I musta screwed up

[beaglegod]

Ive been reading like a maniac and asking questions to the point of anoying myself simply cause I wanna do things right. Now that Im just about all set up my enclosure might be too big for a young BP. Is there any way I can get around this? Or do I have to buy an older snake? My dimensions are 30"x13"x12".

[mykee]

First of all, never think you're being annoying for asking questions. That's how you learn. If you already have the snake, and the enclosure, wouldn't it be more cost effective to buy a smaller emclosure until the snake is big enough to be put in the enclosure you have now? Just pick up a small rubbermaid (11.4L), drill a few holes around the top, get a heat pad, a water dish and a hide, and you're rockin'. Maybe $40? When the snake outgrows the smaller enclosure, Voila! You've got the big one ready to go.

[beaglegod]

havent bought a snake yet mykee, in fact I just got setup this morning (gotta buy a rheostat though) and so Im begining to mess with teps and humidity before I start shopping for my first snake.

[mykee]

Well then your in the clear, pick up a yearling or an adult, forget this whole problem ever happened. P.S. BIG pat on the back for doing your research and setting up your environment BEFORE buying the snake. It's not that common for a 'newbie' to take that sort of initiative. Commendable, and I'm sure many will agree.

[emroul]

Agreed. :thumbsup:

Jennifer

[sapphire_moon]

or.....if you still want a baby (which sometimes are cheaper than a yearling or adult) you can put twice the amount of hides in there. Which can be very inexpensive.......if you don't want to go out and buy another rubbermaid, with a smaller heating pad, and all. But everyone will have their own opinon.

[jfmoore]

Beaglegod – You haven’t screwed up. Your 30"x13"x12" container will work great as long as you pay attention to the details. Think like a ball python. As far as people know, they spend the majority of their time in places like rodent burrows and termite mounds. So make sure you provide tight, low places to hide. For a hatchling, something no more than 2 inches tall would be best – think flower pot saucer, either clay or plastic, with an entrance hole cut in it. Or spend a couple bucks and get that plastic shoe box a lot of people recommend, but fill it half full of substrate, cut a hole in the lid, and put THAT inside your large container as one of the hides. Your snake will be able to come out and cruise around at night and still have places to hide and feel secure the rest of the time. Just make sure you get the temperature gradient worked out, preferably with some sort of heat pad underneath. I’d recommend 79 degrees at one end, 90 at the other. The smaller the container, the narrower the range of temperatures you can provide. And then get a healthy, captive bred animal from someone trustworthy and you’ll be all set.

-Joan

[Vengeance]

Yea Saphire I was going to suggest the same thing. I put my not even a yearling in a 50 gallon with tons of hides. Just make sure that he can basiclly make it from one end of the cage to the other without being seen. I did this by useing PVC tubeing. This way he can exit whatever hide he is in, either use the tube as another hide as a form of cover to get to the other hide. Just my 2 cents.

[sapphire_moon]

90-95degree hot side and about 70-85 degree cool side.
I've heard every where from 70-85 for cool sides for ball pythons, so if I'm wrong I'm sure someone (mykee, lol) will correct me.......:)

[tHeGiNo]

Sapphire, I would recommend not letting the cool side get any lower then 75. Aim for that range, with an ambient of 85.

[mykee]

Sapphire, you're on your own. Though I would say instead of 70-85, I would go 71-86. LOL.

[beaglegod]

Thanks so much guys,( now I can sleep at night:o ) Ive made 2 hides outa cardboard both are 2-3 inches high about 5 inches wide and 8-9 inches long, nice and dark with a hole cut out for entrance ( makes me wanna crawl inside). Ive als placed an upside down flower pot in the center with the drain hole opened up, Ill try and get a piece of PVC pipe also to run along the back, hopefuly thatll make him feel safe and happy when I get him.

[Vengeance]

Correct me if I'm wrong guys but is cardboard a good thing to use as a hide? My only logic behing it is that if the cardboard gets wet I could see it getting moldy and starting to break down. Might have to replace it frequently because you can't clean it either. Wouldn't plastic be a better idea?

[mykee]

I wouldn't recommend cardboard for a hide, unless it's changed out often. There's a lot of suitable material out there, and in my opinion, cardboard is not one of them.

