Hello! I'm Jessica. I didn't see a specific "Introductions" section, but if I missed it and this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move me!

I'm a brand new snake mommy!

My best friend since I was 6 has always had ball pythons and I've ALWAYS loved them. Unfortunately my parents basically told me that they'd murder me if I ever brought one home, and when I grew up and got married my husband felt very much the same. I can confidently state that one of the many benefits of my divorce is that there's no one to tell me "no snakes!" Ironically every time my ex comes by my house now he wants to hold her and is now considering getting a snake of his own. *sigh*

A couple weeks ago I took my 6 year old daughter (also a major reptile lover) to the reptile expo at Cow Palace in the bay area (California). I didn't necessarily walk in there intending to purchase a snake, but I knew it was a distinct possibility. We walked around for a bit marveling at all the AMAZING creatures that were just everywhere, and then my daughter Anna spotted *her*. The breeder saw Anna admiring the lovely little pastel pied with stars in her eyes, and without my even needing to ask, took the pied out of its container, handed it to my daughter, and began to educate her on ball pythons and how to handle and care for them. I was so impressed, Anna was just enraptured. It was love at first sight. I had Anna put her back so I could take some time to think it over and see the other options there. My daughter apparently has an expensive taste in snakes and if I'm being honest I was kind of hoping to talk her into a less pricey option But, it was to no avail. Anna never begged, never whined, never got a bad attitude. She just told me how much she loved that one little snake, and that she'd truly rather not get anything if the little pied wasn't an option. How could I say no to such a sweet and genuine request? I pretended to think it over for another hour as we walked around, but the moment we started heading back towards the table with the pied Anna knew exactly what was up. I have rarely ever seen my little girl so happy and excited! We bought the snake and a kit and a bunch of extras including some live plants, and brought her home.

Meet Sahira! Our gorgeous little lady. She a pastel piebald with what is, in my opinion, one of the loveliest color breaks I've seen on a pied. Check out her cute little smiley face marking! We have had her for about 2.5 weeks now. We attempted to feed f/t for her first meal (one week after getting her) but she ignored it after initially showing quite a bit of interest, so we tried a live mouse hopper and she engaged immediately! For her next feeding we went straight away with a live hopper and again she engaged in less than 10 seconds, which tells me that she may be getting a little too hungry between feedings. I've been told to offer a second hopper on her next feeding day (3/1) to see if she takes it to be certain she's getting enough. If she doesn't eat it I'll just save it until the following week. She's still small enough that I don't think sizing up is appropriate yet, but I'll include a picture of her with a quarter for size perspective so you all can weigh in on that. But all in all she's eating readily and seems to have completely settled in with absolutely zero issues. Note: she is on aspen, not pine or cedar in the pics in case any of you had that concern. Though I do intend to switch her to a mixture of crushed coconut husk and coconut fiber when I next buy bedding. I also intend to switch her to the size equivalent in rats soon, since she'll eventually need rats when she's an adult anyway. She should learn to handle them while she's still young and they are still small. Ideally I'd like to switch her to f/t, but she doesn't seem to want anything to do with it. Maybe you lovely people can offer some insight here?

I have purchased a care log to keep track of her feedings and measurements. I wish I had thought to ask when she was hatched when I bought her, but as it is I don't know exactly how old she is. How frequently do you all measure and weigh your snakes? And do you have a recommendation for a scale to purchase? How much should I expect her to gain in any given time period?

I am just so happy and excited to FINALLY have a wonderful scaley little companion! We just absolutely adore her. I have to admit that I'm already talking with a breeder about buying a super black pastel to add to our family idk why but I find the solid colored snakes just irresistible!

Anyways, that is enough for now. I hope you enjoy the pictures, and I thank you in advance for your feedback and advice! I look forward to getting to know you all better! <3

MamaRhea





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