New BP Owners! Witnessing first shed!

[SirDangerNoodle]

Noodle is a 3 ft male pewter ball python! We got him about a week ago, and we couldn't be more delighted! Of course, we've been through the typical stress of new pet owners, but I think we're getting the hang of it. Here's a few quick facts about him so you all understand what we're working with:
1. Glass terrarium with screen top (w/ clamps), blue night lamp & ceramic heater, tree limb from pet store to climb on, large water bowl, and a log hide on top of a UTH. We just got a thermostat to control the UTH temp. Ambient-ish temp = 88'F & Humidity hangs around 47% Its low....we know.. we want a humidifier soon, so for now we keep a wet towel over half the screen to keep some heat and humidity inside.
2. We have him on paper towels b/c a few snakes at the pet store had mites. Luckily, he's as clean as a whistle and we are going to move him into aspen bedding in a couple days (after a shed??)
3. He's well tempered, he's never struck at anyone, and he loves to explore (appears to be not stressful exploring)
4. The pet store fed him on 3/14/18, and we tried to feed him in a box (live, and then killed) but he was pretty stressed. We're considering feeding him in his terrarium after he sheds.
4. So far, he has been in the process of shedding, so we've tried giving him some space. Yesterday, his eyes finally turned grey! We're excited to see him shed, but worried b/c he's been soaking in his water bowl (probably due to low humidity). However, most of today, he has just hung out in the open in his terrarium and hasn't moved much.


So... with all of that, is there anything we should be worried about? He's hanging out in the open of his terrarium between the hot and cold sides. We just want to make sure he has the best/healthiest/happiest life possible! We are college students in the process of graduating, so we should be coming into some money soon to spoil him!

Any thoughts/recommendations would be great since we're kinda new at this! Thanks!

-Cleanna

[MD_Pythons]

Aspen isn't good for humidity, your humidity will probably be too low if you use it in your tank. I use cypress mulch and eco earth, both are better for keeping humidity than Aspen.

You don't need to move to feed, and you shouldn't be messing with him until he takes a couple meals with you. Leave him alone for a week and feed him what they fed him at the place you got him.

He has a hide on the hot and cold side of his tank right? You want two identical hides in a tank so he doesn't choose security over thermoregulation. I'd black out the sides of your tank with some poster board or construction paper to help him feel secure, just make sure there isn't any tape on the inside of your enclosure.

[tttaylorrr]

welcome to the forum! im a bit busy atm so i skimmed your post; ill offer my best help but the others on this forum are just as informative.

88° F ambient is way too high. keep it around 80° F. your snake is probably soaking due to low humidity and being too hot.

use sphagnum moss to boost humidity in lieu of a humidity-trapping substrate.

feed in the enclosure. there is 0 benefit to moving the snake to feed it.

how are you treating for mites? are you taking preventative measures? the life cycle of a mite - from egg to adult - is at least 30 days; you need to continue treatment and keep the snake on paper/paper towel for a minimum of 30 days. also, please research proper quarantine procedures even if you only have one snake.

also, why would you buy a snake that could potentially be covered in bugs which threaten the life of your animal? mites are not a joke or something to be taken lightly. i would never buy a snake that potentially has mites.

you mention one hide over the UTH: ball pythons require 2 identical hides for optimum security. please get 2 hides, as well as clutter in the form of leaf vines and leafy decor.

"loves to explore" is not something i want to hear from a new owner with a new beep, and sitting out in the open is not a good sign. are you regulating all your heat sources with an electronic control? ALL heat sources MUST be regulated, ZERO exception. you can burn your snake to death with an unregulated UTH or bulb.

additionally, could you post a pic of your setup? that will help us help you better.

again, WELCOME!!!

EDIT: if you have any heat source(s) that is unregulated, PLEASE unplug them immediately for your safety and for the snake!

[Starscream]

1. You need a thermostat or dimmer switch for any and all heat sources you have. How are you measuring temps? Do you have an IR heat gun to measure surface temps?
2. Aspen is notoriously terrible for humidity, especially in glass enclosures. I'd recommend a coco chip product; it holds humidity very well. Sphagnum moss placed inside a hide will also provide a humid area, although overall higher humidity would be preferable.
4. Yeah, feeding in the enclosure is way better. If you're worried about them ingesting substrate, you can always put down a paper towel or a paper plate. Cage aggression is a myth.

How many hides do you have, and are they the same? If your enclosure is pretty open, I'd recommend adding some fake foliage; they like feeling hidden while they move around the enclosure.

[SirDangerNoodle]

Okay, so there's a lot going on! We haven't moved him to Aspen yet, so we'll look more into non-humidity stripping substrates. He does not have an identical hide yet, they only had one at the store. We are searching diligently for another. And we are looking to blackout three sides. Just have to get the stuff. He's against a wall (covered on two of the four exposed sides) so we aren't walking around him all day.

