gee I could write a book ( not that anyone would read it ),on the stuff I did in the early years. I stated out in the early 90's. I had a the heat rock, the peg board for cage sides, kept it in too low of a temp and fed the rat snake via wild mice I caught with a trap I got off a buddy that worked for a pest company. yet she still alive today . an that just my wild caught and injuryed black rat snake . with the other I kept differnet species together in a cedar wood cage I built from scrap lumber. I kept both snake sexed together ( first 2 ball pythons).
Then I got silm ( all my snakes were rescues at this point. I built a large 5ftx3ftx4 ft cage it had 2 vent holes a heat lamp ( cremic) and a under the cabinet flor light on a timer ( so I could sleep).

Then I found the internet ( above a dial up) all my info before hand came from the 10 buck petshop reptile books and what I seen in the stores.

The only thing can say I done wrong in the last 4 years was rescue of a snake loaded with mites and transfer them though out the trialer ( they as bad as fleas) cause they clung to the cloths as Iwent into the reptile room.