger, but I drop it. I tell the guy what I saw and ask if it was a mite. He knows I'm shopping for my first snake, so he says it's probably not, but he asks me for the snake and begins inspecting it. He takes his time checking it head to tail, lifting the scales, slowly wipes it down head-to-toe with a paper towel. Nothing. He hands the snake back to me to keep looking over.

He says that either way, he'll do a week-long deep cleaning and mite treatment on all the snakes and enclosures just in case. If I want any of the snakes, to give him at least a week to make sure they're all pest-free. Also not to worry about a deposit for now because he won't sell any of them over the next week until he knows they're all treated, cleaned and good. I keep looking the little guy over closely and I don't see anything else on him. He pulls the paper towel tank bedding and inspects it closely before throwing it out. He gets a spray bottle and starts spraying out the tank and its contents while explaining how he's going to handle it – soak the critters in Dawn dish soap and warm water, spray down all the tanks, racks, and tubs inside and out with mite killer, etc. He puts the snake I was holding in a little bin he brought over.

In the meantime, I'm apologetic. I'm not sure if I saw a mite or just any black speck and cried wolf. He says not to worry about it and that it's something all snake vendors need to be on their toes about and deal with proactively. Another customer comes in, so I offer to look over the yearling in the next tank over while he helps her. He's fine with that, goes and helps the other customer. I take the snake out and imitate his inspection of the first one. I slowly look over its eyes, cloaca, and light bottom side, but don't see any moving dots or red sores. I then pinch the paper towel around the snake's neck like I saw the owner do and let the snake push its body through. After he gets through, I unfold the towel and see a single tiny speck on the paper towel. He comes back, I show him, and he confirms that it's a mite. We talk for a bit as he continues to clean and I leave after a little while.



Now I have to ask, how long should I wait before I can go look at snakes elsewhere? I definitely don't want to spread the suckers. To be safe, I took an especially thorough shower, gave my head a fresh shave, and shaved off my beard.

As far as that particular store, should I go back? Are a couple of mites a big red flag or something that can happen to anyone who lets customers off the street handle their snakes? The snakes in the tanks all had paper towel bedding, and I didn't see any black specks moving on any of the towels despite looking closely at all of them. All of the snakes I saw were in their hides, and none of them were soaking in their bowls. The guy seemed genuinely concerned and I didn't get the impression he was putting on a show for my benefit because I "caught" him. That said, it's definitely concerning.

A thorough shower (& all that shaving!) plus a change of clothes (naturally) is likely enough to get rid of any hitchhikers (mites) on you. It "can" happen (human & merchandise transfer) but not too likely.

Personally, I'd avoid buying from a store with mites- they don't always disappear with one treatment, & when you have a new snake, mite treatments will mess up your ability to feed your snake & also it's likelihood to eat for you. It's a very big set-back, having to treat for mites- & they're also blamed for potentially spreading some diseases among snakes- that too is a matter of "luck"- no way I can tell you for sure it's safe or not- only that it's a risk.

It's up to you- if you have other options (local stores to buy from) & what your gut feeling tells you.

Yes "mites happen"- often at reptile expos, where buyers handling snakes may inadvertently pass mites around from the sellers who brought them to the sellers & buyers that didn't. Pet stores too, often end up with mites, because they often 'buy low & sell high' to make a profit- meaning they're often buying from large wholesalers (plenty of mites to go around there) or from less than stellar sources for their lower prices.

Here's a pretty thorough write-up on mite treatments (from bcr-229)- ask yourself, does this sound like something you want to deal with? ;)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...=1#post2771656

While there's a lot to be said for seeing the snake you're buying in person, & getting hands-on, there's also something to be said for buying from private breeders with excellent reputations (they're out there, ask around, shop around) and getting not only a clean animal (no mites), but one with a feeding record.

