New Question from the Newbie.

[CrowxJane]

I feel bad bothering my bp, I check on her (opening up her lid and making sure her heat pad isnt too hot) and just to maintain her once or so a day, I dont handle her all the time, I try not to stress her, but now I have to soak her to help her shed. Am I stressing her too much? How often do you all handle your snakes? Thanks!

[dalvers63]

For me, it depends on the snake. I have one ball python that eats great and really seems to enjoy coming out and crawling around. I have another that doesn't want anything to do with people. I go by the snakes desires and also by how well they are eating/regulating/etc.

That said, I check on my snakes every day. They all live in tubs so I pull out the tub and check water level, cage cleanliness and their condition at least once a day. It's usually just a quick check. All of my snakes, even the ones that don't like to be handled, get a weekly visual check that may only last a minute or two. Again, it depends on the snake.

I know there are lots more people here that will comment, too. Good luck with your buddy!

deb

[Sausage]

I handle my BP lots, maybe every to every other day for around 15-20 minutes(it depends.) He doesn't get stressed, but after a while does start to get kind of wiggly and that's when I figure that he's had enough and he is put back. You just have to monitor how her behavior is; some snakes don't mind being handled one bit and are very calm, while with others, you should be ready to donate blood.

Just make sure not to handle while she's "blue"(eyes fogged up due to impending shed,) and wait 48 hours after feeding to handle.

[CrowxJane]

Yeah, Im always very careful to not touch her when she is blue, and she is always very calm, just slithers around me and dangles off my arms, she never seems 'upset' but its hard to read reptiles. She never goes into her defensive ball or recoils away from me, so is it proper to assume she isnt stressed?

One more dumb question, I provide her with boxes to hide in, but she always hides under her mulch instead lol.

[frankykeno]

It's all about a balance I think Jane. As much as you don't want to disturb or stress her while she's healing, if you need to soak her or administer meds it just has to be done. I'd just get it over quickly and quietly and tuck her back in with as little fuss or muss as possible.

What sorts of hides are you using? Most bp's would rather use hides than burrow though I have a few myself that won't use any hide I provide and instead go between layers of their newspaper. I just provide them with more layers than the hide using bps.

[CrowxJane]

I had to have her out for a while last night to soak her (for a bad shed) and clean her burns and apply medication. I probably wont get her out tonight and wait to clean out her burns again until tommarow. I dont want excess stress to cause her even more problems.

I provided her with a turned over box for a while, a wood hide box I used to use for rats that I cleaned very well and a tube, the tube she went in, but I could never get her out even once a week! She never left it....so I had to get rid of it because I could never check on her.

[frankykeno]

Roxanne (sorry for calling you Jane, got that from your nic lol), I'd suggest going with two identical and easy to clean hides. You don't need to spend more than a dollar or two. A couple of appropriately sized plastic bowls (dark in color) from the dollar store would do just fine really. Ball pythons like very tight quarters so a good hide is one just about the size of your bp coiled up, dark in color, easy to clean in case they use their hide for a toilet, that sort of thing. Since bp's will stick to a hide they like they will refuse to thermoregulate just to stay in their favorite "safe" spot. Providing identical ones at each end of the enclosure encourages them to move about properly.

[CrowxJane]

I must be pretty confusing, my name has jane in it, and my sig says Roxanne. Lol. Actually, my name is Greer, my snake is Roxanne and Jane? I dont even know how I have that. But you can call me whatever you darn well want to!! Thanks, when I move her to a tub, I plan on making new hides.