BP puffing air

[Laura1467]

Hello, everyone! New here and very new owner of a 1 year old BP. I got it from a friend who passed away so he’s sentimental. I’m definitely an amateur and very timid with Link. He hides in his humidity box that’s full of moss, which I know is warm and cozy buuuut he pooped in it so I need to clean him and the box. Thing is, when I reach in to get him he puffs air at me. Not a hiss, but a very noticeable forcing out of air. I don’t want to get bitten but I don’t want him dirty! I want a happy snake and I don’t want to worry about him laying in his own waste.

I also have a blue light for the day time which is way too bright and is possibly stressing him out. What are the best heating elements that don’t give off so much light? I do have a stick on heating pad on the side and 2 lamps, one for day, and a red one for night.

I’d appreciate any and all suggestions and advice!

[Bogertophis]

"Stick-on" heating pads do not go on the side...they go underneath the bottom (outside, not inside where they'd pose a shock risk). Heat rises, & snakes cannot
lay on the side to warm their tummy for digestion...that's why these types of heat are called "UTH" (Under Tank Heat). Is this a glass tank, btw, or other type?

By the way, and I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. We were all "new" at keeping snakes at one time, so don't be afraid to ask questions...in fact, thank
you for stepping up & taking care of your late friends's pet...that's really special.

Back to your questions, it would help us to know more details: lowest temp. in cage and highest temp. in cage, also the humidity. This requires proper (accurate)
thermometers or "temp. gun" & humidity gauge to answer...if you don't have them, you need to get them. You also MUST regulate any & all heat devices for safety-
the UTH needs a thermostat, a.s.a.p. Lights or overheat CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter- gives off heat but NO light) can be controlled either by thermostat, or (less ex-
pensively) by a rheostat (aka. lamp dimmer, available at ANY hardware store...you'll probably want the kind on extension cord w/ dial control, ready to plug into-
but they also sell the kinds you have to hard-wire in, depending on how "handy" you are).

The reason heat is so important is that it sounds to me like your snake has an RI starting...(respiratory infection) & that can happen when they aren't kept warm enough.
Temperatures are very important when keeping snakes, especially BPs because they need MORE warmth & humidity than do many other kinds. Warm side should be
about 88-90* (max) and cool side should not be lower than 78*, pref. about 80*. Humid hides are one way to give enough humidity, but many here humidify the whole
enclosure by using substrate that retains humidity pretty well.

Snakes don't need lights & rarely enjoy them overhead, so yes, turn that blue thing off. If you need the overhead warmth, you can use CHE, red or black incandescent
bulbs (remember to use dimmer at least!) or RHP (radient heat panel) installed. One place you can look up such equipment is on ReptileBasics.com, click 'products'. They
are a good source (reliable) but by no means the only one...I am not paid to endorse them, lol...just trying to help explain things since you're new.

BPs are usually very docile snakes btw: puffing is not the same as hissing, & while he's shy, it's unlikely that you'll provoke a bite if you remember that snakes are shy &
afraid of us instinctively...& that they do NOT identify us visually. Yes, they can see, but mostly go after motion (assume it's prey) so the way you let them know that you
are NOT prey is using scent & touch, their 2 best senses. If you're too chicken to reach in & pet him mid-body, use a padded stick of some kind, & a little patience will
go a long way.

[Tmacsballs]

Def clean the area, a moss humid box may not be necessary. However, if thats what hes used to, its def fine to use. I'd say only if u have 2 other hides though, one on the hot side n on the cool side and thr humid box.

A heat mat is good but stick it to the bottom about a 1/3 of the enclosure is what you need so if its a little tiny one and u have a 40 breeder tank get a bigger one. You absolutely needa thermostat for it and set it to 90°. Without a thermostat it can reach temps of 120 to 140 seriously and very easily, if u have deep substrate its whatever but if not u can def kill ur snake.

Giving us a better idea of what u have as far as ur housing the: size, type (glass, plastic tub, rack system, a pvc type enclosure similar to a wooden box but its pvc board instead of wood for lack of a better description lol, or a molded unit like a vision cage. Also what the ventilation is a screen top, vent holes n how many), and the ambient temps on each side currently and humidity in the location you have it. Get a digital thermometer/hydrometer for each side if u can.

