Welcome to the forum. It's wonderful you've worked on your fear of snakes enough to actually get a ball python. I found the following link for you as far as finding a perhaps more experienced herp vet if you are interested. I've no idea where in Iowa you are but maybe this will be of some help to you.

http://www.anapsid.org/vets/iowa.html

I'm sure you've already found the site caresheet as it's a huge help. As well the search function is excellent for reading threads about everything you could imagine in the life and care of a ball python.

Please feel free to ask any questions that come up as everyone here has been new to this hobby at some point and we all wondered about this or that. I'm still a relative newcomer myself and new questions come up almost daily with our 6 Royals.


~~Joanna~~