Couple of Questions

[athena_knight2002]

Hi, i just bought a ball python for my 12 year old daughter and she loves to handle it too much i think. Well it has only been a week and it shows no interest in eating, but i think it is getting ready to shed. The guy that had this snake before us use to feed it live rats. every two weeks. I was wondering what kind of bottom surface do they like. i have a heating pad underneith the tank. Do they like sand? Should i bring this snake to the vets to make sure it don't have internal parasites? I think this is the best website i have seen this is awesome, i hope i won't bother you with all my questions and i will keep on reading, especially about the humidity. after reading these sites it seems like several things could be wrong, like her being stress or pregnant, to shedding lol. take care byeeeeeeeee.

[sk8er4life]

welcome 2 the site!

well u should let the snake rest and get used to its new environment before handling and feedin, and to tell if it has gotten used to its new environment u can try feeding it. If its goin in to shed then that might also be a reason for not feeding and i wouldnt recommend touching it while its in shed also.One more reason that it could not be eating is because of the husbandry(temps, humidity, no hide,etc).

Sand is a big no no for bp since it can cause impactation if digested and it can get in ur bps heat pits.

well good luck on everything and hopefully someone with more experience will also reply to this!

[athena_knight2002]

ok thank-you i will look for the humidity thing, and make a box inside the cage. i have a half moon aquarium so hard to fit this in there. its spacious but i have a piece of drift wood in there which she has nothing to do with.I should of reasearched first. right now i have chinchilla covering looks like rabbit food. i just don't think she likes it. and it does not have cypres in it so i thought it was safe but i been reading here the no no's. Ok so leave it alone let it settle, and try in another week to feed it. wow. Thanks again!!!

[sk8er4life]

ur welcome! yea my girl every now and then i see her go on to her driftwood but hardly, she might go on i when im asleep but i dont plan on puttin a camera w/night vision to see if she does go on it!

[athena_knight2002]

How do you tell if she is pregnant? The reason why i ask is because someone was going to buy it and said no they didn't want it because the vet said it was. But the boy said it wasn't. And i have no clue what to do then .