Good source of care tips for wobble python [New Owner]

[viennae]

Any good sources of any specific care required for a wobble python due to spider gene? On reddit people warned me that i was technically adopting a "special needs" snake even if the wobble is not too prominent. I would like to offer the best care possible for this specific neurological disorder. So far I see that live feedings can be difficult but is there any other tips tricks or things to stay away from? Do wobbling snakes prefer less handling and interaction? Is it safe to let them wander outside of the tank with supervision?

Youtube or website links or just comments here all welcome and appreciated.

[Reinz]

Welcome to the forum viennae

I have never owned a Spider BP, so not going to post about them. There are great folks here that can help you with this.

I just wanted to welcome you.

[viennae]

Welcome to the forum viennae

I have never owned a Spider BP, so not going to post about them. There are great folks here that can help you with this.

I just wanted to welcome you.

aww!!! thank you! I'm so excited to be apart of this community!

[zina10]

Most BP's with the spider morphs live perfectly happy and normal lives as long as you keep them the proper way, the same way you should keep all Ball Pythons.

Meaning you read the caresheet and provide the proper home with the right temps and humidity and make sure that you have enough and tight hides. The entire enclosure shouldn't be to big to begin with, nor to light or exposed.

Make the snake feel "safe" and comfortable.

The bumble bee I had was (and still is for the new owner) one of the most delightful BP's I have owned. The best eater, very calm and curious, not much stressed her. As perfect as it can get for a "pet" snake.

I did (and still do) feed frozen/thawed, though, and the worst she ever did was miss it at the first strike. And even that happened rarely.

The wobble is usually worst when the snake is stressed or excited. Excitement usually happens at feeding time.

So provide your snake with the most perfect habitat you can, let it settle in, and then start with short handling sessions after it has eaten for you a couple of times. After that there is no reason to treat it any differently than any other BP.

Very severe wobbling or neurological issues are actually quite rare given the amount of spider morphs out there. These severe neurological issues can and have also developed in other BP morphs and even in "normals". Exposed to high heat or chemicals can cause it for example. I sometimes wonder if those extreme cases of neurological spider morphs may not have more going on than that gene itself expressing, given the sheer number of spider morphs out there and also the number of people not keeping snakes correctly or making mistakes.

But, that is just my thought on that.

There are many, many, perfectly happy and healthy spider morphs out there delighting their owners. Incidentally a large number of them seem to be great eaters and make great "pets".

I'm still in contact with the new owner of my bumble bee. She is one of his favorite snakes by far, the one he will take out when people come to admire his snakes. She just had the second clutch for him (she had one for me) and all those hatchlings she had so far are also great eaters, quite large and do very well. Some of the people I sold those hatchlings to 2 years ago still ask me if I have more, lol, they are in love with their snakes and still send me pictures occasionally.

So don't let anyone discourage or worry you. Make sure your snake doesn't present as a "extreme" before you even get it, and then keep stress to a minimum until the snake has settled in and gotten used to a routine.

[Lord Sorril]

Treat it like a normal ball python. No special considerations.

If a poor breeder sold you one with exceptional wobble: Use the wobble as an indicator of stress. The more it wobbles: The more stress the snake is under.

[bcr229]

I have a spinner whose wobble is most pronounced at feeding time because she's excited about eating. It's bad enough that the safest place for the feeder is right in front of her; her strikes tend to go in random directions. As a result I only feed her f/t, and I use really long tongs as otherwise she's just as likely to hit my hand as her rat.

She isn't bad about being held but if she does happen to get nervous she'll start flinging her head, so you have to be careful to keep her away from solid objects so she can't crack herself a good one when she does. I also don't put her over my shoulders or behind my neck for the same reason; it's rather disconcerting to have her bonk her head into your nose.

Similarly I make sure anything in her tub has some give to it, in case she hits her head. So, her hide is light plastic so it slides, easily, her water bowl is a light melamine cat bowl from the dollar store, she's in a tub with sides that flex rather than a glass tank, etc.