That last thing, for a new snake keeper, should be a deal breaker, & the pet store you were just visiting sounds like they're in a hurry to treat & sell, not make sure the snake is even eating. Doing it right (raising snakes from hatchlings/neonates) is not that fast- not if you care & have a reputation to protect. Snakes fresh out of their eggs don't eat that fast, & it's best they eat at least 3 times before they're sold. That likely means they'd be a month old- because they typically only eat once a week. New homes & new owners- are stressful for snakes- & if a snake is not feeding strongly, it can be harder for the new owner to get it to eat at all.

When I raised & sold some snakes, they had rather lengthy feeding records compared to what many others do. Rosy boas, for example- can be a little fussy, much like BPs- & mine all had feeding records of 10 or more meals with no refusals, & all taking f/t. That pretty much ensures that they'll do well for their new owner- it makes a difference.

I just want to second a couple of dakski's suggestions.

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Originally Posted by dakski

I wanted to add one thing that I do not think has been said yet. Get a proper enclosure for your BP. If you are worried about temps and humidity and consistency, plan on a PVC cage with good heating element(s) and thermostat(s). In my experience, and I keep 7 snakes and 4 species, and two lizards and 2 species, those three things (proper tank - PVC for a BP IMO, good and correct amount/wattage, etc. heating elements, and a good thermostat) make a world of difference. I've been there with trying to care for a BP with a glass tank and skimping on the thermostat etc. It's not worth it for you or the snake.

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The plastic bin you describe sounds o.k. to start, but you should start saving for an upgrade. I kept my bp in a sweater box with a UTH for the first year I had him, but then he started injuring himself pushing to get out. So, I built him a 3x2x2 plywood enclosure. I don't know if he hated the lack of security, the size or the heat and temp fluctuations, but once I upgraded, he stopped injuring himself.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

Finally, I suggest getting a yearling, or at least a fairly established animal as your first BP. This way you know a little better what you are getting, health, and whether or not they are established on Frozen/Thawed (F/T) prey items if that's the route you want to go. As new owner, the last is important. Some BP's can be picky, and most switch to F/T, but if that's what you want to feed, easier to get one that's already happy with that then try to switch one, especially a young one that needs food.

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Adults are less fragile than babies, and so, more forgiving of beginner mistakes. So, I highly recommend getting an adult for your first snake.

Bogertophis, I'm not getting my snake from that store. I was so close to pulling out my wallet that having that mite drop on my palm was no coincidence. You're warning me against it, my gut is warning me against it, and the Universe itself is warning me against it. I'm hard-headed, but even I'm not that dense.

Looking for more breeders, I noticed one fairly local to me with many reviews on MorphMarket, all positive, who I previously overlooked because the few snakes of his I saw on MM were way out of my price range. Not only does he have a few within my budget listed on MM, but he also has unlisted ones. We spoke on the phone, he sent me tons of pics of his collection to figure out what I liked, and we narrowed it down to two awesome snakes. I'm going to see them on Friday and if it all goes well, bring one home.



Homebody, I definitely plan to upgrade my enclosure. I started with the bin just to see if I could set up an appropriate enclosure for a snake before I bought one. Once I have my snake, my plan is to build a PVC enclosure myself. It's not cheaper than buying one, but I would be doing it for the fun. I already started planning how I would build it and researching the materials I would need. I thought plywood wouldn't work because of the humidity, warping and mold issues, but if you made yours out of plywood, I'd love to read about your build.

Sounds very promising- I'm so glad you didn't snap up the first cute little snake you saw- believe me, I know all about temptation, but it's best to start with a healthy snake. The treatments for mites generally puts them off eating- it's just a bad place to be as a new snake-keeper with a hatchling snake. And the chemicals used to kill mites can also harm the snake, if it's done wrong or if the snake happens to be more sensitive to them. Best to avoid all that.

