Three questions

[Nevan]

Hi everyone

I'm new to snake-keeping and hoping you could help me out with something I really know nothing about:

Firstly, I got my baby ball python two weeks ago - I haven't handled it yet because I thought it should get used to the new environment first and have a successful feeding - the pet store fed him a day before I went to pick him up, and I fed it on Thursday last week - so he seems to be adjusting nicely to his new home - but the dumb question I'd like to know is - how often do they defecate / urinate? I have been inspecting the substrate every day for droppings and urate, but I can't see or smell anything - this can't be normal?

Secondly, a question of substrate - I have read a few of these posts and most refer to Aspen or Cypress - which the reptile shops don't stock around here. (Cypress is available only rarely and extremely expensive). The alternatives they sell around here are corncob and 'sphagnum moss' - initially I set up the terrarium half sphagnum and half corncob (because the stockist didn't have enough of one type to fill the whole terrarium with) - but the corncob smells bad so I'm in the process of replacing it with more sphagnum. Does anyone else here use sphagnum and have any tips like how often to replace it and special care related to it?

Lastly - I notice that he never ventures to the 'humid' area of the terrarium, also the spot where I keep the heatpad - The average temperature in the terrarium is about 25 degrees Celcius, 28 degree Celcius on the heatpad. The pet store owner advised me that the heating pad should not be larger than one third of the terrarium, and that I should place the water-bowl partly on the pad, so that it promotes humidity and keeps the water at a nice temperature. So I did it like that - a qaurter of the waterbowl overlaps the heatpad and the humidity in that area is about 70% - but the snake never goes there - is there something wrong with that setup?

And if you got this far, thanks for reading all of this!!! I'd appreciate some advice on this stuff.

[mainbutter]

to answer the first question: it varies greatly. Some snakes will hold it back for weeks, and then poop huge. It has been my experience that the snakes that do this almost always go after a shed as well. Others just go weekly, well-timed with feeding. Some snakes go back and forth between weekly poops and less regular poops. If you haven't seen anything yet, don't worry. If it's been more than three weeks, a trick some people try is soaking the snake in lukewarm water(best if you put the snake in a large enough ventilated tupperware or similar enclosure with about a half inch of water, and leave the tupperware in the tank to make sure you don't get your snake too cold), soaking can prompt your snake to "go"

as for substrate.. I have never heard of sphagnum moss used exclusively for snake substrate. I have some in my cage that I mist down daily to boost humidity, but the majority of my substrate is coconut husk chopped into smallish chunks. Aspen is pretty much the most common substrate outside of paper towel/newspaper though. Newspaper or paper towel is a great route if you have no other reasonable choices, but MAKE SURE you have a thermostat(you should have one anyways) or rheostat, because under tank heaters get too hot without one, and a substrate as thin as newspaper is guaranteed to get hot enough to burn your snake without a thermostat.

On care/replacing sphagnum moss.. the stuff I get is already dead(I assume) and comes in brick form. It just retains moisture well and helps keep humidity up. I replace it whenever I replace the substrate.. usually every couple of weeks to every 2 months, depending on the state of the overall tank. I don't give it any special care.

The humidity of your tank probably evens out fairly well, unless you provide a specific "humid hide", which it doesn't sound like you have. My snake used to spend all of her time on the cool side of the tank, but at the moment she prefers the warm side. Snakes thermoregulate, and as long as your temps are good on both sides(measure substrate temps), the snake will choose whether to be warmer or cooler, as long as there aren't other factors that make it choose one side or the other. Do you have fully enclosed (except a small entrance hole) hides on both sides? Snakes may choose security over ideal temperature, so it is important in glass tanks especially to have two identical hides on both the warm and cool areas of the tank.

Hope that helps!

[Nevan]

Yes thanks a lot! Especially the poop question. As for the hideouts, there is only one on the cooler side of the terrarium, but I see the sense in having one on the warmer side as well - I'll make that my next expense, although I don't have a glass tank - it's a wooden terrarium with glass sliding doors in front and vents on either side - I'll upload a pic sometime.

As for substrate, I prefer covering that looks natural and is aesthetically pleasing - hence the idea of using felt or newspaper puts me off. Eventually I would like to replace the substrate with Cypress mulch, just that it's so damn hard to come by - I haven't come across a store yet that sells Aspen otherwise I would have used it. But ok - I'll avoid covering the whole surface with sphagnum and stick with the corncob / spagnum combo until I can find something better.

[Kysenia]

I would do a short term hide until you come up with the cash to buy....hides can be very inexpensive.....any small box with a hole cut in......I have seen some pretty interesting hides....but until you get the one you like I would do a temporary......depending on the size of the snake....an empty pop tart box will do...may not look like you want but the snake will love it....replace when you have the cash...hope this helps...

[Kaorte]

Yes thanks a lot! Especially the poop question. As for the hideouts, there is only one on the cooler side of the terrarium, but I see the sense in having one on the warmer side as well - I'll make that my next expense, although I don't have a glass tank - it's a wooden terrarium with glass sliding doors in front and vents on either side - I'll upload a pic sometime.

As for substrate, I prefer covering that looks natural and is aesthetically pleasing - hence the idea of using felt or newspaper puts me off. Eventually I would like to replace the substrate with Cypress mulch, just that it's so damn hard to come by - I haven't come across a store yet that sells Aspen otherwise I would have used it. But ok - I'll avoid covering the whole surface with sphagnum and stick with the corncob / spagnum combo until I can find something better.

they sell aspen bedding at all major pet stores. Maybe you are looking in the wrong place?

[brainman1000]

they sell aspen bedding at all major pet stores. Maybe you are looking in the wrong place?

In the US that may be true, but I suspect he is elsewhere in the world.

[Kaorte]

In the US that may be true, but I suspect he is elsewhere in the world.

good point. I suppose you could always buy online though

[Nevan]

I'm a she, and yeah, I live in South Africa - they sell hamster bedding around here that sort of looks like Aspen - from what I've seen - it's like a mixture of different wood shavings. But it comes in a clear plastic bag with no label on it and I'm concerned there might be some weird type of wood in there that could harm the snake. I'd rather not take a chance with that stuff..

[Bloodsong]

Another alternative is to go to the garden store. I use peat moss (potting soil). Just make sure that it doesn't have vermiculite or pesticides/insecticides in it. A preferable option is something that calls itself 100% peat moss. Just take it home and bake it at about 250*F (120*C) for about 15 minutes, stir it up, then bake for another 10 minutes to kill any parasites that may be inside (nemetodes, mites, etc.). It may be a bit more work, but it looks good and stays humid better overall.

Bloodsong

[tigerlily]

Another option for bedding can be as simple as newspaper (either recycled or the type without print). I use the unprinted 'packing' paper. I love it, and it's simple to replace. Plus I had a TON of it left over from my last move.

Also I would stay far away from any wood chips that aren't labeled. Good instincts.

I'd also like to give you major props on waiting to handle your snake. I think it's very important to let your snake 'settle' in.