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  1. #1
    Registered User Ruby's Avatar
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    List off the biggest mistakes new ball python owners make?

    I'd like to avoid making too many mistakes, any advice is welcome!

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  3. #2
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    Re: List off the biggest mistakes new ball python owners make?

    Well as a new owner ( 6 months in now- first snake) here were the things I wish I had known.

    test your heat before you get your snake! I had an under tank but my cold site wouldn’t keep warm enough, had to do an overhead CHE to help and that while having a snake in there was stressful for both of us.

    best places to get a good variety of frozen thawed prey- my snake wouldn’t eat artic mice brand, and I drove to a bunch of pet stores looking for that right size

    worriying about his size- goodness I weighed and weighed- did he poop was he gaining too much or too little. Over the last six months he will grow like crazy one month and then only gain 10 g the next- haven’t figured it all out yet, but stressing about it didn’t change anything.

    Overall he’s been a great addition, my son loves him and I’m quite fond of him as well!

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  5. #3
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    I think this is number one- set up & fully test your set-up for a week at least before the new snake moves in, so you have time to make changes & get other equipment if it's needed, without stressing the snake.

    Similarly, reading up on ball pythons to better understand their needs & personality. Don't expect a shy nocturnal ambush predator to be an active "social butterfly" by day. And understanding the importance of their prey being the right temperature: that BPs rely on their heat-sensing pits to recognize prey- and that your warm, wiggling hands may confuse them.

    Bites are very easy to avoid, for the most part, when you learn a snake's body language, & think about how you're being perceived by the snake. #1 They don't really recognize you visually- they need other cues (touch, scent).
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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  7. #4
    Registered User Ruby's Avatar
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    Re: List off the biggest mistakes new ball python owners make?

    Thank you for the advice! I recently got a hatchling BP 2 weeks ago after doing 6 years of research on them.
    I find ball pythons fascinating but I'm so afraid I'll mess up.
    I'm always looking to learn more, update me on anymore advice you can think of!

  8. #5
    Registered User Ruby's Avatar
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    Re: List off the biggest mistakes new ball python owners make?

    I don't know my BP exact age, all of know is that she's young (less than a year old)
    Is a scale necessary to monitor her growth/weight?
    I've just been watching how sloped her spine is; if that makes sense.
    Should I order one as soon as possible?

  9. #6
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    Re: List off the biggest mistakes new ball python owners make?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ruby View Post
    Thank you for the advice! I recently got a hatchling BP 2 weeks ago after doing 6 years of research on them.
    I find ball pythons fascinating but I'm so afraid I'll mess up.
    I'm always looking to learn more, update me on anymore advice you can think of!
    Of COURSE you'll mess up. We all do, that's how we learn. But we're here to help you avoid making the really BIG mistakes.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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  11. #7
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Re: List off the biggest mistakes new ball python owners make?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ruby View Post
    I don't know my BP exact age, all of know is that she's young (less than a year old)
    Is a scale necessary to monitor her growth/weight?
    I've just been watching how sloped her spine is; if that makes sense.
    Should I order one as soon as possible?
    If you have spare money lying around & don't need to save it for essentials, a digital scale may help put your mind at ease, especially since you seem to be worried. It can also help to weigh the prey if you're not sure what size is appropriate for your snake.

    But it's not absolutely necessary. I have a scale & rarely ever use it. I don't routinely weigh any of my snakes & never have- I've been keeping many snakes for decades. My scale is only in case of illness, to calculate a dose of medication- that sort of thing. I use it most often to calculate postage on things I'm mailing...

    Also, if you post pics here we can help you assess your snake's weight. One downside of using a scale to keep weighing your snake, especially a new snake, is that the process is rather stressful for the snake, & tends to add to your worries. I can't tell you how many people think their snake is (gasp!) "losing weight" when actually all they did was just take a dump. A snake's weight doesn't have to perfectly conform to a chart- the main thing is that they look & act healthy. It's mostly common sense. Now, if your snake goes on an extended fast, that would be a good time to keep track of their weight. Otherwise, relax... Not all snakes grow at the same rate, any more than humans do. A snake that is slightly underfed is better off (healthier) than one which is over-fed.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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  13. #8
    BPnet Veteran plateOfFlan's Avatar
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    Re: List off the biggest mistakes new ball python owners make?

    I definitely think one of the most damaging things people do as new owners is immediately start impulse-acquiring a huge collection, buying a dozen or so random morphs with an eye towards making big bucks with breeding before they know how morphs are even inherited / which ones have issues etc. I've seen people buying more and more snakes on loans/credit because they've already calculated in their head how much they're going to sell this or that baby for every year, and counting their profits before they've hatched.
    Not that I think you're likely to do that, but it can be really tempting to go "oh I don't have this morph, oh this one's cool too, oh I'll just get all of these, oh someone on craigslist is dropping their entire collection for cheap!" and the bottom seems to be falling out of the ball python "bubble" at least somewhat right now so people are having more and more issues paying for feeders, heat, etc for all these snakes. They're becoming more costly to care for, so keeping an eye on that and making sure we do our best for the animals we have I think is the best we can do.

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  15. #9
    Registered User Ruby's Avatar
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    Re: List off the biggest mistakes new ball python owners make?

    Ah, I see. I'll get a scale later down the line, I don't want to stress her out too much.
    Not sure how to post pictures on here, but I've updated my profile to a picture of her.

    Currently I'm feeding her rat pups; I feed her prey that's either the same size as the widest part of her body OR something slightly larger.

    Is this a good way to decide prey size without a scale? Thank you all for answering my questions!

    Also, would it be a good idea to give her more variety; chicks, quails, baby rabbits etc.

    Obviously rats would be her main diet but I don't want her to have a deficiency in certain nutrients and or too much of another one.
    Last edited by Ruby; 02-03-2023 at 07:36 PM.

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    Re: List off the biggest mistakes new ball python owners make?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ruby View Post
    ...
    Not sure how to post pictures on here, but I've updated my profile to a picture of her...
    In the sub-forum "BP Pictures" you'll find this "sticky" (ie. permanent for reference) thread:

    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures

    The more you explore in "Forum" (upper left, dark blue), the easier it is to find things here. Lot's more here than you might have realized.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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