Am I Doing Something Wrong?

[JNieporte]

So, just leave her a lone except for feedings? I can do that.

I realize that the temperatures are a bit low, but I'm not sure how to raise them. I'm using an 8-watt undertank heater AND a 50-watt Tight Beam bulb, and the temperatures posted are the normal. I have a 75-watt Tight Beam bulb; should I switch to that? I'm also covering half of the top (it's a hinged wire closure) with triple-layered aluminum foil to help keep the heat and humidity in, but it's not working as well as I hoped for.

As to her age; I'm not sure. She was sold to me as a hatchling, and was about 18 or 20" long when I got her on January 9th. She doesn't ball up however; she just jerks away and retreats to her hide.

Feeding her was a success; I fed her live and she made a perfect face strike with three coils wrapped around. The mouse didn't squeal and it didn't bite, but she did eat it upside down.

[Egapal]

So, just leave her a lone except for feedings? I can do that.

Just keep doing what you are doing and realize that things are going to take time. Your ball does not know you and is just a baby. I got my girl back in mid August and whenever I would take her out she would jerk a bit and act a bit scared. Now when I take her hide off she just looks at me and I can reach down and pick her up without any issues unless I make a sudden accidental movement or move to fast. She will warm up to you in the way that BP's do. I don't know what I would expect her to crawl into your waiting hands though.

Personally I want my BP to climb into my waiting hand, climb up my arm, coil loosely around my neck then when people I don't like come by I want her to rear up and spit fire balls at them. I have settled for her not acting afraid and quickly settling into her crawl all over the place attitude.

[Texas Dan]

Just keep doing what you are doing and realize that things are going to take time. Your ball does not know you and is just a baby. I got my girl back in mid August and whenever I would take her out she would jerk a bit and act a bit scared. Now when I take her hide off she just looks at me and I can reach down and pick her up without any issues unless I make a sudden accidental movement or move to fast. She will warm up to you in the way that BP's do. I don't know what I would expect her to crawl into your waiting hands though.

Personally I want my BP to climb into my waiting hand, climb up my arm, coil loosely around my neck then when people I don't like come by I want her to rear up and spit fire balls at them. I have settled for her not acting afraid and quickly settling into her crawl all over the place attitude.

Took me a while before I could get mine to shoot fireballs. he's not there yet, but I've trained him to spit gas. Now if I could just get him to learn to strike a match....

[cinderbird]

So, just leave her a lone except for feedings? I can do that.

I realize that the temperatures are a bit low, but I'm not sure how to raise them. I'm using an 8-watt undertank heater AND a 50-watt Tight Beam bulb, and the temperatures posted are the normal. I have a 75-watt Tight Beam bulb; should I switch to that? I'm also covering half of the top (it's a hinged wire closure) with triple-layered aluminum foil to help keep the heat and humidity in, but it's not working as well as I hoped for.

As to her age; I'm not sure. She was sold to me as a hatchling, and was about 18 or 20" long when I got her on January 9th. She doesn't ball up however; she just jerks away and retreats to her hide.

Feeding her was a success; I fed her live and she made a perfect face strike with three coils wrapped around. The mouse didn't squeal and it didn't bite, but she did eat it upside down.

in order to regulate and control temps, get a thermostat ; johnson, ranco, helix or herpstat. A thermostat will allow you to completely control the temps.

[Slim]

Took me a while before I could get mine to shoot fireballs. he's not there yet, but I've trained him to spit gas. Now if I could just get him to learn to strike a match....

I'm training mine to spell out sanscrit messages on the floor.

[DutchHerp]

Hey Slim, did you change your signature to E-Thug after that incident a few days back?

[ilovemylizard]

I used to see the 'staring/smelling at the ceiling' behavior quite a bit when I kept balls in tanks with screens on top...

My guess is, any new/weird scents from the room, will spill down from the screen...I figured they were just smelling in that direction, trying to figure it out...