I'm new, and need veteren help!

I am new to these forums, and to the world of owning a snake for that matter. I did some basic research and found that a ball python was my best bet as far as a new snake owner would be concerned.

So i bought a female baby ball from my town's most reputable pet store (not some corporate owned pet chain). Beautiful marks, bright skin, clear eyes, not aggressive, had been eating wonderfully, no scrathes or any problems.

I buy her everything necessary, her cage has been around 80-85 on the warm end, don't have a thermometer for the cool end, i suppose i should get on, i assume it's around 70ish. she has 2 hide boxes, 2 water dishes. No undertank heat pad, but has 2 dome lamps (a red bulb for night time and a regular 100 watt for day).

Ok now getting down to the part where i need help!!


first and foremost, i know i must be doing something wrong with my snake. Please take in to consideration i have never owned one before and do not believe i have a vast knowledge of them...if i am doing something extremely stupid or incorrect...PLEASE let me know so i can fix this problem.

OK my problem is that she is being more aggressive since i obtained her. When i first got her she was very very calm, a bit skiddish and scared, but very calm for the most part. Within 2-3 days she would let me handle her for a couple minutes at a time, no jumping or striking. She simply gripped tightly against my hand and peeked around. Well it came to thursday (when she was used to being fed). the pet store guys told me that she was much larger than the others and as such, was feeding on 2 mice each feeding. They fed pre killed mice. so i naturally did the same, bought 1 frozen mouse, used a pair of tongues to dangle it in front of her (i have never moved her from her cage to feed, and i am thinking this might be a cause for her aggression). anyways, she was a bit frightened at first, but did eventually strike and coil and swallow. Well they said to feed her two. so i go to the pet store much closer to my house, and they only have live. I think to myself "these snakes don't feed off dead things in the wild, what is a live one going to hurt". so i feed her the live one with no problems, she gobbles it up just fine.

Ok i know i have just wasted alot of time by talking about unimportant things, but i'm trying to let you guys know the exact order of events, to see if there is anything i'm messing up.

Well i believe it was 3 nights after her first meal in my room. That i am sitting on my computer (maybe 3 feet to the right of her warm side hide box) and i see her head sitting still on the ground, facing me as i'm just sitting here typing and occassionally glancing at her to see if she decides to move since it's now nighttime. her body remains in the hide box, but her head is maybe 4 inches out. I don't think anything of this so i just keep going about my business. I notice her water bowl is a bit low, and i don't wish for her humidity to go down, so i reach my left hand closer to her cage, maybe one foot, when she immediately strikes at the glass (mouth wide open) slams into the glass, and then quickly zooms into her hide box.

I am not afraid of snakes and never felt uncomfortable around her until this. I thought hmm maybe i was just doing something wrong.

But then last night, i come home and her head is in the same position. facing me. So i roll backwards in my chair to see what she will do. and sure enough she inches her head closer and lifts her head off the ground in the exact manner that she does before she strikes a mouse. i know that if i move close to her she will strike again, so i simply get in bed, turn my monitor and get out of her line of sight.

I am writing this at midnight (around the time she has previously been aggressive). and she is simply in her hide box doing nothing.

OK now that i have THOUROUGHLY :) explained my situation, here are some of the things it MIGHT be, and some things that might help you guys come to a conclusion.

1. She only does this at night, and on days where she fed earlier (but does not always do it on nights she feeds)
2. I have not handled her in quite some time (2 weeks), due to work and school and recently, this confusion she has caused me.
3. I do not remove her from her enclosure for feeding, i simply drop a mouse in the cage, and watch her eat.
4. I read that in some cases, female baby balls may need to feed more often, so i have been feeding her on wednesday and saturday (only one mouse each time now though, rather than 2 once a week).
5. my computer is very close to her cage, 3 feet, and i am on it quite often. i don't know if the lights or the movement of me typing could have any influence on it.
6. *may not be important but i figure i should include it*. i use coconut bark substrate (the guys at the store swore by it). she has two 12 pack soda containers for hide boxes, one at either end like i mentioned, she has a large tupperware bowl in the middle (6"X6") and a small round one on the warm end (3" diameter). she is in a 30 gallon L tank. and she is roughly 2 feet long. pretty beefy around her mid section as well (though not bloated and disproportional).


