How often can i handle a royal python?

[Kaali]

Thank you! I will do in this way

[Hammertime1977]

We're a little different.

We also pretty much ignore him for 2 days after a feed. His feed cycle is around 10 days, we wait for the 3rd night of active hunting to feed him. The first night he gets lazy and gives up after an hour, last night be was hunting for about 2.5 to 3 hours. Tonight he will be out a bit earlier and we will feed him around 10pm.

He was out 4 times during the last cycle, which is 1 more than normal. We changed the bedding in the tank, so he got an extra play.

Removing pee-pee's is a good excuse to pull him out for a quick play.

But our playing sessions are kept to a 5-15 minute time frame depending on how much is being done in his tank. I don't mind giving him fresh water every 2-3 days instead of top ups. When the gf is playing with the snake, I'm free to run downstairs and clean the bowl and re fill it.

I can't stress it enough, you'll read a lot of stuff here from a lot of people who have studied their life away on this stuff. But what matters is the snake in front of you. As long as you read the snakes body language correctly, you in theory shouldn't ever run into any problems.

So much depends on the attitude of the snake.

I have read....and I say that while rolling my eyes as I'm a big practical guy that hates theories. I have read that if you go 2+ weeks without handling your Ball / Royal Python you need to re adapt with caution.

I have only gone into my tank once when I was unsure of his posture. I actually waited and talked to him (I know what a stooge) until he started moving around and flicking his tongue out. When he was in a better position, I was able to scoop him. Every other time, he has pretty much assumed the position and waited to curl up in my hands.

Royal / Ball Pythons are great pets, they are far more smart and far more predictable than I think most people realize.

When people ask me a question about animals, I always ask them this..."Well, what's your animal telling you about this...and why are you asking me" :p

It just takes time and practice.

Kaaii...

Can I ask you, what kind of a set up do you have planned?

You're in a great position here to have everything set up heat/humidity wise before you bring your snake home. This will put you at a huge advantage. I did about 2 weeks of research in the evenings before buying and was tinkering with the heat/humidity the week before surprising my girlfriend with a snake.

Just browse these forums and see the silly questions asked by people who impulse bought their snakes and it takes them 3-6 months to learn, while they make posts about their snake not eating every week :p

You can follow my path and nail it all on the first try

Some may say small sample size to me, but I've excelled at everything I put effort into...so I say skill :p

Best of Luck my friend!

I can't wait to see what kinds of snakes you're looking into 6 months from now when you realize how quickly and easily you mastered Royals

[Kaali]

We're a little different.


Can I ask you, what kind of a set up do you have planned?

You're in a great position here to have everything set up heat/humidity wise before you bring your snake home. This will put you at a huge advantage. I did about 2 weeks of research in the evenings before buying and was tinkering with the heat/humidity the week before surprising my girlfriend with a snake.

Just browse these forums and see the silly questions asked by people who impulse bought their snakes and it takes them 3-6 months to learn, while they make posts about their snake not eating every week :p

You can follow my path and nail it all on the first try

Some may say small sample size to me, but I've excelled at everything I put effort into...so I say skill :p

Best of Luck my friend!

I can't wait to see what kinds of snakes you're looking into 6 months from now when you realize how quickly and easily you mastered Royals

Thank you for advices and your experience, i think practise and patience are the key since every snake has its own personality and the owner must adapt to snake need in order to understand it better, plus it's like ethologist: you obeserve, you make hypotesis, your verify them, you study snake behaviour etc. it's really fun for me!

My set-up is divided in many parts, since i am a really patient person:

1) try to convince my mother to keep a royal python (i suceeded due to subliminal messages XD like snake videos, snake drawings, snake facts etc. even if my mother is afraid of all animals she loves me and a day, after an argument and how i feel like snakes when people makes me angry, she ended up saying i could keep a snake).
2) choosing the snake room (i finally found a room in my house totaly suitable for my future snake, silent, clean, not too hot or too cold).
3) choosing sex (now i decided a male because they are shorter, i even decided his name).
4) reading facts, other people experience, suggestions and advices from forum higly useful like this, i love this forum and its people (ongoing because i have to know a little more before the final step, now i am hanging out at two forums, this for advices and facts and an italian forum because i live in Italy and i need to get in touch with these people if i want to know where to buy the tank/tub, the snake etc.).
5) watching some videos on youtube (i select between channels).
6) asking if there are some breeders in my area, in these weeks i will ask but first i have to choose between tank and tub (i admit that i like more tub than tank) and where to buy accessories like thermostat, UTH, thermo-hygrometer etc.
7) of course asking where to buy food (actually i know a site where to buy food supply).
8) as substrate i will go for newspapers (my house is full XD) even if i don't mind astroturf.
9) i am mentally ready for feeding behaviour of this species.
10) i continue to do research (i have been doing researchs for a year and a half) before getting the snake i want to be prepared because i want a healty and happy snake

[Pug50]

If you are living with your mother then check that she is OK with frozen mice/rats in the bottom of the freezer. There is no risk provided they are sealed and wrapped in plastic, and in a plastic tub at the bottom of the freezer, but it's probably her freezer so her rules?

[Kaali]

If you are living with your mother then check that she is OK with frozen mice/rats in the bottom of the freezer. There is no risk provided they are sealed and wrapped in plastic, and in a plastic tub at the bottom of the freezer, but it's probably her freezer so her rules?

Thank you for the advice, i have a second mini-freezer so i can use it as snake food supply

[Hammertime1977]

To follow up,

My guy was active today around 3:30pm which was a clear indication he was hungry again and I knew he gave up the previous night by 10pm.

We fed him at 9pm. He actually tried to strike the small rat though the mesh when it was under the light. At that point I offered it to him and he took it right away. Gave the rail a few 5-10 sec tugs and he was off the the races.

He started this one on his rock and then moved in to hot side hide to finishing swallowing it.

10 days again, this feed should officially put us past 600 grams.

[Kaali]

Thank you guys! I decided i will use use a plastic tub and since i will start with a juvenile snake, i will go for a 12 quarts (16 3/8"L x 11 1/2"W x 5 7/8"H) platic tub, in the next days i will buy a digital thermostat, digital thermo-hygrometer or 2 thermometers (one with a probe) and a hygrometer in case i won't find a digital thermo-hygrometer, a UTH, an appropriate sized water dish, two hides, as substrate i will start with newspaper or paper towel, aluminum tape, velcro. I look forward to building my set-up.