BP Husbandry Confusion (Reddit)

[Sp0rk]

I recently started using reddit and learned about the r/snakes and found the r/ballpython reddit. I looked at a bunch of posts and their care sheet, and it has left me very confused.

I only became a snake owner in 2016, so I wouldn't think my research is super outdated, and I still read care sheets and watch YouTube videos from time to time. But, I always want to do what's best for my pets, so im definitely not against changing my care if its proven to be true. I just wanted to see what this forum's thoughts were since this is where I learned so much about husbandry.

Here are a few key points of their caresheet that are new to me:

Feeding:

Through the first year OR until the snake reaches approximately 750g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every >7 days.
During the second year, until the snake's weight plateaus: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every >14 days.
Year three and beyond: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 15-20 days, or feed slightly larger meals every 21-30 days.

I always was told to feed about every ~7 days with exception of refusing, regardless of age (though I understand in certain circumstances with younger snakes the recommendation may be around 5 days). Also understandable for larger meals you may give you BP more time, but thoughts on 1-2 times a month?

Humidity:

Hydration, clean sheds, and good respiratory health, are all heavily dependent on humidity. For ball pythons, the ideal humidity level is in the 70%-80% range, as this is the typical humidity level of their natural habitat in the tropical savannas of Africa.

Thoughts on this? There have been several pieces of anecdotal evidence that this works, but I'm still healthily skeptical as I've never seen this recommended anywhere but this reddit.

These are the standout differences, though one other thing I saw was someone commenting they soaked their BP and there was another commenter that said to never ever soak a ball python. Obviously you'd want to avoid a stuck shed in the first place with good husbandry, but is soaking now a thing we should never do?

My other question is this reddit bases a BP's ideal size off of wild ball pythons. While I think this is interesting, and may agree that over feeding is an issue, I would never base a wild animals weight ideal for a household pet (think wild horses vs ideal horse body condition). Wild snakes get much more exercise too I'm sure

I want to stress that I'm not against any of these ideas, but I just want to do what has proven to be correct. My snakes seem happy and healthy based on the caresheets I've followed here, but curious on other people's thoughts!

[Armiyana]

Some communities online can be a little frustrating.

There's a lot more people keeping reptiles these days. Which is great! But there's also circles where people get far too hung up on their own ideals and not just what an average owner can manage or knowing how to correct a possible issue without sounding far too aggressive. It's honestly one of the reasons I don't go there for content.

That said...
The feeding guide isn't necessarily a bad one. It definitely is meant to keep your snake on the lean side. Which is a good thing for most pet only snakes. But if weighing everything out and following it seems a hassle, the good old 10% rule is fine. You'll just need to do your work diligence in watching how round your noodle gets after a while. A solid 10% is far easier for most people to remember than 10-15, 7 and 5 by x amount of time.

On one hand, they are right about the soaking. Ideally, you shouldn't have to soak your BP because the humidity should be monitored to allow for proper shedding. But that said there are some animals who just do like to soak, so I always offer any that seem to act more interested in the water bowl a larger one. I have a male that amusingly likes to blow bubbles when he drinks and sticks half his body in to do it.
You shouldn't be soaking a snake for every shed. They should also ideally be shedding mostly in one piece. A small bit of stuck shed on the back or belly isn't a big issue as long as it sheds correctly the next time...but stuck shed on the head and immediate neck, around the vent or the tail tip? I would definitely offer a soak to carefully remove it.

There is a bit of truth in everything that they bring up... But it's not always information that is properly repeated, is a misappropriation of more advanced husbandry being pushed on newer hobbyists or is just used to be aggressive. Sometimes you have to look a bit deeper to understand which one they are.

[GoingPostal]

1-2 times feeding a month on an adult snake is fine and pretty normal, there's no reason to be feeding weekly at that age and you don't want your snake in constant digestion mode. Hatchlings/baby snakes get fed more frequently and you slow down feedings with age. Keep in mind almost all pet snakes are overweight and it's very bad for them. My adult balls get fed every 2-3 weeks. The no soaking I think is more because so many people have bad setups and counter the shedding issues by throwing the snake in a tub all the time, it's stressful and dangerous for them if you screw up temps or get water in their lungs type of deal. Easier to encourage proper husbandry, the humidity should stay high and steady.

[Animallover3541]

Most animal subreddits can be very aggressive and unwelcoming. I have mixed opinions on their humidity. I like to stay in the 60%-75% max range with a humid hide. I think also that the enclosure size really depends on the snake. Some want to explore, others do not. Your standard 40 gallon tank is fine, but there's also nothing wrong with a 4x2x2 enclosure either.

[bcr229]

My adult females get offered a feeder every two weeks, adult males every three, unless they are fasting, in which case they get offered weekly. So... feed, wait two (or three) weeks, offer again. If the snake eats, wait or three weeks. If the snake refuses offer again a week later. Most of mine don't eat while in shed either so that affects the schedule.

I also don't worry about the feeder size for my adults. The ones that only eat live get a small rat, period, since a medium/large rat can injure a snake very quickly. So yes, some 2000+ gram females may get a 50 gram rat every two weeks, and even they fast intermittently. The adults that take frozen get a medium rat.

According to my vet:

1) Most snakes in captivity are overfed. Ball pythons tend to regulate themselves well, but other boids and colubrids will eat themselves obese and straight into fatty liver disease which cuts years off their lifespan. In the wild snakes eat intermittently and many species hunt for their food so they are very active. Our pets are pretty sedentary by comparison to their wild cousins.

2) Most snakes in captivity are under-hydrated. Granted he only sees the ones that were kept in imperfect conditions and thus are more likely to have health conditions related to dehydration, so he may be biased. There's nothing wrong with keeping a ball python at 70-80% humidity as long as the enclosure stays scrupulously clean so that issues with mold or scale rot don't develop as a result. Also it's sad but if you purchase a ball python from a big box pet store then you probably need to keep it at a higher than typical humidity for a while since it's very likely to be dehydrated when you bring it home.

[Sp0rk]

Thanks for all of the replies!

A more aggressive approach is what I figured, and I do see this more in other animal husbandry communities as well these days (dogs, horses, cats, etc). A good example is that cats should only eat high quality wet food, which can totally break the bank for the average owner, but some people treat this as a non negotiable online. Obviously this would be a best case scenario though.

Just caught me off guard to see care sheets that were totally different than what I've experienced, and to see people being very unwelcoming to newbies in the comments because they followed one of the 98% of other care sheets. Nothing wrong with educating though, just wish they were a bit less harsh because different approaches can definitely be confusing for non professionals

[Animallover3541]

I second this. I've seen so many obese reptiles and amphibians at the veterinary clinic I intern at. It's disgusting, especially since social media thinks it's "cute". No, those animals are unhealthy, and your beardie does not need to have 40 small dubia roaches per day (yes we had a patient like that, luckily owner was willing to fix it).

[Malum Argenteum]

I think a decent care sheet can be a good place to start one's research, just to get oriented. After that, research might best consist of talking to people (IRL and online) and seeing what they do and recommend and most importantly why they do and recommend these things -- then the keeper isn't just doing the right things but understanding why they're right and why she should do them. And just like IRL, try to get to know people you're talking to online. Some are coming at things from an odd angle that isn't apparent right away; some are worth listening to no matter what they're talking about since it is likely to be very wise; most of us get a bunch of stuff right but miss the boat on some things.

YouTube has a lot of good things about it, but keep in mind that virtually everything posted there is posted for views (especially the flashier productions). There are some areas of very helpful videos there (equipment repair tutorials come to mind, for those of us into chain saws and things), but much reptile care stuff is clickbait.