She is a beautiful and healthy snake, and i would love nothing more than to be able to hold her, let her rest on me, and keep her calm for as long as i have her. Needless to say, this has been very stressful for me, because lately i feel as though i live with a monster rather than a pet...

Pleaseee help me, i am in desperation!!

Forgot to add...I have been feeding her during the day...around 5 o'clock. they are nocturnal i know and i am not sure if this has anything to do with it.
I also might not have mentioned that my method of checking temp is one aquarium tank strip on the warm side...would it be wise to invest on a digital thermometer that measures both sides and humidity???

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NCKarlov

I am new to these forums, and to the world of owning a snake for that matter. I did some basic research and found that a ball python was my best bet as far as a new snake owner would be concerned.

So i bought a female baby ball from my town's most reputable pet store (not some corporate owned pet chain). Beautiful marks, bright skin, clear eyes, not aggressive, had been eating wonderfully, no scrathes or any problems.

I buy her everything necessary, her cage has been around 80-85 on the warm end, don't have a thermometer for the cool end, i suppose i should get on, i assume it's around 70ish. she has 2 hide boxes, 2 water dishes. No undertank heat pad, but has 2 dome lamps (a red bulb for night time and a regular 100 watt for day).

Ok now getting down to the part where i need help!!


first and foremost, i know i must be doing something wrong with my snake. Please take in to consideration i have never owned one before and do not believe i have a vast knowledge of them...if i am doing something extremely stupid or incorrect...PLEASE let me know so i can fix this problem.

OK my problem is that she is being more aggressive since i obtained her. When i first got her she was very very calm, a bit skiddish and scared, but very calm for the most part. Within 2-3 days she would let me handle her for a couple minutes at a time, no jumping or striking. She simply gripped tightly against my hand and peeked around. Well it came to thursday (when she was used to being fed). the pet store guys told me that she was much larger than the others and as such, was feeding on 2 mice each feeding. They fed pre killed mice. so i naturally did the same, bought 1 frozen mouse, used a pair of tongues to dangle it in front of her (i have never moved her from her cage to feed, and i am thinking this might be a cause for her aggression). anyways, she was a bit frightened at first, but did eventually strike and coil and swallow. Well they said to feed her two. so i go to the pet store much closer to my house, and they only have live. I think to myself "these snakes don't feed off dead things in the wild, what is a live one going to hurt". so i feed her the live one with no problems, she gobbles it up just fine.

Ok i know i have just wasted alot of time by talking about unimportant things, but i'm trying to let you guys know the exact order of events, to see if there is anything i'm messing up.

Well i believe it was 3 nights after her first meal in my room. That i am sitting on my computer (maybe 3 feet to the right of her warm side hide box) and i see her head sitting still on the ground, facing me as i'm just sitting here typing and occassionally glancing at her to see if she decides to move since it's now nighttime. her body remains in the hide box, but her head is maybe 4 inches out. I don't think anything of this so i just keep going about my business. I notice her water bowl is a bit low, and i don't wish for her humidity to go down, so i reach my left hand closer to her cage, maybe one foot, when she immediately strikes at the glass (mouth wide open) slams into the glass, and then quickly zooms into her hide box.

I am not afraid of snakes and never felt uncomfortable around her until this. I thought hmm maybe i was just doing something wrong.

But then last night, i come home and her head is in the same position. facing me. So i roll backwards in my chair to see what she will do. and sure enough she inches her head closer and lifts her head off the ground in the exact manner that she does before she strikes a mouse. i know that if i move close to her she will strike again, so i simply get in bed, turn my monitor and get out of her line of sight.

I am writing this at midnight (around the time she has previously been aggressive). and she is simply in her hide box doing nothing.

OK now that i have THOUROUGHLY :) explained my situation, here are some of the things it MIGHT be, and some things that might help you guys come to a conclusion.

1. She only does this at night, and on days where she fed earlier (but does not always do it on nights she feeds)
2. I have not handled her in quite some time (2 weeks), due to work and school and recently, this confusion she has caused me.
3. I do not remove her from her enclosure for feeding, i simply drop a mouse in the cage, and watch her eat.
4. I read that in some cases, female baby balls may need to feed more often, so i have been feeding her on wednesday and saturday (only one mouse each time now though, rather than 2 once a week).
5. my computer is very close to her cage, 3 feet, and i am on it quite often. i don't know if the lights or the movement of me typing could have any influence on it.
6. *may not be important but i figure i should include it*. i use coconut bark substrate (the guys at the store swore by it). she has two 12 pack soda containers for hide boxes, one at either end like i mentioned, she has a large tupperware bowl in the middle (6"X6") and a small round one on the warm end (3" diameter). she is in a 30 gallon L tank. and she is roughly 2 feet long. pretty beefy around her mid section as well (though not bloated and disproportional).


