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  1. #1
    Registered User Stheno's Avatar
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    New Snake Owner! Hi From Minnesota!

    Hello everyone! My name is Kaitlyn and I am a very recent first time snake owner! I purchased my first BP on December 4th from a local Petsmart store which I know people find questionable sometimes, but the one I go to is filled with caring & knowledgeable people who take care of their animals, and I'd never buy from a place that I knew did not take care of their animals.

    Of course the downsides of this is I have no idea how old exactly my BP or its gender, though I can infer it is young as it's quite small. I've named my BP Augustus at the moment, and can always change it to Agusta should it turn out female. Only time will tell, as I don't want to take any risks trying to "pop" so to speak, to find out. Either way it doesn't really matter to me as I have no plans of ever really getting into breeding as I am already invested in Budgie breeding. ^_^

    Here is a blurry picture of him since my phone didn't want to cooperate at the time. I was told at the time of his purchase, as well as learned from just handling him, is that he is quite a friendly and sociable snake! He actually just finished shedding for the first time for me which was quite the experience for me, he ended up needing assistance but it didn't take long to get all the shed. He just has an eye cap still on him but from what I've seen, the best course is to leave it and it will either come off on its own from proper husbandry or it will come off the next shed.

    So far everything has gone good for my new BP, now I just need to get him to eat! He is on (frozen) mouse fuzzies at the moment since that was what he was on at the store and I have been warned he likes to not eat some weeks, but this sounds just like any other BP. Plus since he was going into a shed when I got him, I think he just needs to get comfy again and I think he'll start eating again.

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    Re: New Snake Owner! Hi From Minnesota!

    Quote Originally Posted by Stheno View Post
    Hello everyone! My name is Kaitlyn and I am a very recent first time snake owner! I purchased my first BP on December 4th from a local Petsmart store which I know people find questionable sometimes, but the one I go to is filled with caring & knowledgeable people who take care of their animals, and I'd never buy from a place that I knew did not take care of their animals.

    Of course the downsides of this is I have no idea how old exactly my BP or its gender, though I can infer it is young as it's quite small. I've named my BP Augustus at the moment, and can always change it to Agusta should it turn out female. Only time will tell, as I don't want to take any risks trying to "pop" so to speak, to find out. Either way it doesn't really matter to me as I have no plans of ever really getting into breeding as I am already invested in Budgie breeding. ^_^

    Here is a blurry picture of him since my phone didn't want to cooperate at the time. I was told at the time of his purchase, as well as learned from just handling him, is that he is quite a friendly and sociable snake! He actually just finished shedding for the first time for me which was quite the experience for me, he ended up needing assistance but it didn't take long to get all the shed. He just has an eye cap still on him but from what I've seen, the best course is to leave it and it will either come off on its own from proper husbandry or it will come off the next shed.

    So far everything has gone good for my new BP, now I just need to get him to eat! He is on (frozen) mouse fuzzies at the moment since that was what he was on at the store and I have been warned he likes to not eat some weeks, but this sounds just like any other BP. Plus since he was going into a shed when I got him, I think he just needs to get comfy again and I think he'll start eating again.
    Welcome to the forum!!

    Unfortunately, one of the downfalls to the big box stores is under feeding. Mouse fuzzies are too small for a BP even as hatchlings. They eat hoppers for their first few meals and move up to adult mice or rat fuzzies.

    Use this chart as a guideline and you'll be good to go.

    Sent from my SM-J327T1 using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    BPnet Senior Member tttaylorrr's Avatar
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    Re: New Snake Owner! Hi From Minnesota!

    welcome from IL!

    for a young beep, the main reason for not eating is husbandry issues, as babies are voracious eaters when their needs are met. "likes to not eat some weeks" sounds dismissive of their responsibility to ensure the animal is properly cared for (i.e. eating). do not believe this line of thinking as it really should only be applied to established adults.

    could you give us a run-down of your husbandry? enclosure, equipment, temps and humidity, etc?
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  5. #4
    BPnet Lifer EL-Ziggy's Avatar
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    Re: New Snake Owner! Hi From Minnesota!

