i just got my first ball python

[brandon82490]

okay sweet yea i think im going to use some gloves until i get more comfortable with him its not that it will be painfull if he bites ist just that i have always had a slight fear of snakes and him striking at me just makes me hesitant and the gloves i think would make me be able to grab him without showing him i am nervous witch i would imagine would make him less nervous.

okay now just one other thing how do i keep the humidity at about 60% ? i spray once and a while and that usually keeps about right but where i live it can go from very humid to no humidity in less than a week. should i just make another hide box with some damp paper towels or the sphagnum moss in it ?

and about 60% or higher is the right humidity correct ?

[brandon82490]

okay i will do that thank you

and yes i think that the gloves would help me a lot and i think it would help the snake by making me less nervous and in turn making him less nervous.

also i was wondering how to keep the humidity right ? i mist once and a while when i gets too low but im not always home to do that. so should i just get a hide box and put some sphagnum moss in it or moist paper towels? also the ideal humidity is about 60% right ?

also noe that its getting dark he is moving around and exploring a lot more. he keeps pushing up on the cage but im sure he wont get out i got four cage clips on it that should be enough right ?

[brandon82490]

sorry i just posted the same thing twice i am not used to forums and i looked and didn't see my reply on the first page i didn't notice there was a 2nd one so i replied again thinking i didnt work the first time than i saw page two... lol

[Lolo76]

I haven't personally been bitten (yet), but I hear it doesn't hurt much. He's probably just trying to intimidate you, since he is a little fearful... just be confident, and pick him up like it's no big deal. Delilah occasionally gets snarky, and will hiss at me - I ignore it and pick her up anyway, and she's never struck or bitten me. Good luck!

[brandon82490]

yea I am just very nervous about snakes, i like them a lot but my instinct is to stay the heck away from them but i am determined to just get over it and i am already a lot better at handling them than i was before.

also do you think that maybe using a Snake hook would work good ? i have heard about them but i don't know much

any one know if a 40 gallon long would be good for a full grown male ? hes all ready almost to big for the one i have him in now(20 gallon)

[Sarin]

I would purchase a 20 Gallon Long aquarium for him (Only around $50-$70 in stores and comes with a locking screen.) That should be big enough for the rest of his life.

You need to do a few things to ensure that you have a happy healthy BP.

1. Buy another hide exactly like the one you have now, you need 2 identical hides.

2. Get rid of the Thermometer/Hygrometer gauges, they are useless and most of the time are not accurite.

3. Get a Thermostat. You could end up burning your snake without one. If you don't have much money to spend right now, get a cheap Thermostat like the ReptiTemp 500r. You can find it here for only $25.

http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?products_id=75

It regulates your UTH automatically so it doesn't get too hot. (I tested my 10-20 Gallon Zoo-Med UTH unregulated and it went up to 138.9 degrees before I shut it off. Imagine your snake on that!)

If even that is too much to spend right now, go to a local hardware store and get a dimmer for around $10. The downside is you have to manually tweak it and therefore have to keep a close eye on it all of the time.

4. Go to Wal Mart and get an AcuRite Thermometer/Hygrometer. They are around $15. This will tell you your Humidity, Ambient temperature, as well as your UTH temperature.

6. Get rid of your second UTH and your heat lamp, and just use one UTH with your dimmer/thermostat. Keep adding heat devices one by one until you reach your desired temperatures. The heat lamp sucks up a lot of your humidity.

5. Get rid of the reptile carpet, it harbors bacteria and is hard to clean, expensive too. Go with paper towels, newspaper, or aspen. I prefer aspen since it's still decorative and there is more space in between the UTH and the animal.


And don't be afraid of the little guy, I've never been bitten but I heard they don't hurt. Just be confident, and try not to be too nervous, he can sense that.

I am not an expert by any means but this is what I've learned from BP.net, and I hope it helps!

[dr del]

Hi,

Have a quick read through the caresheet too and see if there is anything we may have missed you want to ask about.

I would also think about covering the back and sides of the tank to help your little guy feel more secure - once the tanks is dialed in leaving him alone for a week to settle in might also be a good idea.

You still clean out any poo etc during the no handling phase though.


dr del

[Montie Python]

I have to agree as well about the handling...don't get the gloves and snake hook. It'll only prolong you of getting over the fear... If he's a baby, treat him like one...I always say expect the worse...So just expect to be bitten...When I worked in a Pet shop (Long long ago) I got bitten by a year old burmese...I honestly didn't notice until i saw blood being drawn out (yeah I found out then, you shouldnt just stick your hand in there so quickly...it was my turn to clean his tank)...and when I noticed I started laughing...

"The only thing you have to fear, is fear itself" FDR

[brandon82490]

yea i decided to get a towel to drape over the side that doesn't have the heat lamp so he couldn't see as much making him less stressed and i got an acu rite thermometer from wal mart and it works good so far but with the two heat pads and the light it is saying my temp is only 82 degrees on the hot side of the tank. i stuck the sensor the bottom inside wall of the tank. is that the place i want it?

and i will be getting a thermostat soon, probably the one that you linked me.

and i was wondering if you guys thought it would be okay to use the shredded paper stuff they have for bedding at wal mart that is real cheep ?


thank you all so much for the help it is really appreciated.

[unrezt]

yea I am just very nervous about snakes, i like them a lot but my instinct is to stay the heck away from them but i am determined to just get over it and i am already a lot better at handling them than i was before.

also do you think that maybe using a Snake hook would work good ? i have heard about them but i don't know much

Trust me he is more afraid of you than you are of him. I know that's what they always say, but its true lol. Don't think anything of it when you pick him up, just do it. It is important to get comfortable with him while he is young, before he is larger and capable of doing some real damage. As a snake owner you have to accept that there is always a chance that you will be bitten. I have never been bitten by a baby but I am told it doesn't hurt, and its not like they have venom.

I wouldn't get a hook, or gloves for that matter.