simple question

[neur0tix]

my heatpad doesnt have a setting control.. its only one temperature

[bsash]

my heatpad doesnt have a setting control.. its only one temperature

The under the tank heat mat or an actual heat pad you would use for yourself? Under the tank heat mats for reptiles do not have temperature controls, that is why you need to use a thermostat with them.

[neur0tix]

ok well at the reptile store i was holding him for like a hour before i bought him, he was really chill.. i just lifted up his hide and he was in a ball and like didnt seem like he wanted to be held..

i reached to get him and he flinched intensely....

when their in their hide should i not mess with them?

[neur0tix]

yeah but even having a thermostat wouldnt control the heat... if its too hot i can only unplug it and i cant sit there 24/7 monitring the heat

[bsash]

ok well at the reptile store i was holding him for like a hour before i bought him, he was really chill.. i just lifted up his hide and he was in a ball and like didnt seem like he wanted to be held..

i reached to get him and he flinched intensely....

when their in their hide should i not mess with them?

You really shouldn't pull them from their hides unless need be. When they are stressed, they will breath heavily and quickly, some will ball up, others will not. Also, you shouldn't handle them for a week or two after you get them, just to let them get used to their surroundings, just moving into a new cage is stressful for them. Also, what size cage/ tank do you have it in? What are your ambient air temperatures? What are your ground temperatures, hot and cool side? Do you have two hides one on the cool side one on the hot side so it can regulate its body temperature?

[neur0tix]

im not sure the size, its like 1.75-2 feet long, standard size... perhaps 10 gal. heat lamp over his hide, water bowl on cool side.... carpetting on bottom... i dont have temperature gauging equipment...............

i have friends that have ball pythons and never mentioned anything about ambient air temperatures, or any kinda temperatures............

[bsash]

yeah but even having a thermostat wouldnt control the heat... if its too hot i can only unplug it and i cant sit there 24/7 monitring the heat

Thermostats do control the heat of a reptile under the tank heat mat. You would set it to not go over 93 degrees, so once it hit 93 degrees, it would turn off the under the tank heat mat, and then turn it back on when it got lower, say 87 degrees for example it would turn back on.

Trust me, none of us sit there 24 hours unplugging under the tank heat mats all day, or at least none that I know of, ha ha. Most of us use thermostats, that way the chances of your snake getting burned is slim to none.

[neur0tix]

UAV under his hide... not turned on yet because i dont know if i should til i get thermostat i guess..... funny how at the reptile (snake only) store, they only have the light above, and a water bowl and the snakes do fine...

no thermostats, most of what u just said about temperatures is gabble to me, meaning makes no sense O_o

[Danounet]

Well, unless your ball python is angry and hissing and taking strikes at you for what ever reason, which would be a bad thing, Ball pythons dont make an "Exciting" pet to say either... they hide all day and come out late at night.

I know you probably didn't want to hear this, but no one has said it, so there ya go. Maybe a Boa or a Carpet? Don't know much about carpets though...

[bsash]

im not sure the size, its like 1.75-2 feet long, standard size... perhaps 10 gal. heat lamp over his hide, water bowl on cool side.... carpetting on bottom... i dont have temperature gauging equipment...............

i have friends that have ball pythons and never mentioned anything about ambient air temperatures, or any kinda temperatures............

Well, maybe you could pass some information on to them to help, if you like. I'll help you out, and tell you the basics.

Ambient air temps (The temperature of the air in the cage):
Ambient air temperature should never drop below 75 degrees as it could lead to a upper respiratory infection. Try to keep your ambient air temperature at about 80 degrees.

Ground hot side:
Between 89- 93 degrees

Ground cool side:
Between 80- 85 degrees

Humidity (Moisture in the air):
50- 60% normally and 60- 70% when in shed

Feeding:
I feed hatchling ball pythons every five days. I feed rat pinks or fuzzies to start, they should be the same width as the widest part of your snakes body. You may also feed mice if you prefer, I feed rats because they are cheaper than mice in the long run as the snake grows. For example, with mice you will end up feeding multiple mice at a time in order to keep the correct body weight, as with rats, you will only ever need to feed one as they are larger than mice.

For now keep feeding what ever the pet store was feeding it until you get it to eat a couple of times for you. You can than switch to what you prefer once you know it will eat for you. Some will switch first try, some will not.