Some questions!

[whitemike]

Leave your snake alone completely for one week. No handling or feeding for that week.

After one week, feed him an appropriately sized meal (based on his weight) and then wait 2 more days before handling him. You need to allow him time to digest his food before handling him to prevent a regurgitation.

I have had him since Friday afternoon. Do I start the week now as I have handled him about everyday other than the 48 hours after he ate?

[Kaorte]

I have had him since Friday afternoon. Do I start the week now as I have handled him about everyday other than the 48 hours after he ate?

I would start now. A week with no food won't hurt him. He just needs some alone time.

[whitemike]

Damn! lol

I do not want to let him go when I am home.

[Kaorte]

Damn! lol

I do not want to let him go when I am home.

I know how that is. But it is only a week. you will survive and your snake will be better off for it.

[whitemike]

I am not going to handle him for the week, just wondering how he will be better off?

Also, I am laying in bed and I see it and he is 1/2 in the water bowl and he is rubbing like his wet body against side of tank/himself. Is that normal? What is he doing?

[Kaorte]

Any new animal needs to adjust to being in a new place. Ball pythons take a week or two to adjust to their environments to become comfortable.

If your snake doesn't feel safe in its new environment then it can become stressed which can lead to food refusal or health issues.

Sounds like your snake is just cruising around and just slithered through the water and around the cage. For the first week or so, he might cruise a lot looking for a way out of the tank. Its normal. Once he starts spending his days (and most nights) in his hides, then you know he is settled in and feels safe.

[PolkaDotPenguin]

You sound like my husband when we 1st got our snakes. He wanted to handle them everyday all the time. But you cant. You need to leave him alone for a week, even better 2wks. He needs time to get comfortable in his new surrondings.

Also you need a hide for him, i didnt see you mention anything about that. He needs something to hide in. BP's spend 90% of there life in hiding. Also do you have a heat source? He needs that also.

And i would suggest not to feed him in a differant place other then his cage. Sometimes that can stress them out, and then they really wont eat.

Also rubbing himself against the cage or bowl might be that he is going into shed. Just leave him alone for the time being. He will let you know when he ready to come out

Good luck.

[chapskis1]

Don't mean to be too hard on you, but it looks like you are kind of putting the carriage before the horse!!

You should have done more research before getting the snake -- too late now I guess! Like the previous poster stated, you definitely need hides!! All of this should have been taken care of before getting the snake -- you can't let the snake suffer because you don't have the money for all of the neccessary equipment. If you don't have the cash right now, you can possibley find something around the house to use as a make shift hide box (ideally two -- one for the warm side, and one for the cool side, and please don't say you don't know what that means). You could use a small rubbermaid container with a hole cut in the side, or even a small cardboard box (which would probably only last until the snake defecates).

And like other posters stated -- it's definitely not neccessary to feed in a seperate enclosure.

Anyway -- do the best that you can with what you have for now -- and keep researching!! All of us on here, no matter how long we have been keeping snakes, still learn things on occasion about our snakes, so there is never a time when you know everything!

Later,

George

[j_h_smith]

I think you need to find a good book on snake husbandry, then maybe get the small book about ball pythons. The tank should have been set up properly before you brought the snake home. I don't believe you mentioned anything about temps? Do you have any type of heat in or on the tank? What temps are you keeping the tank?

Stay away from the snake for some time. Each time you add something new to the tank you're changing your snake's environment. Get everything that is needed as quickly as you can and get the tank set up properly as soon as you can.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

[whitemike]

Sorry, I did not post, but I do have a heat source.

I went to the pet store and said what all do I need to get this up, and I got what they told me. Sorry for them not telling me about the hides, this has been corrected since. As for the temp, I am following the guide here.