She is a beautiful and healthy snake, and i would love nothing more than to be able to hold her, let her rest on me, and keep her calm for as long as i have her. Needless to say, this has been very stressful for me, because lately i feel as though i live with a monster rather than a pet...

Pleaseee help me, i am in desperation!!

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First off Welcome to the group :cool: .Now on to helping you out.Not knocking you of course but the temps are to low for the hot side,needs to be 90ish.I have found over the years that UTH(belly heat) tends to do a better job at keeping the ball pythons temps correct for digestion.The heat lights will keep your humidity low as they tend to "dry out" the air.Its recommended to not bother a new snake for at least a week or two,it gives them time to settle in.Now the reason she is striking at you,she sees shadows reflecting off the glass and reacts in the defensive mood.You only need to feed her a prey item once a week and it should be as round as her midsection.If she is putting away 2 mice at a time then i would try her on a rat weanling.Now you said the pet store fed her pre-killed then you fed her a frozen thawed,its best to stick with one type of food or she could refuse to eat out of confusion.By this i mean if she eats frozen thawed stick with that.If i missed any questions let me know lol.

Ok you added something lol.Throw that fish tank thermomater in the garbage as its worthless unless your tank is full of water.:)

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/imag..._sign00161.gif

It looks like Joe got it all down. Also take a look at this caresheet.
http://ball-pythons.net/modules.php?...warticle&id=59

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PJ FF

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/imag..._sign00161.gif

It looks like Joe got it all down. Also take a look at this caresheet.
http://ball-pythons.net/modules.php?...warticle&id=59

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O yea i forgot we have them caresheets lol.

First make sure your set up is right. Sounds like you need to get that temp up higher. 85 on the warm end should be more like 90-94 degrees. Under tank heat on a thermostat is the best and will maintain the exact heat you want. You just have lights, do you turn these lights off at night? If so, the temp will drop to a very cool temp at night, and the light on 24 hours might stress her as well. What about humidity? You have a glass cage with a screen top? If so all of your humidity is probably escaping through the top of the cage, your humidity is probably very low. You want is around 50% Check out the link on this site for aluminum foil and duct tape to keep humidity in.

It sounds like she is stressed about something. I have a snake that was kind of like this when she was younger, and on a really bad day can act the same way.

If something startles her, that could be root. Maybe she was sleeping and you moved in front of her cage really fast scaring the crap out of her. They can be very spooky snakes. One of my snakes doesn't like cameras, she kinda act like that everytime someone got a camera out.

Its probably not a feeding response if shes been fed enough, and if you were to take her out of the cage, she should immediately realize its not feeding time, espescially if you never feed outside the cage. You might need to just spend some time with her and let her get used to your smells and touch.

Also, when you first buy a snake, make sure you leave her alone in her new enclosure for at least a week. Let her get used to everything, if you immediately started taking her out she would indeed get stressed very quickly. Hope this helps, I'm sure someone can chime in as well.

lol, you are fast.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Griggs2121

lol, you are fast.

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Who me? :8:

wow you guys are quick when you wake up in the morning. i post this. run outside and smoke a quick cigarette and i am back with 5 responses...

ok some more info.

yea i know that thermometer is a joke, and i know the humidity is definately off, i just didn't know how essential they were. apparently very essential eh? first thing i'll do when i get back from christmas break will be get a digital thermometer and do something about the humidity getting out. I can't stress enough how much i'd like this snake to grow up to be a model pet.

with some of you guys telling me about how i need to not mess with her for a while, i have had her 2 weeks as of last friday. so that gap has been crossed. Maybe she is comfortable now and a bit arrogant? i don' tknow the complete temperment of snakes.

Also, i am 18 years old, and though i am very mature in maintaining my snake, i cannot say the same for all of my friends. They like to get very close to her cage, take pictures of her, tap fingers on the glass, move quickly around her. I tell them time and time again to be slow around her and not to mess with her. They think this means tap slowly and only jump once every minutes rather than twice a minute. I know there isn't much i can do about that...but would putting up some kind of visual barrier around the glass be beneficial at all? *sigh*

So what i have gathered...
1. feed her only once a week, but make it a fat one
2. get my temp and humidity fixed ASAP
3. try handling her a bit more, take her out of the cage

Anything else?