Id personally put the heat mat on the bottom set to 90 degrees, get a heat gun to check those temps as well. Then you want to spot check frequently the temps on each side. You do not need a light of any kind unless the temperature in ur house is below about 75 ish. Thats really the coldest you want it on the cool side, although u can get away with low 70's as long as ur heat mat is set perfectly but if its lower than 75 on the cool side def use a lamp. id use a red or moon light its called, or black light are all fine really on a timed outlet (if necessary, if its cold all day than use it all day thats fine too) set it for when its colder in ur home say at night n use the size bulb u need instead of something that turns on and off constantly like a thermostat. get a light with a dimmer if urs doesnt have it. For instance of its regularly 72 on the cool side try a 50 watt moon light (which u can keep on all day if u need too, u can get one at a lowes or home depot for 5 dollars u dont need one from the pet store thats 30 dollars n does the same thing a 5 dollar one does) and if its turned on all the way and it raises the temps it to 80 to 83 on the cool side ur good. If it takes it to 90 on the cool side than dial the dimmer down a little until u get it right.

On the flip side, If you use a 50 watt bulb and it brings it to 75 degrees than try a 75w bulb and so on until u get the temps right. Id personally leave all the heat on the same side. If ur heat mat is on the right put ur light on the right so ur snake can vacate the area if he gets too hot n chill on the cool side.

As far as humidity, you dont need a humid box unless the snakes in shed or its super dry no matter what you do. I use ecoearth (If u need to raise humidity look at ur substrate rather than a single box, that box is 100 percent humidity n can cause issues if ur snake is in there all day everyday) but i use the stuff in the bag that comes almost dry n i use the block that i have to moisten with water to get it to seperate. i use the bag dry stuff on the hot side. i use the moist damp block eco earth (any coco husk or coco block type substrate will do) on the cool side which stays a little more humid on that side obv and doesnt dry out as fast being only on the cool side and my snake stays primarily on the hot side so i dont want him lying on wet substrate all day and night. It stays a healthy 50 to 70 % humidity and if ur hydrometer says anywhere in that area ur good n u dont need a humid box at all. If u know ur snake is going into shed you can add the moss in the box on the cool side for it to moisten up more if he wants to.

Idk how long u had him for but everything is new to him. All the vibrations and lights in ur home are diff than ur buddy's house. All the smells are diff n u smell diff. Leave him alone for a min of a month. Minimal handling during this transition period. He will realize nothing is trying to hurt him n he will loosen up a lot just from that. Keep him eating if u can, if not judge by his body condition if hes not noticeably skinny hes fine. Keep fresh water and he will get used to u just by u changing out the water everyday or other day during the first month.

You can buy a little snake hook which i highly recommend, it will eliminate either of u from everhaving a bad interaction which will mentally affect both of u.

Him puffing up is basically no diff than hissing hes nervous and scared the next line fo defense is snapping at u but it doesnt need to go there. If u scoop him up with a snake hook A)you can judge his temperament and if he will actually strike or not, generally they will not. B) you will eventually get him to associate the hook with ur hand and it will prevent him from being confused with feeding which u will not touch him before feeding, ever. C) you will use this to actually pick the majority of him up just to get ur hand under him once hes in ur hand he will be very tense at first he wont move n he may ball up but chances are will just sit there tense af with his head n neck (front 3rd of his body) in a typical s shape as if hes gonna strike or bite you which he will not. as long as while ur holding him you just calmly and confidently grab him and just grip as tightly as u would holding ur phone as ur typing. Ur not squeezing but u have a grip cause u obv dont wanna drop him. It will take about 3 weeks of this (once a week after leaving him alome for the first few weeks) and he will prob be fine assuming he didnt go through anything traumatic with the last owner.

THE HOOK WILL ONLY BE USED DURING HANDLING PERIODS, not feeding times. ALSO TO JUDGE HIS MOOD, a gentle stroke with it along his back never his head, AND TO GET HIM STARTING FOR GETTING UR HAND UNDER HIM, it will allow u to lift him and get ur hand under him, for beginners the hardest part is just grabbing him without gripping to tightly they will always tense up a little when u go to grab ur snake almost always. If hes not super big u can lift him him out with it but you do not wanna drop him. With a hook, that possibility is there. Doing so will defeat the purpose of it and basically make it useless. If u drop him while using it forget about using the hook he will associate fear with that and tense up even more n u just went backwards. Its an excellent tool that will help you get thru the fear of grabbing him n his fear of being plucked from his home by a stranger.

This is the training part:
Scoop him up with the snake hook, get a good grip and lift him out of the cage and hold him until he relaxes, dont just chuck him in another tub to clean use thisntime to get to know each other a little. It can take 20 minites or longer for him to relax but he will. Just hold him nothing else, dont stare at him let him look at u make it as natural as possible like u can care less if he likes u type of emotions from u. Once he relaxes you can then continue to hold him or put him back in the enclosure or container while u clean his enclosure. the next time u will do this but a little longer and also rubbing along his back see if he will let u rub under his head assuming it went well the first time for both of u. if he wants to move around in ur hands cool but dont set him down dont move quickly or u will notice he will go right from relaxed to the s pose n super tense for another 5 or 10 minutes. Each time after hold him moving foward is a little more play a little more touching on ur behalf and he will really start relaxing. It shouldnt take till the 3 rd time for him to be cool n not puffing anymore.

