Help with Baby Ball Python?

[Alchco]

I very recently purchased a Baby ball python (piebald) at a reptile expo a few days ago (11/12/16), and set up his enclosure with a single heating pad (the meduim kind, not the large) for a heat source. His cage is an exo-terra med low (24” x 18” x 12”). The small heating pad is not enough to heat up his cage, so I'm worried that he's very cold. I dont have a thermomiter/humidity measure or a thermostat. In the next few days I'm going to get another heat source (75 watt red heat light or around that) to get the temp higher and something to measure the temp. and humidity. Is this going to increase the temp by much? Should I be using something else?:confused: The cage has a screen top that I'm going to cover with a wet towel so humidity and temp can stay in. He is my first snake, so I want to do whats best for him.

[jay's reptiles]

First, you need to get a thermostat and a thermometer as soon as you can. DON'T GET A EXTRA HEAT SOURCE UNTILL YOU KNOW THE TEMPATURE. The hot spot should be 85-90
and cold spot should be 75-77 and the humidity should be 60%.

[Andy_G]

Just to tweak Jay's suggestion as those ambients are low; ambient should be 78-80, hot spot of 92-95 for ball pythons. Humidity of 50-60%. I'll pretty much guarantee that you will need an ambient heat source (bulb, ceramic heat emitter) as most houses are running at around a 68-75 ambient, and also that you'll need to cover part of the top for humidity because the average house is 30% humidity. Definitely get a thermostat and a digital thermometer as well as a temp gun. Once that's done, let us know how else we can help.

Also if you ever plan on buying more snakes, please do your very best to have everything you need for it all set up before you bring it home. It's just the right way to do things and it's not fair to the snake to have to suffer while you get everything correct when it's already stressed from it's whole world changing. Not trying to give you heck or talk down to you, but it's just the right way to do things.

Now that that's out of the way, you've come to the right place and we are here to help.

[jay's reptiles]

Just to tweak Jay's suggestion as those ambients are low; ambient should be 78-80, hot spot of 92-95 for ball pythons. Humidity of 50-60%. I'll pretty much guarantee that you will need an ambient heat source (bulb, ceramic heat emitter) as most houses are running at around a 68-75 ambient, and also that you'll need to cover part of the top for humidity because the average house is 30% humidity. Definitely get a thermostat and a digital thermometer as well as a temp gun. Once that's done, let us know how else we can help.

Also if you ever plan on buying more snakes, please do your very best to have everything you need for it all set up before you bring it home. It's just the right way to do things and it's not fair to the snake to have to suffer while you get everything correct when it's already stressed from it's whole world changing. Not trying to give you heck or talk down to you, but it's just the right way to do things.

Now that that's out of the way, you've come to the right place and we are here to help.

Omg sorry i just confused myself.

[Albert Clark]

I very recently purchased a Baby ball python (piebald) at a reptile expo a few days ago (11/12/16), and set up his enclosure with a single heating pad (the meduim kind, not the large) for a heat source. His cage is an exo-terra med low (24” x 18” x 12”). The small heating pad is not enough to heat up his cage, so I'm worried that he's very cold. I dont have a thermomiter/humidity measure or a thermostat. In the next few days I'm going to get another heat source (75 watt red heat light or around that) to get the temp higher and something to measure the temp. and humidity. Is this going to increase the temp by much? Should I be using something else?:confused: The cage has a screen top that I'm going to cover with a wet towel so humidity and temp can stay in. He is my first snake, so I want to do whats best for him.. Alchco, unplug the heat pad immediately! Until you can plug it up to a thermostat and have tha heat regulated it's a very dangerous article. First, it can cause burns to your snakes belly in that even a small unregulated heat pad can get upwards of 120degrees F. There are several affordable thermostats on the market. Depending on your budget, it's the most important piece of equipment in your husbandry arsenal.

[Alchco]

. Alchco, unplug the heat pad immediately! Until you can plug it up to a thermostat and have tha heat regulated it's a very dangerous article. First, it can cause burns to your snakes belly in that even a small unregulated heat pad can get upwards of 120degrees F. There are several affordable thermostats on the market. Depending on your budget, it's the most important piece of equipment in your husbandry arsenal.
I bought a heat pad that automatically does that, the breeder said it was safe many times and I checked with the man who has been selling the heat pads for years. He said the one I have is a newer one. He specifically stated that I didn't need a thermostat.

[Alchco]

Quick update: I ordered a 75 watt red heat light, light dome, two digital thermomiters, and a non-digital humidity measure online (everything is so much cheaper compared to petco), they'll be here tomorrow. I also bought from the dollar store some fake leaves to give him some more hiding room in his cage.

[jay's reptiles]

Quick update: I ordered a 75 watt red heat light, light dome, two digital thermomiters, and a non-digital humidity measure online (everything is so much cheaper compared to petco), they'll be here tomorrow. I also bought from the dollar store some fake leaves to give him some more hiding room in his cage.

Im still not seeing a thermostat in that list. Please listen to us and get a thermostat.

[Andy_G]

I don't know of any heat pad that doesn't require a thermostat to be used safely and i've been doing this for a while...sounds like a sales tactic unfortunately "oh this one is the best, you dont even nees a thermostat to run it!"...how would it maintain proper and constant temperature without any heat spikes if that's the case...could you tell us what kind of mat it is? None of us are trying to sell you a product here so perhaps consider where the advice is coming from before disregarding it. Also-you need a temp gun to read the temp of the surface that the heat pad is on. They are inexpensive and can be found at a hardware store.

[MartinD]

Firstly I am going to apologise, because this sort of thing really makes me angry and what I say may upset people.

Would you buy a car and then think 'DOH, I better learn to drive?'. Most normal intelligent people would answer no. So why don't people spend around a week setting up a tank/viv/terrarium etc getting the humidity and temperatures right and then buy their reptile, so when they bring it home everything is setup and safe. We have a duty of care to these animals and IMO not getting the basics right is not taking care of your animal.

I have a new boa coming next week and already her vivarium is all setup with temperature and humidity settings and all other requirements, so when I've unpacked her she can go straight into her new home.

Sorry if I offended anyone, it was not my intention.

[Albert Clark]

Unregulated heat pads are also electrical fire hazards! I know I wouldn't take that chance.