Yes, another new guy with a few questions...

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

just a note up above, heat pads get no where near hot enough to crack glass or melt plastic under normal conditions. I ran my flexwatt unregulated just to see how hot it can get because everyone has different numbers, i read 145 at the hottest, no plastic melted but they would kill a snake very quickly..

I have to disagree with this. I know it is very unusual since the ignition point is around 500 degrees. But i was told by some herper friends who had a shop that an UTH they sold to a customer had overheated and caused the glass to crack.

I did read just the other day, in "The Complete Ball Python" (everyone knows that book,, that UTH can and will crack glass if they are not regulated and the hot spot suddenly gets cooled down. Water spilled on that area?

So yes it possible. Not very likely. But it has happened.

[Didgie]

also don't be afraid to take your snake out if its in shed to clean its cage, its not going to die lol, just clean the cage and put em back in.

Nah, I'd definitely take it out to clean the cage and such...I just wouldn't handle him too much, since I've heard they can be a bit grumpy while they're in shed. Who can blame them? But while bites are probably inevitable at some point, I'm not wanting to invite one by handling him when he's uncomfortable.

About a happy snake exploring...I was under the impression that a secure snake was a happy snake. Thus the hides, etc. So, I'd say my hoodie pocket was a nice secure place for him. Though a snake is a predator, it's also prey in the wild - hawks, etc. No prey is terribly comfortable out in the open, exposed.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

About a happy snake exploring...I was under the impression that a secure snake was a happy snake. Thus the hides, etc. So, I'd say my hoodie pocket was a nice secure place for him. Though a snake is a predator, it's also prey in the wild - hawks, etc. No prey is terribly comfortable out in the open, exposed.

I think everyone will have a different opinion on this.. IMHO Ball Pythons, while a completely wild animal no matter how many generations are CBB, will get use to a persons scent.

You have to think about how a snake relies on feeling the warmth, heart beat and breaths of the animal its constricting. It is in the snakes nature to either kill & eat, or not be anywhere near a warm blooded animal with a heart beat.

A nervous snake is different from a relaxed exploring snake. Its a subtle difference but there is a difference. If your snake curled up in your pocket and stayed there i would think it was mostly comfortable. Maybe a bit uneasy from the sudden change in environment but if it was handled as much as you say it was by the previous owner, then it knows humans are not a threat to it.

The warmth and close fitting area of your pocket would have calmed it down even if he was nervous.

An exploring snake will move slowly. Will not jerk away when you reach your hand out to it. Will poke its nose around differnt places.

A nervous snake will move faster. Try to get under things. Try to get away from you. Will jerk away or move faster when you try to bring it back.

You will be able to tell the difference.

[rabernet]

Looks like you're being well taken care of with your questions, but I noticed that you are in Alabama and several of the members here are going to be meeting up Birmingham for the November Dixie Reptile show. Most of us will be staying overnight Friday and Saturday night - if you're interested, we'd love to have you join us!

We just hang out Friday night in someone's room for "show and tell" where most of us bring new animals we've acquired to show off to each other and talk snakes and just cut up for the evening. Then we all go to the show on Saturday and then back to the hotel to get ready to all go out to dinner and then repeat Friday night. It's a great time! It's going to be the weekend before Thanksgiving this year.

[OhhWatALoser]

I have to disagree with this. I know it is very unusual since the ignition point is around 500 degrees. But i was told by some herper friends who had a shop that an UTH they sold to a customer had overheated and caused the glass to crack.

I did read just the other day, in "The Complete Ball Python" (everyone knows that book,, that UTH can and will crack glass if they are not regulated and the hot spot suddenly gets cooled down. Water spilled on that area?

So yes it possible. Not very likely. But it has happened.

water spilling...i think its kinda far fetched at such low temps but not impossible, mayb ill try it, take a standard 10 gallon heat the thing up and pore some room temp water on it, if they doesn't work, ill try cold water, i still don't see it happening at only 150 degree tho, but guess you donno till you try.

but fact still stands, not good for the snake eigher way lol

[Didgie]

Looks like you're being well taken care of with your questions, but I noticed that you are in Alabama and several of the members here are going to be meeting up Birmingham for the November Dixie Reptile show. Most of us will be staying overnight Friday and Saturday night - if you're interested, we'd love to have you join us!

We just hang out Friday night in someone's room for "show and tell" where most of us bring new animals we've acquired to show off to each other and talk snakes and just cut up for the evening. Then we all go to the show on Saturday and then back to the hotel to get ready to all go out to dinner and then repeat Friday night. It's a great time! It's going to be the weekend before Thanksgiving this year.

Hey, yeah, that sounds awesome! My partner and I were actually going to try and make the show this month, but she got the flu...so there went that plan. That sounds really fun, it'd be cool to hang out with you guys. So I guess that answers my question too about whether or not to bring my snake.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

water spilling...i think its kinda far fetched at such low temps but not impossible, mayb ill try it, take a standard 10 gallon heat the thing up and pore some room temp water on it, if they doesn't work, ill try cold water, i still don't see it happening at only 150 degree tho, but guess you donno till you try.

but fact still stands, not good for the snake eigher way lol

Its never happened to me but i use that defense because i cant imagine a customer going into my friends store would lie about the UTH cracking the glass. From my understanding they were not out to get anything out of it. Just an explaination as to why & how to prevent it. Its the only actual evidence id ever heard of it happening.

But when i read the same warning in NERD's book, i was pretty much convinced that it could happen under the right circumstances. If you have a tank to spare maybe testing it would be a good idea. The only way i can realy see that happening would be during cleaning time. If that person filled the dish with cold water before replacing the substrate and some spilled. But i have heard of UTH doing some crazy stuff as far as burning up and getting very hot. Im just not willing to test that theory lol.

My only personal experience was a tank that was not raised high enough off the desk it was sitting on. It heated up & dried out the wood so bad over time that the table cracked from one end to the other right under the tank. Thankfully i caught it before it completely split in half. Now most of my snakes are in racks.

If you do test it, be sure to let us know about it.

[rabernet]

Hey, yeah, that sounds awesome! My partner and I were actually going to try and make the show this month, but she got the flu...so there went that plan. That sounds really fun, it'd be cool to hang out with you guys. So I guess that answers my question too about whether or not to bring my snake.

Just PM me for more details if you want to stay at the hotel we are (don't know if you are far enough away that you'd want to stay overnight), and I can tell you which hotel and give you a discount code to use.

[OhhWatALoser]

Its never happened to me but i use that defense because i cant imagine a customer going into my friends store would lie about the UTH cracking the glass. From my understanding they were not out to get anything out of it. Just an explaination as to why & how to prevent it. Its the only actual evidence id ever heard of it happening.

But when i read the same warning in NERD's book, i was pretty much convinced that it could happen under the right circumstances. If you have a tank to spare maybe testing it would be a good idea. The only way i can realy see that happening would be during cleaning time. If that person filled the dish with cold water before replacing the substrate and some spilled. But i have heard of UTH doing some crazy stuff as far as burning up and getting very hot. Im just not willing to test that theory lol.

My only personal experience was a tank that was not raised high enough off the desk it was sitting on. It heated up & dried out the wood so bad over time that the table cracked from one end to the other right under the tank. Thankfully i caught it before it completely split in half. Now most of my snakes are in racks.

If you do test it, be sure to let us know about it.

i emailed a couple people on craiglist looks like they had some 10 gallons for 10 buck, ill spend 10 bucks to try it out... see if they get back to me