New to the game....

[babytigger1113]

So I just recently became a BP Mom. When I bought him, he was in the process of shedding. It apparently wasn’t going well. The guy at the pet store offered to ship in a new snake for me but I said no that I wanted the one in the “tank” (fairly small plastic box). I brought it home and cleaned out the new tank I bought from someone who previously owned a BP. I got the temp set up and the humidity in range and just like that his skin began to peel off much better than it was when I got it. I keep saying “it” because I don’t know if I have a boy or girl. That being said, I’m not sure how old it is either. I haven’t been able to measure it because we’re still getting to know each other and handling is a work in progress. I’ve been working to get some of the peeling skin off (not ripping anything off but helping to get off what will easily just come off). I was told to get it hoppers because that’s what’s around his size range. He’s just over a foot I was told. Being new to all this, I could use some input, advice and suggestions. I did pick out a name. Frankie

[tttaylorrr]

welcome to the forum, and congrats on your new lil baby!!!


be sure to bump up the humidity to about 70% so the snake can work off whatever skin is left on their own. it's best to get humidity and ambient temperature readings from a digital thermometer/hygrometer like this one: AcuRite from WalMart. they're very reliable and affordable.

as for age: you can only guess based on weight and body condition. it's important to weigh your snake and keep track as a snake's weight is the easiest way to determine overall health (besides looking at them lol).

for feeding: follow this nifty chart which grows with the weight of your beep.


feel free to ask any questions you have, and don't forget to browse the husbandry section to learn more about a ball python's heat and humidity needs as well as the best way to hit those temperatures, and the care sheets so you can learn more about your new buddy!

we're here to help.

[Skyrivers]

Welcome. tttaylorrr gave you great advice. Wish you both a long and happy life.

[MD_Pythons]

Could you post a picture of your setup? With temps and humidity so we can help you improve it? I would hold off on handling until it eats a couple times for you. What did the pet store you got it from feed it?

[hilabeans]

Welcome to the forum and the wild, wacky, wonderful world of ball pythons! Frankie is adorable, stuck shed and all.

It's going to be critically important to understand your new friend's husbandry needs, and get the environment just right. Please review the stickies shared with you. Get thermostats for your heat sources, get a thermometer/temp gun to verify settings, get a hygrometer to ensure humidity is where it needs to be. These are the basic tools for a happy, healthy beep.

And ask tons of questions if you can't find your answers thru the search tool. The members here are the cat's pajamas when it comes to experience and helpfulness!

[Skyrivers]

The members here are the cat's pajamas when it comes to experience and helpfulness!

Hideous and multi colored?

[cchardwick]

It looks to me like that snake could eat adult mice, not hoppers. If you notice how big his head is compared to his body I'd say that he is much older than what his size indicates, my guess is that he was underfed for quite a while. I've only ever seen a stuck shed that bad with one of my snakes, they were keeping my baby SD retic on dry aspen bedding under a heat lamp when I bought him. I moved him over to a tub with damp Prococo coconut husk chips and he instantly recovered.

Congrats on the new snake!

[babytigger1113]

Could you post a picture of your setup? With temps and humidity so we can help you improve it? I would hold off on handling until it eats a couple times for you. What did the pet store you got it from feed it?

They said it’s on live hoppers


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[babytigger1113]

The hide is out right now because he was in it but allowed me to take em out and handle home for about 10 min. I’ll post pics of his home and everything else. The numbers are a little low because the door was open but they are usually between 83-84 degrees and about 55% humidity


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[hilabeans]

Hideous and multi colored?

Exxxactly.



OP, looks like you're using some type of reptile carpet as a tank liner? I recommend you ditch it. Hard to clean, tough to keep humidity levels (especially in a tank) and can be a nasty harbinger of bacteria. It's generally recommended to use a coco husk substrate. I love Reptile Prime bedding, but there are many different brands.