And don't be afraid to say "no thanks" or "let me think about it more" if you aren't completely satisfied this Friday, when you go to check them out. Listen to the snake's breathing- you don't want to hear whistling-crackling or faint squeaking sounds, or see the snake breathing with it's mouth open, with or without bubbles (this can be an RI- respiratory infection). The snake should not have any retained eye-caps or stuck shed- check the tail tip too. Look at the snakes cloaca- that shouldn't be red & irritated or have signs of diarrhea (stuck fecal material). The body should look symmetrical with no caved-in areas (broken ribs) or lumps. Look at overall coordination & body strength- does it grip well? And always check for mites... ;) Ask for the hatch date & feeding record.

What morphs are you looking at, or just a "normal"? (a few morphs have genetic issues- wobbling & poor coordination)

As far as building an enclosure- I think there used to be at least one that sold a PVC kit to build your own- they ship flat so that saves money, & less labor for them. Plywood is very heavy- just saying- and would need to be well sealed (waterproofed). Besides moisture, poorly-sealed wood can absorb fecal material (germs!), & plywood off-gasses formaldehyde, which is unhealthy for a snake to breathe. (not good for you either). I've successfully converted some wood furniture cabinets to snake homes in the past, by the way (they were not plywood)- but haven't built any from "scratch". Many ways to go & using creativity to design your own is fun for some, & "too much work" for others. You do have options, whatever you decide.

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Originally Posted by Kryptic

Homebody, I definitely plan to upgrade my enclosure. I started with the bin just to see if I could set up an appropriate enclosure for a snake before I bought one. Once I have my snake, my plan is to build a PVC enclosure myself. It's not cheaper than buying one, but I would be doing it for the fun. I already started planning how I would build it and researching the materials I would need. I thought plywood wouldn't work because of the humidity, warping and mold issues, but if you made yours out of plywood, I'd love to read about your build.

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Sure. I didn't post about the original build, but I did post about the modifications I did to get it ready for my Children's Python: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-for-Antaresia. Some of the posts are hard to follow because I deleted the photos that they are referring to, but there are still enough photos for you to get the general idea. When you're ready to build, do what I did and post your plan beforehand. I found the community's input invaluable.

I'm very glad I took your advice to work with a breeder. I'm also very happy with the decision that I should go with someone local. This turned out to be the best of both worlds. I also appreciate your primer, Bogertophis, on what to look for. I used all the info in inspecting the animals.

I spoke with the breeder over my lunch break on Wednesday and we texted back and forth for hours after work. He was extremely helpful regarding my setup, what I should change up, and what I still need or should get. He has a lot of snakes, lots of different morphs, and helped me find many I liked within my price range. We narrowed that down to 2 males, a Mojave Pastel Gravel (born October 2021) and a DH Dreamsicle (born December 2020). We met up so I could meet the two and I decided on the younger boy, whom I tentatively named Twizzler.

We actually met up on Thursday because it worked out to be more convenient for both of us. I looked the snakes over, we spoke for a while about care, feeding, how to check its health and any issues, body language, sexing the animals, and more. As for feeding, he actually feeds most his snakes on Wednesday, including mine, but didn't feed either I was interested in, in case I took one home. He feeds live and assured me that his snakes are good eaters. He actually gave me a feeder to offer it later that evening after settling Twizzler in along with detailed instructions, including to text him. He assured me that if there was any issue like the snake not eating, he would happily exchange the snake. I brought Twizzler home, made some enclosure adjustments the breeder suggested, settled Twizzler in with no fuss, minimal handling, placed the lid on, and left for a few hours.

Later that night, I came back, saw that Twizzler was half out of a cardboard tube by the water bowl. I texted the breeder to let him know I was going to feed him and placed the feeder in the enclosure with him, having no idea what to expect. The feeder ran around the tub for a minute or so. At one point, it got a little too close to Twizzler. He so slowly and deliberately pointed his cocked head in its direction over a couple of seconds, then in an explosive movement, struck and wrapped his prey. I texted the breeder that he struck and sent him progress updates he requested every few minutes along with photos. I watched him eat, sent one last pic of the food bump, watched him move into a hide, then put the lid on and left.

