New BP owner

[12343244543]

hey, today i acquired a one month old bp, i currently have him in this http://imgur.com/5np4uDL , i am currently using a heat pad in one of the hides, is there any tips you guys can give me

[danipanda]

You have a heating pad IN his enclosure?? As in a UTH? If so that is extremely dangerous and can cause your snake some serious burns... If you do have a UTH and it' stuck to the bottom where it should be, then you NEED a thermostat to control its heat output. Even a UTH installed correctly, but unregulated can cause serious injury!

[12343244543]

yea sorry its under the glass, do you have a recommended heating pad i should buy? i am currently using http://www.drsfostersmith.com/images...092_17041D.jpg

[danipanda]

That one should be fine, but you still should have it regulated with a thermostat. The surface temp of the glass it's above can sometimes reach 120 degrees, which can cause very serious burns to your snake. I'm not an expert by any means, but i'll give this a shot! Does he have a water bowl? They should have fresh, clean water available at all times. His hides look a little big for him as well... They should be snug for him so he can feel secure. This is a picture of my set up. It's a 20 gallon terrarium. I have three thermometers, one on the "cold side", one on the "hot side", and one in the middle, and one hygrometer to monitor the humidity. I also have a thermostat to regulate my UTH and my heat lamp. You should have a thermal gradient in the enclosure so they always have the option to choose the temperature that's best for them. Example from mine is my cold side is 75-80 degrees, the middle is 80-85 degrees, and the hot side is 88-92. I also keep my humidity between 55% and 65%. I have two hides, one on each end so she can choose where she wants to be. (if she wants to be in the middle she hides under the plants i have in there for her, behind her water bowl) I have the two log/tree structures because my Noodles is a dork and enjoys climbing... lol Anyone is welcome to correct me if any of the information i provided is wrong

[12343244543]

yea clearly i need to go buy a proper enclosure and other stuff tomorrow

i feel like an idiot for being so unprepared

[danipanda]

You aren't the first and i'm sure won't be the last person who jumped into it! I know myself I did research for over a month, weighed the pros and cons of more than one species and variety of snake, and then made my decision. It's good you're asking questions and asking for tips and advice though. Hope everything goes well and you find everything you need!
Little note, I've read that the "half log" hides aren't the best for snakes, but in my situation I've built and bought about 10 different hides and those are the only ones she'll use... lol You'll slowly learn his personality, likes, and dislikes. Like I said, Noodles LOVES to climb and wrap herself about her branch like a weirdo, but you could add a branch and he'll never use it. Try and offer him different things and you'll get there!

[12343244543]

do you have any recommendations for thermometers and other things?

[danipanda]

I have this enclosure:
It comes with a BUNCH of stuff which was great to start with, but the thermometer it comes with is crap.
It also comes with a 100 watt blue day light bulb, which in my situation is too hot. I use a 75 watt blue daylight bulb and then switch my mini domes at night and use a black 75 watt nighttime bulb.(I had to buy a second dome, since the kit only comes with one) I rotate on a 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night schedule. for some people the heat from the UTH is enough, but where I like it gets really cold and I also keep my house cold. So depending on the temps you may not need to use the heat lamps at all. It also comes with a water bowl, half log hide, aspen bedding, a UTH, and water conditioner (takes the chlorine out of tap water)


I use these thermometer and I love them! I also have the zoo med heat gun and the thermometers are just as accurate. I don't think these have a sticky part on the back to to put them up, so mine are stuck on with Velcro. It's important NOT to use TAPE in his enclosure!!! They can get stuck on it and it can cause injuries.

This is the hygrometer I use, it works fine and is quite accurate! It has an adhesive on the back so you can just peel and stick it. I have mine in the middle of the enclosure.


I also use this thermostat. It's not as fancy as some, but it does what it's suppose to do! You can't set an exact temperature with it, so you'll need to play with it a little to get the temp just right. You simply plug it into the wall, and plug the UTH into the bottom.



I hope I helped! Any other questions and i'll keep trying to help the best I can

I just realized I sound like a Zoo Med consultant...lol My local pet store ONLY carries Zoo Med merch, so unless I order online It's all I can get!

[MidSouthMorphs]

You'd probably come off even buying a small 3 level rack and a thermostat than that reptihabitat and all that additional stuff. Would take longer to get but more efficient and easier to control the environment within a tub. Check out animal plastics, or you may be able to find one local on Craigslist.

[pbyeerts]

Don't feel that way! A lot of first time owners need lots of help and advice in making the right home for their BP. that's why this site is here!
We'll help you get it right, and rejoice in watching your baby grow. What's his/her name? I thought that I had a male, and named him Oliver. Turned out to be a female, who is now my beloved Ginger!

yea clearly i need to go buy a proper enclosure and other stuff tomorrow

i feel like an idiot for being so unprepared

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