Couple new pics of my pastel

Apparently someone's trying to be a tree python lol...



http://myspace-201.vo.llnwd.net/0127...71593201_l.jpg
http://myspace-241.vo.llnwd.net/0127...71594241_l.jpg


Again I apologize for the resolution and color quality. I've been using my cell phone to take pictures sorry.

:sunny:

A ball python that leaves the comfort and security of it's hide box in order to perch unnaturally on an open and exposed tree branch is probably doing so in an attempt to seek warmer temperatures (heat rises) ... while many young ball pythons do enjoy exploring and crawling on elevated perches, basking on a perch in that manner is certainly not the norm.

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

A ball python that leaves the comfort and security of it's hide box in order to perch unnaturally on an open and exposed tree branch is probably doing so in an attempt to seek warmer temperatures (heat rises) ... while many young ball pythons do enjoy exploring and crawling on elevated perches, basking on a perch in that manner is certainly not the norm.

-adam

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Coming from a guy who doesn't know 100 :gj:

Yeah he'll hang up there for a lil' while but when i turn his light off he slithers down and remains active. I would say the snake is perfectly healthy though, he's my most aggressive eater. Eats and drinks very well.:)

I'm only using a 60 or 75watt sunglo tight beam so my guess is that he is trying to get right in that basking sweet spot. But yeah I've got him in a 20long with the screen top so I know most of the heat is escaping...

...Pardon me for sounding unmanly for a moment but the way he's coiled up on there just looks kinda cute..


Thats my boy! =*)

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

But yeah I've got him in a 20long with the screen top so I know most of the heat is escaping...

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Plastic wrap over the screen top will help hold heat and humidity...

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Originally Posted by sho220

Plastic wrap over the screen top will help hold heat and humidity...

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or a damp towel...that worked well for me :)

In that top picture....is that another BP right below your pastel?


(Cute pics, btw....but I do agree with the others that you should get the bottom of the tank as warm as the middle part. Your snakes will thank you.)

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Originally Posted by JLC

In that top picture....is that another BP right below your pastel?


(Cute pics, btw....but I do agree with the others that you should get the bottom of the tank as warm as the middle part. Your snakes will thank you.)

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I think I see 2 bps in the cage too! :O

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

Yeah he'll hang up there for a lil' while but when i turn his light off he slithers down and remains active. I would say the snake is perfectly healthy though, he's my most aggressive eater. Eats and drinks very well.:)

I'm only using a 60 or 75watt sunglo tight beam so my guess is that he is trying to get right in that basking sweet spot. But yeah I've got him in a 20long with the screen top so I know most of the heat is escaping...

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"Healthy" is a relative term with ball pythons ... due to their extremely slow metabolism and the way that their immune system works, a ball python that appears to be "healthy" could actually be on it's way to a pretty serious illness ... even in the early stages of an upper respiratory infection, to a person not familar with the disease, a ball python might appear perfectly "healthy" ... roaming the cage and eating as it normally would ... That's why it's important to pay attention to unnatural behaviors like "basking in the open" as an early indicator that there could potentially be a husbandry problem.

-adam

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Originally Posted by JLC

In that top picture....is that another BP right below your pastel?

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OOOPS.

-adam

yeah there is another bP in the tank with him he was in there for less than 2 minutes while I was cleaning out his tank...He knocked over his water dish and got the aspen soaking wet...I wasn't sure how long it had been knocked over so I just tossed him in there real quick to quickly put in new bedding. right before I put him back in I wanted to snap the shot of my pastel real quick incase he got scared and slithered off the branch from me taking the other one out and moving the branch.


Yeah I have a big towl folded in half covering my 55gallon entirely except for where the dome light is...works perfect and with the coconut fibers my humidity is right at 60%-65% humidity...

I know I know I probably should have just held her or something rather than put her in the tank with the pastel...I just wanted to change out the tank as quickly as possible without having to use only one hand...I mean her tank's substrate was soaking wet and I was really worried about the possibility of scale rot...

But I do have all of my snakes in their own tanks now.... my largest female, I just picked up over the weekend (free) is in the 55, second largest female and my pastel in the 2 20longs, and my smallest female which is the one below the pastel in a 10gal. I'm trying :)

My next step will be vision 221's I like how I can stack them and the lights will go right in the top flush mounted....Aquariums just take up too much space...They can be beautifully decorated but way too much space. I don't even have a dining room now...

I know exactly what you mean about the tank taking up to much space! LOL

I've got a 60 gallon tank and stand in my living room, and aside from having
not so optimum conditions for the boys, I like it. But their health is my goal,
so I'm saving for a rack of some sort. Boaphile plastics came highly reccomended, but man those are expensive!

