Hey all,
I've been researching and planning to get a BP for about a year now and was just waiting for the right opportunity. Well, fate made it happen a week ago and now I'm the proud caretaker of a little BP. I don't know the sex because I got "him" from PetCo. I fully intended to buy from a breeder but I saw the snake (who I am tentatively calling "Ajani") on sale for $37 and decided to talk to the reptile person. I was told Ajani is very docile but curious, a great eater, and is only on sale because they ordered a bunch of new products and need space. I wandered around the store for a long time and every time I walked by Ajani's case, he peeked his head out of his hide to look at me. I couldn't say no.
Now, he lives in a glass terrarium (36x18x16) with an UTH and I use a litterbox for a water dish. The water is about 1/2 inch high. There is 1 log hide over the heat source and he hides in the space between the litterbox and the wall on the cool side. There's an analog hygrometer in there now reading ~60%. I keep a moist towel covering 2/3 of the mesh top and a sheer black curtain covering 2 of the 3 exposed sides. I have a digital thermometer/hygrometer and a thermostat from Amazon on the way. I'm using Repti-Bark for substrate but I think I will switch to cypress mulch in the future. Picture: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwP...it?usp=sharing
Ajani is eating single hopper mice right now. Took him a couple tries last Sunday (I tried feeding him in a box outside of his enclosure and he grabbed the prey but didn't eat it). He seemed really interested so I put him back in his tank for a couple hours and tried the feeding again, this time with success.
Right now I'm really nervous because I have no experience with snakes. I don't know what is normal and what to be concerned about, unless it's something really obvious. I am a dog expert and feel very confident I am taking excellent care of my dog (people often guess she's 1 or 2 years old and she's 8). I want to give the same level of care to my snake.
Questions:
I need some good references of body condition. What does thin look like? What does fat look like? I learn best from pictures.
How old is this snake? I have no idea. Are length measurements a reliable age reference?
How do I know when to increase food size? Should I try to switch to rats? What size of rat is equivalent to a hopper mouse?
My snake hissed at me the other day and turned around like he was ready to strike. I left him alone and the next day he was fine. Should I be concerned? Should I have left him alone or handled him anyway? How often should I handle him if he's still pretty timid?
What is the best way to heat the ambient air of the tank? He travels and hides on both the warm and cool sides every day (usually on the cool side during the middle of the day and the warm side in the early morning).
Does it matter if I know what sex my snake is? Should I take him to a vet for a check up even if he seems fine? Should I have the vet sex him?
Here are some pictures. I appreciate any comments or advice people have.
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