N00B Lessons Learned :)

[Garnet]

Here are some things I'm learning about my normal boy, Skull.

1. He likes it cooler than other ball pythons I've read about. Anything over 88 and he gets obviously uncomfortable. He spends a lot of time on the cool side of his tank.
2. I know that little snake brains are basically ones and zeroes but it seems my little guy likes to be handled. With the exception of the 48 hours after feeding, if we don't handle him, he gets pissy. We take him out, handle him gently for a half hour or so and he calms right down.
3. Oh, I tend to be cold a lot. I've learned that I have to make sure that my hands are warm or he's not so happy to be handled by me.
4. He's more my husband's snake than mine. My husband will put his hand in the tank and Skull will move into his hand.
5. He's a strong feeder. He zaps his prey hard and fast.
6. I warm his frozen prey up in water. We have shredded coconut substrate. I've learned to dry his prey better so he doesn't coat it in substrate while he's eating.
7. Speaking of prey, head first, ass first, it doesn't matter. I think he'd swallow it sideways if he could.
8. Yes, young pythons do indeed climb. We have a piece of driftwood (actually dried grape vine) in his tank. It has become his personal jungle gym. Little dude spends a lot of time on it.
9. We've learned not to offer prey while he is climbing. We fed him tonight and introduced the prey while he was up climbing from the drift wood to the humidity sprayer. We thought he'd just come down. No. Apparently he forgot how to get down! Hubby had to move him.
10. He has routines. He's active when I get home from work (dusk), early in the morning (dawn) and around 11 pm to midnight. During the early evening to very early morning hours, he's in his cool hide. Sometime later (we're not sure precisely when cause hubs and I are sleeping) he moves to his warm hide and stays there until the late afternoon.

Any other N00Bs want to share lessons learned?

[gaiaeagle]

My lesson is always use tongs with some of my ball pythons. My normal girls will try to take your fingers off or miss the rat and take the tongs (I have photographic evidence of this, see below). They are scary when it is feeding time.

One of my normal girls trying to strangle the feeding tongs.

[Garnet]

OK, I dang near spit some beer out! Too funny!

[Master Taran]

I can put an open hand down, palm up with thumb extended, in the terrarium and have him come up and only 'taste' my thumb.

[Garnet]

By the way, MT is my hubs.

It is the damndest thing, though. Skull just tastes (tongue flicks) MT's thumb and fingers. Often times, Skull will just slither up into MT's palm like it's some kind of snake elevator.

[Garnet]

By the way, my avatar is Skull coming out of MT's pocket the very day we brought him home.

[Badgemash]

I know that little snake brains are basically ones and zeroes but it seems my little guy likes to be handled. With the exception of the 48 hours after feeding, if we don't handle him, he gets pissy. We take him out, handle him gently for a half hour or so and he calms right down

I've noticed this too with some of mine, and it's definitely gender based. 3 out of 4 of my males behave this way to varying degrees, but not a single one out of 6 girls (need to update my sig line ).

[Garnet]

I've noticed this too with some of mine, and it's definitely gender based. 3 out of 4 of my males behave this way to varying degrees, but not a single one out of 6 girls (need to update my sig line ).

Interesting!

[rtman26]

Very entertaining.

Lessons I've learned:

- While BP's might not be the most graceful of snakes, they definitely will climb up and perch on something safe. Mine spends most of his time out at the top of his terrarium.
- My snake doesn't LIKE to be held, he TOLERATES it. But for only as long as it takes him to get away and find a place to hide......He tries like hell, with much opposition, to get inside of my sofa.
- If you need to put your snake down and walk away, put them on hardwood floor. They (at least mine anyway) have a difficult time moving on things that are somewhat slippery. It buys you some extra time before they "escape".
- Even small ones are VERY strong. If he's holding on to his climbing stick when I try to take him out, even only using the end of his tail, the stick is coming out too. And it weighs a few pounds. Rather impressive if you ask me. That's similar to me lifting my body weight with one arm.
- He definitely has moods. Sometimes I open the lid and get the "Unless there's a mouse in that hand don't put it in here" look. And other days it's more of an "ok we can do this" look.

All in all, he's fascinating!