Hey Guys, stumbled across this website when searching google for BP owners

My name is Dave, I own a Royal (Ball) Python named Sarge! He's a male norm, 2 and a half years old and I've had him for two days!

I have owned a BP before but was forced to give him up due to my landlord severely disapproving of keeping snakes (he was never bothered about any other animal). My recent change in circumstance means that hopefully nothing will ever come between me and my BP!

So its great to find other folk like me online, I have plenty of questions and hopefully will have some photographs soon!

For my first post I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on how I can improve my BP's housing and general setup. I'll describe in detail what I have so far:

1 x 3'x2'x2' Wooden vivarium with a glass front.
1 x Medium Sized Exo-Terra Hide/rock placed ontop of heatmat with aspen
1 x Enclosed Heat Lamp positioned 1.5 ft above Hide Rock - fully protected
1 x Rock/Stick type thing that runs across to the other (cooler) side of the tank
1 x Tuppaware with water in
Aspen Substrate

I currently have the heat lamp on a timer - during the day it provides a constant basking area on the left hand side of the tank where his hide is. During nighttime the lamp is on for 15 minutes out of every hour providing roughly 70 to 75 degrees of heat in that area. In addition there is a heatmat underneath the hide where Sarge can get warm should he find it too chilly. The temperature of this area is sort of 80-85ish degrees constant during the day. The Right hand side of the tank varies between 70 and 75 degrees during the day and probably drops lower during the night but I am unable to measure those temperatures as I only have 1 fixed thermometer which is stuck onto the left hand side of the tank.

I worry that having the heat lamp come on for 15 minutes at night may confuse him but its realistically the only way I can keep the temperatures that have been reccommended to me with my current equipment. I am not too worried about the fact that he has seldom left his hide in the two days I have had him (I guess he could be disorientated or a bit worried about his new habitat) - in the reptile store the lady suggested all I need is 1 heatmat! This cant be true as with one heatmat I observed the temperature of the tank drop to between 62-65 degrees!

And finally, The only time I have handles him was when I was preparing his tank and he curled calmly around my arm and started slithering around and flicking his tongue and didnt strike or anything, was just very dosile - I went to remove him later that night from his habitat and he seriously bolted off like a rocket! never seen anything move so fast! I figured I'd just leave him to it for a few days.

Any suggestions kindly appreciated

Kind Regards,
Dave and Sarge