Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 3,142

1 members and 3,141 guests
Most users ever online was 6,337, 01-24-2020 at 04:30 AM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,031
Threads: 248,489
Posts: 2,568,442
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, isismomma
Page 3 of 6 FirstFirst 123456 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 54
  1. #21
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,183
    Thanks
    28,082
    Thanked 19,739 Times in 11,797 Posts
    PrincessBunny- Don't try to rush this snake to gain weight- you can do much more harm than good by feeding larger prey or more frequent meals than this snake's stomach is ready to handle.

    Just feed regular meals at appropriate size & be very patient. Even when young (hatchling) snakes grow, they tend to look "thin" because every meal adds a bit of length instead of width, & then they defecate & look thin all over again. Weight gain happens very very slow in snakes- especially when you're waiting for it.

    You've done a good thing- taking on this neglected & unwanted snake. Just be patient now....very very patient. Snakes survive much adversity in the wild, & with any luck, this one will thrive with your good care. Trust the process.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  2. The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    Albert Clark (10-27-2022),Alicia (10-26-2022),dakski (10-27-2022),Homebody (10-26-2022),PrincessBunny (10-26-2022)

  3. #22
    Registered User PrincessBunny's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-20-2022
    Posts
    40
    Thanks
    27
    Thanked 45 Times in 24 Posts
    Images: 20

    Re: First time owner, please advise *long post*

    Thank you so much, I will update once she has her vet appointment. My hope is that he was lying and she isn’t really 3. I see no reason for such a lie but perhaps he wanted to come off as a better owner, he was a tad defensive and kept giving “advice” for her care.
    I have not seen her much but I know she has come out bc when I took out her water bowl to clean and refill it it was empty.

  4. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to PrincessBunny For This Useful Post:

    Albert Clark (10-27-2022),Homebody (10-26-2022)

  5. #23
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,183
    Thanks
    28,082
    Thanked 19,739 Times in 11,797 Posts
    Don't be surprised if your vet cannot tell her age either- if you don't have a snake from it's date of hatch (or birth), there's just no telling, because their growth depends on conditions- ie. plentiful food, + favorable temperatures & time to digest. For snakes that brumate or just fast in winter, remember that takes time away from growth also. Even with rattlesnakes- where they add a rattle with each shed, there's no way to tell how long each one took to "earn", because a shed is just a milestone of growth, not the time it took. All we can do is make "educated guesses" about the age of a snake.

    Maybe she needs a larger water bowl? Remember that in a warm enclosure, much evaporates too.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  6. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    Albert Clark (10-27-2022),PrincessBunny (10-27-2022)

  7. #24
    Registered User PrincessBunny's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-20-2022
    Posts
    40
    Thanks
    27
    Thanked 45 Times in 24 Posts
    Images: 20

    Re: First time owner, please advise *long post*

    I have a big enough water bowl for her to soak if she wants to but mainly to help with humidity in the big tank, however her current tank is SO small it barely fits a single hide and a small water bowl, I even got her a smaller hide bc the one she came with was too big for both her and the enclosure, it took up all the space. She has been using the new hide ever since, it fits much more snuggly. I am afraid of continuing to change things as I feel the first day here after the initial night were super stressful.

    I don’t mind changing her water daily, I intended to do that anyway to ensure the water is always clean, especially after the horror of washing the filthy bowl for the first time. It was completely dry but as soon as I wet it it became SLIMY, eew.
    I have her in my room where no one goes and has my smell, but I am sleeping in the couch for now to allow her more peace and quiet until she adjusts, I try talking to her each time I take out the bowl and when I monitor the temperatures during the day.

    I am unsure as to when I should offer her first meal here, she didn’t have a schedule before and I am sure the vet visit will stress her again. Around the time of her appointment she will have been here two weeks, so by the first week mark it should allow her enough time to digest before the outing. Would it be too soon to offer a meal after a week in her new home?