Side note, right as you guys responded, she came out of her hide box, looked right at me and just passed by, got a drink from her dish (first time i've seen that, and is just resting on the cool side of her cage

Very good. Sounds like she is relaxed. If she has had a good amount of time away from you, it might be a good time to take her out. As long as its been a good 48 hours since her last meal.

Take her out and let her set the tone, let her take a second to get all the smells down and realize your aren't going to hurt her

PS - no kidding, I respond because nobody else has, then I post, and everything I said has been covered, lol.

ok sounds good.

minor question

should i take her out at night? during the day when she is more docile and less active or what?

and if i open the cage and she goes into the feeding position and does strike me and bites..will she coil as well? and if so, how much is a bite going to hurt? how hard is it to get her off of me if she coils? or is she going to immediately realize there is no way she can take me down and just bite and retreat?

If she just gets really frightened and goes into a ball, should i still pick her up, or should i take it is a sign that she would like to be left alone, and try again later?

Should i try to move my hand in front of her cage to see if she is going to get ready to strike?

all stuff to make sure i don't get bit and make sure she doesn't get scared :)

P.S.
could you guys recommend any good thermometer/humidity guage combos? a good way of getting an UTH and having her not sit on it and get burned? and anything else i might need...basically make me a little list of stuff i need to make her better suited.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NCKarlov

ok sounds good.

minor question

should i take her out at night? during the day when she is more docile and less active or what?

and if i open the cage and she goes into the feeding position and does strike me and bites..will she coil as well? and if so, how much is a bite going to hurt? how hard is it to get her off of me if she coils? or is she going to immediately realize there is no way she can take me down and just bite and retreat?

If she just gets really frightened and goes into a ball, should i still pick her up, or should i take it is a sign that she would like to be left alone, and try again later?

Should i try to move my hand in front of her cage to see if she is going to get ready to strike?

all stuff to make sure i don't get bit and make sure she doesn't get scared :)

P.S.
could you guys recommend any good thermometer/humidity guage combos? a good way of getting an UTH and having her not sit on it and get burned? and anything else i might need...basically make me a little list of stuff i need to make her better suited.

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I would suggest starting out in the evening with short handling sessions, but first and foremost get those temps up. You can go to any local store like Target/Walmart/Lowes etc. and pick up a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer. The ones at Walmart are made by Accurite and can measure the humidity (hygrometer) as well. It has one main unit with a probe that you can put on the warm side of the tank. They work much better than the dials and strips.

Any under tank heater that you get will need to be controlled by a thermostat (not a thermometer) which is simliar to the device that controls your heating and cooling system in your house. You could even use a lamp dimmer as well, but they require more monitoring and temps will vary a bit more with as the room temp changes. You might want to search the forums a bit for thermostats, as there is a ton of info there.

Oh and one last thing... http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1.../welcome41.gif

well i would put a towel over her tank when your friends are over if they can't just leave her alone. something else which i personally prefer is using a plastic tub (sterilite or rubbermaid) for an enclosure. this way, it gives the snake some privacy and they feel safer. also, it really keeps your humidity levels up.

welcome to the forum!!! :D

and if you choose to keep your snake in a tank... then cover three of the sides with paper or something (like a fish tank background) so your snake feels more secure. ;)

Sounds like you are a really committed owner and that's the first and best thing for your snake...good for you!

Just some thoughts and suggestions here.....

First off this is a young snake and pretty new to your home and it's new environment so you need to sort of think like a snake. When young BP's are as much prey as they are predators, so they are highly defensive (after all who wants to be somebody's dinner right? LOL). They react strongly to perceived threat and you are basically just a big, warm predator in it's little and basic snake brain. It will never bond with you like a "regular" pet but you can overtime, with patience, show it you mean no harm. Develop habits and routines that are basic and always the same when it comes to feeding, handling, cage maintenance, etc. This will help the snake come to know that these activities are not harming it.

It is a snake though so it will always have the potential to hiss, jab at you or bite. Most times it does this, it will be your fault LOL. Sometimes it will just be that at that moment the snake just can't be bothered putting up with you, or it's in shed or hungry or whatever. Eventually you will come to know what is what...if a hiss or strike is really serious or just an instinctive reaction. Every snake is different and every situation is unique.

