Surprise snake!

[juniperblossom]

Hello!

So yesterday I was kickin it around my house and my friend calls me and says their sister has a ball python in her hand and it needs a home that minute. So I start setting up a tank (you know you love reptiles when you have an empty ready to go tank at like any minute haha) and she comes by and drops off this little guy!



She gives me no info and then leaves. I wasn't planning on getting a ball python until my move next week and I've still been doing research (I like to be overly prepared for my babies). What size foods should it get? Should I give it some time to adjust before I feed it? It was dropped off like seriously just in this woman's hand and she didn't say anything but thanks. Can anyone give me some good beginner snake advice? My dad kept snakes when I was younger, like 10 years ago. This little guy (or girl) is just so cute and sweet. I want to make sure I take care of it proper.

It's tank has coco fiber bedding (it's all I had on hand). The hot side is about 89-90 and cool is about 77-80. Humidity is around 65-70 but it's dropped from 80 yesterday. That coco fiber holds humidity so well! It's in a 10 gallon (it's a really small snake and fully stretched out she doesn't touch end to end) is that okay at the moment? I read that little ones like smaller spaces. I put some paper up on the sides of the tank to make it feel more comfortable. Please let me know if I'm doing something wrong! Thank you all so much!




It's just so cute

Best wishes!
Key

[chrid16371]

You want to feed a rodent that is as big around as the thickest part of the snake. If it was eating frozen/thawed the feed it that but make sure it is thawed properly and is the right size. If it was eating live then feed live and never leave a snake unattended with a live rodent. If you can get the appropriate sized rat feed rats, if not you will have to feed mice.

What are you using as heat source? What are you using to take temps? How are you regulating your heat source?

Congrats on the new snake! Welcome to the forum! I recommend reading this care sheet even if you have read other care sheets. Here is the link.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

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[juniperblossom]

She didn't say what it was eating or if she had fed it. I've tried to contact her since and nothing has been heard back yet. Should I try f/t or live? I think it might have possibly came from the local pet store but I'm not 100% sure. At the moment we have an uth and I've got one of my probes on it. I'm planning on going by the store today for a thermostat and food. It was like 8 last night when I got the little guy and didn't have time to pop in the the pet store first. I like to keep extra uth on hand (we have a leopard gecko and hermit crabs that rely on them and you never know) I've been obsessively checking our heat since I don't have a thermostat at the moment. The ones we use usually stay around 88-90. Thank you so much! I really appreciate the advice!

[chrid16371]

You can try whichever prey you would like. Make sure you are checking the temp under the substrate on top of the glass over the uth and if it is above 94 unplug it until you have the thermostat, snakes will burrow and get burned. What uth are you using? In my years of keeping herps I have never gotten one that has only went up to 90. It may get only 90 on top of the substrate but you have to be concerned about the temp under the substrate.

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[JodanOrNoDan]

Congratulations on your acquisition. He is looking a little thin so once he is settled try to get some food in him. Try frozen thawed rat first. If he takes that you are on easy street. If that doesn't work you may have to do live for his first couple of meals. Try to stay away from mice. BP's tend to really like mice but rats tend to work better in the long run.

[O'Mathghamhna]

He is a wee bit skinny. The advice in this thread is spot-on. His back story is super sketchy though, thank you for stepping up to the plate and seeing he has a good home!

Don't feel pressured to fatten him up quickly--these guys are slow healers and slow growers.

Babies should typically be fed every 10 days, whereas juveniles are fed every 2 weeks. He appears to be a baby in my opinion based on your pics... Try F/T rats the size of the snake at his widest. When the snake eats, there should be a barely discernible lump in his body. If the lump is big or bulging, the prey is too big.

Thanks again and good luck! Feel free to come here as often as you like with questions and updates!

[Scottywelsh]

Babies should typically be fed every 10 days, whereas juveniles are fed every 2 weeks.!

I must be reading this wrong or something. If your on about bps then they should be fed every 5 days as long as they will take it. And then adults vary from once a week to once a month or even longer depending on the snake


And yes try frozen thawed rats first then pre killed then live

[PeanutButler]

Babies should typically be fed every 10 days, whereas juveniles are fed every 2 weeks. He appears to be a baby in my opinion based on your pics...

They should be offered food every 5-7 days. BPs are known to put themselves on feed strike, but that's their decision. That is definitely a baby you have there, and on the thin side (unless it is older and just crazily undernourished). I wouldn't even suggest offering food to a healthy adult only once every two weeks.

[chrid16371]

Yeah definitely young bps every 4 or 5 days and then you can move to a week once they are older. Adults dont require the same nutrition that young bps do so you can feed every 2 weeks if your still feeding prey the size of there girth or you can stick with a small weekly or a medium weekly for a big bp.

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[Albert Clark]

She didn't say what it was eating or if she had fed it. I've tried to contact her since and nothing has been heard back yet. Should I try f/t or live? I think it might have possibly came from the local pet store but I'm not 100% sure. At the moment we have an uth and I've got one of my probes on it. I'm planning on going by the store today for a thermostat and food. It was like 8 last night when I got the little guy and didn't have time to pop in the the pet store first. I like to keep extra uth on hand (we have a leopard gecko and hermit crabs that rely on them and you never know) I've been obsessively checking our heat since I don't have a thermostat at the moment. The ones we use usually stay around 88-90. Thank you so much! I really appreciate the advice!

Actually, to be safe you should consider unplugging the heat mat until you have the thermostat readily available to be hooked up. Also, try to not handle him at all until he has eaten at least 3 meals in your care.