New Ball Python Owner/Few questions

[SludgePuppy]

Hello I'm new here, my boyfriend and I have bought a young Mojave Ball Python we named Raul Pliskin (If you get the references good on ya!) I've handled snakes before from caring for my friends BP to a big Burmese that spent it's days in the vet office due to being run over (I helped feed and care for him). So when we talked it over I thought I was ready and knew as much as I could but Raul is different... He doesn't act like a ball python and it worries me that I am doing something wrong. We left him be as usual when we got him. We just fed him on Sunday and he took the F/T hopper like a champ even though he has been on live feed from the breeder. He's very good with handling and doesn't put up a fuss or get upset, I hardly see him ball up unless I accidently disturb his napping while trying to put him back and even then he just flickers his tongue and looks about as I set him in, sometimes he hugs my hand and trys to crawl up my arm which I don't know why. His temps/humidity are always checked and he has a hide on both sides, drinking water and we gave him a desert scene with tropical setting, he enjoys his stick and "Brahmin" skull so much that I think he'd be offended when he out grows them.

But I have become worried over his behavior. He's so calm, he sleeps as usual, he took his first meal no problems, he explores every now and again and when he is in my arms he curls up to nap or he acts like an ADHD child and crawls all over me flicking his tongue and climbing around me.

Our home is warm, it's Florida so I watch his humidity and temp like a hawk. We have a U.T.H with a thermostat and it stays between 87-93° F and his cooler side is 78-80°F with a middle temp between those. His humidity stays around 50-60% and we have a way to kick it to 70% if needed when he sheds. He doesn't spend forever in one side or the other, he regulates as needed.

No biting, no sign of aggression or stress. Matter of fact at the breeders out of all the snakes he didn't act crazy, look unhealthy and he even explored my hands and arms when I was talking to the breeder after he unballed.

I'm just worried I'm doing something wrong, people say if a BP is active then they are stressed but he hides and sleeps during the day and explores at night. He was fine with being fed in a separate bin and even drank water before fussing for warmth and at first I was worried putting him back would upset him but he wanted out so I put him in his tank and he was fine, two days later I see the lump of his last meal downed. BTW he ate VERY quickly for his first meal with us, like he grabbed the mouse right off the bat and I wiggled it a bit before letting him do his thing, ten minutes later no more mouse, I've seen it take longer but again he's my first BP.

Any advice would be welcomed. I this normal for them? Is he trying to tell me he's not happy or is he just super chill and content with a side of adventurousness in him? He looks healthy, nice flickering, no signs of RI or mites.

I'm just a worried mother hen and I want what's best for our special boy.

[Regius_049]

Everything sounds fine to me and it appears you have got yourself one of the less picky eaters, though this can change as time goes on.

At this moment in time I have 4 ball pythons, some young ones and some adults. Pretty much all of the them exhibit the behavior you are describing, relatively sedentary during the day, but come out to explore at night. As long as your snake is eating regularly and shedding well, there is no cause for concern. Typically if something is wrong with a ball python, be it improper temperatures, an illness, infection, or feeling insecure - they will let you know it by not eating.

[Albert Clark]

Congrats on the new python. He seems to be acting normal for a ball python. I would stop feeding him in a separate bin bc that only increases the stress and truly isn't necessary. Feeding him in his enclosure will help with his establishment.

[SludgePuppy]

Thank you for the replies!

I hear you but I feed him in a separate bin because that was how I was taught in the vet's office. Sure they hardly bite but it's the problem with bedding that could be accidentally swallowed and risk of infection to his housing if say the mouse got fluids on his bedding without my knowledge along with him learning "Bin = Feeding time" I was worried he would be stressed at first and if he was I would have put him back in and just tried a different time slowly getting him used to it, but (assuming because he lived in a bin before) he just slithered around until I presented the mouse and he took it right away and after he swallowed him I waited a spell before carefully putting him back, no regurgitation signs or issues. He had water and a heat lamp while in the bin and went to his warm hide straight away after.

My only concern is that it seems he is in the process of shedding, his eyes started to turn milky and his skin fading, the works. But a few minutes ago I heard him wheeze. I've been keeping his temps and humidity to opt while he is in shedding stages like I was taught, but I also remembered they tend to wheeze or make popping sounds when they go through the process. I am still taking him to a vet to be safe and keeping him hydrated, but I know how bad RI can be even with vet help.

[melcvt00]

A girl I work with recently got her first bp. I told her to not feed in a separate tank. However her friend that has had snakes for 20 years told her otherwise.

3 feedings in, guess what happened?

Unless one of the vets has a snake, they do their best to be knowledgable, but they just can't know everything about every species.

[Marzipan]

I presume that the vet you are talking about was referring to the very small possibility that the snake will swallow some of the aspen bedding and develop an issue from it.
This is highly unlikely, especially if you use feeding tongs with the rodents, and even if it does happen in small doses it is unlikely to be lethal. I recently asked the same question to my royal python local breeder/pet shop (5 star rating mind!) and he rubbished the theory. If anything, he told me, feeding pythons outside of there enclosure can lead to them feeling unsafe and it also limits regurgitation further since you are not them handling outside their enclosure. Additionally, he said if he had to take every snake out of the enclosure that he worked with for feeding time, he said it would take hours!
I would suggest investing in a good pair of tongs if you don't have some already so you can supervise the snakes eating.
Activity wise, it seems like your python might just be active because of being young but if you have checked the temps, humidity, python is still eating etc, then it is probably fine, but just keep an eye out in case. They all have different personalities so it could just be you got yourself a lively one!

[SludgePuppy]

Closing this thread.

Since this post I've had to feed him separately if he chooses so. Sometimes he'll accept food in his tank, sometimes moving him to his bin works if he didn't take it in his cage (idk why)

He's very lively and to be honest makes me worry sometimes cause it's like, "usually ball pythons act like this but you're doing the exact opposite..."

He's never bitten anyone, not even striked, though we came to learn the poor baby can't do long scary hisses, instead he puffs and lets out lil "fshh" noises but he only does that if you accidentally wake him or startle him, even then he relaxes just as quick. We deemed him to not have a mean bone in his body unless he's eating.

He does like cartoons though, boomerang is his favorite channel and he never moved unless it's commercial break lol.