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  1. #4
    BPnet Lifer Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Re: New ball python concerns

    Is this your first snake also? (not the easiest kind to start with, admittedly) But we'll help you as much as we can here. First snakes of any kind are always the toughest.

    "Jumped away" (as you walked past) is totally normal. Snakes aren't very visually-oriented...they need & use scent, touch & their heat sensing pits to really KNOW what they're dealing with. When a snake sees motion, depending on how big it is, how close it is, how fast it's moving, & other cues, they either assume it's "prey" or a "predator coming after them", which is why she jumped. Don't take it personal...you startled her. In the future, try not to do that...maybe walk slower, or further from her cage. When I pass many of my snakes (not BPs) I also may blow air across my hand so they get my scent...they identify me immediately & know I'm not incoming prey, but that may not work with BPs. Since she is also "new" she is more nervous & sometimes it also helps to block some of her view (like put some paper on half of the outside of her cage while she settles in). A month is not long enough for a snake that is in a new home to feel totally safe & comfortable. Remember snakes fear their own predators, they don't just prey on other creatures to survive. In the wild, they hide a lot.

    Misting isn't the best way to raise humidity; using a substrate that retains humidity, and-or installing a "humid-hide", will do a lot more.

    Yawning: might be a sign of trouble breathing (RI) but also, snakes yawn after they eat (to re-align their jaws & rows of teeth), and they also yawn before shedding, to help loosen the tight old skin around their mouth.

    Keep reading here, & keep asking.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 01-29-2020 at 07:58 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

    The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ~ Gandhi

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    Opheliabb (01-30-2020)

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