Please help me with my newbie questions.

[tracy0416]

Hi all:

I've never had a BP before. I have a cornsnake and she's still small, 14 inches. My BP is about 1.5 years old, 3 feet long and I just got him a week ago. When I got him, he was in blue and his skin and subdermal layers seemed to be "tight" to his body. That was only 4 days ago.

Now he's eaten a rat, shed and his skin seems looser than my corn snake. I hope this makes sense. He's not looking like a wrinkle dog or anything. His skin and dermal layers move around a farther distance than my corn's. After the shed it's like he lost weight and his skin is looser. Like he's slightly deflated. The humidity is a 65% accroding to the gauge.

It's like when you move your own skin around. It's normal but it moves around back and forth. My corn's skin and dermal layers don't move as far as my BP but he's smaler and not as full bodied. Is this an age, size, or BP thing?

Also, is a little backbone/spine prominence alright? Again, it looks normal and healthy but I'm pretty new to all this BP world and want to ensure ai do things right/smart for my pet. Before he shed, the backbone was not as visible. Now that he has shed, he looks amazing, deep rich colours, his skin is so soft (I can't believe how beautiful it is) but his backbone is more prominent. Is this normal?

Also, how can you tell, before it's too late, if your snake is drinking? My guy is spending all his time in the warm hide which is at around 82 degrees. Shouldn't he be moving to the cool hide? My corn switches between the cooler and warm hides a lot. My BP is all about the warm one.

Is it possible/okay to inject a rat with water (using a syringe) to ensure hydration? If so, how many cc's would be good?

Thanks so much!

[jeffjr464]

your hot side temp is too low, try to aim for 82-84 for the COOL side, 92-94 for the HOT spot

[joepythons]

Hi all:

I've never had a BP before. I have a cornsnake and she's still small, 14 inches. My BP is about 1.5 years old, 3 feet long and I just got him a week ago. When I got him, he was in blue and his skin and subdermal layers seemed to be "tight" to his body. That was only 4 days ago.

Now he's eaten a rat, shed and his skin seems looser than my corn snake. I hope this makes sense. He's not looking like a wrinkle dog or anything. His skin and dermal layers move around a farther distance than my corn's. After the shed it's like he lost weight and his skin is looser. Like he's slightly deflated. The humidity is a 65% accroding to the gauge.

It's like when you move your own skin around. It's normal but it moves around back and forth. My corn's skin and dermal layers don't move as far as my BP but he's smaler and not as full bodied. Is this an age, size, or BP thing?

Also, is a little backbone/spine prominence alright? Again, it looks normal and healthy but I'm pretty new to all this BP world and want to ensure ai do things right/smart for my pet. Before he shed, the backbone was not as visible. Now that he has shed, he looks amazing, deep rich colours, his skin is so soft (I can't believe how beautiful it is) but his backbone is more prominent. Is this normal?

Also, how can you tell, before it's too late, if your snake is drinking? My guy is spending all his time in the warm hide which is at around 82 degrees. Shouldn't he be moving to the cool hide? My corn switches between the cooler and warm hides a lot. My BP is all about the warm one.

Is it possible/okay to inject a rat with water (using a syringe) to ensure hydration? If so, how many cc's would be good?

Thanks so much!

Well first off your warm side is to low it needs to be 90ish.Next the spine should not stick up like its possible he was underfed by previous owners but unable to be sure just by your description.Once your temps are at the proper settings you should see him drinking water once he needs a drink.

[tracy0416]

Well here's some good news. I actually mistyped the temerarture on the warm side. It 89.2 not 82 degrees. Sorry about that.

Here's my set up:
I have him in a 3'w x 12"d x 16"h glass tank with aspen shavings as a substrate. There's a UTH on the warm side, which is a Exo Terra desert. medium size, and covers underneith the hide area. The water bowl is in the middle of the tank. The cool side has a hide too. I had a light on that side but it was just a 20 watt bulb, The temp RIGHT under the 20 watt light was/is 88-ish degrees. I had not taken the temp at ground level there. There's a large vine/branch on the cool side which trails from the bottom left (warm side of the tank, up to the top left (cool) side of the tank. He could have climb up to reach the light if he wished.

The top of the enclosure is steel wires with 2 (locking) access openings on either side. I had been covering the warm side of the wire top with a towel to maintain ambient humidity and temp.

