Introducing myself and my BP

[alpha]

Hey everyone, I'm a new owner of a ball python. I've been looking to get one for a while now. I got one from PetSmart with my friend exactly 10 hours ago and I already have a bunch of questions. I've been doing some research, but I need to make sure I have everything right so that he'll (I assume it's a male, the lady there said they weren't sure) live a long and happy life.

Here's some pics of him:











He doesn't have a name yet. Judging by his size, I think he's a couple months old, at most. And I think he's about a foot long. I was told that he only eats pinkies right now and was fed recently. He's very lively and didn't seem afraid of anything at all.

Right now, all we have is an empty cage that's about 36 inches in length, 18 inches in width, and also 18 inches in height, a UTH, and a water bowl. While we get everything ready, he'll be spending the next few days with my friend's ball python who's about a year and a half old. We watched them for a while, and they both seem to get along pretty well. His BP spends 80% of the time hiding under a rock and mine also likes to crawl in there and cuddle up with him. But I have a few questions:

1. Would paper towels be alright in lieu of "proper" bedding? It probably won't be until next month that I get something for the cage. Maybe AstroTurf or something.

2. Will he need a light to get heat from? My friend keeps insisting that he will.

3. What are some things that I'm missing/may need? For example I know I'm missing a thermometer and something to measure the humidity (forgot what it's called).

4. While we get everything ready, our two snakes seemed to have become fast friends. My snake's visit to another's cage is only temporary. When I remove him, will he miss him? Will he get depressed? I know it sounds silly but maybe that might stress him out and make him not eat, which I heard these snakes are notorious for.

5. I plan to keep the cage in my room, where there's an AC that's on for hours at a time. Without it on, my room temperature is usually in the high 70s to mid 80s in the summer. It directly faces the area where the cage will be, but it's several feet away and the temperature is always set to 70 F. The cage will also be situated a few feet higher than the AC and I felt around the area and it wasn't really that cold. Should I just be safe and move the cage, or is that fine?

Thanks for the help.

[zachbinger]

Ok paper towels are fine. Hides can be made out of dark colored plastic bowls just cut an opening. Feeding they under feed at pet stores to save money should be eating rat fuzzies or pups

[zachbinger]

Heat you won't need a light but will need thermometer and thermostat

[zachbinger]

Bedding you can just use the paper towels no need for anything else

[zachbinger]

Won't miss the other snakes balls are solitary unless breeding

[zachbinger]

Cage may be a lil big for the snake as far as sexing take it to a trusted snake purveyor in the area

[zachbinger]

That should answer your questions so far

[Eric Alan]

This thread - http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...With-Pictures! - should answer A LOT of your questions about how to give him a comfortable home.

This thread - http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...s%29-Caresheet - will help answer many of the basic husbandry questions that are critical to ensure he stays healthy and happy for you.

Some highlights:

• Get a thermostat for your UTH. This is different from a thermometer that measures the temperature. A thermostat controls the temperature of your UTH so it doesn't burn your little guy. Plugged straight in to the wall (unregulated - at full power), it will get hot enough to cause burns.
• Ensure there is nothing sticky on the inside of the aquarium. This includes any stick on thermometers or hygrometers you see frequently sold at the pet stores. Adhesives are horrible when they come in to contact with scales so it's best to avoid them all together inside the cage.
• Give him secure places to hide. A hiding python is a happy python. Smaller is better than bigger and he should have a few to choose from in such a huge home.
• It will be tough, but leave him alone for awhile. Chances are he's stressed out from his time spent on display at the store, from the move going home with you, and possibly from living with your friend's snake. You'll want to take yourself out of his equation until you make sure he's comfortable and eating well when he is finally in his home with you. This means only moving him/holding him/messing with him when needed to clean his cage until he's eaten a few (at least three) times in your care.
• Feed him appropriately sized meals in his regular enclosure. Many new keepers think doing so will lead them to bite anything that goes into their enclosure (including fingers). This is simply not true. In truth, feeding them where they are most comfortable is the least stressful way to feed them and has no impact on aggression at all. Unless you spritz yourself with "Eau de Rodent" before reaching in to his cage, he will not be immediately inclined to bite the hand that feeds him. The reason many pet stores feed outside of their cages is because they house multiple animals together and it can be dangerous to feed them together in this situation.

Congrats on your new pick up!

Best regards,
Eric

[Eric Alan]

I forgot to mention something about the temperature of where he's going to be in your room. The summer temps you mentioned (without the AC on) will be pretty much perfect for him. With the AC on, it's going to be too cold for him, increasing chances for infection and decreasing his ability to fight them off.

If you have control of the temperature of your room, try to keep it in the upper 70s, low 80s. If you don't have that ability, you will likely need to add a heat lamp to raise the temp of his enclosure to this range.

The links I provided do cover these things, but I figured I'd make sure I pointed it out since it was something you asked specifically about.

Best regards,
Eric

[AlexisFitzy]

Okay all I have to say is that is the cutest little bp I've EVER seen!!! The last pic is priceless and looks like he's making big sweet puppy dog eyes to get a treat or something lol. That last pic is contest worthy! You should enter it for sure and welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of BPs!!