New BP owner- help, please.

[kdm2865]

I decided to try and feed her today since the mouse I had bought on Saturday was going to die soon, and I didn't think she'd much like it dead. She ate it no problem this time!

[gsarchie]

I decided to try and feed her today since the mouse I had bought on Saturday was going to die soon, and I didn't think she'd much like it dead. She ate it no problem this time!

Just out of curiousity, why was the mouse "going to die soon?" Did you not offer it any water or veggies/grains to eat? You can keep a mouse until it dies of old age if your snake won't eat it, so I am just curious about your statement.

[kdm2865]

About the mouse, I did feed it a piece of dog food. It was in a tiny tupperware though and it seemed pretty stressed. I don't have a place to keep mice long-term, the only place would be the garage which is very hot here in the summer and wouldn't be good for it either. I'd rather have the snake eat it and get it over with than have it suffer in a tiny tupperware for weeks.

[gsarchie]

I'd rather have the snake eat it and get it over with than have it suffer in a tiny tupperware for weeks.

Agreed, I was just curious is all, and I'm glad that she ate! Are you wanting to move her up to rats anytime soon? I switch mine as soon as I get them if they aren't on rats already. I feel like they are better nutritionally and am of the opinion that the longer you wait the harder it will be.

[kdm2865]

Agreed, I was just curious is all, and I'm glad that she ate! Are you wanting to move her up to rats anytime soon? I switch mine as soon as I get them if they aren't on rats already. I feel like they are better nutritionally and am of the opinion that the longer you wait the harder it will be.

Yes, I'm going to switch her to fuzzy rats as of next feed I'm also buying her a new hide tonight-- she stays in the one I made but I don't think it's small/dark enough for her (it's half of a small flower-pot)

[gsarchie]

Good to hear. I personally like to find hides that are as cozy as possible with the snake being just barely able to fit inside, although I've never bothered to ask my snakes if that is what they like. ( : With my corns I have used bark peeled off of a tree for them to hide under and they always seem happy/healthy to me!

I know a lot of people on here say to get a hygrometer (at least I think that they have in this thread) but I am going to differ from that and say that there is no need. The only time they truly need the humidity is when they are a day or so out from shedding. I do mist down my snakes vivs every once in a while but I have never nor will I ever use a hygrometer for anything other than egg incubation or my cigar humidor! Even in CO, where I live now and where the relative humidity is always around 20 something percent, my snakes do just fine with mistings primarily when they go opaque and are about to shed. One way to look at it is that keeping ball pythons, as with many other hobbies, can be as technical or as simple as you want to make them. I prefer to keep it simple and let what evolution has developed over millions of years function as it was meant to function.

To anyone who will post stating that they feel otherwise, I know how you feel and don't want to debate the issues, I'm just offering my advice to the OP.

[kdm2865]

Thank you for the advice. I have been looking at them online but I really don't think I need one. Current humidity in my part of the US is 57% I also have a rather large dish of water in there which probably helps keep it humid as well.