Being fair about PetSmart (and buying your ball python from them)

[Craiga 01453]

If they can fit their head through an opening, their whole body can follow. And you'd be amazed how they can fit their heads into some tiny openings!

These are simply AMAZING animals!! Just wait to you have everything worked out and you can enjoy her once she's comfortable and acting "normal". It's fascinating to watch them explore, watch them eat, shed, etc.... The whole thing is some of mother nature's best work in my opinion. How these animals have survived thousands of years is awesome!! I mean, they have no limbs!!! Wait til you see the whole shedding process. And if you're lucky enough to actually see her shed, it's nature at it's finest!!

[m3gz]

In truth Hecate was going to be a gift for my fiance (knowing id be the one caring for her) but i think im going to enjoy it more XD

[m3gz]

Ok, I know its a total pain, but what i need to return and replace with other things are the lamps for a heating pad, the crappy thermometer thats telling me its 70% humidity even in the back room for a digital one, and a different hidey hole + mice, am i missing anything? Because honestly my brain is fried like an egg on a florida sidewalk

[Craiga 01453]

Ok, I know its a total pain, but what i need to return and replace with other things are the lamps for a heating pad, the crappy thermometer thats telling me its 70% humidity even in the back room for a digital one, and a different hidey hole + mice, am i missing anything? Because honestly my brain is fried like an egg on a florida sidewalk

I'm sure your brain is fried and your stress level is near maxed-out. Can't say that I blame you, it's been an adventurous, long day/night for you. It gets easier, I promise. You may still need a light or a CHE, depending on the ambient temps in the room where your snake is kept. I still use a night time light for the winter months because the UTH isn't enough for ambient temps to get high enough, it gets my hotspot where I want it and the light takes care of the ambient temps. I would get two hides, a lot of people like two identical hides. I personally don't have two identical in any of my enclosures, but I always provide two and my snakes use them both regularly.
As far as mice, I would try to find some frozen hoppers and buy a pack (PetSmart usually has Artctic brand in 6 packs) and start with that. Once your snake gets big enough that it makes sense to buy bulk, I would definitely do that if you have some freezer space. Just to give you an example, I paid almost $3/lg adult mouse at PetSmart until I bought bulk and paid $25 for 50 mice!!! That's 50 cents each as apposed to almost $3 each!!!

Also, PLEASE don't forget the thermostat!! VERY important to not fry your snake. You will want surface temps to stay below 95, some heat mats will hit 140 if not on a thermostat. And get a temp gun, this way you can check your surface temps accurately, get your thermostat dialed in and then just check daily. It takes time, patience and adjusting, but once it's dialed in you just need to check it daily to make sure nothing is malfunctioning.

[m3gz]

thing is, i had a heat lamp, she just said it wasn't good enough :/ "you need a DAYLIGHT bulb as well as a NIGHTTIME bulb, or you could seriously hurt your snake"

[predatorkeeper87]

thing is, i had a heat lamp, she just said it wasn't good enough :/ "you need a DAYLIGHT bulb as well as a NIGHTTIME bulb, or you could seriously hurt your snake"

some people believe BP's require sunlight exposure (UVB) like a lot of other reptiles. This is simply not the case as they can go their entire lives in the wild never having seen direct sunlight. I had this argument with an "exotics" vet the other week...he more or less shamed me for not having a UVB on my ball python, and I simply told him they are nocturnal, there is zero need for one lol.

[m3gz]

yea i was looking at that ultratherm thing and the thermostats they have listed with it, its pretty worth it. And tbh i didnt know snakes were nocturnal lol. So...using this as notepad since its here, mice, heatpad, thermometers, thermostat. Why do i feel like im forgetting something important?

[Craiga 01453]

some people believe BP's require sunlight exposure (UVB) like a lot of other reptiles. This is simply not the case as they can go their entire lives in the wild never having seen direct sunlight. I had this argument with an "exotics" vet the other week...he more or less shamed me for not having a UVB on my ball python, and I simply told him they are nocturnal, there is zero need for one lol.

If BPs required sunlight, why do they spend almost their ENTIRE lives buried and hiding during the day, sometimes for several days at a time?!?!?!?! I can't believe a vet told you that, especially an "exotics" vet!!! That is reptile 101 in vet school, or even just for reptile keepers. m3gz learned that snakes are nocturnal in one night of cramming, this VET couldn't learn atht snakes don't need UVB light in 6 years of school?????

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yea i was looking at that ultratherm thing and the thermostats they have listed with it, its pretty worth it. And tbh i didnt know snakes were nocturnal lol. So...using this as notepad since its here, mice, heatpad, thermometers, thermostat. Why do i feel like im forgetting something important?

infrared temp gun

[predatorkeeper87]

If BPs required sunlight, why do they spend almost their ENTIRE lives buried and hiding during the day, sometimes for several days at a time?!?!?!?! I can't believe a vet told you that, especially an "exotics" vet!!! That is reptile 101 in vet school, or even just for reptile keepers. m3gz learned that snakes are nocturnal in one night of cramming, this VET couldn't learn atht snakes don't need UVB light in 6 years of school?????

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infrared temp gun

what I think happened was he pursued an exotics portion of veterinary care on his own after going through vet school, kind of a general overview more than species specific...I have no doubts he's a good vet, but an exotics vet he ain't lol.

[m3gz]

That and clamps! Thanks xD.....how am i gonna get to the store when she keeps escaping