As far as the head poking of the hide and striking...this is called "lurking". BP's are ambush hunters so this is a perfectly normal thing. It's checking to see if a nice juicy rodent will wander by. It can indicate hunger or just a snake being a snake (they are very opportunistic feeders). When lurking some snakes will be quite jumpy so best to not trigger a strike at that time.

As far as feeding whether you feed live, frozen/thawed (f/t) or pre-killed (p/k), do your research, ask questions, read threads and learn the best way to do whichever you choose. All are accepted methods but do have "guidelines" on the way to do it safely for your snake. A regular once a week feeding (evening hours are usually best) of 1 or 2 appropriately sized mice will do your snake beautifully. If you feed 2, just wait for the first to be completely swallowed (well past the skinnier neck area) then offer the second one. Always, always quietly supervise live feeds but do not hover over the snake (puts you into the predator position and may scare the snake off eating). When they are eating/swallowing they are very vulnerable so lots of quiet, little movement and even low light helps (we have a snake that won't eat if it isn't full dark in the snake room).

30 gallons is a larger enclosure. Try covering three sides in dark paper to minimize the exposure for the snake. BP's naturally live in places like termite burrows so they feel very exposed in a lot of open space in a bigger glass tank. Fake vinery can also help (watch it though, they will poop and pee on the stuff). You can also add crumpled up newspaper, not pretty but a perfect way to make a snake feel safe and settled in quicker. Remove slowly over time as the snake adjusts.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ickTopView.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ckSideView.jpg

To monitor temps and humidity hit Walmart. The Acu-Rite for around $12.00 (plus one AAA battery) is a winner. Put the actual unit on the cool side, run the probe on it's thin wire either out of the tank and back in or well under the substrate and tuck the probe inside your warm side hide. Push a couple of buttons and you get IN temp (cool side - what the unit is reading), OUT temp (warm side inside the hide - what the probe is reading) and overall humidity. Works like a charm!

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...g/Acu-Rite.jpg

The overhead lamps will suck out humidity so you may want to consider underbelly heating. Any good UTH (undertank heater) will work though it must be controlled by a t-stat. Flexwatt and a tstat are your best bet (do a search here on "flexwatt" for tons of threads).

Hides are next. These shy snakes love tight dark hides. Identical is best as they will choose their favorite hide over thermoregulating. You don't need to spend a fortune on hides (especially with a young growing snake). Anything easy to clean, dark and barely bigger than your snake coiled up will work (basically once the snake's in the hide there should be no room for anything in there but the snake). Here's some hides I use as examples...

Baby/Hatchling hide.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...chlingHide.jpg\

Another baby hide.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...lingBPHide.jpg

Juvi hide....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...dultBPHide.jpg

Handling should be reasonable. Snakes don't need to be handled to be happy, handling is something we humans want so consider it a gift from the snake and you'll do fine. Don't handle for 48 hours after they eat or on the day you are feeding (they tend to be anty that day). Make handling very short for now, very quiet. Don't force the snake out of it's ball, let it come out on it's own, don't move quickly or mess with it's head much (a lot are head shy), try a gentle rub under the "chin" area. Develop handling habits so that when you remove and return the snake it isn't a stress filled experience for either of you. Our handling routine is....open enclosure, lift hide slowly if snake is in there, stroke the snake down it's lower body, watch for reactions, gently lift snake from it's home and sit down quietly with it. With enough repitition the snakes know this routine and are very easy with it. If I'm doing cage maintenance I don't touch them...so again they recognize the difference and basically ignore me while I change water or remove waste products.

Snakes may not do higher math but they do recognize simple routines if they are done over and over again.