We'll cool him off a bit. To be honest, I'm dying of heat in my bedroom too. Not a lot of A/C gets to this 2nd floor room. But I'll be sure it cools down. We have a thermostat controller specifically for the surface temp of his UTH so his belly won't burn. We have a thermometer and hygrometer monitoring the hot side. (that's where it reads an ambient temp of 88'F & humidity of 47%)

Snakes next to his enclosure at the pet store had mites, but the pet store clerk could never find them on him. We know what they look like, and we haven't seen one. We do have mite spray that we have rubbed him down with once, and lightly sprayed his enclosure. Still no sign, but we will definitely keep an eye out.

He was always active in his enclosure at the pet store as well. He doesn't look for ways out, and he doesn't show the signs of a stressed bp (from numerous youtube videos and research articles).

Thanks for your suggestions!

[SirDangerNoodle]

Oh, and pictures!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/icc1tqattl...20Eye.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z585p6v8gk...0Bowl.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/296z301x7i...Setup.jpg?dl=0


Remember... It's a work in progress. Try not to ding us too hard We'll get him the necessities asap

[tttaylorrr]

Oh, and pictures!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/icc1tqattl...20Eye.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z585p6v8gk...0Bowl.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/296z301x7i...Setup.jpg?dl=0


Remember... It's a work in progress. Try not to ding us too hard We'll get him the necessities asap

no one wants to ding you too hard. we want you to have a great experience and give your beep the care they need. no one is here just to be a butt. promise.

first: the enclosure is waaaaay too sparse and open. ball pythons are very secretive animals, and need to hide. your snake is likely choosing the water dish as a hide since that half log is very open and exposed.

your snake also needs to thermoregulate between two safe spaces, which means two identical hides. ball pythons are known to choose security over their own comfort, and they are also known to pick a favorite hide which is why identical hides are recommended.

absolutly get some clutter. two fake leaf vines from the pet store will be more than enough.

EDIT: i'll leave any more mite talk to more experienced keepers, as i've never dealt with them personally. keep a sharp eye out for this lil buggers!!!

EDIT 2: if you all can't tell, im not too busy and this bar is kinda dull. but it's only 10!

[Craiga 01453]

First off, welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of snake keeping.

Secondly, I'm just going to be straight forward. You really need to read the basic husbandry 101 stickies and the stickies about how to set up an enclosure on this forum. It seems ypuve got a lot to.learn and your enclosure is lacking greatly.

The stickies will answer a lot of questions all in one convenient thread.

Not trying to 'ding' you, but as soon-to-be college grads you should know to do research before bringing an animal home. Had you done this, your enclosure would have been set up properly, there would be 2 proper hides (not 1/2 logs) etc...etc...etc...

Now, you've got a snake living in a stressed out situation using a water bowl as a hide and soaking because it's dehydrated.

Sorry If I came across harsh, but your snake deserves a proper enclosure.
Do some homework, read, study and learn about the species you brought home. The more you know about them the better you can provide for them.
Learning how to properly set up an enclosure would have taken just a few hours and should have been done before bringing the animal home

[SirDangerNoodle]

We have done our research, extensively, and we tried to get the most accommodating resources as soon as possible. I understand it is not an ideal situation, but we are working on it. It has only been a week, and he is about to shed, so he's going to be stressed out anyways. When we went into the pet store, they didn't have two identical hides, nor any hides large enough for him, so we bought what we felt was necessary at the moment. He is an amazingly tempered and healthy ball python, and we fell in love with him (didn't want anyone else to buy him), so we bought him (after we went home and researched for 4+ hours).

Also, I have read multiple resources where it can be common for ball pythons to soak in their water bowl for the fun of it, or because it feels good before a shed. One thing we've learned is no ONE source is perfectly correct. He has plenty of clean water available for him everyday and his humidity has been at 56%-62% the last couple days. We bought a misting bottle to help with that. We are currently struggling with a thermostat that was delivered broken, so we are meticulously monitoring temperature and humidity to make sure he is not hurt. We are not bad pet owners, and he is (most likely) not stressed out. I have read several sources explaining the symptoms of a stressed python and he appears to show no signs. I agree we need another hide, and I was in a pet store today looking for one (they were out...of course). I bought some foliage to help with the open container.

Thank you for your input.

[MD_Pythons]

Can you order him some hides? I use these. That one seems a bit open, but for an interim solution you can jam some paper towels to cover the other end.

As for soaking, I've found mine will rarely take a dip in their water bowls, but excessive soaking can be due to mites, temps being too high or even feeding your snake too large a meal. Is he constantly soaking? And is your CHE running unregulated? I would go to a hardware store and pick up a dimmer as an immediate fix, a thermostat will be more reliable but it's far better than running an unregulated heat source.

Oh, and another thing. If you plan on going back to that pet store, you should shower and change clothes before you go near with your snake. Especially since that one had some snakes with mites.