New snake owner

[bikerecho]

Hi there.
i have just gotten my first snake. it's a python regius. (or a royal python)
it's only 1 year old and it's a female.
my question is: will the color get darker by age?
it's kinda black and yellow-brown.

second question is: do i need to wash it once in a while to keep it clean?

thanks.

[marvelfreak]

24794

To answer your first question i am not real sure with Balls.

For the second question just have a water bowl big enough for it to get in and soak. Make sure you change the water every couple days and she be fine.

[bikerecho]

thanks for the answer.
it's water bowl is not big enough for it to soak. i'll buy a bigger bowl very soon then.
i am using the bowl i used to give water to the geckos i once had. XD

[BoaBoy91]

I think it will either get darker or stay the same as it gets bigger, but i have seen some get a tad bit lighter but not usually. I myself dont own any ball pythons but my friend has a few. And i agree with Marvelfreak about the water bowl, most snakes love to soak especially when they are near shedding. For your second question I've never herd of anyone "washing" their snake but I myself do give my snakes a lukewarm bath in the tub every once in awhile. Of course no soap or anything just let them swim around a bit and they love it.

Welcome to the snake community!!!

[bikerecho]

thanks for the replies guys.
it help a lot.

[Chris72]

Could we see a photo of the animal and the enclosure

[bikerecho]

Sure :)

here is a photo: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3388026436785&set=a.1189942406058.25725.1753313465&type=1&theater

And here is a video of me feeding it for the first time XD
First time feeding my 1 year old Python - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxwVGRVvbrc)

[bikerecho]

btw.
i feed her yesterday, and today she is more calm then she usually is. She has been in the corner all day.
can it be that a snake as usually more calm a day or 2 after dinner?

[Mikoh4792]

btw.
i feed her yesterday, and today she is more calm then she usually is. She has been in the corner all day.
can it be that a snake as usually more calm a day or 2 after dinner?

Shes resting and digesting.

[bikerecho]

ahh. makes sense.
thanks

[Chris72]

Is there something for the animal to hide under during the day that is not in the picture?

You likely don't need to "wash" her unless she goes snowboarding in her poo. She will accumulate tiny little scuffs, bits of dry poo, etc, etc but those all come off with each shed.

Soaking:
What RH% are you holding in that enclosure?
When she goes into shed you would do well to offer a bowl large enough for her to sit in if she wants. (Some, but not all, like that....it help)

[bikerecho]

she currently doesn't have a hide.
but she sometimes lay under that wood you see on the picture, which is located in the middle of the cage.
she also has that corner where the skull is.

i know i should buy her a hide

[DestinyLynette]

For a normal-type BP, they will stay about the same as they get older- maybe if she's gold she might be more "brown" and less "gold" but I wouldn't guess she'd get really dark.

She needs two identical hides, one on either end. These should be snug- as in your snake is touching the walls kind of snug. Don't get something she'll grow into; you'll just have to update as she grows. Some good cheap ones that act perfectly can be found at reptilebasics.com; I suggest a size "small" for her. Alternatively, you can get one of those naturalistic cave-looking ones, it's all your decision. Or even a cardboard box with a hole cut in it- really, they're not too picky. What isn't okay are those half-log hides, as they're too open and not very private.

If you're in a glass tank with a screen top, you may struggle with humidity, which should stay at 50-60%. You can fight this with light misting of the enclosure, but it'll still be hard to maintain. I suggest covering the top with either two or three layers of foil and then duct taping it down with a square cut for ventilation, or putting down a sheet of white-board or something similar with a section out for ventilation. Having the water bowl located under such a cover will help as well.

If you're using a heat lamp to warm the enclosure, this dries out the air like no tomorrow. I don't suggest a heat lamp unless the tank temp stays below 75- and then I suggest a ceramic heat emmitor, since the light won't bother them so much.
Use a UTH under the tank on the outside to provide belly heat; this hsould cover 1/3 of the tank and be at 90-92. This absolutely, positively, no way around it, needs to be connected to a thermostat. Otherwise it will get dangerously hot and burn your snake. A good budget thermostat is a HydroFarm thermostat; they're only $30-40 and are a one-time purchase.

You may know some of this already, I was just making sure. (: Other than that, congrats on the new pet, and let us know if you have any questions!

[guyabano]

On the topic of bathing, I only do so when necessary. Poo smears, pee soaks and the like. Always make sure they've had some clean water before bathing just to be sure that they don't drink soap.

[bikerecho]

thanks for the detailed reply.
i am going to buy a cave like hide for it and place it at the right back end of the tank. it will be right in front of the water bowl.
i don't have a heat lamp.. so that's good i guess... but i have a heat mat under the pine bark that covers ½ the tanks. it's located at the from of the tanks and covers all the way from left to right and a little more then half dawn to the middle of the tank. so it has this difference in heat.

i think i have a problem with humidity. it's usually pretty high in my room. so it's nowhere close to the 60% in the tanks.
i have to do something about that then.

[snakeman879]

Just cover the screen top and add a biger water bowl humidity will go up if it still 2 low put a nother bowl closer to your heat source that will work but keep a water dish at the cool end as snakes dont like to drink warm water

[bikerecho]

but doesn't it need the air flow?
if i cover the top, then air only comes in from the little space between the front doors.

[snakeman879]

Yes u could leave a bit uncoverd so that air gets in just play about till the humidity is were it should be. Could u not get a wooden viv they hold heat and humidity way better?? Glass vivs tend to be better for desert habitat imh.

[bikerecho]

Ok. i'll cover up some of the top then.
i am also gonna buy this exo terra medium waterfall.
i have read that it is suppose to help humidity a bit.... and it looks awesome :)