Help! I found a ball python in the wild

[straydog1980]

Make sure he doesn't get serial crushed by some huge effin guy

I hope you really did get that from the saints, else what I just said will sound crazy...

Awesome thread and story btw! Did you make any progress with your wife?

haha yes someone got it! I did get it from the saints. Speaking of, have you seen the new one yet??? It was great if you can get past the first 20 minutes.

Everyone, I mean EVERYONE from the first one is in it.

And yes, I am making progress with the wife, hopefully I'll have it home before the new year!

[straydog1980]

speaking of UTH, how do they work? I came in this morning and pulled him out because the thermometer on the side of the tank only said 78 degrees. I felt the paper on top of the UTH and it frankly wasn't very warm. Even the cheap heating pad I got at Wal-Mart was doing a better job of keeping him warm, and it certainly isn't even close to what the space heater was doing for him. I know the "hot" side should be somewhere between 88-95 right? It can't be even close to that.... do I need a UTH, AND a heating lamp? What gives?

[snakecharmer3638]

speaking of UTH, how do they work? I came in this morning and pulled him out because the thermometer on the side of the tank only said 78 degrees. I felt the paper on top of the UTH and it frankly wasn't very warm. Even the cheap heating pad I got at Wal-Mart was doing a better job of keeping him warm, and it certainly isn't even close to what the space heater was doing for him. I know the "hot" side should be somewhere between 88-95 right? It can't be even close to that.... do I need a UTH, AND a heating lamp? What gives?

How are you measuring your temps?

Remember, your body temp is 98 so what does not feel warm to you, still may be hot enough.

[Egapal]

How are you measuring your temps?

Remember, your body temp is 98 so what does not feel warm to you, still may be hot enough.

You can not use your hand to measure temps for your snake. If it feels warm its probably too hot. Get hourself an indoor/outdoor digital thermometer that measures humidity as well and put he probe that normally goes outside on the top of the glass above the UTH. That will tell you the temp that your snake is feeling. Again your hand is 98 degrees. Its very hard for you to judge temps that are in the 90's.

Here is an experiment for those that don't believe. Check the temp of the room you are in. Now pick up a ceramic mug, or an empty glass. You will notice that some things at room temperature feels a little cold to you. How it feels is not a good way to tell temp. Something feels cold if its taking heat from your body. It feels warm if its a little below your body temp to a little above. If its way above it feels hot. Place your hand on something metal in your room and then place it on a newspaper. The metal feels colder even though they are the same temp because the metal is conducting the heat away from your body faster than paper.

[straydog1980]

Here is an experiment for those that don't believe. Check the temp of the room you are in. Now pick up a ceramic mug, or an empty glass. You will notice that some things at room temperature feels a little cold to you. How it feels is not a good way to tell temp. Something feels cold if its taking heat from your body. It feels warm if its a little below your body temp to a little above. If its way above it feels hot. Place your hand on something metal in your room and then place it on a newspaper. The metal feels colder even though they are the same temp because the metal is conducting the heat away from your body faster than paper.

[Bhikku]

Boondock Saints references AND the daring rescue of a vending machine snake? Is there nothing you can't do Straydog?

[Danounet]

[psycho]

Wow! Interesting I remember when I found a ball python but it was an albino one! I was working late night shift and stepping out of my job there was a ball python & it lo0k so gorgeous but back then I didn't knew a thing about snakes...anyway it was so cold out side so I grab it with a stick & put it in a cardboard box with some clothes in it, next thing in the morning I was getting ready to buy heat pad & a tank & hides but first I went to check on it but it didn't make it through the night! =(...I had ask a pet shop what kind of snake was it & he said ball python & I did a lil research & since articles & books said they were tame I bought some & since then I became interested in ball pythons...

For your ball python you can buy a heat pad, water bowl, paper towels as bedding or aspen bedding but not sand!, & hides (flower pot just cut a hole in it)

[Kaorte]

Wow! Interesting I remember when I found a ball python but it was an albino one! I was working late night shift and stepping out of my job there was a ball python & it lo0k so gorgeous but back then I didn't knew a thing about snakes...anyway it was so cold out side so I grab it with a stick & put it in a cardboard box with some clothes in it, next thing in the morning I was getting ready to buy heat pad & a tank & hides but first I went to check on it but it didn't make it through the night! =(...I had ask a pet shop what kind of snake was it & he said ball python & I did a lil research & since articles & books said they were tame I bought some & since then I became interested in ball pythons...

For your ball python you can buy a heat pad, water bowl, paper towels as bedding or aspen bedding but not sand!, & hides (flower pot just cut a hole in it)

Honestly, it was probably a small burmese python. Albino burmese pythons are fairly common in the pet trade and albino ball pythons aren't really as much.

[psycho]

Honestly, it was probably a small burmese python. Albino burmese pythons are fairly common in the pet trade and albino ball pythons aren't really as much.

LOL yes it was, I Know what a burmese python and a ball python look like...it was a juvie...i guess it got out of it's enclosure and found a way to make it outside... because i highly doubt someone would let go an albino ball python, I live in Cali & ball pythons are very popular here, me personally I've never seen a burmese in pet shops here in CA... & now im saving up for an albino & a spider