Quote Originally Posted by Nezumi View Post
Ok, so first I would like to state that I don't know much of Ball pythons. Only what my own little girl have taught me herself and what I learned at a longstanding reptial breeder/pet store owner whom I bought her from.

So I'll give her six month history and then my questions will be next. I wpuld like a review on how I've cared for her so far and any tips would be awesome.

My boyfriend got me the ballpython for christmas, knowing that I had wanted one since I was little. We went to the pet store together and I got to pick out of three 1 week old babies. The first two they had were pretty pastels but both seemed very irratable. Then there was my female that was darker then the rest and much more social and calm. So I picked her. She was 11 inches at the time.

I named her Will'O Whysp after her tiny size and the orb markings on her.

I've had her 6 monthes now and she's by far smarter then I would have ever given credit. She's 22 inches now. I did run into trouble when she got a bad mouse bite on her neck and went though the stress of her getting stiches. She has healed fine though and her neck is all better. (My new vet loves her. he says she's well behaved and he's plotting to steal her. ^^) I was unaware of the dangers of adult feeder mice.

Tank: She's in a basic 20 gallon tank with a heating pad under nether. The tempature ranges 90-80. I only have one hide. it's on the warmer side. I use the coconut shavings for bedding and do have a shallow bowl in the middle of the tank.

I feed her 2 chubby hoppers once a week as she still has 2 stitches. They come out in a week.

I never had trouble with her eating habits. She doesn't seem to care about color, size, or amount. I do tend to keep the color of the mice varied.

Questions-

My boyfriend has fallen in love with her and I'm tired of him stealing my snake. We were thinking of getting him one but we only have one tank and no room for another. Everything I read is confusing as to weather bps can get along well. So, can two females live together?

I do take Whysp out with me alot, on my neck or wrist. and I have noticed that there is something about the smell of paper/books that she seems to like. Weather it's a book I'm reading at home that she likes to crawl all over, or at a book store were she tries to move from my hand to a bookshelf. It's only in book stores that she'll try and escape my person. Any thoughts/ideas?

Both by boyfriend and I have noticed that she's head shy. Is that normal?

We have also both noticed that she doesn't tend to like other people. She prefer to smell them from afar but when they try and hold her she balls up and won't move till we take her back. Normal?

When are females mature and do their personality's change at all?

Is a bp likely to try and eat a cockatiel of parakeet? (This one is more for my wonderment. I would never let my snake near my birds)

How well is their sight compared to ours?

I'm reluctant to buy frozen mice and I don't want her to have stiches again. How do you freshly kill a mouse?

hmm, I think that all my questions for now...Though more may arise when you guys post.
I would not let 2 snakes live together. Being the tank is only a 20 gal, i'm sorta confused about the lack of room?

Be mindful about taking your snake out in public too much, especially around a lot of people. It can stress a snake out.

A lot of balls are head shy, heck a lot of snakes in general are head shy, it's something some over-come as they mature.

Snakes have a very good sense of smell, and the new smell could be different to your snake thus scaring her.

I'm sure it could try to eat your bird, but the likelihood of that happening, is rare, especially since you don't let your snake near.

Their vision to ours isnt the best, they're noctournal and go off of heat pits, although they can see a bit. Your diournal(spelled wrong probably) snakes can see very well.

As far as frozen, it's fine. Just fully thaw out the mouse and make sure its nice and warm for the snake to see, and make sure its the appropriate size.

P.S. Get your snake another hide, you should have 2 hides, one on each side.

And to freshly kill a mouse, I hold it by the tail then I pluck it hard, most of the time it kills the mouse, very few times it'll knock it out but by the time the mouse comes to, my snake already has it. I do it that way because I don't have any type of co2.