Welcome to the zoo lil' sis!

[sunshinenorcas]

(and first post D

So, I'd been thinking about getting a ball python for awhile, and things just fell into place yesterday, and I got one! I'd handled quite a few at various places to get an idea of the temperament I was looking for, and I love this girls* attitude. I'm not interested in breeding at the moment, just a pet, so temperament was more important then anything. She curls ups for a moment, then is super interested in everything that's going on and just wants to explore and see ALL the things. And she's a gorgeous little thing- when I saw her initially, I wondered if she was a pastel** but I've been told that she's a normal- a 'high yellow' normal, but a normal... with a lot of alien head markings. She's not named yet, I'm trying to think of a good one, probably going with the alien theme. D:

Pictures!!


When I left this morning, this is what she was doing. Before I took the picture, she'd managed to hammock herself in the leads. Yes I took that thermometer out ASAP, and replaced it with a separate hydrometer and better probe thermometer for her UTH. I didn't realize the leads were so long D:


Andddd this is her tank now. I'm probably going to get a smaller hide for the cool side (on the left), but she's started using it, so maybe it's not as open as I thought. I'm also going to get a bigger water dish very soon. From what I've seen, she likes the coconut hide. Earlier, she was curled up with just her nose peaking out.





*she's actually unsexed, but the attendant was calling her a 'her' so I stuck with it D: I don't care much beyond knowing how big I should be planning for when she gets older
**I know sorta what pastel looks like, but not the traits that make it a pastel as I haven't read that much about the breeding.


Also, as a bonus... this is one of the snakes I handled to get an idea of the temperament... for some reason, I did NOT end up with her.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Welcome, congrats on the new snake, and enjoy your stay

[Annarose15]

Welcome! I'm glad the cranky/hungry one didn't turn you off of your little baby! She's a gorgeous little normal. Check out the BP Caresheet if you haven't already.

[Neal]

She's definitely a nice normal. Congrats on the pickup.

[sunshinenorcas]

Welcome! I'm glad the cranky/hungry one didn't turn you off of your little baby! She's a gorgeous little normal. Check out the BP Caresheet if you haven't already.

Haha, thanks! I have looked at it, but I probably will a lot more to alleviate 'OH GOD SOMETHINGS WRONG' moments I'm definitely a worrywart haha.

And it wasn't a big deal- she was just hungry. It honestly didn't even hurt other then when we were unwrapping her and it pulled my skin/she tightened up, and when we got her to let go. It got more funny then anything- that shop has a few employees, but only one is a 'reptile guy' and he wasn't around, so someone else took her out. When the snake bit me and didn't immediately let go, and didn't let go when we started to unwind her, I opted to just hang out until she figured out I wasn't food... yeah. Ten minutes laterish, the guy came back and helped me get her off. And I know bites happen- I'm into animals and have worked with a quite a few, and honestly, I've been hurt worse by polo ponies and rescues. Those bang ups didn't stop me from polo or strays, a bite from a hungry ball isn't going to scare me off reptiles

And thanks everyone for the compliments! I'm pretty happy with her

[jasonmcgilvrey83]

Congrats on your new family member. One thing tho. I seen u had the PETCO temp and humidity gauges in there. If possible get rid of them and get digital ones. One for the hot side and one for cold. The PETCO gauges are really unreliable. Hydrofarm is a good product that works well for humidity and temps and only runs u about 30 or 40 bucks.

[sunshinenorcas]

I had a digital one (the one in the third shot), but the leads were very very long, so I took it out for right now- the two temp gauges I have (the humidity isn't petco brand) are temporary until I figure out something better, or find someone who can solder my tank so I can have the leads in the back. I'm planning on switching to a tub so it will be much easier to deal with the cords- I just don't have the skill to cut glass and I'm hesitant to poke holes in the screen. Or just find a thermometer with shorter leads. D:

[Southern_Breeder]

Aw the one that bit you was just showing you how much it loved you already! Lol congrats on the new pickup.

[jasonmcgilvrey83]

Cool. when u get the final set up post a pick so we can see how happy she is. Lol

[sunshinenorcas]

Aw the one that bit you was just showing you how much it loved you already! Lol congrats on the new pickup.

Hahah, that's what the employee's said! They were like, 'Look, she loves you! She's already hugging you!'
'Yeah, she's hugging me with her teeth.'

I go to that shop pretty frequently for various things, and when I dropped by to get a hide for this one, they were teasing me and saying the one that bit me missed me and thought I should take her home haha. Though apparently, after she was fed, she calmed down and is a little skittish and frightened, but not bitey. She's a college student surrender, and the reptile guy said that they can be the worst in terms of temperament- he was telling me about a mean cornsnake that came in once. How do you make a cornsnake mean??

Cool. when u get the final set up post a pick so we can see how happy she is. Lol

I will! I have two questions- a) does that log on the left look too big? She uses it (she's in there now), but I don't know if I should try to get a smaller hide- if that'd make her more secure or if that ones fine. The coconut shell is much tighter around her compared to the log and I don't want her to have to pick between feeling safe and the correct temp
and b) any idea for thermostats with shorter leads? She's in a 10L for right now, so they don't need to be long. Or is there a more secure way to get the extra length up where she won't get herself tangled?