New Member

[wbt1208]

Hi all

We now have a gorgeous female Ball Python called Coco so thought I'd join here to learn more etc about her care, needs and knowledge of snakes as a whole.

Be gentle with me, this is my first forage into the snake world... lol.

And yes, expect and please excuse any silly questions. I now Im on a very steep learning curve. But want to get Coco's care right first time... *thumbs up*

Her viv is the one on the right

WBT12


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[MissterDog]

Welcome to the forum! A great place to learn and expand your knowledge with a community more than willing to help you along the way! Coco is adorable and with an owner willing to prioritize her well being above all else, I'd say Coco is in good hands

That being said how big is she compared to her hides? I admit they look pretty massive! Ball pythons prefer snug fitting, low hides to feel secure. So as nice as those hides will be when she gets older, I'm thinking it may be a good idea to get swap them or add a more appropriate sized hide. It would also be better if she had matching hides so she can thermoregulate properly without favoring one hide over the other. Just a suggestion in case you're interested!

Coco has the cutest face! ^_^

[wbt1208]

Cheers Missterdog.

Did feel the hides may be over large but as its my son's BP he chose it all. May see if we can find a lower one to go inside the big one. Thank you

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[Tonald Drump]

As a relatively new member myself, I feel obliged to welcome you. And I agree with Misster, you seem to highly prioritize Coco, so he's in good hands! I found this caresheet on Google, and I'm still using it to this very day. It is a long read, but itvll be helpful in the future, so enjoy! http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care...s/Ball-Python/



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[artgecko]

Welcome to the forum! I started out here as well... 10 years and 12 snakes later, I'd have to say I'm hooked lol.

If the hides are too large, you can wad up paper inside them and that will help her feel more secure.

Feel free to check out all the forums and ask as many questions as you like. I'd recommend checking out all the "stickies" at the tops of the different sub forums and also use the advanced search to see if any topics you are interested in have been discussed in the past. This forum has been around a long time so there is a wealth of knowledge here to help you grow in the hobby.

Nice viv btw!

[SDA]

Welcome to the forum. You will learn so much here but don't feel overwhelmed. So long as your snake is eating and not stressed, any improvements you learn can be taken slow.

Personal tip, you could put at least the country you are in in your user profile (there is an option for location) as that helps loads with answering questions about the availability of supplies and such. For example, what is available in the states might not be in Canada. If you feel trusting enough the state (if in the USA) can help tons with husbandry like temperatures and humidity.

Please don't feel embarrassed to ask any questions, this place is the spot for answer, no matter how silly you think they are.

[EL-Ziggy]

Welcome and best wishes wbt. Very nice BP. What are you using as a heat source and is it controlled with a thermostat? Once your husbandry is dialed in the rest is a pretty easy.

[wbt1208]

Hi all

Thanks for the lovely welcome. Much appreciated. I will, over time, read all the various suggestions. Anything to help make sure I give Coco the best I can.

Haha... expect lots of silly questions from me, Im good at that... lol. Rather ask and look possibly silly than not ask at all... *wink*

Like the idea of filling the hides with paper. Will do that later. Good call.

I would put my location in (BTW I am in Suffolk, England) but cant seem to find out how to edit my profile. I am using Tapatalk. Do I need yo use the web site via Chrome instead?

My heat source is the basking buld I was sold with the set up. Obviously this isnt left on at night so at present I leave an external heater on in the lounge. Have been looking at thermostats and other heating options. Thought about taking out the bulb, pop in a ceramic heater (which eliminates my night time light concern) and attach it to the correct type of thermostat.

One of my next questions was to be to ask for suggestions and recommendations. Would need a thermostat that can be programmed somehow to reduce heat levels at night time. Any thoughts please?

Hope not missed anything from the replies but will reread them later.

Once again thank you all...

WBT12

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[artgecko]

Not sure if they sell them in the UK, but herpstat is a good thermostat brand. I have a herpstat 2 and 4.

For heating, you can replace the basking bulb you have with a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) that will emit heat, but not light. It can be controlled with a dimming switch to adjust power, just like with a basking bulb. If you don't already have a temperature gun, you might want to get one. They are cheap and can be used to read the temperature directly below the basking spot and on the cooler side of the tank.

For my snakes, I use an under tank heating pad controlled by a t-stat, on some species, I use a basking setup like yours or a CHE for nocturnal animals that need heat at night. I also have an oil-filled space heater hooked up to an industrial t-stat that keeps my reptile room an acceptable temperature (for cool side temps). That runs 24/7.

[SDA]

I did a little digging. In the states we use a thermostat called a jumpstart as a low cost solution to controlling heating pads and the such.

I found one on Amazon UK that is the same type with the crazy style plugs you Brits have

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ROOT-T-Ther.../dp/B00I3C9DEQ

This will get your heating under control. Heat pads often called undertank heaters are the most common controlled by these but with the woooden cage type that is popular in your country, I am not really sure what to offer aside from overhead heating. I assume you have a wire guard around the lamp bulb. If so you could always switch to a ceramic heat emitter and use the above thermostat to control it. You would place the probe inside the cage under the ceramic emitter and plug the emitter bulb cord into the thermostat.

This is an example of a ceramic heat emitter. It does not produce light so you cna keep it on 24/7

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MvPower-Cer.../dp/B00QGITSBM


This is an example of a wire cage that should already be in the enclosure that protects the snake from coming into contact with a heat source

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Repstyle-Ro.../dp/B008184RJ8