Killer bee

[Stewart_Reptiles]

The enclosure is screened rather than glass

Not an appropriate cage if you really have a screen cage whether the animal was kept like that or not in the past does not make it the proper cage, a screen cage means you will not be able to provide proper temp gradients or humidity.

I would encourage you to do some research.

[steelerandrew]

Not an appropriate cage if you really have a screen cage whether the animal was kept like that or not in the past does not make it the proper cage, a screen cage means you will not be able to provide proper temp gradients or humidity.

I would encourage you to do some research.

1. I have done a lot of research. I had not researched morphs and was interested in the killer bee morph as I purchased one. That is why I came to this forum, not for cage setup advice. That being said:
2. I have a whole house humidifier on my heating system which is set at 50%.I am maintaining a daytime temperature of 85 to 90 on the hot side and 75 on the cold side using the existing setup with a humidity of 50-60% during the day, this drops off about 5 degrees at night and down to about 50% humidity or so. I plan to turn the humidifier up to 70% when he molts. I do this using broad spectrum light bulbs that simulate the sun during the day (150 watt) and night bulb at night. I do not see the need for an under tank heat pad as I am maintaining the temps/humidity. I do not feel an under tank heater is "natural" for him as the sun is a light/heat source in his natural environment, not the ground. Although this is slightly more expensive, I think its worth it.
3. I did not buy the snake from a pet store, I bought it from someone who raises snakes in their home. He sold me the snake and the enclosure with the setup that he was keeping the snake in. The snake is used to this setup and thriving in this environment. That is why I chose to buy it from a this person rather than a setup from a pet store. It was slightly more expensive but I got a snake slightly over a year old that has been handled daily and is thriving. It was worth a few extra dollars to me for this.
4. I think it is easier to feed the snake in a large plastic tub rather than deal with the potential for the snake to get substrate in his mouth, not for fear of food association as this snake is extremely friendly.

Once again, thanks for the help. If anybody knows where I can find out more information about these morphs, it would be appreciated. I am interested in learning in general terms about how these morphs came about...a history...more than extreme technical info..IE...how many different crosses does it take from the "original" morphology to get to "killer bee" morphology or was it a completely different type of ball python that started these type of morphs, etc.

[Albert Clark]

Hi, you sound like you are very opinionated and that is all very understandable. We are only trying to help you tweak your setup to be the most healthy enviornment possible based on experience and proven results. Everyone here is only trying to help you keep the animal safe and physically sound. Ball pythons require thermostat regulated heat to promote their metabolism and thermoregulatory mechanisms. The sun does heat their enviornment in the wild but in captivity there are certain ways that we replicate that. In any case, a good starter reading would be "The Ball Python Manual" by Vosjoli and Klingenberg DVM, Barker, Barker, and Bosch.

[Mangiapane85]

1. I have done a lot of research. I had not researched morphs and was interested in the killer bee morph as I purchased one. That is why I came to this forum, not for cage setup advice. That being said:
2. I have a whole house humidifier on my heating system which is set at 50%.I am maintaining a daytime temperature of 85 to 90 on the hot side and 75 on the cold side using the existing setup with a humidity of 50-60% during the day, this drops off about 5 degrees at night and down to about 50% humidity or so. I plan to turn the humidifier up to 70% when he molts. I do this using broad spectrum light bulbs that simulate the sun during the day (150 watt) and night bulb at night. I do not see the need for an under tank heat pad as I am maintaining the temps/humidity. I do not feel an under tank heater is "natural" for him as the sun is a light/heat source in his natural environment, not the ground. Although this is slightly more expensive, I think its worth it.
3. I did not buy the snake from a pet store, I bought it from someone who raises snakes in their home. He sold me the snake and the enclosure with the setup that he was keeping the snake in. The snake is used to this setup and thriving in this environment. That is why I chose to buy it from a this person rather than a setup from a pet store. It was slightly more expensive but I got a snake slightly over a year old that has been handled daily and is thriving. It was worth a few extra dollars to me for this.
4. I think it is easier to feed the snake in a large plastic tub rather than deal with the potential for the snake to get substrate in his mouth, not for fear of food association as this snake is extremely friendly.

Once again, thanks for the help. If anybody knows where I can find out more information about these morphs, it would be appreciated. I am interested in learning in general terms about how these morphs came about...a history...more than extreme technical info..IE...how many different crosses does it take from the "original" morphology to get to "killer bee" morphology or was it a completely different type of ball python that started these type of morphs, etc.

Well you seem to have it all figured out.

And you're right, they have plastic tubs in the wild they eat in to prevent substrate inhalation, so you are definitely doing your part in replicating nature. lol jk (not really but kind of)

And snakes don't molt. They're not arachnids.

And a killer bee is just a super Pastel + Spider. Pretty common morph these days.


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[steelerandrew]

Well you seem to have it all figured out.

And you're right, they have plastic tubs in the wild they eat in to prevent substrate inhalation, so you are definitely doing your part in replicating nature. lol jk (not really but kind of)

And snakes don't molt. They're not arachnids.

And a killer bee is just a super Pastel + Spider. Pretty common morph these days.


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Smart ass much? You know what I meant about shedding their skin.

Its not like you can replicate everything in their environment. Thanks.

Does any know if there is a written history of these morphs or a brief breakdown as to how they came about? That is what I came here for.

[Albert Clark]

Smart ass much? You know what I meant about shedding their skin.

Its not like you can replicate everything in their environment. Thanks.

Does any know if there is a written history of these morphs or a brief breakdown as to how they came about? That is what I came here for.

There are non- negotiable replications though, and three of them are temperature, humidity, and basking spot. If these are inadequate over time then its a recipe for problems. The Ball Python Manual is a good starter read on history and morph identification.

[Mangiapane85]

Smart ass much? You know what I meant about shedding their skin.

Its not like you can replicate everything in their environment. Thanks.

Does any know if there is a written history of these morphs or a brief breakdown as to how they came about? That is what I came here for.

Sorry for the sarcasm.. it just gets frustrating that people come on to the site and totally negate what people with years and years of experience are trying to tell them.

The killer bee is a designer morph first produced by Kevin McGurley with New England Reptile Distributors in 1999. Spider being the dominant trait in the genetic makeup. I'm not sure what else you are wanting to know. .. they don't come from the wild, this morph is man made.

Also, would you mind posting a pic of your setup? My interest is piqued.

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[Trisnake]

You obviously have not done your research in regards to your snakes husbandry needs, and don't have any interest in doing so. Let me just say this; if you want to be a good and responsible pet owner, it starts with education.

It does not matter how your friend or whoever it is was keeping the snake or how he keeps his animals in general. Reptiles can tolerate a great deal of mistreatment without showing many obvious signs; just because they seem fine in your novice, uneducated opinion, doesn't mean they are. Please keep that in mind....

If you are ever interested in improving your snakes living conditions, we have many care sheets and habitat setup guides on the forum.

[Eric Alan]

Why the pitchforks here? The OP has obviously done a fair amount of research in order to provide their new addition with the proper overall environment - see this post above: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...=1#post2485070. Just because there's one successful way to keep these animals, doesn't mean that it's the only successful way. Making sure their needs are met is the primary concern - I'm confident the OP is well aware of that and will adjust if necessary as they get to know each other. Sheesh...

[Jeanne]

Heres a pic of my killer bee. He came from a killer bee x super pastel breeding.

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