Help please, new owner!

[Shaney]

Hi everyone, my fiance and I just bought our very 1st snake, a normal ball called Charles lol. And I just have a few questions, we only handle once a week as he's only a baby and is fed every week. (on a small ft mouse it's a bit smaller than his widest part but we've moved him up from the Fluffs we got with him as they barely made a bulge anywhere along his body...) He eats every week now but when we bought him from the petshop he refused to eat for a while due to his temps being a bit off... He's looking better now and has just shed for the first time, it was very nearly a perfect shed (I think), one long Charlie sized piece and a couple of smaller pieces. I was mainly just wondering if you think we handle enough? His tongue goes like crazy when he's out but he never seems to relax, he's out for about 30mins (max.) and if his food is big enough? We've had him since the 20th May and he was there for a month before hand... He's quite long and looking chunkier everyday... And finally did his shed sound normal? Can post pics if needed? So really just looking for advice/reassurance, want to do the best by my little dude thanks, Shaney.

[mackynz]

What are his temps and humidity at?

The shed sounds good. Feed 15% body weight. You could handle him more if you want, but what you are doing is fine too.

[Shaney]

His temps are 29-30 in the hot end and about 27 in the cool end. Not certain of humidity though. It would be cool to handle him more though, just didn't want to stress him out. Is it likely changing his substrate would put him off his food? Want to swap to cage carpet because he eats in his tank and is currently on aspen,the shop said it was fine to feed on but after looking into it it seems not. it worries me, but he wouldnt eat in a separate feeding container and it took us ages just to get him to eat and he started looking real thin... Es feeding well now so I figured it was maybe time for the change? Thanks for the reply

[Quantum Constrictors]

30 is too low. you want to bump that up to about 33.

Can we get some specs on the set up?

What are you using for heating, what type of enclosure are you using, are you using a thermostat, what type of thermometers are you using? All the details please.

And dont use cage carpet. Use paper towels. Thats what I use in my rack and a lot of other people on here use. They are awesome.

[Shaney]

Okay, shall do, heat mat and thermostat think it's called a habistat ministat with a habitat heat mat under half the tank. It's a wooden terrarium but it's got an insulated slot for the heat mat under the glass bottom and a small glass window on the top and front, we have thermometers with probe in both the cool and warm ends. Not certain of the exact sizes of the cage, will go check the box.

[Shaney]

He came with the monkfield terrarium kit... H21
W35 D51 cm. That's what he was sold to us with, he seems happy enough? Is that ok?

[DooLittle]

You can always check out the care sheet on here. Don't know that I would go to cage carpet, can't imagine that would be fun to clean "potty" out of. You will be able to tell if you are handling to much because he will probably go off feed. Each bp is different, but yes, minor changes can set them off. Welcome to the addiction!

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[Shaney]

I can totally feel the addiction! Once Ive got to grips with Charlie Im already thinking of getting another! They're so rewarding! What do you use as substrate? He hasn't ingested any aspen, the mouse rarely even touches the ground, it just worries me... He poops fine though so should I leave it? Any ideas would be nice, should I just cover the aspen up on feeding day?

[gsarchie]

Nothing wrong with the Aspen, continue to use it if you'd like. I will say that the terrarium will be way too small when the little guys is all grown up. As was stated, hot side should be up to 33-34.

[DooLittle]

Mine are in tubs, so I have papertowels and newspaper. A little bit of aspen won't kill him either. Remember, they break down bones.

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