Hey guys, I just got my new baby ball python this week. He is 2 months old, and his name is Stones.

I did a lot of research over a long period of time so that when I finally pulled the trigger, I felt really prepared. As such, the transition to ownership has not been a big disruption for me, so I'm glad for that.

Despite all the research, there's a lot of things that I studied up on that only *now* make sense as to why / why not doing some things.

So, I wanna bounce my thoughts and ideas off of you guys and get some feedback. Please go easy on me, remember this is my first!!

Here's a list of things I'd like to think I did right:
  • Bought him at a reputable, local store. They had dozens (and I mean lots) of snakes there, as well as a ton of supplies. I happened to be there while they were feeding all their snakes, and it was really cool. I asked these guys a lot of questions, and they knew what they were talking about, so I felt really comfortable buying from there.
  • I bought a 20 gallon glass tank with a locking lid (this one), so I'm not worried about him escaping
  • I got both a bottom liner (this one) and some aspen snake bedding. I did that because I didn't like the idea of him burning himself on the glass if he went below the substrate, and it seemed to me like the feeling of glass may be weird for him.
  • I got him four hides (I just realized I could post pics, so I'll do that later)
  • I got him some foliage so that he can feel more hidden
  • I got him a good water dish that's big enough for him to sit in, is simple easy to clean, and he's not gonna be able to tip over (it was actually the one that the guy at the same pet store recommended)
  • I got a really good thermometer (this one) that I can stick the sensor in the substrate and monitor the temp and also it has a plug so it can turn the heater on / off
  • I misted it a little bit, and the humidity seems good (about 60%)


Here's a list of things I think I did wrong:
  • I don't think I cleaned the tank well enough before putting his stuff in there. I did rub down the tank and the bed liner, and washed off the hides and his water dish, but that was about it. I'm going to take him out next week and stick him in his feeding tub and give it a good washdown then.
  • I didn't sand down the hides. Three of them have *some* slightly sharp edges, and while I don't think he'd really cut himself on them, I'm going to fix them for him. I took the three out of the cage for now, and he only has one right now, which is his tree trunk, which doesn't have any sharp edges at all. I'm also going to do a better job of sanitizing them as well, make sure they are really clean.
  • I didn't do the heating right. I read a lot about heating, but some of it didn't make sense. I thought that a UTH alone would provide enough heat for the entire tank. Not the case. It was getting it up to about 76 or so, IIRC. So I went out and bought a heating lamp that sits on top of the tank, and I've got it set to stay at 90 on the warm side. So, I guess that the UTH is to keep the bottom warm and help the temp go up another few degrees, but that's about it.


Here's a list of things I'm not sure about:
  • I don't know if I got the right size UTH for his tank. It's a Zoo Med medium for a 20 gallon tank.
  • I don't know if the setup for his UTH is the best. It's attached to the side of the tank, not the bottom. Note that I could reattach it to the bottom just fine, but I haven't done it yet.
  • The temperature between the hot and cold side is huge. 90 on one side compared to 80 on the other.
  • I don't have a UTH on the cold side, to keep him a little warm. Because I'm not sure if I got the right size for the hot side, I'm not sure what size I should get for the other one.
  • I have his UTH plugged in so it's on all the time, and I have the heat lamp plugged into the temperature regulator, so it flips on and off all the time, and keeps it always at a constant temperature (or within 2 degrees). I really like that, but I dunno if I've got it backwards -- if I should plug the UTH into the temperature gauge and always leave the heat lamp on.
  • Should I get some kind of a cover that sits on top of the tank so that he doesn't feel so exposed?


Here's a list of things I'm going to do for him:
  • Get some craft paper and make my own jungle backgrounds for him that completely cover three of the sides, so only the front is showing. It'll be fun to make a creative little scene for him, and I think having him feel more enclosed will make him happier
  • Put more foliage in there. I've noticed that he *loves* to come poke around if he thinks that no one can see him. The foliage gives him that security, and you can kinda see him position his head behind some leaves to look around. It's hilarious.
  • I bought some plastic clips with adhesive, and I'm going to put some more foliage with some think vines through the cage posted on the top and middle, so that, again, he feels covered a lot more, and it will give him something to climb around on. I've already noticed he doesn't stay on just the bottom, but will climb around on top of stuff, so I think he'll like that too.


Finally, I gotta say, it's way cool having a ball python, and I'm already enjoying it a lot. It is absolutely fascinating to watch him. And here's a pic of his cage, pre-python: http://imgur.com/jpaowPr (Note that that is not where the cage is located, it's just on the corner on the floor there because I was initially setting it up).

Anyway, I'd *love* to hear your guys feedback. My main priority is making this little guy feel secure, safe and happy, so I need some input.