Today, what I am experimenting with is a basking light on the top of the cool side. I want to see what the temperature will reach on the "cool" side, down at substrate level. If it is as you suggest, I'll leave it like that. If it is not the right temp on the cool side at substrate level, I may add that 20 watt bulb over the warm side and then see what happens.

Does this sound like a sound plan? I am going to boogie around here and read more. I'm thinking I may have to get a more reliable "professional" enclosure where I can monitor and maintain the temps and humidity automatically with gear that turns things on/off, up/down automatically. My corn snake (which doesn't need such high, constant temps, etc.), has his needs met simply by me monitoring as the enclosure is smaller and easier to maintain temps.

Whatever it takes, my BP will live like a king!
Thank goodness you guys are here...

Tracy : )

[casperca]

you should really take the ground temp on the hot side with a digital probe thermometer or temp gun. those UTH's can heat up like crazy if you dont' have a thermostat on them. the ground temp on the hot side (under his hide) should be 90-93. the ambient in such a big glass tank is probably going to be slightly lower than this range. the ambient temp on teh cool side should hang right around 80-82. To help keep this up, you could try insulating three sides of the tank with that 3/4" pink/blue insulation board. You'd be surprised how much heat is lost through the glass.

As for "professional" setups, I would suggest a Helix or a Herpstat thermostat if you are going to invest in one. they seem to be the favorites around here. I use the helix and i love it. For keeping the humidity up, try covering 50-75% of the top with tinfoil and duct taping it down. I had luck with that when i had mine in tank setups. just make sure the snake cannot come into contact with any sticky parts of the tape.

I wouldn't worry if you don't see your snake drinking, he may be doing it at night when you are sleeping. I haven't heard of anyone injecting prey with water. As long as you provide a clean, fresh water for your snake, and keep humidity in the 50-60% range, you shouldn't have to worry about hydration.

[tracy0416]

Thanks everyone again. I appreciate it.

Catie: Those are great tips. Thanks! I do have a digital probe thermometer as I just don't trust the others.

I'm going to the REPTILE EXPO on June 24th in MISSISSAUGA (woo-woo) so they may have some "pro" gear there. I'm goign to research your suggested brand names online. Thank you.

You said you used to use glass tanks. What are you using now? any links would be appreciated. I'm not married to the idea of keeping Ben in a glass tank and could put my pending Bearded Dragon in it.

Also, my whole "backbone/spine" issue was answered with your avatar. That's what Ben's back looks like too. So unless your showing us an underfed albino, I just can calm down already!! I note the multiple fold of skin on yours as well. Again, calming....... breathing....... Got a website where I can go and look at more picks of your snakes?

Thank you so much guys, I'm feeling better and Ben is warmer!
Tracy : )

[tracy0416]

Sorry, I found yours, and everyone elses gallery here for more pics. Thanks.

NEWBIE

[daniel1983]

The majority of people use plastic housing for snakes...it is alot easier to control the environment that way.

Here is a great DIY article on plastic housing:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=40

[frankykeno]

A very handy thing to have when you own snakes is a digital scale. You don't need a big, expensive professional one...a good digital kitchen scale or a small postal type scale for 20 to 30 dollars will do the job and help you track weights for your snakes.

If the age stated is correct, your snake would have been hatched in 2005. Is he a for sure male (in other words, sexed by someone who knew what they were doing)? Here's a few pics of our 05's if it helps you to compare visually. Some eat rats, some eat mice, some are female, one is male. There is a wide variety in weights which can be driven by feeding patterns, gender and in a large part genetics so there's no real "standard" for size as long as the snake is appropriate as far as weight to length ratio and feels girthy, muscular, strong and doesn't have a triangular look to it.

Ailish, 05 female (taken Feb of this year)....


Dori, another 05 female but almost twice as large as the rest of them, and a mouse eater to boot (sort of dispells a lot of myths about slower growth patterns in mice eaters LOL).....


Malachi, male 05....


Morag, female 05 (taken back in Feb as well...I really need new pics)....


Hope this gives you a bit of an overview of the difference in sizes of some of the 05's we have in our collection.

[DragonBalls]

Dori, another 05 female but almost twice as large as the rest of them, and a mouse eater to boot (sort of dispells a lot of myths about slower growth patterns in mice eaters LOL).....



Morag, female 05 (taken back in Feb as well...I really need new pics)....

Very interesting patterns!!