Sweet (yet troublesome) ball python

[Holbeird]

OK, well a friend of mine bought a ball python for 20 bucks at a flea market (yeah great care-takers I'm sure)

Well my friend had the snake for about 2 weeks, his mom found out, and said the snake goes, or him AND the snake go! So he was gonna just let it go in the while, which I promptly told him was an incredibly stupid Idea, and I'd take him to keep him from doing so. That being said.

I took a 20? gallon LONG glass tank, I'm currently using newspaper as a substrate, I have two glass bowls with water, one at the heated end, one at the cooler end. I have two hide boxes (pop tart boxes with holes cut in them!)

I also have a heat rock in there (DONT KILL ME I'M NOT USING EM FOR HEAT!) he-he I read up, so I know better then this, but its what he had, so I cut off the cord, and put it in there to give the little guy something to lay on. I haven't gotten a climbing branch yet, due to money being on short supply. I have a humidity meter, and a temp meter (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Reptile_...ge_182110.html) (same type of thermometers/humidity meters, different brand though)

Any who, I'm using a red heat lamp bulb, and a under tank heating pad that I bought. The snake seemed to be doing fine, but I am having a HARD time keeping the humidity up when it comes time for shedding. He's only shed once, and it was BAD. Basically his tail, and head shed correctly, everything in between I had to get off basically by massaging him with a wet paper towel while the little guy enjoyed his little massage! (I'm assuming he's a he, he could be a she!)

Anyways, I'm thinking part of the bad shed was due to the humidity not being high enough, as well as not having any sharp enough object for him to rub against.

So now to my questions! First, can I take a regular rock from outside, boil/clean it and put it in there, as long as the points Aren't TOO sharp? Secondly same deal, but with a branch, if I dry the wood and such first?

OK, 3rd and most important question. The first two weeks of feeding went great (kinda) I put a fuzzy in there (although I think it could have had bigger, wanted to be sure) the snake wouldn't touch it...but since it was just a fuzzy, I wasn't worried about leaving it in there overnight. I went to bed, woke up the next morning, and it was gone. Good. Bummed I couldn't watch it eat, but good that he did eat, as I read that they can be picky eaters. Now since he's shed, he hasn't eaten yet! I'm not sure if it has to due with him shedding, or that I've tried switching him over to pre-killed prey, since he's big enough to eat adult-small mice. Tried with two pre-killed adult mice, now trying with my first pre-killed fuzzy, seeing if maybe the size intimidated him. I tried using forceps, heating in water, dangling, leaving alone at night, putting it IN his hidey hole, for him to find/eat, and everything. The only 3 things I haven't tried yet that I read, would be putting the mouse in chicken broth, rolling the mouse with a dead gerbil/gerbil droppings (which I'm trying tonight for the first time) and then the most gruesome, splitting the mouse's head open, so its brains spill out and entice the snake!

Tonight I'm trying the fuzzy rolled with the gerbil droppings, seeing if that helps him at all. I'm also a little worried since I helped him finish his shed with the paper towels tonight, he may not eat due to stress, but at the same time, he didn't seem to mind, he laid pretty still when I was rubbing him as if he enjoyed it, and only moved as if trying to get away, when I had to rub just behind his head. Also, the little guy hasn't eaten in about...say 3 weeks, maybe 4? I know that they can go a while without eating, but he's looking a little skinny. Also when he's curled, his skin wrinkles a bit. I would take him to the vet as see what they say, but unfortunately I'm a little strapped for cash, I didn't exactly have the money for the snake, but figured it was better then my idiot friend letting him loose in the wild!

So any other ideas to get him to eat? Should I try going back to feeding him live fuzzies/hoppers till he puts on a little more weight, and then go back to trying the dead ones. I've read to try "stunned" ones, but how the heck do you stun a mouse? Also, is it OK to put two fuzzies in there. My biggest thing is, since he seems so picky about eating in front of me, or anywhere unless its the DEAD of night, pitch black in my room, I cant sit and watch him eat a mouse, and I refuse to leave a life mouse wandering around his cage while I sleep! So Any advice will help, also if anyone knows a place to get cheap snake items online, or certain stores!? I plan on heading to Home Depot or Lowes to get some Terra cotta pots as hidey holes, since he pushes his pop tart box around most times!

Thanks for reading that LONG post, and thank you for any help or advice you can give!

-Holb


Edit! Also, I'm currently living with roomates, and they're terrified of snakes, so I have to keep mine in my room, I live in Charlotte, NC. Its insanley hot, and I tend to keep my room kinda cold, so is there any way to keep the cage a little hotter, I have a hard time keeping the cage TOO hot. Its currently (according to the gauge) 87 degrees, on the hot side Humidity is 51.