Very imprortant:
You will only hold him in between feedings for best results. Lets say u feed on monday. Tue n wed and sat n sun are off limits, leave him alone these days he wont be too stressed to eat and he wont be to stressed to digest his meal, the last thing u want is for him to regurgitate his meal if u follow just this step. So thurday and friday are cleaning and handling days but preferably only 1 of these. Do not feel like u need to hold him all the time. Once a week is actually more than enough until he is used to u n u r used to him. You will see amazing results with this plan i promise u this.

The main point is patience on ur end, u will be rewarded greatly for it, for sure. I can honestly say i was a little scarred of snakes at one point followed this to a T n my snake that poo uffed up hissed and snapped like a crazy lunatic, didn't so much as take that deep breath or become super tense after just 6 weeks. About 1 month of letting him relax and about 2 weeks of handling i went in for him the 3rd week (technically 7th week of having him) and he was calm and just a diff snake all together. Coupled with using the snake hook, i had awesome results. I cant recomend the hook enough, esp if ur a little nervous night n day diff. I still use my hook to get his body in the air and hes 7 years old and 2 kilos.

Food for thought:
The puffing up is a defensive mechanism it doesn't necessarily mean hes stressed id say it leans more to just simply being a little scared at that moment it means i dont trust whats going on right now but doesn't mean he is technically overwhelmingly stressed. A stressed snake will be like panicking, ripping around in the tank acting agitated like something is bothering it all the tine n it will be doing this at odd times of the day when its usually in the hide box and not eating. Really weird stuff.

Its normal for ur snake to be in the hide all day and all night. He wont start poking around unless hes hungry or curious or just back on his normal schedule of coming at night i notice with my snakes is between about 7 to 11pm sometimes a little later than hes back in the hide till the next day. Occasionally, he comes out n just chills when hes comfortable with doing so, but mostly ur snake should n will be in a hide.

An idea of my setup:
I have a moon light type of bulb on at night on a timer since it gets cooler (approx 8pm to 7am) at night 75 watts n it keeps the hot side in the upper 80's n the cool side in the upper 70's which is all u need. n u will notice ur snake kinda sun bathing sometimes even at night. They all have a mind of their own, they can think, they can do their own thing. Joe smoes snake like to hang on branches urs might not. Any info u read about, most are just a generalization (a starting point if u will) of the majority doesnt mean ur snake will b identical, they are not all the same just like us. U may like the cold i hate it. VERY IMPORTANT: there are parameters that are safe for cold blooded animals u need to follow closely not exactly. They are more hearty and are tougher than most give them credit for. Ur tank was 70 degrees for a week and no heat source ur snake would be fine they can produce heat for a little but they will eventually be more prone to illness and other things because they are fighting to stay alive ya know.

Point is dont drastically change anything ur doing, these are just ideas. If hes a year old follow what ur buddy was doing but slowly make it better as u learn more. If u wanna try coco substrate, u can start with half the tank instead of completely changing it out to start getting his used to smelling it n seeing (these animals are very prone to go off feed and cleaning with ahrsh chemicals changing substrate are 2 common things that can make it happen).

Final tip:
Cleaning. Get urself some chlorhexidine solution 2% a water bottle 32 oz and distilled water (you always wanna use distilled water for mixing cleaning products) use this isntead of whatever ur using to clean with. Its extremely safe and very effective and extremely safe and its extremely safe lol. Also for deeper cleaning its about 30 bucks though shipped to ur door for a small 200ml bottle, but f10 sc or f10 sc xd, the regular f10 sc is hard to find but the xd is technically better but should be rinsed after even tjough it claims u dont need to. Those 2 cleaning solutions and you will be goid to go. Other wise if u dont have that use a gentle dish washing liquid (i know a lot are against that too but if ur rinsing it good ur fine n will never have an issue) but preferably the top 2, the chlorhexidine is cheap less than 10 bucks a gallon and a gallon will make a million bottles, n the 200ml can actually make about 100 32 oz bottles for real its that good. Excellent stuff n its not mentioned enough to begginers. All that crap in the pet store skip it, most are basically rubbing alcohol anyway

Good luck man, they are a little complicated to get going but once u find the sweet spot as far temps and all that ur doen its smooth sailing from there.