    Congrats on the new BP Kaitlyn. Snakes are awesome pets. Your critter looks a little thin but nothing a few meals and some TLC won't cure. Like the others have said make sure your husbandry is dialed in and your snake should eat, poop, and shed with no issues. These are all first time victories and milestones for new keepers. It'll be hard but it's also probably best to avoid handling your new addition until he's eaten 2-3 times. Once they've settled in comfortably everything should go pretty smoothly. Best wishes, keep us posted on your progress, and keep the pics flowing!
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  6. #5
    BPnet Veteran Aedryan Methyus's Avatar
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    Congratulations on your new friend and welcome to the forum! I would imagine your snake probably hatched somewhere between June and September 2017. It has always amazed me how major chain pet stores don't even have people running their reptile departments, who at least know how to sex snakes and can't simply verify their sex or birth dates through the breeders the animals are purchased from. That is unbelievable to me... He/she definitely looks extremely thin to me, so the sooner you can get the snake eating the better. Their first few months are the most crucial. You definitely came to the right place, though. There are a lot of extremely knowledgeable people here that will be happy to help you. The first place to start in getting the snake to eat is making sure all of your husbandry is spot on. I'm sure they told you at the pet store that an aquarium would be perfect, but they aren't, because they don't hold humidity. If you are using an aquarium, I would highly recommend switching to a plastic tote with locking handles and drilling holes in the front and along the sides for ventilation. Otherwise, you can try duct taping some heavy plastic over the wire/screen top on the aquarium with a few holes in it here and there. Keeping humidity levels up during the winter is a non-stop battle for me here in PA and I would imagine it probably is in MN as well. I strive to keep humidity at no less than 50% - 60% year round. I also don't recommend using heat lights, because they can dry out the enclosure, as well as the snake even more. I recommend under-belly heat. Either way, a good thermostat is a necessity, so you can properly regulate the heat. You will also need a hygrometer in the enclosure to monitor humidity and a digital laser infrared thermometer for checking the surface temperatures throughout the enclosure. A hot spot of 88 - 92 degrees, ambient temperatures between 78 and 80 degrees and a cool spot that is no less than 75 degrees is ideal.

    So, most importantly, you need to make sure the snake's basic needs are being met with the above. I would recommend giving the snake a 2 week settling in period without handling him/her or offering any food. Then I would offer every 5 days to start with, being sure to heat up the frozen/thawed prey with a hair dryer real good (repeatedly if necessary) when you are trying to feed. Then if the snake doesn't eat within a couple feedings I would definitely consider getting a few appropriate size live meals in before attempting to feed frozen/thawed again, so you can get some weight on him/her...

  7. #6
    Registered User Stheno's Avatar
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    Thanks for the replies everyone! I will definitely get him some bigger food, I figured what they were feeding him was kinda small, cause I know you can feed them stuff as big as the biggest part of their body, and some people say you can even feed a little bit bigger than that, I just didn't want to try switching up his food right after purchasing him to give him time to settle in.

    The tank I use is a 30 with a screen top, which I cover about 50% of the top with clear acrylic to help keep in humidity. The substrate is Eco-Earth which really helps to hold onto moisture. He currently has a large ZooMed Habbahut on his warm side which stays around 90F which is warmed up with a ZooMed heatmat that goes under the tank. I control and monitor the heat with an Apollo Horticulture Heat Mat Thermostat Controller which is usually for plant heat mats but works perfectly fine with the ZooMed and has a probe that goes with it.

    He has a second hide coming soon that I will be putting on the cool side, along with a new ExoTerra Hygrometer since my old one is kinda broke. I also ordered some Sphagnum Moss to put in the tank that should hold some moisture in it to help with the dry air. He also has a large water dish. My biggest issue is probably the humidity so I've been misting the tank almost everyday when he isn't out exploring his tank.

    They had warned me he was underweight for his size, so I asked them to give me all the data they had on him for his eating habits. I've been following for the most part their same feeding schedule. Feeding Chart. I kinda experimented a little but decided just to stick to every Wednesday so I didn't pester him about food, but I am worried! I will feel a lot more at ease once he finally eats something.

    Let me know what you all think!
    Last edited by Stheno; 12-29-2017 at 01:34 PM.

  8. #7
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    Setup sounds pretty solid. I think that 2nd hide will be a big help in providing the snake with security.

    That's a fairly large enclosure for a young BP. Have you got some fake leaves, etc...to add clutter and provide security?

