adopted a ball python new here a bit scared

[exotica0095]

the heating pad is set to 90
the tank temp says only 70

the humidity says 70


im worried its to cold and humid?

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Why do you think moravaguy has "reptile dysfunction" in yellow under his name. He has received so many bad rep points that it says that now. It means that member is not someone who contributes in an educational and polite way.

At least more people spoke up and gave some more advice. It was 2am when I was trying to give advice and I was tired lol.

To the OP and the roommate. Good luck with the new BP and post pictures in the picture thread when you have time if you haven't already. Welcome to BPnet.

For the tank, cover the top with something to hold heat in. I use small blankets for a quarantine tank I have to cover the top.

[moravaguy]

Yes, it's aggravating when someone throws your well-founded advice in your face. It's totally understandable to be angry because of it. But that isn't going to help change anyone's mind. It just makes them more likely to go off and do whatever they want. They'll then ignore your advice simply to spite you for getting angry with them. It's more helpful for the person and their snake to be nice and state the possible consequences of doing things their way. Then it's up to them to listen, because you did everything you could at that point.

I wouldn't get angry because I'm concerned for their snake if nothing else and they definitely won't want to listen to an angry, rude person.

so everytime a newby gets on here and tells an experienced person they are wrong your supposed to just keep helping them more? i guess i will have to try to work on that.

[exotica0095]

but not the whole top right so the snake can at least get some air?


aLSO my book says i do not have to change the bedding in the tank for about 3 months wow is this true? thats a long time! it says in the mean time just whipe the insides of the tank with water and paper towls once a week.

[Danounet]

Hey Welcome!

but not the whole top right so the snake can at least get some air?


aLSO my book says i do not have to change the bedding in the tank for about 3 months wow is this true? thats a long time! it says in the mean time just wipe the insides of the tank with water and paper towls once a week.

First of all, we are not sure which book and by who you have. Some of the info there could be very well be outdated. 3 Months seems like a long time, I would do it once a month at least, depending on what you are using. I use newspaper so I have to clean the whole thing out when they pee or defecate.

What substrate are you using? be aware that pine shavings is toxic to snakes and reptiles in general.

You can try bumping the temp to 92. But remember that "thinking" is too cold is not the same as being cold. You need an accurate way of reading temp, or your snake will pay the price.

You can cover most of the top. They dont require as much oxygen as mammals do.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Depending on what you use for bedding, a month is about what I do. For aspen bedding you can spot clean. Scoop out the poo and wet area when they go. For news paper or brown packing paper, change it when they go. As for the top. They actually do not need as much ventilation as you would think. Many of us that use a reptile rack with tubs do not have holes in the tubs. The only ventilation is the tiny gap between the top edge of the tub and the shelf it slides into. You can cover most of the top and only leave a couple inches or so on one side for ventilation. If you are using a towel or something cloth, you dont even need to leave a gap since fabric breathes.

[Kaorte]

You want the probe for the heat controller outside the tank so the snake can't move it around. If the snake moves the probe, the UTH can over heat and burn your snake.

You can tape the probe directly to the UTH outside the enclosure.

The digital thermometer probe should go right on the glass where the UTH is under the substrate.

I would also recommend replacing the log hide with two cave like hides. This can be a plastic container or bowl. Or you could spring for the naturalistic looking ones that most pet stores carry. Ball pythons like tight cramped hides. A log hide cannot fulfill this.

[wispurs]

I just want to say, Thank you for all the people putting up with me being a brat. steve is right, i was being defensive and i really appreciate all the help people have given despite how rude i was. I think im getting ready to start my monthly and i always get a bit emotional.

As far as the taping the probe to the outside of the tank, its one of those sticky heating pads that go on the bottom of the tank, should i tape it to the outside of the sticky part? or the inside?

Also, i know everyone says he doesnt want to be held, but it really seems like he does, and i really want to hold him, so how long can i hold him for? exotica thinks i can only take him out for 5 mins at a time, is that true?

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Yes, you want the probe for the thermostat (heat control) to be right on the UTH. Tape is with some strong tape directly to the UTH. That way it is monitoring the temp of the UTH right at the source. The little probe for the thermometer needs to lay on the glass inside the tank, inside the hide on the hot side. Then the unit should go on the cool side. The humidity is not too high. 60/65 is more preferable but as long as there is no moisture on the glass or the bedding, the snake will be fine.

BPs do not get sick from high humidity. They get sick (RI) from low humidity and low temps. Its better to be on the higher side for humidity then to be too low.

[stevepoppers]

I just have too much free time this summer, so I hang out and say what I think the more experienced people will say. If I've butchered advice and made things more complicated, I'm sorry to whomever that may effect. If it's made the senior members' jobs harder or newbies' learning more confusing, I apologize because that's what I feel I may have done here. I figured nothing happens here at night and I could help out.

If you haven't already stuck the heating pad to the tank, put the thermostat probe between the pad and the tank and don't use the stickiness--use tape so you can easily remove it and reuse it. If you have, removing it can damage it, so let it be and tape the probe to the outside of it. Use whatever tape you can, but in the long term, foil tape has been said to be the only that doesn't lose it's sticky because of the heat.

Everyone says don't handle them at all until they've eaten for you a few times. I'm not going to tell you that any amount of handling is ok right now because I really don't think it is. It's what I've been told by more experienced people than I, and it makes sense for wild animals that don't socialize with humans normally. Dogs are domestic. Cats are domestic. We've been living with them and they us for thousands of years. Humans have never lived with snakes.