[Laura1467]

Thank you for responding! Before I read everything through again I’ll just post what I’m working with. Link is a 1 year old and was given to me in a 30 gallon reptile terrarium, a sticky heat pad was stuck on the right side (that’s how the previous owner always had it), a Fluker’s 6 inch heat lamp with a 60W heat lamp (both broken so I got a new lamp and a red night bulb, blue day bulb), 2 log hideouts, a large water dish, a homemade humidity box that’s about 6 inches round by 4 inches deep that I fill with moss that I wet with a spray bottle, and feeding tongs.

He eats like a champ and has always been fed in his habitat. I just finished up the adult mice that was given to me and next week will start with the small rats because I was told at the pet store he was large enough for those. (I took him in with me.)

the heat pad, heat lamp, humidity box, and one log hideout are all on the right side and holds a day time temp at around 88. At night it drops to about 80. The other side has his water dish and another hideout and usually hovers around 78-80, depending on whether I have the towels covering the screen on that side. I live in a dry state in an airy house. He’s always had the humidity box and spends the vast majority of his time in there. It’s where he takes his food as well.

Today I took off the “blue” light because it really is too bright and am just using the red light. He immediately popped his head out of the humidity box to see what I was doing but I did notice he curved his neck into an S like he was waiting for food again. I was a little too timid to reach in and say hi. I try to make it a point to check the moss and to touch him.

i think that’s all for now. I’m going to go back and thoroughly read your responses now. Thank you for taking the time! I want to be the best BP “mom.”

[dakski]

Just a quick note not he puffing air, my two cents anyway, as everything has been covered well here.

He may be getting used to you and as mentioned, just saying, "Leave me alone," or, "I don't want to get picked up."

BP's are generally pretty chill and have the name Ball Python because they usually curl up to protect themselves as opposed to biting.

Shayna, my BP, is a total sweetie and I've had her since she was 6 months or so and about 200G. She fit in the palm of my hand. Now, she's over 4FT and 1,800G.

The first few times I went to pick her up once she was settled in her new home (which was a temporary 10 or 20G for the first month or two I had her), she "puffed air" at me, like a quiet hiss. I called her bluff every time and she never struck at me and stopped as soon as she was picked up. Once she realized, or was conditioned to know, that I wasn't going to hurt her, she stopped. Hasn't done it again to this day. I've had her almost 7 years now.

Snake can show displeasure by hissing, but also by the puffing air, or "quiet hissing." It's kind of stage 1 of 3 or 4.

Stage 1 - Puff air

Stage 2 - Hiss and/or posture

Stage 3 - Posturing/striking position and showing tension in the body and short tongue flicks

Stage 4 - Defense/Bite

Most snakes, especially BP's, and older ones that have been handled, never get past stage 1.

My carpet python, Yafe, will "quiet hiss" at me every once in a while when I wake him and/or go to pick him up. He's also all bluff. He's still growing and he does it less and less with more handling and with size.

If you are worried, you can always "hook train" to let him know you are going to pick him up. I do that will my boas and Yafe as well. Shayna I don't use the hook 95% of the time, but will if she is looking for food, to snap her out of food mode.

Hook training is mostly used to let snakes with strong food drive know food isn't coming and/or to let bigger snakes that can do damage know you are there. You don't want bigger snakes to think you are food or startle them.

I am sorry for your loss and wish you and your new BP all the best. We are here to help so do not be afraid to ask anything and learn from our past mistakes and the knowledge we have gained over a long period of time keeping reptiles and interacting with other keepers, breeders, and enthusiasts.

[Bogertophis]

Just to clarify, Laura1467: the "puffing" you described is most likely that your snake is fearful & defensive (completely normal, all things considered) but I also said
it might be the start of an RI partly because you described his heat pad being installed (incorrectly) on the side, where the heat mostly goes up & away, not where
the snake can receive optimal "belly-heat" he needs for digestion. You would not be the first to underestimate their temperature & humidity requirements.

We can only go by what you tell us here...we aren't seeing him & know little of your set-up, as far as the actual temperatures...that stuff is very important for snakes,
especially ball pythons; also there is a lot of variation in the way people may describe the very same thing they're seeing, so with an abundance of caution & the health
of your snake in mind, I also suggested he might have the start of an RI (respiratory infection), but it's ONLY a "possibility", and even if he doesn't, I would urge you
to consider suggestions to verify (& improve as needed) his set-up to keep him healthy. BPs are fairly prone to RI's- we hope to prevent them.

