Hello All!
I'm new to this forum business so please bear with me. This past Tuesday I adopted what I was told is a 1 1/2 year old, female Ball Python. I've always wanted a ball python and this will be our first snake. The previous owner stated that the snake belonged to her daughter who has gone off to college and can no longer keep it. I was told she would come with all the necessary supplies for her proper care. She was supposed to come with a 20 gallon long tank with proper heat available. Needless to say that is not what I found when I went to pick her up. What I did get was a 10 gallon tank with two small hiding places, a far too small water dish and a tiny heat lamp with only one working bulb. (I figured I'd go this weekend and buy all the actual supplies I need.) Yesterday I noticed a few small yellowish/white bugs crawling on her hiding rock. I immediately called my vet and we've got an appointment for tomorrow morning. (He's a reptile specialist.) Now tonight I noticed what look to me like mealworms in the cage. We haven't really handled her a whole lot yet so as not to stress her. Upon even closer investigation, after removing the hollow rock she's been hiding under I found a significant amount of feces, some of which was moldy and a pungent smell of ammonia. (The previous owner stated that she cleaned the cage weekly.) I removed the old feces and soiled substrate and left the rest to show to the vet in the am. Any ideas on what's going on here? I have two small children and a Great Dane in the house that I'm concerned about in addition to the well being of our new family member. I'm eager to learn! Thanks so much.