Hope this huge post helped somewhat LOL. Don't worry that everything isn't perfect, it appears you are committed to doing your best. Remember that any changes, even for the best, will upset these shy snakes so don't worry about that...just do what needs done and expect a few problems but they will smooth out as you and your snake become used to each other. You've got a scaley buddy for the next 20 years or so, nothing needs to be rushed as you get to know each other.

as usual jo... you created an informative excellent post!!!

oh and one more thing... ball pythons are imprint eaters. so you have to choose what to feed them. mice or rats.

an adult ball python will do fine on one or two adult mice once a week (skipping a week here and there is very healthy for them by the way... so be sure to do that every {approx} 6 weeks.

hi and welcome to the site :)


IMHO, i know that this is your first BP and you will be keeping it in the tank so yes by all means go with a UTH and all the other great info you have been given so far... search the forum you will find even more useful information you will be needing as time goes on and you and your new addition will be much happier for your having done so.:D

also you might want to loose the red light, not sure if that has anything to do with it at all... but my female when i first got her (as a baby) i used a red light on her and she got that way then one night she just started darting about in her cage as if the devil himself was after her, i got her out and checked her out she was fine, put her back and she flipped again then went into her hide and would not come out.

i then flipped took her to the vet had her checked, she was fine the vet asked about my set up and told me to loose the red light.

saying that they tend to get little spots on them where the red dosent take on the glass so it leaves a bit of white light showing at all times and there for it acts as if the light is on at all times to the poor animal and more or less drives them nuts not getting any kind of day night cycle.

those little spots may not be enough to where we (humans) would pay any attn to it but for the animal who lives just inches away from it could drive them a little nuts till it is gone.

the vet sugested to go with ceramic heat bulb and a black light that could be picked up at any dollar store and not to use a white light at all, that the light in the room would be more then enough.

i did just that and have never had a problem like that again.

PS:
also, after having found this site learning more and more, i switched to the UTH and a black light and then into totes and come spring when the weather gets nice i plan on building a rack and going that route with them.
:oops: i really should have got a house with a garage so i could build things :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NCKarlov

wow you guys are quick when you wake up in the morning. i post this. run outside and smoke a quick cigarette and i am back with 5 responses...

ok some more info.

yea i know that thermometer is a joke, and i know the humidity is definately off, i just didn't know how essential they were. apparently very essential eh? first thing i'll do when i get back from christmas break will be get a digital thermometer and do something about the humidity getting out. I can't stress enough how much i'd like this snake to grow up to be a model pet.

with some of you guys telling me about how i need to not mess with her for a while, i have had her 2 weeks as of last friday. so that gap has been crossed. Maybe she is comfortable now and a bit arrogant? i don' tknow the complete temperment of snakes.

Also, i am 18 years old, and though i am very mature in maintaining my snake, i cannot say the same for all of my friends. They like to get very close to her cage, take pictures of her, tap fingers on the glass, move quickly around her. I tell them time and time again to be slow around her and not to mess with her. They think this means tap slowly and only jump once every minutes rather than twice a minute. I know there isn't much i can do about that...but would putting up some kind of visual barrier around the glass be beneficial at all? *sigh*

So what i have gathered...
1. feed her only once a week, but make it a fat one
2. get my temp and humidity fixed ASAP
3. try handling her a bit more, take her out of the cage

Anything else?

Side note, right as you guys responded, she came out of her hide box, looked right at me and just passed by, got a drink from her dish (first time i've seen that, and is just resting on the cool side of her cage

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Actualy i was half asleep when i first responded to helping you lol.I would be point blank and tell your freinds "if you tap on her cage i will SLAP you in the back of your head"! Then ask them if they liked it! Now onto your snake.When i mentioned the size of rodent i meant it should be equel to the size of her midsection.Try not to feed to large of a rodent as it could cause her to regurge.Not a good thing at all.Yes the correct temps and humidity a VERY important to keeping your snake healthy and happy:cool: .

To give you an idea of what your female is capable of looking like after a couple years of TLC.This is my female Elvira,she is 5lbs+ and around 5ft mark.Elvira is around 4yrs+ as i am unsure of her correct age. http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...vira112006.jpg

I use Exo-terra UTH on the tanks and i use this thermostat(first one $25 in the link provided) to control everyones temps. http://www.reptilesupply.com/index.php?cPath=30_74

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NCKarlov

but would putting up some kind of visual barrier around the glass be beneficial at all? *sigh*

So what i have gathered...
1. feed her only once a week, but make it a fat one
2. get my temp and humidity fixed ASAP
3. try handling her a bit more, take her out of the cage

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I've had my snake for 5 months now and well, what I learned is a lot. Fixing temps to maintainable digestive temps is the first key not feeding. 80degrees is low, thats like th ecool end of the tank. And you should fix that first. O possible digestive problems can occur like vomiting the food, back digestion, and causing bacteria to come in and kill the snake because it didnt have proper temps. Then you need to have her on a weekly feeding, handling her while she may be hungry and cold may stress her out.