I left him alone all day yesterday, only removing the lid about 24 hours after feeding to see where he was. He was in a hide over the heat map where he had crawled into after eating. Today, just over 36 hours after feeding, I finally went to take him out so that I could clean the tub (the feeder had dropped a couple of turds). I checked it all over, including the hides and enrichment, for any signs of a regurg or snake feces -- all clean. This time he was settled in a tube on the cool side. I removed the tube with him in it and placed it next to me, emptied out his tub, and cleaned it. He poked his head out, so I gently took him and placed him on my leg. He seemed fine with just laying there and looking around. I picked him up and took a few pictures, let him crawl around on my arm, including crawling up around my neck, left him there for a few minutes, then put him back. He didn't make any attempts to ball up or run away when I was handling him. I plan to check up on him again tonight at the earliest or otherwise tomorrow night.

I should be meeting the breeder next Wednesday to pick up some frozen feeders from him and one more live one. He assured me that plenty of people he's sold his snakes to have transitioned them to F/T and that he would help me out with any problems.

So far, it's been a great experience.


https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...3/2/8/bp-1.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...3/2/8/bp-4.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...3/2/8/bp-5.jpg

A couple more pics of his enclosure, empty, him slithering into a hide after I put him back, and the [edit: enclosure] with the lid on.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...ncl_resize.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...rin_resize.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...ncl_resize.jpg

I applaud you for doing some good research first, & for making what appears to be some great decisions! :gj: That's a beautiful snake, AND it sounds like you've bought from a very good breeder- one that CARES, & one that is willing to help you along the way. That makes it SO much easier, & helps ensure the best experience for both you & your snake. Way to GO! :carrot: It also helps having one that's well-started in terms of age- they're not as skittish about handling & changing locations.

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Originally Posted by Kryptic

I'm very glad I took your advice to work with a breeder.

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Feel free to drop the breeder's name. These posts are read by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people. You can help others in the community find a quality breeder and, at the same time, reward that breeder with more business.

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Originally Posted by Kryptic

A couple more pics of his enclosure, empty, him slithering into a hide after I put him back, and the [edit: enclosure] with the lid on.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...ncl_resize.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...rin_resize.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...ncl_resize.jpg

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Congrats! Sounds like you're off to a great start. I wish you and Twizzler many happy years together. To that end, word of warning: Secure that lid. I started with a similar set up that my bp escaped from twice. Now mine was an adult, but once your baby has a bit of size on him, he's going to start pushing on that lid. Don't trust the locks that came with the tub. They aren't designed to keep in captive animals. I used these.

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Originally Posted by Homebody

...Don't trust the locks that came with the tub. They aren't designed to keep in captive animals. I used these.

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Or just a box of binder clips from the office supply store. They come in various sizes- very handy for SO many things. ;)


https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/...AC_SL1500_.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Homebody

Feel free to drop the breeder's name. These posts are read by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people. You can help others in the community find a quality breeder and, at the same time, reward that breeder with more business.

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Awesome, I didn't know the forum's policy on promoting breeders. His name is Dan and his store on MorphMarket is called Balls of DNA (BODNA). Great guy, great snakes.


And yea, as far as securing the lid, I put a couple of spring clips on the long edges as well, I didn't leave them on for the photo op though, lol.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kryptic

Awesome, I didn't know the forum's policy on promoting breeders. His name is Dan and his store on MorphMarket is called Balls of DNA (BODNA). Great guy, great snakes.


And yea, as far as securing the lid, I put a couple of spring clips on the long edges as well, I didn't leave them on for the photo op though, lol.

