New ball python owner...

[snakelovingrannie]

Hi everyone...I just found this forum....The informatiion I have read so far is great...I have a baby ball python who is 6 months old named Jackson. I have had him for two weeks now and he is adjusting to his new home wonderfully. He has eaten twice for me... I finally got to hold him for about 10 minutes eariler this evening. He is a very inquisitive fellow!!!! He crawled all over me exploring and flicking his tongue!!! He is currently in a 20 gallon critter tank. For Christmas my husband is buying me a new home for jackson. It is one he can live his entire life in. It will be 48 long by 24 wide by 15 tall. I plan on putting LOTS of hides in it for him with some greenery and 2 water bowls. Hopefully he will feel secure with lots of hiding places!!! I am looking forward to learning more about these wonderful snakes. I also have a baby mexican rosy boa and a baby okeetee corn snake. They each live in their own seperate critter cages. Have a wonderful holiday season. connie the snake loving grannie!!!!

[Shelby]

Welcome! A ball python really doesn't need a cage that large. 3' long by 1' wide is plenty even for a big female! Such a large tank can stress out a baby very easily.. you really will need a lot of hides.. and make sure your temperatures are right, it's much easier for a baby to thermoregulate in a small enclosure.

[mr~python]

hey! glad to have you! do you have any pictures of your snakes?

[snakelovingrannie]

Thanks for the reply. This is really all new to me..I was thinking the bigger the cage the better. I don't want to stress him....I will check into the cage that measures 36 inches. Thanks again. connie

[Shelby]

I would actually wait on a new cage until he's bigger. The tank he's in now is more than big enough. He'd be fine in a 10 gallon. Give him a year before you move to a 3' cage.. that's what I would do.

[snakelovingrannie]

I will get some pictures posted soon. Thanks for the welcome! :-)

[snakelovingrannie]

The reason I wanted to get him a new cage is I am having trouble regulating the heat and humidity in the glass aquarium. It has a screened top ...I have most of the top covered, but humidity is still low. Maybe I will go with a different cage, just a smaller one. My husband would like that anyways as it would be cheaper!!!!

[Shelby]

Well, what I would recommend is go to target or walmart or.. whatever and buy a sterilite/rubbermaid/iris plastic bin. Get something equivalent to a 10 gallon tank or therabouts. You can secure the lid with binder clips which you can get at an office supply store. Air holes can either be drilled or melted with a soldering gun.

[rabernet]

Welcome to the forums! Great name for your snake too, would love to see pictures of him when you get a chance!

[snakelovingrannie]

Thanks Robin,,,,I named him after my great grandfather. When I was very young my grandpa Jackson would go with me to the garden and help me catch garter snakes, frogs and horned toads. The ball python is kinda built like my grandpa Jackson. :-) He would think it was great that I named a snake after him!!!!