at least it wasn't worse....

[DHB]

Ok so I had a hydrometer stuck inside my tank to monitor the humidity of the tank. ( something like this item but two seperate meters http://www.zilla-rules.com/products/...ture-gauge.htm )

Well I fed my ball python on monday without any incident and put him back into the enclosre.

I left for work and he was fine when I got home he was in the hide (finally) so I left him alone.

Yesterday when I opened the enclosure I noticed that the temperature guage was still atached to the back wall but the seperate hydrometer was gone !! I looked around the enclosure and didnt find it until I opened up the hide and the damn thing was stuck to my ball python on the belly about two inches down from the neck.

I brought him to the place where I bought him and they helped me take it off he didnt seem injured by this but does seem throughly pissed seeing as how he almost bit me and almost bit the guy at the place I bought him.

After getting him home and putting him back into his enclosure he eventually went into the hide after I left the house for a bit.

I'm now wondering how long its going to take for him to get back to normal after this incident.

I've only had him for a week now and im sure something like this event can set back his acclimating him for a bit.


Any insight is appreciated

thank you

[The Serpent Merchant]

First things first, those thermometers and hydrometers are terribly inaccurate and you have already seen what can happen if they fall off. I highly recommend that you get one of these, they cost $12 at Wall*Mart and are much better (a all in one package too!)



Ok now on to your snake.I will probable take a day or so for him to get back to normal, but he might not eat for you for the next week or two.

Where did you take him? A pet store?

how is his tank set up? What heat sources do you have? and what are your current temperatures and humidity?

if all of those things aren't perfect it might take him longer to get back to himself.

[Annageckos]

I would ditch those gadges, they can be really inaccurate. I got a temp and humidity probe from Walmart for like ten bucks that works great. As long as no scales were pulled off and there is no wound he should be fine. But in the future, if any animals (or human for that) gets something like that stuck on them you can use baby or veggie oil to remove it easily. I've done that to get geckos off sticky mouse traps that a pet store used.

[DHB]

first thing i did when i got home was ditch those guages they are gone im not taking that risk again.

ill be hitting up the walmart soon to pick one of those digital guages.


my current set up is on this page
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-(noob-content)

[DHB]

yes it was a pet store i brought him back to but they only deal with reptiles and bred their own animals

http://www.allreptiles.ca/

[The Serpent Merchant]

looks good, although I would also suggest that you replace the UV heat bulb with this one:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...uctId=11147193

[DHB]

stupid question time

i grabbed the blue/purple style of bulb so i can see inside the enclosure without disturbing him too much i generally have my lights off.

whats the benefts of switching to the red/infrared bulb????

[DHB]

Bump..

[The Serpent Merchant]

The Blue Purple style actually bother snakes more, and do not put out much heat.

IR bulbs put out a wavelength of light that is nearly invisible to snakes. (even people can look almost straight into them without thinking that they are bright.

IR bulbs over regular red bulbs because IR heats better.

I like these work the best: http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...uctId=11147193

I suggest a 75 watt or a 100 watt if your lamp can handle it and you get a dimmer ($15 at Walmart or home depot

[DHB]

The Blue Purple style actually bother snakes more, and do not put out much heat.

IR bulbs put out a wavelength of light that is nearly invisible to snakes. (even people can look almost straight into them without thinking that they are bright.

IR bulbs over regular red bulbs because IR heats better.

I like these work the best: http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...uctId=11147193


dude u gotta be the most helpful person ive encountered on here yet thank you very much
I suggest a 75 watt or a 100 watt if your lamp can handle it and you get a dimmer ($15 at Walmart or home depot