    BPs will often refuse food if they feel insecure in any way.

  9. #8
    BPnet Senior Member tttaylorrr's Avatar
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    Re: New Snake Owner! Hi From Minnesota!

    Quote Originally Posted by Stheno View Post
    The tank I use is a 30 with a screen top, which I cover about 50% of the top with clear acrylic to help keep in humidity.
    30gal? is there a lot of clutter, fake foliage, decorations for the snake to feel secure? 30gal is YUGE for a snake that size. you might need to consider downgrading to a plastic tub, as we need to get that snake eating ASAP. user Deborah – a well-respected breeder and member of the forum – recommends a 6qt tub for stubborn hatchlings. you can read about her process here; i call it The Deb Treatment™.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stheno View Post
    The substrate is Eco-Earth which really helps to hold onto moisture. He currently has a large ZooMed Habbahut on his warm side which stays around 90F which is warmed up with a ZooMed heatmat that goes under the tank. I control and monitor the heat with an Apollo Horticulture Heat Mat Thermostat Controller which is usually for plant heat mats but works perfectly fine with the ZooMed and has a probe that goes with it.
    sounds good!

    Quote Originally Posted by Stheno View Post
    He has a second hide coming soon that I will be putting on the cool side, along with a new ExoTerra Hygrometer since my old one is kinda broke. I also ordered some Sphagnum Moss to put in the tank that should hold some moisture in it to help with the dry air. He also has a large water dish. My biggest issue is probably the humidity so I've been misting the tank almost everyday when he isn't out exploring his tank.
    2 identical cave-like (one opening) hides are S.O.P. for beeps. this is a must. it's good you have one coming, but for a 30gal i'd have maybe 3 or 4 identical hides so they don't feel the path to their other safe hide is a long and dangerous one.

    if that ExoTerra hygrometer is analog (not digital; has a dial) then you need to replace it with a digital one. those round stick-on thermometers/hygrometers are essentially worthless in terms of accuracy. pick up a couple AcuRite thermo/hygrometes from walmart for $8 if you can; i swear by them.

    Quote Originally Posted by Stheno View Post
    They had warned me he was underweight for his size, so I asked them to give me all the data they had on him for his eating habits. I've been following for the most part their same feeding schedule. Feeding Chart. I kinda experimented a little but decided just to stick to every Wednesday so I didn't pester him about food, but I am worried! I will feel a lot more at ease once he finally eats something.

    Let me know what you all think!
    yes, this is a teeny-tiny snake that we gotta get eating!!! i urge you to read over and consider The Deb Treatment™ as it truly does work. once the snake is eating and gaining weight, you can move him back into his beautiful big home.
    Last edited by tttaylorrr; 12-29-2017 at 01:48 PM.
    4.4 ball python
    1.0 Albino 0.1 Coral Glow 0.1 Super Cinnamon paradox 1.0 Piebald 0.1 Pastel Enchi Leopard het Piebald 1.0 Coral Glow het Piebald

    1.0 corn snake
    1.0 Hypo

    1.0 crested gecko
    0.1 ????

    0.1 cat
    0.1 Maine Coon mix

    0.1 human ✌︎

  10. #9
    BPnet Veteran Aedryan Methyus's Avatar
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    It's great to hear that you are on the right path to awesome husbandry! Everything sounds great except you should definitely downsize his enclosure significantly, as others have suggested...

  11. #10
    Registered User Stheno's Avatar
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    Thanks for all the replies! I have two relatively large pieces of Malaysian driftwood to be delivered soon that are going into the tank which should provide a good bit of cover. I also have a Corkbark hollow round log coming that I planned making into a burrow, probably on the warm side where it will be his warm & humid hide. I also have a rock in there that he can slither under that he seems quite fond of when I put it in there to help him shed.

    As for more leafy clutter, I'm a bit stumped. A lot of stuff I've been browsing seem don't really seem all that "full" looking, and I really doubt a stringy piece of vine with a few leaves here and there will do all that much for him, though I guess any amount doesn't hurt.

    Does anyone have any recommended stores/websites for such decor? I'd really like stuff that he could actually hide in/under.

    I'll also look into potentially downsizing his home temporary if he doesn't improve!

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