Second Ball Python!

[mischiefneko]

So I brought home my second ball python. He's a two year old Spider ball python. He does have a bit of wobbles when he's excited but normally you can't tell.
His home is a little bare at the moment. He's in a 20Long, paper towel substrate (soaking a eco brick right now), a log warm hide and his travel box as his cool hide, and a tupperware little bowl for a water dish. And a heat pad on one side. So I've ordered another proper hide for him and a thermostat. He's also currently unnamed.

I do worry a bit because I was told he was being fed live, which makes me a bit uneasy. But Loki was eating live and he switched with no issue.
So I know to wait at least a week before handling or feeding, but man, I'm so antsy and always checking on him like a nervous momma. Which I did when I brought my first home. The previous owner said she went between feeding rat pups and small rats.
Loki was three and already an full adult when I got him, so does my Spider need to be fed weekly or bi-weekly? Loki eats every 10ish days, depending on sheds and behavior. I just didn't know with a younger sub-adult(?) if they need to eat more often? The current plan is to thaw one small rat out in a week, offer it to the Spider. So if he doesn't take it I can give it to Loki. But from what I'm told he is an active eater, so I don't think I should be too worried??

Sorry for the brain vomit but I'm so nervous and excited. Any thoughts or commentary?

[Moose84]

Two things I notice right away...

1.)He’s older and use to eating live not f/t. Older BPs are very set in their ways and take considerably more time to adapt.

2.)Sounds like you have changed his enclosure quite a bit even though you are working to make it more BP friendly.

I would be be willing to bet he won’t take f/t in a week. My recommendation and what seems to be the general consensus is to not change their environmental situations drastically and it seems like that is occurring here.


Good luck.

[Bogertophis]

... The current plan is to thaw one small rat out in a week, offer it to the Spider. So if he doesn't take it I can give it to Loki. But from what I'm told he is an active eater, so I don't think I should be too worried??....

For best results, you want his current home to closely resemble his previous one, and in a 20L, it's a good idea to cover the back & sides with dark paper or poster board
(etc.) for privacy (as well as for heat retention). You'll need to cover the screen top most of the way to retain needed humidity too, but you probably already know that.

Switching to f/t may not come easy, and for best results, don't handle the new snake until he has fed at least 3 times for you (easily & on schedule). For a 2 year-old
snake, he should be eating every other week, so it may be a "while" before you handle him, but while this may be hard for you, it's the best thing for him, as eating is
the most important thing.

Now about your "current plan": you never want to offer prey to a new snake & then give it to your other pet if it's refused. That's a great way to share any diseases
that the new snake might be harboring, & by the way, the new snake should also be quarantined from the other one. Not only should food not be shared, neither should
anything else (like feeding tongs). It's best that they aren't even in the same room & you should be dealing with Loki first, then showering, changing clothes & then dealing with the new snake last, always, to be safer.