Goodmorning/afternoon~
I recently got out of the fish-keeping hobby after 2 years of indulging in it, and decided to move into snake care about a month and a half ago.
I spent the past year doing research to try and ready myself for the demands of my new pet, though reading about it and owning one are two entirely different things.
Set up concerns.
I bought a 8 year old 4'9" male Ball python whom I named Salem off of someone on Kijiji who sold him with his set up.
He's had this set up since he was a baby, according to the owners (they had bought him from Petland at a few months old) so I didn't think twice before I brought him home and begun second guessing the tank.
The tank currently consists of a 45 gallon with some exo-terra substrate(which they said they only changed twice a year??) and some odd climbing rod with a few plastic plants. Some rock structure and a ceramic hide that is just big enough for him to curl up in. There is also a slightly small water dish. He has a small heating pad under his hide (no thermometer, suggestions on what I should buy?) and a red heating lamp on the opposite side.
I was super unsure about keeping a heating source on both sides like I have so I chose to turn off my heating lamp for the time being.
I do have a large 90 gallon tank from my fish hobby that I've been thinking of moving him into, though I was told he would likely stop eating since it would probably be too much space.
Q1. Would a bigger tank be better for Salem? When completely sprawled out he does have to fold his head up against the glass.
Q2. Is just the heating pad enough for him? If so would that merit me getting rid of the heating lamp?
Q3. The tank isn't that big, so getting a larger water dish/another hide (as suggested) be good for him? (if i kept him in the 45 gallon.)
Q4. Should I move him into the 90 gallon? or would that be too much space?
Snake concerns.
Salem is a very gentle snake who hasn't hissed or snapped at anyone at all since we got him (and were informed he has never done either in the time the old owners had him either)
We were told that he had just went through a shed this January and hasn't eaten since, I'm not sure when to feed him or when would be a good time but I do have a large rat ready for him when I figure out when I can feed him again.
He has very shiny scales and none of them are lifted. There seems to be some weird skid marks on his belly but they don't look like anything I should be worried about.
I noticed he had some weird air-bubble looking things on his upper nose going up to his forehead (almost as if part of his shed didn't come off) so I soaked him in a bath and tried rubbing it off to no avail.
On the center of the back of his head i noticed a weird tiny ball-like thing that I wasn't quite sure of. I didn't want to try and take it off but it looks like a risen scab or tiny tumor/mole of some sort.
He is in his hide almost always, when he isn't up at 3 in the morning drinking and smacking at the mesh tops.
Q1. How often does a snake his size and age shed? And how often should I feed him?
Q2. How often should I handle him?
Q3. Should I get that lesion on his head checked out?
Q4. Anything I can do to make his life as good as possible?
Q5. Any guesses on what kind of BP he is? (i know he's not any special morph..)
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