New bp parent!!...pumped but almost as nervous as I was with my newborn daughter!!..

[Plite]

How damp should the tank be? I just got him today, n forgot all about the humidifier, my friend which is experienced said to spray him down, but didn't specify to what extent. I'll be out tomorrow first thing after mass to get it along with other decor for his home, he found his hide n just chills there now.

lets see, he is in a 10G tank, small heating pad (which is too small, but should do for a day or two) a lamp, water bowl, n hide. So it's kinda bare, but will be provided w/ more security SOON!!!...

i got five more days till his next feeding, I got his last three fed records, pinky 2x n then a rat pup. The breeder said at their age they transition from live to frozen well. But the food vendor had another opinion, he did offer tips to help if he didn't take right away.

now, I've read once you get him home to wait two days before holding, and then I've heard to wait a week, I can be patient, but I wanna hold him, I did let him sit in my lap on the ride home w my palm over him n then let him wrap around my hand, after a lil bit he wanted to slither around, either to run n hide or just feeling out the environment, tho I'm sure the prior

and lastly (for now) how can I tell if he's stressed, not content, hungry ect...

ive read a bit, n watched a lot, but nothing does the trick like one on one communication, so any advice beyond my requests are anticipated and appreciated, as well as any scolding along the way, I'm new and have no issues being corrected for the health of Gabriel, I want him to live a full life, of course...

[Mephibosheth1]

Welcome to the Forum!! I hope you learn a lot, and that Gabriel benefits from the info you get here.


Humidity should be around 50% most of the time, but during shed it should be around 70-80%. If you haven't already, I would recommend getting the Accurite 00891 (?) from Walmart...it is a hygrometer-thermometer combo with a 10 foot probe, so you can read the warm side temp, cool side temp, and the humidity on a digital display. The analog thermometers/hygrometers can be unreliable.

Heat pads are great for getting the substrate heated up so the snake can get belly heat. They will heat the general area over where they are set, but cannot do much more to heat the air. Also, they can be unreliable heat wise. Mine will go over 100 F, even though it isn't rated to go over 90 F. I recommend using a Hydrofarm thermostat (Amazon for $35) to regulate the temp on the warm side. 90-92 F is the desired temp for the warm side ( that's what your thermometer for the warm end should read).

Air temperature is more easily controlled by use of a heat lamp. These will heat the substrate directly below them, will heat the ambient air, but will also dry the air out as well. These should also be used with a lamp dimmer (Home Depot/Lowes has them) so they can be controlled. Mine will heat my tank up to 108 F after only 20 minutes!!

To determine how often/what you should feed, some pics would be great as would a weight as well (I'm not in possession of all the technical detail in this regard, but others can definitely help you on that question).


Hope that helps; sorry for the length, but I hope it answers some of your questions

[Plite]

The more length the more details and better understanding! I spent a month reading and watching, and now the day is here and I feel a lil unprepared. I'm sure ill adjust before anything severe happens.

as for pics, I'll take some morrow, I need to put a lil more bedding down, n when I pull him out for that I'll take a couple quick pics. I wanna hold him, but don't wanna stress him out! So check back morrow!!..

[Anya]

and lastly (for now) how can I tell if he's stressed, not content, hungry ect...

There's a phrase around the forum- "A happy ball is a hiding ball!" When he is stressed he will be out and pacing his enclosure, and it usually means something in the husbandry isn't quite right. Now, that said, the first week or so he might be agitated, so don't freak out too much if he roams the tank during the day. It's a big change, and he will explore. Just make sure he has two snug fitting hides (One on the cool end, one on the warm end) and plenty of darkness at night.

Read EVERYTHING you can! There's a lovely Ball Python caresheet on the forum which has good solid guidelines for nearly everything you need to know.

Welcome to the dark side!

[Plite]

Awesome!!!...I did check him this morning, uncovered the tank n turn the lamp back on. I held him in my palm for a bit, to help warm him in case he got a lil chilly, then sat him in my lap, which after this his breathing settled a lil, so when I saw him breathing like what I considered a moderate pant could just have been him being startled. And he seems to be pretty content with me.

im headed to get a humidifier, n possibly another heating pad, n a digital thermometer. Plus some other stuff the decorate his home with.

he isn't scheduled to eat till the 19th so I may try and see if he will take a f/t pup a day early, if he doesn't take after a few attempts I'll wait till the next day and try again, I'll cave after two or three days n pick up a live pup.

also, do you guys travel with you BP?...if say you would be gone for a few days plus..

[FireStorm]

I would not recommend traveling with your BP...it will only stress him out. Also, if he doesn't eat on the first attempt, wait at least 5 days before trying to feed again. Offering food more often than that is also stressful.

[timely.grace]

also, do you guys travel with you BP?...if say you would be gone for a few days plus..

I don't generally travel with any of my snakes other than the 2-3hr drive we took from our breeder bringing them home. I have taken 2 of them on a short 40min drive to my moms and they tolerated it really well. It's no different than if you were transporting snakes to an expo or something. You just have to make sure they feel secure and are warm enough. I wouldn't recommend doing any traveling with him for a few months to ensure he's settled and well established on his meals. There's times where I'm not able to handle my snakes on a daily basis and they end up not being out for a week or more. You shouldn't really be handling your new lil one much for the first couple weeks anyway, so going away for a few days won't be an issue. Just make sure you've given a meal prior to leaving & make sure your temps & humididty are stable and he'll be fine

[timely.grace]

As for humidity, I don't even use hygrometers. I play it by eye. I mist their tub lids daily & a bit more when they're shedding. I generally use the condensation on the side of the tubs as a good indicator. I like having a slight fog on them on a regular day and increase it to see some droplets when they're in the shedding process. I've never had issues with their sheds either. All in one piece every time. I've heard plastic tubs hold humidity in somewhat better than glass, so using a hygrometer may be a good idea for you.

[Poseidon]

As for humidity, I don't even use hygrometers. I play it by eye. I mist their tub lids daily & a bit more when they're shedding. I generally use the condensation on the side of the tubs as a good indicator. I like having a slight fog on them on a regular day and increase it to see some droplets when they're in the shedding process. I've never had issues with their sheds either. All in one piece every time. I've heard plastic tubs hold humidity in somewhat better than glass, so using a hygrometer may be a good idea for you.

I thought that condensation meant 80% or higher and there isn't enough ventilation, and that it was unhealthy?

[timely.grace]

I thought that condensation meant 80% or higher and there isn't enough ventilation, and that it was unhealthy?

My "condensation" is more of a light fog around the top of the lids than anything. I bump it up a wee bit when they're starting to shed so I can see more on the sides. Maybe "droplets" was a bad word haha. A lot of condensation can cause mold & certain infections, but I have pretty basic tubs set up. Paper towel substrate, hides & water bowl. I always do a quick wipe down if I feel like it's a bit too humid.