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Word of mouth is very helpful so others find those sources proven great to do business with. What you cannot do is post links to them, as that's considered advertising & violates our rules. TKS-

14. No advertising outside of designated area without Administrator approval. “Designated area” is the For Sale/Trade/Adoption/Wanted Forum, and is free for our members limited use. All goods, services, or animals advertised in these spaces must be the property of and in possession of the member posting. Administrators reserve the right to pull any ads deemed to fall outside of our Family Friendly parameters or that may constitute a legal liability for the site. Rules for Advertising

(the above is from the FAQ upper left- https://ball-pythons.net/forums/faq.php)

Quick update:

So it's been a couple of months and my BP seems to be doing very well. I've made a lot of changes. A couple weeks after I got him, my wife was visiting some friends and the husband had an Exoterra 36x18x12 terrarium he had gotten for free and planned to use the glass for a project. When he heard about my snake, he offered it to us instead. My wife took it because she hated the idea of the snake being in a plastic tub and thought it needed a better "home" even though she's not really otherwise interested in my new pet, haha.

This was great because I was having issues with the tub. Humidity was perfect with paper towels, but when I switched to Reptichip, I put it in too damp, and humidity was extremely difficult to drop. I had to scoop out loads of the hydrated husk and mix in a lot of the dry stuff over a couple days to bring it down. The heat mat also didn't do a very good job of creating a warm surface attached to the bottom of it. I had to really crank up the thermostat to get it warm.

I moved him to the Exoterra and the heat mat works great now, keeping the spot it's stuck to about 1-2 degrees below the thermostat's setting. I used all-weather foil tape to block the mesh screen on top allowing only 2 thin lengthwise slits as opening and it retains humidity very well without seeming too stuffy. If I over-mist or wet the substrate and spike the humidity, simply running my AC for a day will get the humidity back where I want it.

Speaking of temps, my office actually has maintained decent temperatures naturally in the summer, I think. Most days, the temperature rises to a max of between 88-90 degrees. At night, it drops to a minimum of between 80-84 degrees. On days that are especially hot, I'll run the AC at 77 degrees on eco mode and it keeps it around 84 during the day. He spends most of his time in the unheated side, but I'll occasionally find him in the heated hide right after feeding. I've been keeping humidities in the low 60s to high 70s. I mist every few days and it slowly drops from a peak of the high 70s and mist again when it drops to the low 60s. If I need to run the AC, I mist a few spritzes in the morning and again at night after I turn it off. With the AC running all day, the humidity will drop into to the mid 50s by the time I get home.

The exception to spending most of his time in the unheated hide was when he shed. He shed once so far and from when he first went into blue til he finished, he spent the entire time in the warm hide. He had a perfect shed – no stuck skin at all and it was one continuous piece with a little turd deposited next to it. I didn't even try to feed him during the process and placed a chunk of damp sphagnum moss in his hide that I re-moistened every day.

Following a tip in Reptifiles, I've been intentionally feeding him erratically. Instead of a fixed schedule, I've been feeding him at different intervals. One week I may feed him a medium adult mouse on Tuesday and a small mouse on Friday and wait 7 days to feed him again. Another week I may feed him a small rat then wait 10 days before feeding him again. Regardless, of how often I feed him, I weigh the rodents to ensure his prey average just about 15% of his bodyweight per week. He's currently about 28" long and just about 295g.

So far I'm still feeding live. He hunts his prey very aggressively every time. I'll pick up a rodent on my way home from work. I like to wait until the snake is awake and out about in his enclosure to feed (dusk or later). So I house the rodent in a small plastic tub with paper towel, a water bowl, and mix of food morsels like whole grain bread, lettuce, carrot, a blueberry, etc. I do my best to make sure the rodent is well-fed, hydrated and comfortable. Besides just caring for the prey animal's humane treatment, I also believe it's much safer for my snake if its prey is relaxed, calm, and curious when I place it in the tank. I don't hold the rodent in tongs to feed it. I place it in the terrarium and let it roam until my snake strikes, which has happened every time as soon as he notices it and either stalks within range or the rodent wanders within range of him. At that point, if I can't see the rodent's mouth immediately after the strike, I'll adjust the pair to where I can, and if the mouth is anywhere near my snake, I'll put part of the tongs in the rodent's mouth for it to bite down on for the few seconds until it stops moving.

