At the time I was kinda new to ball pythons (I had a thamnophis before. My parents refused to ship her, though I gave instructions, requested it every year. She lived a fairly long time too.), so I had a thermostat, but not a good one. It fluxed too much. I got a new one. I also learned that glass heats faster than fabric. So I no longer attach it to the glass or the plastic. (I have a semi-rack system with them in 36x24 locking tubs--I cut out one end and put a screen there, put the waterbowl there, and cover the screen. The humidity usually works out to be about 50%. And my oldest one in a glass tank.) She's totally fine, that one--lived long enough to produce the one that has the problems today. She has a weird personality for a ball python. She likes greeting the sun every morning. When she was gravid, she would sit contently curled in my lap doing nothing. And she hates going back into her enclosure. All of the other snakes coil when their head is near their hide... she goes... nope. And she still burrows near the heat source.

I sold snakes for market too, but I always check their weight, make sure they eat at least 4 meals, and check their overall condition before putting them on market and screen their owners to make sure they understand the commitment so the snake finds a permanent home, not a secondary seller or an impulse buyer. I've refused buyers before too. One person didn't want to get the snake a proper heat mat, thermometer or enclosure. I said they must have the enclosure ready, told them where to buy the things, then they could contact me.

The vet tech, unfortunately kinda ticked me off by being afraid of the snake rather than trusting me to hold my own snake, ending up semi-choking the snake. She wouldn't listen to me and kept going on and on about being bit. Even the vet said she didn't know a single ball python that bit before. The one that's sick is a pastel, rather than a normal (like his mother) and a male. His father died of old age... unfortunately. I've been handling him since it was safe to do so. (I usually wait until they give up their eggs.) And also semi try to train them to let me see into their mouths. He's never bit once, even when feeding.

Anyway, I need to find a better bedding material, apparently, since the vet said the dust from the aspen plus sudden low temps probably caused it and he hates the aspen anyway. I don't trust paper towels and carpet is of no use. I'm not sure about Eco Earth for ball pythons, so I need better suggestions. Right now I have him on nothing, but that's no good either.

I need something no dust, holds some moisture, and something he won't be uncomfortable being on.