I just got my first BP (rescue) sorry its a bit long.....

[ivie]

so I got my first Ball python yesterday. a friend of mine runs an apartment complex one of his tenants just bailed.he goes in to clean the place out and theres this snake that he has no idea what it is or what the hell to do with it. So he gave me a call and i picked up the snake from him.

he (i think its a male) had pine bedding that was old and filthy, no heat except for a lamp w/75w house bulb and a tiny bowl that had very little water left.

I picked up a big rubbermaid tote on my way home to use as a feeder tank and i put him in this with a hide log while i cleaned out his cage with a bleach/water mixture.

I bought a heat lamp, UTH, the hide log, a humidity meter, new water bowl, and i baked a piece of aspen for a climbing log. the tank just has a stick on thermometer but i will be getting a couple of digital thermometers when i get paid. oh and i made another hide out of an opaque bowl for the other side of the cage.

also i think he is about to shed, it has cloudy eyes and a bluish hue to its side scales.

so did i forget anything? like i said this is my first ball python, first python actually. i am in love with snakes i have been catching local utah snakes all my life and my part time job is nuisance animal trapper so i do a ton of live rattlesnake removals every year.

i read everything i could find about care for BP's online, are there any must read books/websites?

how soon after they eat do they defecate? he crapped in the tote while i was cleaning his cage.

any advice would be very helpful, i have wanted a python or boa for a long time and now it seems it was meant to be.

I just wish i could find the guy that left this beautiful snake to die

[Daybreaker]

Glad you could rescue him and I hope he does well for you. Just make sure to keep him off of pine (aspen or paper towels is recommended, I would do with paper towels in case he has mites so you can see them better) and he does look like he's going to shed soon. Make sure you regulate your UTH with a thermostat.

[The Serpent Merchant]

That BP is going into shed for sure, make sure that the humidity is at least 60%

The UTh must be regulated by a thermostat, until you have one you need to just unplug it and let the heat lamp do its job. without a thermostat a UTH can kill a BP.

Here are 2 good thermostats, don't bother with the junk sold at pet stores, they aren't worth your money.

http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR.../dp/B000NZZG3S

http://spyderrobotics.com/

I suggest that you get the thermometer/hydrometer, they are sold at Walmart for $12. They measure 2 temperatures as well as humidity so 1 unit will be all you need. (probe goes on hot side directly over the UTH, and the box goes on the cool side.



I suggest you read the this care sheet, it is full of important information.

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

[ivie]

Glad you could rescue him and I hope he does well for you. Just make sure to keep him off of pine (aspen or paper towels is recommended, I would do with paper towels in case he has mites so you can see them better) and he does look like he's going to shed soon. Make sure you regulate your UTH with a thermostat.

I threw all the pine away, I read on a few different sites that Cypress was a good bedding especially if you live in a dry climate because it hold moisture and will help hold the humidity level of the tank. I will be sure to get a thermostat for the UTH tomorrow.

[ivie]

That BP is going into shed for sure, make sure that the humidity is at least 60%

The UTh must be regulated by a thermostat, until you have one you need to just unplug it and let the heat lamp do its job. without a thermostat a UTH can kill a BP.

Here are 2 good thermostats, don't bother with the junk sold at pet stores, they aren't worth your money.

http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR.../dp/B000NZZG3S

http://spyderrobotics.com/

I suggest that you get the thermometer/hydrometer, they are sold at Walmart for $12. They measure 2 temperatures as well as humidity so 1 unit will be all you need. (probe goes on hot side directly over the UTH, and the box goes on the cool side.



I suggest you read the this care sheet, it is full of important information.

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

thank you, the thermometer/hydrometer is perfect. and the uth is unplugged

[KatStoverReptiles]

Not of vital importance, but at some point I'd ditch the half log and get 2 nice, snug fitting hides with only one opening. Place one on the warm side and one on the cool side. That way he doesn't have to choose between comfort and security.

Since it sounds like he wasn't in ideal conditions, I'd be prepared for a not-so-great shed (I could be wrong.) If he seems to have a lot of stuck shed left after he's shed, place him in a damp pillow case (the lower thread count the better) for about an hour and place the pillowcase on the warm side of his tank. As he moves around in it he'll slough off most of the shed.

[angllady2]

This is going to sound weird, but can I ask you where you live ?

That snake looks an awful lot like a male I sold last year, the markings are really, really similar.

Poor thing. I to had to rescue a snake left behind when someone moved. Except mine was in the middle of winter, and they left her to freeze to death.

Read up on our caresheets, they are the best out there in my opinion. Tweak his enclosure if needed. Give him time to shed, then about a week of peace and quiet after he sheds and see if he'll eat for you. He's not really skinny, so that is a huge bonus, and he'll be fine for a while before feeding. Oh, and just so you know hon, keeping humidity up in that tank is going to be a real PITA. I tried that for a while, then I got smart and went to tubs.

Are you prepared to feed live, if that is what he wants ? Some people do fine with live, but a lot of people can't.

I have no doubt in a month's time, you'd never know he was abandoned.

Gale

[Wh00h0069]

I threw all the pine away, I read on a few different sites that Cypress was a good bedding especially if you live in a dry climate because it hold moisture and will help hold the humidity level of the tank. I will be sure to get a thermostat for the UTH tomorrow.

IMO, cypress is the best for balls.

[ivie]

This is going to sound weird, but can I ask you where you live ?

That snake looks an awful lot like a male I sold last year, the markings are really, really similar.

Poor thing. I to had to rescue a snake left behind when someone moved. Except mine was in the middle of winter, and they left her to freeze to death.

Read up on our caresheets, they are the best out there in my opinion. Tweak his enclosure if needed. Give him time to shed, then about a week of peace and quiet after he sheds and see if he'll eat for you. He's not really skinny, so that is a huge bonus, and he'll be fine for a while before feeding. Oh, and just so you know hon, keeping humidity up in that tank is going to be a real PITA. I tried that for a while, then I got smart and went to tubs.

Are you prepared to feed live, if that is what he wants ? Some people do fine with live, but a lot of people can't.

I have no doubt in a month's time, you'd never know he was abandoned.

Gale

I live in central utah, and feeding will not be an issue. my dad was a falconer when i was growing up and i have been one for about 14 years so i'm used to feeding bunnies, quail, ducks, pheasants, act to bird of prey. trust me when i say a snake swallowing a whole rat is much nicer than watching a big harris hawk eat a bunny

[gsarchie]

Found it! It's a good thing that it wasn't winter and yes, it would be nice if the person that left the snake to fend for its self would get what was coming to them woudn't it?

trust me when i say a snake swallowing a whole rat is much nicer than watching a big harris hawk eat a bunny

I had to laugh at this as I can imagine how crappy it must be for rabbits that are being eaten by hawks! I respect all life but also appreaciate that some things have evolved to eat other things, humans included (which is why I don't understand some folks' desire to be vegetarian).

Good for you for not only taking the snake from your friend but also deciding to keep it and give it the care that it needs, and good luck to your son saving up the money to buy a BP of his own good for your for letting him! Sounds like you'll make sure that he is a responsible owner and never leaves a snake in the conditions that your new guy was found in. Are you going to make him buy the setup for his snake as well?