I was waiting to switch to frozen until I had a mini-freezer, but I just found out my local reptile store also sells individual frozen rodents. Great guys. They told me from the start that if my snake ever skips a live meal, I can bring it back for full credit on the next one. I discussed frozen/thawed with them today, and they said if he doesn't take a thawed rodent, they'll give me a discount on a live one the next day. With all that worked out, I plan to offer him a thawed feeder next week using Zincubus' hairdryer method. If I was a betting man, I'd bet the transition won't be any trouble at all.

Here's a pic of him in his enclosure. He has 3 hides, a cork log for enrichment, and a couple of vines. When he's not tucked into one of the black hide boxes, he seems to prefer being elevated, climbing the vines or hanging out on the log. He completely ignores the blue hide bowl, so I'll soon be replacing it with a humidity box to see if he makes use of that.
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...802_215019.jpg

You're doing extremely well with him! :gj::gj::gj: And I agree with your wife about housing snakes in plastic tubs, so that was GREAT luck getting the Exoterra.

I'm glad you'll be trying a f/t rodent for him soon- I've done the same thing when I've needed to feed live- stood ready with my tongs to "assist" for safety. You're lucky to have such a helpful local reptile store for feeders too- another win! You've done your homework so well on caring for this snake, it's very hard to think of you as a beginner. :D Way to go! And nice to get an update.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kryptic

Quick update...He completely ignores the blue hide bowl, so I'll soon be replacing it with a humidity box to see if he makes use of that.

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Quick update?! Can't wait to read your long detailed updates. I'll need my pipe and slippers.

All kidding aside, that's all great news. You're doing a great job. I'll just say don't give up on the blue bowl hide so quickly. My Children's python ignored his sky hide for the first month, maybe two. Now, he uses it all the time. Changing up your enclosure is a good thing. It keeps snakes stimulated, but don't do it too often. It takes them a while to fully appreciate the enclosure as it is.

Oh! And start a progression thread for him where you can post periodic updates. It's a convenient and organized way to share with the community how he's getting along.

Hahaha, Homebody, I swear it started as a quick update til it became a novel. As far as the progression thread, will do. I'm actually building a 4x2x2 PVC enclosure for him. I have the materials and put together the walls, but it won't be finished and ready for probably a few months. When I finish it and he settles in, I'll kick off the progression thread with its features and how I built it. Interestingly, that'll leave my Exoterra empty. I'm already looking into the possibility of picking up something to put in there next summer. Probably a Hognosed Snake or a Rosy Boa. I really want a Children's Python or Woma, but I would rather have a bigger enclosure for either of those, so either would have to wait.

Bogertophis, thanks a lot. Resources like this forum, YouTube, Reptifiles, etc. really make it a lot easier than it was back in the day, when Remembering the two very short-lived Red-eared Sliders I had as a kid is a big motivator to do things as best I can.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kryptic

Resources like this forum, YouTube, Reptifiles, etc. really make it a lot easier than it was back in the day, when Remembering the two very short-lived Red-eared Sliders I had as a kid is a big motivator to do things as best I can.

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I understand. When I was a kid, I asked my parents for a snake. I got a pair of green anoles. I sorry to say that my, essentially unguided, care fell woefully short of these poor critters' needs, so they did not survive very long.

I think most of us have had some unfortunate experiences when we were starting out, & especially back when so much less information was known about caring for these animals.

Royal / Ball Python every time :)

Just make sure you get a good eater / feeder and you are good to go !!

They all look gorgeous, loads of colour choices. Fabulous to handle plus they will sleep on your lap when you watch telly

Put some branches in the vivarium and they will climb around them each evening

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