Silly questions (I think I'm paranoid..)

[Dianna]

I've had my female adult BP for a little over a week now (she was given to me, previous owner didn't want to care for her anymore) I'm new to the BP world, so I'm a little paranoid I think.

-Do Ball Pythons yawn? I've caught my girl yawn a handful of times since I brought her home (I watch her a lot) It's absolutely *adorable* but I'm wondering if it's normal.

-Do Ball Pythons make noise? A couple times she has made a small noise... It sounds almost like a hiss, or similar to a tiny tiny sneeze. She's only done it when shes active in the evening & exploring her cage. Should I be concerned?

And finally, a not so silly question...

-Can someone recommend a reliable, easy to use scale? I'd like to know what she weighs, and I'd also like to start weighing her food.

She currently eats 2 mice per week, and has *never* eaten a rat (previous owner was afraid of rats-go figure) For now I'm not going to try to fix what's not broken, but in the not so distant future I'd like to introduce her to rats, and I'd like to be sure I don't over feed or offer a rat too big.

[Sarin]

Welcome to BP.net first off!

BP's yawn mostly to realign their jaw but it isn't often, and because you are hearing 'hissing' sounds this does sound like the start of an RI. If you see any liquid around her mouth I would contact a Herp vet. But for keep a close eye on her and make sure your temperatures and humidity are spot on. (50-60% humidity, 90-93 warm side, 80-83 cool side)

Kitchen scales are good. You can get them for a decent price at Walmart or any other super store. Just make sure you look at its maximum limit.

2 mice a week seem a little small for an adult female BP. When you get your scale weigh her and see what she needs to be eating every week. I feed my 2400 gram girl a medium rat every 7 days.

Good luck!

[Danounet]

My 2 babies yawn pretty often, not so much anymore, but they still do.

[seeya205]

My 2 month old yawns every once in a while!

[Dianna]

Welcome to BP.net first off!

BP's yawn mostly to realign their jaw but it isn't often, and because you are hearing 'hissing' sounds this does sound like the start of an RI. If you see any liquid around her mouth I would contact a Herp vet. But for keep a close eye on her and make sure your temperatures and humidity are spot on. (50-60% humidity, 90-93 warm side, 80-83 cool side)

Kitchen scales are good. You can get them for a decent price at Walmart or any other super store. Just make sure you look at its maximum limit.

2 mice a week seem a little small for an adult female BP. When you get your scale weigh her and see what she needs to be eating every week. I feed my 2400 gram girl a medium rat every 7 days.

Good luck!

Thank you so much! I've only heard the hiss a couple times, on 2 different occasions, there weren't multiple hisses in a row. I have not noticed any liquid around her mouth, but I will continue to watch her like a hawk. On monday I'm going to call my favourite vet who treats my cats to make sure they also provide care for reptiles, I would assume they do but I want to be sure.

I may schedule a vet check-up for her in the next couple weeks just for peace of mind. Is that a bad idea? Would it cause more stress than it's worth?

I thought two mice per week seemed a little weak also... Tonight is time for a feeding, should I offer her a third mouse? Is it okay to feed that many in one day?