I know Im a odd ball, but what I found best to get my Chester adjusted to me was right when I got him, I stuck him soemwhere where he can alway sget used to my scent, yes my bra. And he now loves it in there and will try to go in there whenever I have him out. lol. But also he goes around my neck too, and if your a guy that is a good idea where to hold him. On your always move arm or something may scare her.

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Originally Posted by Chester & Teagan

I've had my snake for 5 months now and well, what I learned is a lot. Fixing temps to maintainable digestive temps is the first key not feeding. 80degrees is low, thats like th ecool end of the tank. And you should fix that first. O possible digestive problems can occur like vomiting the food, back digestion, and causing bacteria to come in and kill the snake because it didnt have proper temps. Then you need to have her on a weekly feeding, handling her while she may be hungry and cold may stress her out.

I know Im a odd ball, but what I found best to get my Chester adjusted to me was right when I got him, I stuck him soemwhere where he can alway sget used to my scent, yes my bra. And he now loves it in there and will try to go in there whenever I have him out. lol. But also he goes around my neck too, and if your a guy that is a good idea where to hold him. On your always move arm or something may scare her.

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Please do not take this as i am being rude towards yourself.Its not a good idea to tell people its ok to allow a snake to be around your neck.I know that ball pythons are least likely to kill someone but someone could misunderstand your comments and think its ok for ALL snakes to be around your neck.Now a ball python CAN bite you in the face so this should be enough reason not to allow ANY snake to be around your neck.

well i just got back from a little christmas abuse from the relatives and i'm about to get into my car (once again) to head up to walmart and see what i can do. i'll probably drop by the pet shop for the ceramic light as well. Anyways, that huge post was extremely informative and i thank you.

The hides i have been using are WAY too big. one is a 12 pack soda container, and the other is from my car stereo (roughly 10X8X4). So yea, uniform and small hides are something i need to correct.

While i was gone i put a piece of cardboard over half of her screen on the top. I don't have a Hygrometer yet but i'm guessing her humidity is going to be a little bit higher at least. *Thumbs up*

i turned up the space heater in my room and her aquarium strip (yes i know it's garbage) but it's reading 91 for the first time. so i hope that is both accurate and a big improvement.

When i got into my room, she was moving around her cage quite freely and she looked not stressed and happy. However, she did start to look at me like food again...bobbing her head at me and kind of peeking around. At least i know this is normal now and don't think that i have some BP from hell in my room :)

So things i'm going to correct (i like lists very much if you cannot tell)
1. 2 small uniform hide boxes on the cool and warm side.
2. UTH (under warm hide for now, unless you guys have a better location or i'll put it under the water bowl if humidity just won't go up!)
3. ditch the red light and go ceramic
4. Accu blah blah thermometer from wal mart
5. get her some more stuff to take up space, so she feels more secure, but i'm at least taking advantage of the bucks i dropped on the big cage
6. handle her slowly and at her pace...no need to rush it like you guys said

yes i am new to this but very dedicated to her and keeping her healthy and happy. I used to bread leapord geckos, but they did not require the kind of attention Lucy does. It was more like...drop in cage, keep warm, keep water.

Thanks all of you guys for the help you've given me, i'll become a regular to these forums i'm sure as my reptile collection increases and as my need for your expert assistance also increases :)

i go into the petstore with 80 bucks...and then realize how much it all is. I understand i was going ot have to order the thermostat, so i'm just ognna wait on that one for a bit. But i went ahead and bought the thermometer/hygrometer. and a ceramic bulb...i have friends over at the moment and have towels draped over her cage. she seems to be less skiddish than she was when they were googling at her from 2 inches away. However, i make this post because her humidity is around 25%....how dangerous is this? i understand that is extremely low! but how dangerous is this to my snake? is it lethal to have humidity too low? and how can i severely correct it? buy a humidifier? put my heatsource under her water source? pleaseee let me know. her warm side is at 93 and her cold side is 85 at the moment, so it appears that those are in check...but it's reading a fricking 25% humidity, which worries me deeply. Please help me quick!!! thank you

One simple solution is to mist the cage with a spray bottle a couple times a day. Moving the water bowl over the heat source will help as well. You want a water bowl with a large surface area.

One of the most important tips would be to cover the majority of your screen lid with plastic wrap, and leave only a small area open for the heat lamp.

You can also offer a humid hide as well.