[jessie_k_pythons]

Hey I PMed you about how to stun mice and what should help in getting him/her to eat. It was to long to post. as for your humidity meter, and temp meter, you really want to go digital. the ones you have are not really going to give you the corect reading. I had some in my cages and after getting a digital I found out that my set up was 10 degrees higher then it should have been and my humidity was VERY low. I wouldnt know where to get a nice digital temp and humidity gauge. all of mine were a gift from my mother... go figure.

[Blu Mongoose]

Its very difficult keeping humidity up in a glass tank. When using a light for heat I put water bowl under the light and spritz the inside walls of the tank. Also some damp paper towels in a warm hide works wonders for me. Bob[my snake] has a perfect shed each time. On other snakes I've had in the past I would soak them to release the shed. Just a shallow dish of water works great. If you have a screen top try covering the screen about 3/4 of the way with glass or similar material to hold moisture in. I sometimes set a pane of glass from a picture frame across the top when nothing else is available. Usaully money isn't an issue for basic care.So many ways to set up temporary inexpensive snake digs. Also plastic tubs work great. I'm sure there is someone on line to help you get set up as far as knowledge on using plastic tubs.


Good luck with the new snake!

[JenHarrison]

Read this thread:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=32800

It has step-by-step instructions with pictures on how to set up a glass tank so that heat and humidity can be maintained. The biggest thing you need to do is switch out those needle guages and by digital ones...much more accurate, and you can place the probe right on the substrate to get an accurate temp. Needle ones just read the air or glass temp, not the temp on top of the substrate where you snake actually lives. You also should have your heating sources on a thermostat to regulate them. Those hides may not be to his liking, so try switching them to something darker and lower to the ground.

Good luck!

[Holbeird]

He refused to eat another dead fuzzy tonight, but I'm not sure if that has to due with him just plain refusing dead prey (i rolled it with gerbil sheddings so he'd smell like a gerbil) or if it was due to stress, due to his bad shed, I took a paper towel and moistened it with 85 degree water and gave him a little massage till most/all of he old skin came off, he seemed to like it though! Hehe. But when I put him back in his tank, he checked to make sure all his stuff was still there, then went into his hidey and hasn't come out to even LOOK at his lunch. Left in in there overnight, hoping like the other fuzzies, he'd take it while I was asleep, but it was there this morning, so I took it out, tossed it, and Ill try again in 4 days or so, with a live fuzzy. Since he hasn't been eating well, is it OK to feed him a fuzzy about 3 times a week or so (friend breeds them) till he starts putting on some more weight? Also when he curls up, he has some wrinkles at his sides, I'm not sure if that's because he's looking underweight, and its the excess skin or what? He's the sweetest little guy, loves to be held, and not camera shy at all (ill post pictures soon!) Ill try and get the digital thermostats, but currently funds are short! I'm also using newspaper for the same reason (free papers at my job!) I've also been changing out the paper whenever he defecates. Um, Other then that I guess just my other question. For a rock for him to scratch himself to help the shedding process (currently there wasn't anything sharp enough for him to do so, and he would climb to the top and try and rub against the wire lid) can I use a rock from outside as long as I boil it in hot water first to remove bacteria/parasites, and let it dry and as long as it doesn't have points that are too sharp for him? Also same deal, but with a climbing branch, except I would obviously dry the wood properly and such before putting it in there to prevent/reduce rotting?

Anyone know a place to get the digital thermometers cheap, also how about cheap thermostat to attach to his heating pad? So far I've just left his pad on at all times, and it doesn't feel to hot to the touch, haven't noticed any problems so far, but better safe than sorry!

Thanks for all the help so far guys! Also, what do you guys think about that green AstroTurf (like this kinda thing http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...N=2030077&Ne=2) because I'd like something that looks nice, but at the same time, something that I don't have to buy on a consistent basis (like the coconut bark) since I am on funds, I figured with the AstroTurf you can take it out and clean it. Any problems with this type of substrate?

[Holbeird]

Until I can afford a digital thermometer, can I just put the two ones I do have near the bottom of the cage? So that its closer to the floor so I know what that is, or maybe set it actually on the floor, so it picks up the temperature?

Oh! Thanks a bunch for Jen for the link to how to keep your glass cage hot/humid enough! I saw the rubber ones but I want to have my baby boy up for show, so that people can see just how proud of the little guy I am! This way they can view him often without me having to pull him out more then I should, although I try and handle him often (not so much now that I'm trying to get him to eat and he's not) I did have to handle him yesterday to help him get his shed off since he shed bad. When I was handling him alot when I first got him, he was incredibly sweet and would just crawl all over, he seemed very intrested in my face and my breath, he tickled my nose with his tongue quite a few times!

I want the little guy to be as happy as possible, gonna set the top of my cage up the way you did your's Jenn!

Thanks for all the help!