First snake! Help!!

[aligator]

Hello! I recently bought an adorable baby banana ball python a couple days ago, I have been keeping my distance to let her acclimate to the new tank however it’s been around a week that I’ve had her and she ate perfectly fine when I fed her a few days ago, though I’ve noticed that since I put a new hide in her tank (on the cold side) she never leaves it and if she does she only pokes her head out for a few minutes when I’m not near and goes back in. I’ve also never seen her go to the warm side of the tank, I live in Florida so I’m wondering if the hot side may be too hot? Anyways, she always hides when I am around the tank and I want to start handling her but I’ve heard many different things on when I should. She seems terrified whenever I put my hand near her, she will noticeably start breathing heavier and faster and she tenses up when my hand is around her or touching her back. I’ve only held her once at the pet store and since then I haven’t really wanted to touch or play with her because I feel like I’m traumatizing her. How can I make her more comfy with me and less freaked out? And when should I actually begin to try to touch her?

In my tank right now I have 2 hides, one on hot side and one on cool. I have a few fake plants and a couple pieces of driftwood. Of course a water bowl and I got a thermometer recently to watch the temperatures. For heat I use a heat lamp and at night I put on a red heat lamp for a day night cycle... is this setup okay? I’m planning on getting a background for the tank so it feels more closed in for her and hopefully more comfortable.

[Albert Clark]

Well firstly you should consider getting a thermostat to regulate the heat from a heat source on the bottom of the enclosure. Heat lamps should be on a dimmer switch or rheostat to control light and heat. The baby ball python is being a typical baby ball. They are defensive and fearful. If they are uncomfortable in their enclosure that will accentuate their defensiveness. Consider getting a infra red temp gun to more accurately assess the environmental surface temperatures throughout the enclosure. It certainly can be too hot on your warm side of the enclosure keeping the baby away. These are all easily correctable issues. Consider also covering three sides of the tank with green, or brown to black construction paper to darken the inside of the tank. That will help lessen the stress the baby feels by feeling too exposed.

[aligator]

Thank you so much! I’ll definitely look into those.. Do you think I should just let her be for now until she gets more active around me?


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[Albert Clark]

Yes, as you continue to tweak the enclosure and make adjustments you will find the baby ball may still need time to tolerate handling. Keep us posted and standby for more recommendations from the forum.

[Zincubus]

Thank you so much! I’ll definitely look into those.. Do you think I should just let her be for now until she gets more active around me?


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Just get a cheap digital temperature gun off eBay or Amazon .. around 10 to 12 dollars !!


Something like this


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[Stofey]

I agree with the thermostat! It might be a bit pricy but it takes a lot of worry out of temperatures. I set it to about 85 degrees and put the probe on the hot side and the moment my thermostat hits 85 it shuts the heat off and lets it drop about 5 degrees before turning back on. My hot side is never below 80 and never higher than 85. I also like to put the probe down closer to the bottom of the tank so it gets the temperature closer to where your baby is going to be! It makes worrying a lot less.

I wouldn't worry about him hiding on one side so long as your thermometer doesn't say it's too hot. When I got my ball python for the first week he hid on his cold side because it was the first hide he found. Once they get comfortable and know they're safe, they'll move around. It could also be that if you have two different shaped hides that he likes that one better. I had a cave and a log and my ball preferred the cave every time. Once I got rid of the log and got a black plastic hut, he decided he liked that one and now uses that one more. I think your best bet is to get two versions of the hide she likes instead of two different ones. You can also make sure that the hides are a good size or similar size. If one is way bigger or way smaller, the ball python may just choose the one that fits best.

Ball pythons hide a LOT. I wouldn't worry about how much they're hiding. The head poking out means they're curious but they're still getting comfortable. I would give around 2 weeks after getting them before handling regularly. Don't handle after feeding! Give about 48 hrs after feeding before handling! They could get sick and throw up their food and that's really bad

Don't be upset if the first time you handle your ball she....well...balls. It's what they do. She's going to continue to be scared of you until she realizes that you're Mommy/Daddy! Handling is the gateway to that realization. The more they're handled safely, the more they realize you're nothing to be afraid of. Just take it slow and hold her gently. They'll warm up, literally, they end up loving your body warmth! You'll know your ball is calming down while handling when they start to explore a little bit, wrapping around your arm and trying to crawl in your sleeves to be nice and warm against your skin.

Another good idea, if not done already, is to put your snake's tank in an area where you are around a lot! But one that's still quiet at night. This gives them a chance to get accustomed to your presence and you being around. She'll realize you're around all the time and you're not hurting her, you keep giving yummy food and sometimes warm snuggles. It takes time but that fear will go away!

I don't claim to be super knowledgeable about Ball pythons. I'm still a noob but this is all stuff I've learned and been told from other BP lovers! Hope it helps!

[Albert Clark]

@ Stofey

[IMG] I also like to put the probe down closer to the bottom of the tank so it gets the temperature closer to where your baby is going to be! It makes worrying a lot less.[/IMG]



Stofey, does this mean your tstat probe is inside the enclosure? If it is, I think you should consider moving the probe to the outside of the enclosure and onto the heating device. Unless I’m mistaking your wording?

[Stofey]

The heating device is an overhead ceramic heater. There's not a very good way to put it "on" The heating device.

My probe is inside the tank but I've never had an issue with it being there and I have three separate thermometers in the tank so I'm not worried about my temperature. (I replaced the old one with two digital ones but I kept the old one because it's stuck to the back of the tank and I figured might as well leave it!). My ball also never messes with them. Thank you though!

[Zincubus]

Also ... and it’s probably been mentioned above but don’t even consider any handling until it’s fed at least a couple of times


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[Albert Clark]

The heating device is an overhead ceramic heater. There's not a very good way to put it "on" The heating device.

My probe is inside the tank but I've never had an issue with it being there and I have three separate thermometers in the tank so I'm not worried about my temperature. (I replaced the old one with two digital ones but I kept the old one because it's stuck to the back of the tank and I figured might as well leave it!). My ball also never messes with them. Thank you though!

Ok. The ceramic heater can have the probe under the shield cover of the lamp itself. Having the other probe inside the tank is risky but I understand your points. Be careful though.