I need help with my ball python

[Twizlerz]

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

Leave him alone for 2-3weeks?
Excuse me but I do not mean to mock, but what is this supposed to achieve exactly?

I have been visiting family and he's been all alone in his new viv for like 3days. He is still in the same position and has not moved a muscle. I know for a fact that he is alive because I just checked right now.

I think the best solution for now is to just sell him and start all over again. This is clearly a lost case no matter what I do and really, I do not have any more money to help him anymore.

[Twizlerz]

Sorry for double posting but I can not find the edit button anywhere :/

I took cent84's advice and this is what I did.

I cleaned out all of his viv and placed paper towels.
Took out all decoration apart from a hide and water bowl

Placed heat mat under the heat emitter
Placed hide on heat mat.

Put python back in his cage.
Covered up the front of the viv with a blanket.

Now I am just going to leave him alone for about 3weeks, unless a buyer is actually interested in getting him off my hands. I still don't know what's the point of this or what I am hoping to achieve.


Am I a bad keeper?

[Annarose15]

Sorry for double posting but I can not find the edit button anywhere :/

I took cent84's advice and this is what I did.

I cleaned out all of his viv and placed paper towels.
Took out all decoration apart from a hide and water bowl

Placed heat mat under the heat emitter
Placed hide on heat mat.

Put python back in his cage.
Covered up the front of the viv with a blanket.

Now I am just going to leave him alone for about 3weeks, unless a buyer is actually interested in getting him off my hands. I still don't know what's the point of this or what I am hoping to achieve.


Am I a bad keeper?

I'd stick one more hide on the cool end and one in the middle of the viv, so he has defferent temp options. If you decide to keep him, order an infrared temp gun or thermometer online ASAP so you know what your temps are, and then get a thermostat if the hot spot is too hot (which I'm guessing it is, just because the heat mats usually are). You aren't a bad owner, you just need to take a deep breath and get back to the basics of what he needs. If you don't know your temps, you can't get them right.

Oh, and I'd offer him food once a week. Three weeks is a bit extreme, especially if he's a young BP (they tend to eat more often than adults).

[The Serpent Merchant]

Sounds good except for the heat mat. they can get hot enough to kill your BP, unless it is regulated by something you are better off without it. The heat emitter should be enough alone.

Heat mats do not change the air temperature in the tank so unless you have a thermostat or a thermometer with a probe you have no way to tell how hot it is.

[Twizlerz]

Alright I will proceed with removing the heating mat.

Can anyone tell me why am I doing this? or what this process is supposed to achieve? I still don't know why I am covering him up for three weeks.


Also, I just tried feeding him again, he just completely ignored it, infact I think he was scared of it. I tried to shove it in his face to get him to attack it, but he just ran away *sigh*

I hate this.

[The Serpent Merchant]

Covering him up will help make him feel safe. I would only do it for a week, but it doesn't hurt to do it longer. basically you are making his entire cage a hide.

Getting everything right and getting a BP to eat can be a nightmare, but once you have everything set up things run much smoother.

[Slim]

Alright I will proceed with removing the heating mat.

Can anyone tell me why am I doing this? or what this process is supposed to achieve? I still don't know why I am covering him up for three weeks.


Also, I just tried feeding him again, he just completely ignored it, infact I think he was scared of it. I tried to shove it in his face to get him to attack it, but he just ran away *sigh*

I hate this.

You are taking the unregulated heat mat out so it doesn't burn your snake to death.

Smacking a stressed BP in the face with food is an almost 100% effective way to make sure they don't eat.

If this situation is causing that much stress in your life, I think a ball python may not be the optimal pet for you. It's important to recognize your limitations.

[Twizlerz]

Yup I pretty much suck at taking care of my snakes. It was painfully obvious the minute I posted this.

I seriously can't wait to get rid of him and the amelanistic corn snake and give them to some one who knows what the :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: they are doing.

[cent84]

PLEASE check your temperatures BEFORE putting the snake back in. A (uncontrolled) 100 Watt ceramic heat emitter 15 inches above the hide will be way too hot! No snake, including cornsnakes, likes to be cooked..
My vivarium is 4x2x2 and my only heat source is a 60 Watt bulb.

Even if you're planing on replacing your python with a cornsnake, you'll need a thermometer.

[Twizlerz]

I already have the corn snake. The only heat source he has is another 20W ferplast heat mat, even he avoids it even though the dial reads about 70F

I put my hand in the vivarium, the air is cold and the snake is freezing to the touch.

Look I don't really care anymore. I'm just going to give them very simple basic needs until I get rid of them, clearly I'm not meant for this crap.