I keep my bp at 90 on the hot side and around 75-80 on the cool side, room temperature. I have both a heating pad on the hot side and a day time and night time bulb to simulate the day/night cycles. For summer 14 hour days, 10 hour nights. For winter, 10 to 11 hour days. I change her water daily as well since she bathes and drinks from it. I have alot of greenery in my tank. They like to hide, as you know. I have a hidey hole on the left, and one on the right.

I also have a temp gauge on the left and right side as well as a humidity gauge in the middle of the tank. I keep the humidity around 50%. I spray the tank with a water bottle, and cover the top of the lid halfway to increase it as needed. They say to watch how much water you place in their water dish as a means of controlling humidity too.

As far as that meal is concerned, I agree with a previous post: get prey equivalent to the widest part of the body of the snake. The mouse did look a bit small. Be careful with live prey: they can hurt your snake, esp. if the snake does not eat it and you leave the mouse/rat in there with it. My bp eats frozen mice. Per what I have read, frozen is the way to go so that your snake is not harmed.

I am a new snake owner too. In addition to coming on here, I am on my second book of three about bp's. They are really interesting pets for sure.

Good luck!

- Kat