Stupid question

[JEWSKIN]

I understand and appreciate what you are doing. So many animals out there end up in crappy homes, so it's nice to see other people out there helping them (I just rescued a 5+ foot girl last weekend). I wasn't trying to come down on you in any way...I was just stressing some concerns (of which you answered). One other thing to note is that BP's are mostly a solitare animal in the wild and housing them together is not always a great idea (although some on here have done it successfully). I guess that's a call on the keepers part.

Unfortunately I have no hands on advice to offer on the breeding questions, but I do wish you the best of luck!

No worries

[JEWSKIN]

Thank you everybody for all the help she is doing great we'll see what she looks like after her shed!!!!! Today started off great in fact woke to texts from a wildlife rehab center wanting to discuss helping them with the reptiles that get dropped off to them....adopted out all 3 bearded dragons to a wonderful new home and ended up with a carpet python really couldn't be happier......oh and one of my breeder rats took in an orphan baby from across town her first litter so proud

[JEWSKIN]

what do you think....this is the big girl still in shed but hasn't eaten for a week and swollen...


and now this one ate about a week ago hasn't shed but has swollen mind you probed male now having doubts given the last experience



Please let me know what you think

[Quiet Tempest]

Is that scarring or weird markings on the second ball?

[JEWSKIN]

unfortunately the last owner thought live feeding was a great idea....thats from a mouse...a good example of why not to feed live I use this snake for educational purposes....not sure of sex anymore was probed male but idk

[Danounet]

unfortunately the last owner thought live feeding was a great idea....thats from a mouse...a good example of why not to feed live I use this snake for educational purposes....not sure of sex anymore was probed male but idk

There is nothing wrong with live feed, as long as it's done the right way. Unfortunately a lot of people out there do unattended live feedings.

[Quiet Tempest]

Eh... feeding live or feeding pre-killed is a personal choice but feeding live always poses a risk for your snake even if you're supervising. My albino ball got a scrape above her eye from a rat that I was 100% sure was out cold if not altogether dead. I ordinarily kill all the mice and rats I'll be feeding off prior to offering them to my snakes because I think it's easier for me and for them this way rather than waiting around for rodents to thaw out, but I was in a rush that day and the rat I offered her wasn't completely dead. She didn't immediately strike it and when she did, it snapped awake and started clawing when she missed her mark. I pulled the rat's claws away from her face while she was coiling it, but the damage had already been done. I'm lucky her eye wasn't injured in that mishap. It was an ugly scar until she shed. Now it's not so noticeable and I'm hoping it fades more over time with more sheds.


As for the ball pictured.. Have you or someone else popped it? I prefer popping to probing unless I don't get any penes through popping and then I'll probe just to double-check.

[JEWSKIN]

see i don't like popping I've seen many snakes injured that way...when the lock up happened it was originally in the other cage with another male and got antsy with the action going on next door was moving around a bit lifted it's tail opened up you might say and nothing popped out so yeah not sure anymore

[WingedWolfPsion]

Well, it's best to quarantine them separately in individual cages unless they came from the same place--vet check or no, some dangerous and contagious diseases may take as long as 10 months to incubate. Strict attention to hygiene to prevent any transfer between enclosures can minimize risks. If you're running a rescue, you know you may get in animals from a variety of questionable backgrounds--you don't want to rescue a snake only to have it die of IBD or paramyxovirus brought in by another snake (and that's just the tip of the iceberg--vet checks don't cover things that are not yet symptomatic).

While you might get away with housing 2 females together if completely necessary, housing 2 males together is likely to lead to some knock-down drag-outs.

YouTube - Ball Python Combat

You wouldn't think they had it in them, but there you go.

As folks have stated, if it's not your intention to breed, house them separately, and the female may not lay a clutch. They don't always, even if they lock up multiple times.

A Hovabator is a decent choice for an incubator, though I would recommend purchasing a better thermostat and not using the wafer thermostat it comes with. Incubate at 88 or 89, and use a 50/50 mix of vermiculite and water by weight, for the media. (Other methods exist, but this one is easy and proven).

The female may try to take your hand off when you go to remove her from the eggs, so put a hand-towel over her head, and gently unwind her. Wash her in a weak chlorhex or very dilute detergent solution, and wash and disinfect her cage and all cage furniture after you remove the eggs. This will remove the scent of the clutch, and she should begin feeding again after a few days' rest.

[JEWSKIN]

Thank you for your inputactually the two known males were adopted out to amazing homes and I am getting regular email updates and well visits when they are in the area as for the two in the pics the top is a proven female...the other probed male but idk my last probed female turned out to be a big boy...not to mention the two in these pics came from the same location the girl had them for 3 years from when she worked at a petsmart or petco and she saved them....though not sure when the scar was caused on the bottom one they are both on f/t med rats