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to PrincessBunny For This Useful Post:

    Albert Clark (10-27-2022)

  9. #25
    bcr229's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-18-2013
    Location
    Eastern WV Panhandle
    Posts
    9,494
    Thanks
    2,888
    Thanked 9,842 Times in 4,771 Posts
    Images: 34

    Re: First time owner, please advise *long post*

    Quote Originally Posted by PrincessBunny View Post
    I am unsure as to when I should offer her first meal here, she didn’t have a schedule before and I am sure the vet visit will stress her again. Around the time of her appointment she will have been here two weeks, so by the first week mark it should allow her enough time to digest before the outing. Would it be too soon to offer a meal after a week in her new home?
    No, the timing sounds fine. I've taken in rescues that have eaten just a day or so after I've brought them home and put them into QT. Once they're in a proper environment with the correct heat and humidity their appetite really kicks into overdrive.

    I would make the first meal or two half-size, frozen-thaw, and offer the feeder wet to help the snake with hydration.

  10. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to bcr229 For This Useful Post:

    Albert Clark (10-27-2022),Homebody (10-27-2022),PrincessBunny (10-27-2022)

  11. #26
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-08-2014
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    4,802
    Thanks
    8,109
    Thanked 9,691 Times in 3,863 Posts
    Images: 134

    Re: First time owner, please advise *long post*

    If you are unfamiliar with defrosting/thawing and offering techniques, just ask. We are happy to help. You want the first feeding to be as likely for success as possible.

  12. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to dakski For This Useful Post:

    Albert Clark (10-27-2022),Bogertophis (10-27-2022),PrincessBunny (10-27-2022)

  13. #27
    BPnet Lifer Albert Clark's Avatar
    Join Date
    02-22-2015
    Location
    Spotsylvania, Va.
    Posts
    4,650
    Thanks
    6,518
    Thanked 3,295 Times in 2,139 Posts
    Images: 39

    Re: First time owner, please advise *long post*

    Great work you are doing for this little girl! Kudos. For what it’s worth, grossly observing that stool and urates she left appear quite normal. Looking forward to the vet eval and diagnostics. Congrats once again.
    Stay in peace and not pieces.

  14. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Albert Clark For This Useful Post:

    dakski (10-27-2022),PrincessBunny (10-27-2022)

  15. #28
    Registered User PrincessBunny's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-20-2022
    Posts
    40
    Thanks
    27
    Thanked 45 Times in 24 Posts
    Images: 20
    I am unsure, but I must say she was also fed live prey. I didn’t originally include the information because I wanted to wait until she was settled and eaten a few times with me before attempting the switch. I am most nervous about that.
    I am not particularly squeamish since I don’t hold reptiles or carnivores in any way to human standards, I just worry that the rodent would hurt her, they can be so feisty sometimes
    I was planning on asking for advice on live feeders when I was to offer her a meal but if any of you don’t mind I love reading your responses.

    I apologize if I come off as too anxious, I am. It doesn’t help that I just moved myself so having nothing but books and online information to rely on, it has been a relief to get advice from experienced owners.

  16. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to PrincessBunny For This Useful Post:

    Albert Clark (10-27-2022),Bogertophis (10-27-2022)

  17. #29
    BPnet Veteran Homebody's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-19-2019
    Location
    Jersey City, NJ
    Posts
    1,555
    Thanks
    5,298
    Thanked 2,151 Times in 1,164 Posts
    Images: 22

    Re: First time owner, please advise *long post*

    Quote Originally Posted by PrincessBunny View Post
    I apologize if I come off as too anxious, I am.
    No need to apologize. Most new snake owners are anxious. I know I was.
    1.0 Normal Children's Python (2022 - present)
    1.0 Normal Ball Python (2019 - 2021)

  18. The Following User Says Thank You to Homebody For This Useful Post:

    Albert Clark (10-27-2022)

  19. #30
    Registered User
    Join Date
    05-29-2022
    Posts
    34
    Thanks
    92
    Thanked 60 Times in 31 Posts
    Images: 16

    Re: First time owner, please advise *long post*

    Well done rescuing that poor creature. It's a very kind thing you did. Don't stress yourself out too much. I don't have all that much to add, other than that if you haven't found this resource on your own yet, I found this guide helpful if you want further reading in addition to the great information on this forum.

    https://reptifiles.com/ball-python-care-guide/

  20. The Following User Says Thank You to Kryptic For This Useful Post:

    Homebody (10-28-2022)

Page 3 of 6 FirstFirst 123456 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1