Expert advice for a new Ball Python owner

[CryHavoc17]

If you research online you will come up with multiple cases of educational research in the nutritional aspects of rats and mice. But as I said in my previous post if the BP owner is supplementing their BP then all this nutritional info is worthless as the majority of there BP nutrition is coming from the sups.

How exactly does one go about using supplements with a BP? Ive heard of such a thing, please enlighten me.



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[fcon]

you can dust the rodent or put sups in the BPs water. These are the methods I use. There are probably other ways.

[200xth]

I've seen the report on what each type of prey contains, but where's the report outlining the nutritional requirements of BP's? I'm not understanding how people are deciding what kind of supplements and how much of each supplement an animal should receive when the requirements of said animal are unknown.

[CryHavoc17]

you can dust the rodent or put sups in the BPs water. These are the methods I use. There are probably other ways.

This is such utter nonsense. Their is no evidence to suggest any sort of dietary supplementation is neccicary or even a good idea. Ive been at this for a while now and have never heard of anyone actually doing this.

All we truly know about ball pythons's nutritional needs is this: a snake fed a diet of appropriately sized whole mammalian prey will thrive and live a very long time. Any other speculation on nutritional needs or diet is conjecture at best, or more likely completely made up nonsense.

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[Tiffanie]

How exactly does one go about using supplements with a BP? Ive heard of such a thing, please enlighten me.



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I thought supplements were more for lizards but I could be totally wrong. If anyone has experience with this please share! Thanks all!

[bcr229]

The only supplement I've ever given a snake was ReptiBAC for a regurging boa to help get her gut flora re-established. Otherwise snakes shouldn't need a supplement.

[fcon]

I love the passion on here! its so....touching! everyone obviously do things differently!

Yeah sups generally are more used for lizards. I dust all my Chameleons food every other day but also dust my 18 BPs twice a month plus add water treatment with added calcium to my youngens to assist them.

Its not "utter nonsense" it is what I have done for years and what I have been taught to and what I have been advised to do in the past.

[Spike89]

Congratulations on your new addition....If you are worried about possible damage to the pad you can always pick up some Flexwatt very cheap. I buy mine for $3.49 per ft. I am currently using 12"x12" Flexwatt for my tubs. You can hold it to the bottom of the tank with aluminum tape. Regulating is the same as the pad. If it ever malfunctions it's cheap to replace, and possibly easier to get off.
As for the food, we switched to F/T with my wife's BP right away. He wouldn't eat it at first but after a couple days of trying we had a brilliant strike. We currently feed him rat pups because someone told us it was easier for him to digest while he is this small. It's all here say but what could it hurt.

[Spike89]

Oh yeah the same person told us that we should feed our corn snake one pinky at a time more often then a few at one time. He said it would possibly help him metabolize it better that way and help growth. I would assume if this is true that the same would be true for a BP.

[fLako0aGuiiLaR]

You can get this thermostat http://www.ebay.com/itm/141177127278

A lot of people uses it because is not expensive like the other and it does a relly good job i used it for couple of years with my balls pythons and neer had a problem
And its agfordable