In all likelihood he's just nervous...snakes are shy & many are good bluffers. Most snakes (including ball pythons) are fairly sweet creatures that prefer not to bite.
In any event, we just want to give you the best advise to keep him healthy & both of you happy... If you've never kept or researched keeping a snake before,
this can all seem overwhelming. The more information we have- the better (more relevant & accurate) our advise can be.

You confessed to feeling timid about handling Link...just remember he feels much the same about you. To a snake, we're a huge & scary potential predator. The only
thing that picks up a snake in the wild is a predator about to eat them, so that pretty much explains their fear & self-defense. It helps to remember that snakes are
nearsighted & don't really identify us visually: when they see motion nearby, it suggests "prey" to go after...they do NOT consider it's a friend coming to visit them.

This is why some snakes that are frightened react with open hostility when someone comes near them, or why when they're hungry they may chase the motion of a
person near their enclosure, thinking it might be dinner. While BPs rarely exhibit either behavior (they're so laid-back & actually they're "ambush predators") it may
help you to better understand snakes & how to handle them. When you want to handle & reassure a snake, use their best senses: touch & scent. (BPs also rely on
their heat-sensing pits to detect prey warmth, so that's where it can get confusing for them...it's up to US to prevent their confusion & bites by mistake.) Snakes do
learn to recognize us & just like us, the familiar is reassuring. Even though covered with scales, their sense of touch either says "predator" or "pal", so many use a
"snake hook" (or just a padded stick) in lieu of risking their hand to just touch a snake & remind them that they know you. This works very well. Depending on what
kind of snake you're trying to handle, scent is also very helpful: when my rat snakes are hungry & expecting dinner, their disappointment @ finding it's only me is
immediate & obvious: by blowing air across my hand in their direction, or even offering a shirt sleeve with my scent on it, they know quickly it's not incoming food.

Since you & Link are "new" to each other, it would probably be best if you didn't handle him much until he has eaten at least twice for you, but don't let that
keep you from cleaning his cage as best you can.

Questions???

[Laura1467]

Y’all have been so incredibly helpful and supportive! I can’t thank you enough. I successfully cleaned him and his cage today. When I picked him up he didn’t curl up at all and was incredibly curious about everything around him. That’s a first! Put him back in his cage and he nosed around and tried out a log hide. He’s still getting used to all of our movements and vibrations. My son is 10 and active as well as our two dogs. He hasn’t puffed air at me since my post.

Still working on regulating the temp but we’ve had crazy weather in my part of the states so it’s super cold one day and pretty toasty the next. Our house has very high ceilings and is difficult to heat plus it’s dry.

i don’t pick him up daily but I do open his humidity box to check the moss and check on him. I always stroke his back and talk to him. The first couple of weeks we had him he would hide his head in the middle of his body in the box. We’re in week 3 and he is now keeping his nose right at the opening of the box. When I walk in he’ll poke his head out.

He really is a very calming pet, even though we’re still timid with each other. I have terrible anxiety and just watching him calms me.

I’ll keep everybody updated and please, keep the advice coming! I want to learn everything I can.

[Bogertophis]

Glad you're making progress, we love to hear that. When was he fed last? I ask because his behavior (nose at the opening of his hide) suggests he is hungry & hoping
for prey to waltz past him. Remember BPs are "ambush predators" so typically this behavior means they're ready & willing to eat. Of course it can be pure curiosity
too, but if a meal is due, this is what you're looking for. For best results, don't try to offer a BP food when he's cruising his cage...they're usually too shy to take it that
way & just refuse it, even if hungry. It's also best to "wait until dark"...BPs are more active in P.M. hours.

You mention that he's a calming pet...that's what many if not most of us enjoy about snakes. They're not demanding or destructive like dogs or cats can be (I have 2
dogs & love them, just saying), they're not noisy like birds, & they're graceful & pretty like tropical fish, only we get to cuddle them too. The thing about handling your
snake is that when you can truly empathize with him & do your best to communicate that sense of safety to him, you'll find that you get the same effect for yourself too.
Snakes & other pets can really help us be "in the moment", but because they're so low-key & undemanding, they're very easy to live with. It's just a matter of getting
the "science" end of things right, as far as the temps. & humidity they need to thrive, & of course, a securely locked cage...trust me, snakes excel at "hide & seek".

I talk to my snakes too...even though they're pretty much deaf (no ears) they do feel low (bass) notes as vibrations, but my theory is that we humans are so verbal that
sometimes as we put things into words it simultaneously comes thru better in our touch than if we stayed silent, if that makes any sense?

Let us know if you need tips on feeding? Makes a huge difference between success & failure, lol. (but if you've been reading other threads you already know that)

You have my sympathy for the high ceilings...they look great, especially in magazines...but a challenge to heat & cool.