Hi, Everyone!

I received a 4 month old male ball python from a former student. He gave me the terrarium and accessories, too. I'm keeping the snake at home all summer, but I tried him out as a class pet during the last two weeks of school. My students are 7, 8, and 9 years old. He was a huge success with that crowd!

Funny thing is, the kid who gave me the snake said he was 4 years old. I thought, wow, they grow up slower than I thought! He weighs about 363 grams and is quite slim. He has a slight triangular shape. He came with a glass terrarium with a screened top, and a reptile lamp with a big bright light bulb in it.

I changed the bulb to a ceramic heat lamp since being in the light all the time seemed unnatural for a nocturnal animal. I also got him a bigger eco-earth hide. He was fitting in half a coconut shell at first but not anymore. He came with a nice eco-earth water dish, so that's why I got the same kind of hide.

The lamp was overheating the warm side, up to 99 degrees at one point. I put a rheostat on it and now it is in the 80s. Now the included undertank heater is potentially going to burn him since it is not regulated, so I need to put a rheostat or thermostat on it.

I've bought some things I wish I hadn't. A Zilla dial stick on temperature and humidity gauge, for example. I would like to have bought an Acu-Rite digital hygrometer/thermometer combination with the probe. That, along with a digital thermometer with a probe that I already have would be ideal, I think.

I've already asked two questions on this board and am so happy to get good answers and kindness, too. I'm going to keep this site bookmarked