Panic Mode!!

[stratus_020202]

Just to reassure you a bit....

One of our 08 hatchlings just left last Sunday on a road trip from northern Ohio to Texas. Two days driving with an overnight stop at a hotel. My daughter (her new owner) called me tonight to report that the little snake did beautifully and is now happily settling into her new enclosure with no obvious signs of problems.

If you plan well for them, they are pretty hardy critters.

That's great! I actually have a veterinary assisting certificate, but they don't teach you a lot about snakes. This is why I find them so fascinating. To me, a dog or a cat is easy, but I have so much to learn about Apollo. It's exciting!

[DotFuzz]

I just got a pastle from a show a month ago and i got him when i first walked into the show and he was vary deep in shed. The guy said he should shed by the nextday. but he ended up sheding in the plastic container on the way home. I put him in his new encloser and waited a week to feed and he eat fine. So i think you'll be fine. Good luck ^_^!

[Toronto Python Gurus]

i attended a reptile expo last weekend and there were ball pythons that were in shed mode, im sure the breeders at the show travelled alot longer then the couple miles you said you had to travel . . . im sure he will be fine as long as you dont pack him in a box and throw him in the back of a moving truck but i dont think anyone is that crazy . . . i usually transport my ball pythons in pillow cases and keep the pillow case in my hands or under my shirt sweater between my forearm and side (kinda cold here this time of year) if you tie the pillow case at the top it avoid escapes or attemps . . . hope this helps and good luck with the move, and it would probably be best to give him a week or so to get used to the new house and relax after the move!

[frankykeno]

That's great! I actually have a veterinary assisting certificate, but they don't teach you a lot about snakes. This is why I find them so fascinating. To me, a dog or a cat is easy, but I have so much to learn about Apollo. It's exciting!

You're probably like a nurse whose medical knowledge makes her worry endlessly about every little bug her own kids get. My granny used to say nurse's have the sickest kids because they fuss over them too much LOL

The big thing dear is to just relax. Realize that as long as you are providing the basics (safe enclosure, appropriate food size, heat, hides, etc.) that these snakes do pretty good. After all they survive living in rat holes and termite mounds in the wilds of Africa without our help, right? Some don't make it sure in the wild but that's a given. They really aren't all that delicate given good basic care which I'm quite sure you're doing.

Your worry is a sign you care and that's a good thing but don't make yourself nuts over it. Helping nervous new owners turn into confident snakekeepers is a large part of why BPNet exists in the first place.

Snakes are fascinating. Actually one of the most fascinating things to me when I was learning (and am still learning) about them was how many of their adaptions are just what our regular pets do, just in a snake way. Things like how they hear, smell and deal with their world. They might not bark to get our attention but they can show us their needs. They may not have floppy ears like the family mutt, but they hear just fine in their own way and react strongly to what they hear. It's fascinating to learn to "speak snake".

[stratus_020202]

Update on Apollo. Well, the move went great. Other than the fact it was 20 degress outside when we moved. He stayed nice and comfy in my over heated car, in a tub, and pillowcase. And he shed yesterday! Only two days after the move. Now just waiting until feeding day to make sure he's 100 percent comfortable. I haven't seen him since the shed, but he was working at it for a while. I cleaned his cage, and he's been sleeping in his hide since. Thanks everyone for your help!!

[Slim]

Thanks for the update. Glad everything worked out for you!

[frankykeno]

Glad to hear it went well. If he's tucked in his hide, he's likely quite content in there. Happy feeding day when it comes (and congrats on the new home).

[muddoc]

Sorry I decided to interject so late in the thread. I am glad to hear that your snake got moved and shed all fine. However, what really caught my attention was that you said your snake gained 57 grams in one week. Either one of two things happened, the scale was incorrectly tared in one of the weighins, or you are feeding your snake way too much. Most ball pythons that I have dealt with will double there weight (at younger ages) in about 4 to 6 weeks. It can be done in three if you are feeding aggressively. I was just a bit concerned that you were overfeeding or feeding too large of a food item.

Sincerely,

[stratus_020202]

Sorry I decided to interject so late in the thread. I am glad to hear that your snake got moved and shed all fine. However, what really caught my attention was that you said your snake gained 57 grams in one week. Either one of two things happened, the scale was incorrectly tared in one of the weighins, or you are feeding your snake way too much. Most ball pythons that I have dealt with will double there weight (at younger ages) in about 4 to 6 weeks. It can be done in three if you are feeding aggressively. I was just a bit concerned that you were overfeeding or feeding too large of a food item.

Sincerely,

Well, I didn't weigh him when i bought him. He just looked twice the size of the baby bps at the pet store when i took him to get weighed. I feed one fuzzy a week, but I'm going to try and upgrade since his shed. Also, I haven't fed him since last Monday. So, this time he's waiting a little bit longer for food. I want to wait to make sure he's comfortable in his new home. Sorry for the confusion. It could be a new hatch in the pet store. I was just shocked at how much bigger he looked. I'm going to take him again this weekend and see if he's grown since the shed. I'll update then too.