Very cute pics, btw! :D

Just an observation and I could possibly be totally off here...but you should really research/look into quarentining your new arrivals...

PS. is Quarentining even a word...LOL..:oops:

This maybe due to the fact that I only have a few pythons in my collection, or that I have one room designated only to my snakes. But I just set them on the floor while cleaning their cages. :D

thanks snakie mom! Yeah its just crazy...
I wanted to get a rack setup from neil golli...He has some decent ones but I can't help but want the visions. I just want my snakes to be in the most beautiful enclosures. I love the look of the visions and can't help but picture like 8 of 'em in my house lol... All housing my beautiful ball's...
:sunny:

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Originally Posted by daaangconcepts

Just an observation and I could possibly be totally off here...but you should really research/look into quarentining your new arrivals...

PS. is Quarentining even a word...LOL..:oops:

This maybe due to the fact that I only have a few pythons in my collection, or that I have one room designated only to my snakes. But I just set them on the floor while cleaning their cages. :D

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Strong post Susan!

You can also use a "shift bucket" when cleaning cages ... a bucket or larger rubbermaid container with a lid that can be cleaned out in between snakes goes a long way for preventing cross contamination of animals.

-adam

your right susan...I definetly should have set her on the floor. I know she wouldn't have gone anywhere too far. I think I was just like Ahh, I want to take care of the tank like right now without worrying about what she's doing or where she's going..But ya I don't know the spelling on that but you are definetly right.

*spur of the moment reaction*

Yeah, I'm going to get something for that simple reason. I was using my 10gal for that until I got my newest female over the weekend..I'm just lacking on extra buckets or tubs...but Im going to go to wal-mart this weekend. I've got a list of differen't things I need to get. Digi scale, couple tubs for that reason, and other things....

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

Yeah, I'm going to get something for that simple reason. I was using my 10gal for that until I got my newest female over the weekend..I'm just lacking on extra buckets or tubs...but Im going to go to wal-mart this weekend. I've got a list of differen't things I need to get. Digi scale, couple tubs for that reason, and other things....

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Certain husbandry items are essential for the proper care of your animals ... believe it or not, your snake can go longer without water than it can without the proper temperatures ... cross contamination from exposure to another animal can occur in seconds vs. your worry about scale rot which can take weeks to devlop. Being a little less impulsive when aquiring animals and actually taking the time to think about what "gear" will really be needed to care for them properly before you take them into your home goes a long way to building a healthy collection that will live and breed for years to come.

-adam

When I have animals in quarentine I ususally keep them in a completely seperate room. Again, I realize some people just don't have the space for that. And I'm sure I won't have as much EMPTY space either once I start having some real babies...(WHICH ISN'T ANYTIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE)

Right now its just me, the hubby, and the animals...:D

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Strong post Susan!


-adam

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Wow. Thanks!! That made my day!!! LOL:P

thanks adam,

I have thomometers and hygrometers right now but they are the stick on type which aren't as accurate...The only thing I really don't have that is a complete necesity is an extra tub or bucket to put a snake in while changing substrate or something. I completely understand what your talking about though as far as quaranteeing the animals susan, and as far as a snake getting something from
another snake illness wise I didn't know it would only be a couple seconds for one to contract something from another snake. Believe me I have been reading every care sheet and everything I can get my hands on internet wise as well as the ball python manual that i have at my home on my nightstand religiously. I truly am trying my hardest to take care of the animals i have. And as far as aqcuiring animals without the gear, I had the gear I just couldn't refuse a free female..I will say though that every week I'm buying more and more gear and supplies as well as the appropriate sized rodents for each snake.

Thank you!

Every week though, I'm seriously thinking to myself ok what can i get that will benefit my snakes health and husbandry and then I jot it down and go purchase it. I have been doing my best to keep their health up to par, but honostly didn't know that a minute of one snake being with another would be long enough time to swap an illness or desease. Now i know...

To be honost though, I have learned more on this page reading/posting threads than everything I've read...

THanks guys!
:rockon:

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Originally Posted by djslurp1200

as far as a snake getting something from
another snake illness wise I didn't know it would only be a couple seconds for one to contract something from another snake. Believe me I have been reading every care sheet and everything I can get my hands on internet wise as well as the ball python manual that i have at my home on my nightstand religiously.

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The experience of those on this forum is a huge asset. It would take a care sheet the size of War and Peace to contain all the info here. Adam's comments on cross contamination have me rethinking my cleaning process too! :)

I seriously and honostly didn't think a minute or two together would hurt...Now I know.. Just crazy


Atleast I know now...:cool:

Pillowcase... Thrift store... 25 cents. Get it? Got it. Good.