Is my general care and maintenance stressing out my ball python?

[reknirt]

I'm a new snake owner with a 3 month old ball python and this board has made me really paranoid. According to basically all the posts every ball python in existence is either sick, refusing to eat, covered in mites, has stuck shed, etc.

Anyway, I just hope I'm doing everything right. That being said, I'm curious if my general care and maintenance of my snake is stressing him out. He's not displaying any symptoms,:cens0r: and he seems great, just in general I'm curious.

For instance, I've only "handled" him once in the two weeks I've had him because people say not to handle them until they're eating consistently. I've fed mine once since I've had him, successfully, and will feed again tomorrow. But I do go in his tank daily to check temps with my temp gun, change water, or lift his hide to check for dumps/urates since he likes to do that in there. I also lift his hide while he's in it to remoisten his spaghnum moss since I have him in a glass tank. He definitely doesn't like when I lift his hide up.

Anyway, I'm curious how much stress this general care and maintenance causes? I assume it's worth the risk since he gets to live in a clean, warm, humid home. But everytime I do lift his hide for a legitimate reason I feel like I'm forever harming him. With all the stories on here its not hard to start viewing these great animals as immensely fragile.

He's out exploring now. And I was so excited when I got him to watch him explore his tank, now I'm just paranoid that he's desperately trying to escape because he's super stressed.

[Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/N1ELmRd.jpg)[Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/uZ7PmA2.jpg)

[Smitty33]

I think they're a lot hardier than folks give them credit for, that said it sure doesn't hurt to try and be spot on with your husbandry and I actually enjoy that as part of the hobby as well. Sounds to me like your doing just fine. He'll get used to your checks and maintanence in his tank.
Get a couple more meals in him and you could start handling him a little more. Start slow and go from there. By the way he sure is a handsome fellow as well!!

[PitOnTheProwl]

Need more information about your husbandry?
Humidity, Temperatures, what you are using for heat and how are you regulating it?

[M.P.C]

All of this plus how your measuring temps and humidity

Need more information about your husbandry?
Humidity, Temperatures, what you are using for heat and how are you regulating it?

[reknirt]

There's nothing wrong with my husbandry. I'm obsessive about measuring everything. I'm just curious how much stress my general maintenance causes my new snake.

[MrGriffyn]

Only thing I wouldnt do is lift up his hide when its in there, it will make it feel not safe in there if you do that frequently.

[lorrainesmom]

I am so glad I'm not the only one who stresses like that! When I first got back into snake keeping after 25 years, I found out everything had changed. Years ago, I had a ball python and a corn snake, just like now. Back then, the only feeders available to me were live feeders, and the only heating I knew about were the heat rocks. My ball was a wild caught, who didn't eat the entire time I had her. I I had no idea that so many of them never successfully transitioned. I eventually traded her back to the pet store for a yellow rat snake. After a couple years, I fell in love with a feeder rat and sold the snakes.

Fast forward 25 years later, Frozen feeders are readily available, husbandry has evolved to under tank heaters, thermostats, custom made enclosures and tons of information right at your fingertips. I was still hesitant to get back into reptile keeping, afraid I would do something wrong, or take pity on a feeder, or any number of things would go wrong. I read constantly, lurked on this website, researched care guides of corn snakes, Ball Pythons, Lizards, and Boas.

I still stressed, until I saw Snickers. A hissy, adorable, baby corn noodle. I purchased all the requirements, dialed in the paramaters, and lost tons of sleep stressing over whether I was doing everything right. I even asked the owner of a reptile rescue to please come and check Snickers habitat. He sat me down, asked me about the husbandry, looked at pictures, and told me that I needed to chill out. I did it all over again with Lorraine, my ball python, and yet a third time with Onyx, my Uromastyx.

What I'm trying to say is that no matter how good your husbandry is, how experienced you become, your gonna worry. Some worry is good, it means that you care about your pets well-being, that your trying to do your best. Read up on your husbandry, get the right equipment, and don't be afraid to ask the right people.

Your in the right place to ask any questions you have. No matter how many questions I have, usually there is a topic on this site that covers that very question. I don't post here often, usually I read the threads, and soak up the wisdom.

[reknirt]

I am so glad I'm not the only one who stresses like that! When I first got back into snake keeping after 25 years, I found out everything had changed. Years ago, I had a ball python and a corn snake, just like now. Back then, the only feeders available to me were live feeders, and the only heating I knew about were the heat rocks. My ball was a wild caught, who didn't eat the entire time I had her. I I had no idea that so many of them never successfully transitioned. I eventually traded her back to the pet store for a yellow rat snake. After a couple years, I fell in love with a feeder rat and sold the snakes.

Fast forward 25 years later, Frozen feeders are readily available, husbandry has evolved to under tank heaters, thermostats, custom made enclosures and tons of information right at your fingertips. I was still hesitant to get back into reptile keeping, afraid I would do something wrong, or take pity on a feeder, or any number of things would go wrong. I read constantly, lurked on this website, researched care guides of corn snakes, Ball Pythons, Lizards, and Boas.

I still stressed, until I saw Snickers. A hissy, adorable, baby corn noodle. I purchased all the requirements, dialed in the paramaters, and lost tons of sleep stressing over whether I was doing everything right. I even asked the owner of a reptile rescue to please come and check Snickers habitat. He sat me down, asked me about the husbandry, looked at pictures, and told me that I needed to chill out. I did it all over again with Lorraine, my ball python, and yet a third time with Onyx, my Uromastyx.

What I'm trying to say is that no matter how good your husbandry is, how experienced you become, your gonna worry. Some worry is good, it means that you care about your pets well-being, that your trying to do your best. Read up on your husbandry, get the right equipment, and don't be afraid to ask the right people.

Your in the right place to ask any questions you have. No matter how many questions I have, usually there is a topic on this site that covers that very question. I don't post here often, usually I read the threads, and soak up the wisdom.

Thanks very much for your reply. I'm glad I'm not the only one!