I need help with my ball python

[Twizlerz]

Hi, I am new to the forums and I found this website through google search.

I am very worried about my ball python, I just can't seem to get their temperatures or vivariums right. They are either always too small or too big, I have changed his vivarium from plastic tubs to wooden to glass and back to wood.

I have no idea what the best type of vivarium is for snakes, some people say wood, some people say glass and others just keep them in plastic tubs. There is so much information out there that it's really confusing me.

Call me a bad owner, but literally I have tried and tried and it's always just seems to be one god damn problem after another. I have spent over 300euros on friggen bulbs, vivarium sizes, different food, heat mats, hides...etc

My problem is this

Recently I have moved my male 3 and a half foot ball python to his wooden vivarium. The vivarium size is 4feet long, 2feet wide and 1 foot heigh.
As a substrate I am using coconut shavings mixed with spangum moss and wood chippings. He has two hides one of the warm side and one of the cool side.

Thing is, he NEVER uses the hides. All he does is just ball up in a corner on the warm side... and the warm side is not even friggen warm. he has not eaten in about 3weeks, and I have tried various tricks to get him to eat like smearing the rat pup with rat blood, exposing the brain, different colors like brown and black, the only thing I haven't tried is live feeding but with the thawed prekilled rats he really was not interested in them. I also tried feeding him at night, leaving him alone for like an hour with it and just nothing.

I have a 100W ceramic heat emitter and it is only about 12-15inches above the floor, and yes it is guarded. The vivarium still feels cold to the touch and so does the snake and the substrate. He avoids the heat mat all together and I have touched it, it isn't really THAT hot to make him avoid it.

I am also worried about his health, I have had him for about a month and he has not shed once, whenever I handle him I feel a couple of loose scales here and there.

I really thought I had everything right but clearly there is something wrong and I have no idea what it is I am doing. Clearly I am a bad owner and I think I am going to sell him so some one who does know what the hell they are doing cause clearly I don't. No matter how much research and books I read and videos I watch, there is always something wrong. No one seems to help me what so ever and I am really stressed out to the point where I just want to destroy everything.

Below is a picture of the snake's vivarium and his enclosure how it's set up. Sorry it isn't a realistic picture of his actual viv, currently I do not have a camera but this is how it is set up.

[The Serpent Merchant]

Ok honestly you are making this far to hard on yourself.

This is the ideal set up for a ball python



Paper based substrate with 2 hides and a water bowel.

Does your heat mat have a thermostat? It may not feel all that hot to you but to your snake without a thermostat it can get hot enough to kill your snake.

Do you have any thermometers? If so what type and where are they (what type as in digital, digital with probe, or dial)

The 2 best cages for ball pythons are tubs and PVC cages. Both hold in heat and humidity really well.

Here is a thread on tubs:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...Basics...*DUW*

And a thread on PVC cages:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...With-Pictures!

[DellaF]

I wish i was at home I would take a picture of my setup. It is so basic. I have tubs from Walmart, 2 hides, heat mat, thermostat, paper towels for substrate water dish and a temp gun. This works for me. As for feeding mine are just coming of a food fast of a couple of months. I think if you can get him settled in and maybe just let him be for a while he will be fine. Good luck and dont give up.

[Twizlerz]

I live in Malta.

Our economy is :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: and no one gets any PVC cages. You either have to make your own or settle for glass vivariums which are very very expensive:/

I do not have a thermostat. I have gauges for thermometers and they are the dial ones. It reads to about 70 which the color is blue/yellow. I do not think this is the ideal temp for them.

I honestly do not know what the problem is and I am sick of changing set ups for him. I tried looking online for PVC cages or a vivarium seller but you have to pick it up in person :/

I am just selling him. He's better off with some one who knows what the hell they are doing. I obviously can not take care of him as I have no idea what I am doing.

Also, he's freezing cold to the touch whenever I pick him up, even if he hangs around the warm side.
I still do not know the cause why he is not eating, it's spring time, during the day it's very warm and during the night it's a bit chilly.

Also can some one reply on why he is not using his hides?
I got a medium sized plant pot and cut it in half.

[tlich]

Read this caresheet: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

Also the dial thermometers aren't any good, you should get an accurite from Walmart they're usually near the paint section and only cost like $15 they measure 2 temps and humidity you have to get one with a probe Aarons pvc setup link has a picture of them.

Maybe not using the hides because they're too big? Or because the temps aren't right, thay why its important to use a digital thermometer or temp gun.

[ChrisS]

Have you checked your heat, 100w should be more than enough to warm a cage that size, I think it is broken. Just try a 40w incandescent light bulb ( red colored would be best) and cover half or a little more with plastic to help hold in humidity.

[Twizlerz]

We do not have walmart in my country.
We do not have PVC cages
A thermostat costs about 34euros, which is approx 45/46dollars
Digital Thermometers is about 30euros as well, which is approx 40dollars
We do not measure in gallons or qtz so it's impossible for me to measure on how big the enclosure will be.

I have to get most of my stuff from the internet and like I said before I can not buy vivariums from the internet so I am forced to use vivariums, glass or wood.

Like I said, I am just going to sell everything and stop myself from further stressing and harming my snakes.

Maybe in the future I will try again but certainly not any time soon.

I just give up. This is supposed to be one of the "good" starter snakes and I am unable to take care any of them. I'm just not cut out for this stuff, it's too expensive and I hate using plastic tubs.

[Twizlerz]

Have you checked your heat, 100w should be more than enough to warm a cage that size, I think it is broken. Just try a 40w incandescent light bulb ( red colored would be best) and cover half or a little more with plastic to help hold in humidity.

It isn't broken, the reflector is very hot and so is the bulb. When I put my hand over it I can feel the heat coming off it. I seriously do not know what the problem is. The substrate feels cold and so does the air in the vivarium.

I read online that heat emitters are the best and if that isn't working for me than an incandescent light bulb will just be a waste of money :/

[cent84]

Hey Twizlerz

I really feel your pain, I had similar issues with my first ball python. Mine was also refusing his hides, refusing food and balling up in the corner of my wooden vivarium.
I also bought tons of stuff, tried different thermostats, thermometers, hides, vivariums, ... I guess you really have the same issue i had: you're doing and thinking too much! Here's what I did: buy a proper thermometer. if you're heat emitter / bulb is not broken, it MUST get warm beneath it! when you made sure that it's approx. 30 degrees celsius right under the heat source, removed everything from the vivarium, except one hide plus the water bowl. place the hide right under your heat source. Make sure that your vivarium is placed in a low traffic spot, cover the front with a blanket and leave him completely alone for 2 - 3 weeks (change the water every 3-5 days).

Hope this helps!

BTW: If you're going to buy a light bulb as heat source, make sure you don't buy one of these energy-saving-lamps! They emit way less heat then normal bulbs..

Cheers,
Michael

[PureLine Exotics]

i agree leave him alone to explore his new cage. give him at least a few days!