Hide or no Hide (or no brainer?)

[Stewart_Reptiles]

But I think I should argue that owning a pet is a relationship. If the owner isn't happy, then how can he care to keep the snake happy?

Not sure you will ever be happy than because that's what they do, BP spend 80% of their time hiding, so you might want to ask yourself if a BP is the right snake for you.

A glass thermometer shows the temperature under the light at 95~ degrees. The middle of the tank is about 75-80 depending on ambient temperature and the far side is a bit cooler than that, around 71.

You need to get a digital thermometer/hygrometer to allow you to get an accurate reading, you can use something like this

You also need to maintain proper temps and not allow those temps to fall below 75 degrees.

Note: The thermometer above is also a hygrometer and will give you an accurate reading of your humidity level.

[blackcrystal22]

Alright, folks. I did go to the store today and buy two smallish hides because I was anticipating a reaction somewhat like this.

But I think I should argue that owning a pet is a relationship. If the owner isn't happy, then how can he care to keep the snake happy? I noted that after I'd removed the hide he did feed twice with no real problems, though I still had it on hand if he refused to eat. Since there seemed to be no poor reaction, then I didn't replace it.

Other information:

The tank is a medium-sized tank, about 2.5' long with an open mesh top. I use a UV fluorescent fixture on the left 2/3 and have a ceramic fixture with an infrared bulb in it on the right. The pet store people said the UV was necessary. Too late to return it. I run it on a timer, 10 hours of light, 14 of night.
Below the bulb is a heating pad that reaches from front to back of teh cage, about 10" wide. A glass thermometer shows the temperature under the light at 95~ degrees. The middle of the tank is about 75-80 depending on ambient temperature and the far side is a bit cooler than that, around 71.
I have to take the thermometer out. It's a metal sort that hangs over the lip of the cage and my BP likes climbing on it during escape attempts, resulting in more than a few falls. If he keeps falling off of it I'm afraid he'll hurt himself.
The cage substrate is about 1/2 to 1" of newspaper pellets and he has a large exo-terra water dish that I clean/change around once weekly and top off if it evaporates quickly.

No idea about the humidity but I got a hygrometer today and want to re-vamp the cage similar to the glass terrarium instructions pinned at the top. Need a piece of plexi-glas and some more accessories.

Ok. I don't even feel like correcting this.
Read this caresheet, and see if any of it is different in any way from your setup, and change it.
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...articles&cid=1

If those newspaper pellets are at all dusty, I would get rid of them. I'm not sure how those are though, so they could be fine.
You need to change the water at least every other day. That's a really keen way for bacteria to build up and cause problems for your snake.

You bought a snake, because you wanted one right? I bought snakes because I wanted them too, but I also realized that they have proper living needs and it was my responsibility to keep them healthy and thriving. Your snake can make you happy by handling him occasionally (48 hours after eating of course) and seeing him at night.
Another thing, how often are you feeding him? You should not be feeding him less then every 5-7 days. If your feeding him more often than that, your causing a huge boat of problems that I don't think you want to go into. What are you feeding him? Make sure to feed him (one prey item preferred) about the same thickness as the thickest point on his body.

Keep us posted.

[JayBP]

But I think I should argue that owning a pet is a relationship. If the owner isn't happy, then how can he care to keep the snake happy?

When your ball python is happy and healthy, that should make you happy.

[carlthuringer]

Honestly, I think I've been scolded enough after 18 replies.

I asked many friends and also a fellow reptile owner who is keeping three bearded dragons about the snake before I bought him. I went to the reptile store (not a huge megamart like petco) and asked the owner about the snakes and what he felt would be good. I bought two books, Reptiles and Amphibians for dummies, which was the only book at borders that looked even partially worthwhile with a section on pythons. I also bought the Ball Python Manual by Philippe de Vosjoli.
I found this site and while I found some of the posters to be rude or immature, I read some of the information, though I don't know how I missed the caresheets. I dislike vBulletin sites, but that's besides the point.

I waited half a month for a paycheck to come in to make sure that I could cover the expense and I read wikipedia and other information sources. Now maybe I"m just dense, but now, after owning this snake for over a month, I can finally recognize what i Really needed to know. The things that weren't obvious during my investigation and preparation.

