new BP question

[chris4554]

hey guys i'm new to the forum and new to owning a ball python too. i just got my bp a week ago and i have been letting it chill in its tank so far. i handled it some after i brought it home for a couple days and it was shy at first but would warm up and started moving around. i put it in its tank for about 5 days now and i'm about ready to try to start handling it again. whenever i get near the tank however if it is out and sees me it will stop and look at me then slowly go back into a hide. is it to early to start handling it? should it be confident enough to stay out in the open before i mess with it or does it just need to get used to me? and also would it be alright to pick up its hide to get it out sometimes or should i just leave it alone when it is in there? thanks!

[stevepoppers]

First of all welcome. If you haven't already, I suggest you read the caresheet to make sure you're taking the best care of your snake possible. There's a link in my signature.

As for handling, it's generally recommended that you don't handle them until they're eating for you. I'd wait to pick him up until two days after he eats. Give him time to digest so that he doesn't get an upset stomach.

When you do start handling, ignore his protests and handle him! He's got to learn that hissing and biting won't make you go away. Eventually he'll stop trying.

[chris4554]

thanks for the response. i was planning on trying to feed it thursday but i was going to try to feed it outside the tank because i use cypress mulch as the substrate and i didn't want it to swallow any. and of course that would mean having to handle the snake just to feed it. what is your advice on this? i'm not against feeding it inside the tank i just don't want to risk it swallowing something it shouldn't while feeding

[BPelizabeth]

a little bit of substrate will not hurt them. A trick we did when we used a substrate was put down paper towels and then feed on top of that. It worked really well. Eventually we switched to bins and now they are always on papertowels. It is really better for the snake and personally speaking I had less turn downs once I stopped feeding outside of the enclosure.

Also remember not to handle until 48 hours after feeding. This gives them time to digest.

[stevepoppers]

I think 90% of people here feed inside of the enclosure and chances of something going wrong from swallowing substrate are like one in a million. Most would advise to just feed in the tank because the snake will feel safer in it's established environment. Moving to feed is stressful to the snake. Imagine having to get on a roller coaster just to get lunch in the sketchiest neighborhood you could imagine. Then to go home once you're as full as can be. Maybe not that bad, but you get the idea.

Many do feed in a separate enclosure and have no trouble with it, though. It's kind of up to your snake whether it will tolerate it. He may not feel safe enough to eat after being moved.

Short answer: you can handle him to move him for feeding, but it may contribute to a refusal.

[severe_bomber]

Congrats on your new companion!

Do you know how the previous owner/seller had been feeding - In the tank or separate? Live or Frozen/Thawed?

Maintaining what your snakes used to could be the difference between a successful feed and a refusal !

[chris4554]

alright thanks for all the answers! i think i'm going to try to feed in the tank but maybe i'll put some the mice on a paper towel just to calm my nerves . and i got the snake at petsmart and they were feeding it about 3-4 f/t fuzzys a week, but i think its about big enough for the next size up even though i'm going to try fuzzys the first time. i did not think to ask if they fed it in a separate enclosure though.

[stevepoppers]

If it can eat four of them, they're way too small. Try to give it something about as big around as the widest part of it's body.

[Evilme5229]

If it can eat four of them, they're way too small. Try to give it something about as big around as the widest part of it's body.

I agree. I depending on the size of your snake. He should only be getting one mouse/rat a week. The only times I'm doubling up is if I'm getting them ready for breading season. A lot of my friends double feed, the same night. I don't recommend it. Oh, btw do yourself a favor and don't buy reptiles from a petsmart, petco, etc., they charge sooo much money. A norm bp shouldn't be more than 35-40 depending on the distributor. I saw in my local petsmart they wanted 60 bucks for a normal....for $30 more my friend got his male orange belly from my distributor. Kingsnake is a good general reference for pricing out bps, if you decide to get another.

As far as handling, I have never had a problem EVER with my snakes not eating because of handling. I have both that feed inside and outside their enclosure. Some my favorites (like my lemon bee) I couldn't resist showing off to my friends the next day at work. Did that stop her from eating a mouse th next day? Nope. I don't recommend overhandling, but for 2 days not touching your snake, is a little more overboard than anything. It really depends on 1. if your snake will take its food outside its enclosure and 2. If you want because your more comfortable. When I started out, I fed in a separate enclosure and all my snakes did just fine. However, when my collection grew, I found out that some preferred to be in their enclosure they would not eat. I have 11 snakes now and its a little difficult to take all them out to feed separately; so enclosure feeding is what I have to do.

Test it out, see if your snake will feed outside its enclosure if thats what you initially prefer to do. If your snake doesn't eat, than try to feed inside his enclosure to see if he will eat.

Don't overly stress yourself out with making sure that you do everything to specs of ppl on the forum; I did it initially and was ripping out my hair really bad trying to worry about every little detail. In the end I found a awesome distributor that I get all my snakes from and listen to his advice and his methods since hes been breeding and selling snakes forever. Its all trial and error and you will have to determine the temperament and the feeding habits of your snake.

My biggest suggestion is do what I did when I found my local reputable distributor. I found it through my herp vet; he got his pieds from my distributor and if my vet trusted his advice it was easy for me to follow the lead. Hands down, the best advice I have received about basic bps and breeding knowledge.

I wish you good luck and I'm telling you, bps are addictive. lmao

[chris4554]

Yeah i was thinking the mice were to small when i got them but i already got a few so i'm gonna try that for the first time then switch to the bigger size. I wouldn't have got it from petsmart except it was on sale for $40. They wanted $80 before that i thought that was kind of crazy but i couldn't find another breeder in my area. Thanks for the tips ya'll