Just got a Ball Python

[DerekG4]

Others will come and offer specifics on husbandry. You need to square that aware and make sure it is perfect to reduce stress of this ball python.

Sounds like you and your friend tried to "rescue" either a wild born or escaped ball python. There is no telling the health of this snake or if it has any parasites, mites, etc.

I think it was wild born (I forgot to mention nearby where he found it he said there was a clutch of large, leathery eggs that have hatched, highly assuming they're python eggs) The only thing I've noticed so far is that by its tail it has a strange bone poking out a bit. Doesn't seem to be anything bad, most likely a bone deformity. I doubt it has any mites, it has no lifted scales and no black or red spots.

If the snake is healthy then you are going to have to leave it alone once you get husbandry under control.

Is there anything wrong with my setup?

Since you assist fed it and it regurgitated, you must wait no less than 2 weeks before trying to feed it again. After that two week where all you are going to do during that time is clean any waste and refill water, you can then offer food again.

Can it really go that long without eating? I was originally planning on trying again this Friday because I thought any more than a week would be kinda bad for him since he looked a little skinny to me. I refill/change his water every 2 days.

There is no guarantee you will be able to feed this wild snake nor get it to acclimate to an enclosure. You need to consider it a wild animal as in Florida there are many escaped species like this.

So far he's slithered around his enclosure and already knows where his water bowl is. I suppose it already sort of knows where everything is now. I hope I get it to eat, if not, I'll give it to someone here that would be able to take care of it better than I do.

Honestly the best thing you could do is look up a reptile rescue and surrender this to people better experienced to handle wild caught reptiles.


If that is not something you are willing to do you will need to follow every advice about perfecting husbandry to reduce as much stress as you can and once you have that under control and if you get your snake to start feeding, you need to make a vet appointment to get test done for infestations to rule out parasite and disease.

If I can't get it to eat, I suppose I'm gonna have to give him away. I will try my best to raise it and get him to eat. I previously wanted to get some ball pythons so I can breed them, which is why I jumped at the chance to get this little baby and get some experience out of it.

Not trying to be hard on you but keeping any wild animal is never a good idea.

I just felt bad for the snake. If I hadn't taken it, its head would've been chopped off by my friend's neighbor.