I'm upset by what I feel is a broad assumption that I don't care or love my BP and that I should give him away. I'm trying my best and that's why I've spent time asking for help on these forums. I get anxious about every little detail and I still, after re-readign the BP manual 4 times (It's mostly about husbandry anyway. It rather sucks, IMO) I still have almost no confidence that I'm doing the right thing. Until yesterday I felt resigned to trial and error.

So make no mistake that I appreciate all the advice I've received, as well as how fast I was answered, even in the middle of the night.

But please, it is my first time owning a herp. I've made a lot of mistakes I admit, but even as hurt and ashamed as I feel reading this thread, it wouldn't add up to a fraction of how hurt I would be if my poor BP died. I love him.

[carlthuringer]

At least I got the feeding schedule right. He eats every 7-8 days, though I'll stop trying to feed him the day after the first attempt. I usually try three times with 15-30 mins inbetween each attempt, then I dump the mouse for the day and wait for the next day. Last three successes he ate the second day, or the 8th day.

He doesn't defecate often, is this a sign of constipation or diet problems? I'm feeding him fuzzies right now. Next bag of ten mice will probably be five fuzzies and five hoppers.

[Miller]

We're not trying to come off as rude people. We just want to make sure that you are taking proper care of your snake. This is a great forum to learn things that you can't get from books.

[rabernet]

Carl, my bluntness was not meant to be mean to you. You have 20-30 years with your guy - we just want to see you provide the best environment that HE needs - put his needs before yours, that's all!

[dr del]

Hi,

I actually quite liked the ball python manual - and I can also recomend the Ball pythons in captivity book by Kevin McCurley in the professional breeders series. There are two other really great books about BP's but they cost a little more.

There are a few ways to keep these animals and it can certainly be confusing trying to sort it out - especially if taking advice piecemeal from people who are actually following different methods.

What we try and do here is give one, fairly easy and economical, way that we know will work and keep your little guy happy till you get to know each other.

It may seem like everyone is picking on you at the moment but they really are just trying to look out for the snakes best intrests - we may not always express that in the most diplomatic way I will admit.

I'm glad you are looking at the stickys - they will certainly help you get started. They will also raise questions most likely so don't be afraid to ask them.

While the various articles on the site explain what to set the tank up like they do not always go into why so sometimes it seems like people are recomending strange ideas.

There is also the fact that BP's do differ in temperament and reactions to the same situations.

We also tend to give advice based on the most "scaredy-cat" BP's because they are the most common in new babies and while treating a brave snake like a scaredy one will not cause any harm the revserse cannot be said.

So we always recomend 2 hides, covered back and side of glass tanks and either small enclosures or lots of cover. I quite like newspaper as a substrate as it is easy to keep clean, dust free and you can see the droppings etc quite easily. I wouldn't however use the pellets you described as I think, aside from the dust issue, they would be a royal pain in the butt to clean and replace.

A solution to your cool end dropping to low might be another UTH - you can connect that to the thermostat via a dimmer so that one thermostat can keep both ends of the tank at the right temps no matter what the ambient temps in your room do. It will take a bit of fiddling with to get it right at first though but once it is set it will only need monitoring rather than a rheostat which needs constant manual adjustment - that gets old quick beleive me.

Thermostats often seem to be a huge expense to people setting up their first enclosure but if you consider the amount of time they last it is actually a great investment - they can move from tank to tank as your lil guy grows.

Have a search on the forums for recomendations and usage to see what I mean about being good value.

Stick with us and we'll help get the tank sorted - as you already noticed BP's are real little heart stealers.


dr del

[rmune0750]

ummm who are these 5 people that voted that they have NO HIDE? lol

[JayBP]

At least I got the feeding schedule right. He eats every 7-8 days, though I'll stop trying to feed him the day after the first attempt. I usually try three times with 15-30 mins inbetween each attempt, then I dump the mouse for the day and wait for the next day. Last three successes he ate the second day, or the 8th day.

He doesn't defecate often, is this a sign of constipation or diet problems? I'm feeding him fuzzies right now. Next bag of ten mice will probably be five fuzzies and five hoppers.

It depends. Some defecate every week after eating and someone only a few times a month. I wouldn't worry about it.