[Auskan]

I use toilet rolls and paper towel rolls cut in half lengthwise for my baby corns. They are convenient & cheap hides, small enough so that the snake feels secure, and easily discarded and replaced by new ones if they get wet. However I don't have any cardboard for my BP.

[Invictus]

Cardboard = bad. Mold grows on that in a day without a problem.

There is absolutely no such thing as an enclosure that is too big. There is only such thing as a hide box that is too big. When a BP is safe and secure in a hidebox, it is completely and totally oblivious to anything outside of its hide. But, when night falls and it wants to cruise around in the dark, that's when too SMALL becomes an issue. You're doing just fine, beaglegod. :)

[tHeGiNo]

I use toilet rolls and paper towel rolls cut in half lengthwise for my baby corns. They are convenient & cheap hides, small enough so that the snake feels secure, and easily discarded and replaced by new ones if they get wet. However I don't have any cardboard for my BP.

But ball pythons are not corn snakes, and have different needs. Beagle I agree that cardboard may not be the most suitable material for your hides! Also, how big is the ball python you plan on getting? If he is just a baby I would suggest trimming the height of the hide a little bit.

[beaglegod]

Ok the cardboard idea has been scrapped. I guess since Ive never owned a snake I dont yet have a good understanding of what size hide I need for a certain size animal.

Maybe you guys/gals can help me with this, I do have 2 shallow tercotta/clay plant pots wich ive opened the drain holes on the drain holes are about 2-2 1/2 inches in diameter one pot is 2 3/4 inches high 6 inches in diameter. The other is 3 1/4 high 6 1/2 in diameter. What size animal would enjoy these sizes?

[tHeGiNo]

No problem man! This whole thing is a gigantic learning experience. The important thing is that your making your mistakes before getting the animal, which is important! Also, the size of the hide is species dependant. You see, ball pythons really benefit from feeling the roof of their hides on their backs. That is why it is suggested to use hides which are small (relatively) in height.

[beaglegod]

thanks for the input tHeGINO. I could still use help on my question about the clay flowerpots I spoke of before this will give me a good idea on the proper size hides for different size BP,s.

[tHeGiNo]

Really, any other snake that fits in the hide and doesn't have any other special needs. What other kinds of snakes are you interested in?

Basically, to deem a hide appropriate for a ball python, you will want him to fit in snugly all the way around. Specifically, you will want the top of the hide being in contact with the snakes back.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Specifically, you will want the top of the hide being in contact with the snakes back.

And that right there is the KEY.

[sapphire_moon]

Mykee--- You would say that just so you wouldn't have to agree with me! j/k.........
do you really think that is an ok temps? Our heater for our room is going out and we are picking up a new one today, that should keep it about 73 in our room. We aren't "allowed" to turn the heater up past 70, and our room gets to about 65 and lower on really cold nights.

[jfmoore]

Originally posted by beaglegod
I could still use help on my question about the clay flowerpots I spoke of before this will give me a good idea on the proper size hides for different size BP,s.

Yo Dog -

We're talking flower pot SAUCERS here, not the pots themselves. :) See below for a cheap example. Given a choice of low and snug versus high and roomy, snakes usually pick the tight quarters. These plastic saucers are inexpensive and come in sizes suitable for hatchlings up to adults. I also occasionally use long rectangular ones that stretch across the cage and are even lower than the saucers. I think they're designed to hold pots on window sills. I get these two items in the garden department at Home Depot.

-Joan

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/507/3573DSCN0354saucerhide.jpg

[tHeGiNo]

Spectacular example! One question though, is there a reason you put the entry hole on top and not on the side?

[beaglegod]

hey thanks for the pic JF, Im off to the home depot right now:cool:

Also thanks for that comment Invictus, makes me feel a whole lot better.

Aww hell , thank you everybody,very patient group here, much apreciated!;)

[sapphire_moon]

Thats why ssnakess.com is the best........:)

[jfmoore]

Originally posted by tHeGiNo
...is there a reason you put the entry hole on top and not on the side?

I guess originally I thought it made it more like diving down a burrow, but who the heck knows if there’s anything to that! In practical usage, not taking a section out of the side makes it more stable and less apt to bend or crack over time, since the snakes often coil on top of them, too. On the large diameter ones, I often offset the hole on top further towards the edge, which leaves room to put the water bowl (as long as it’s a heavy one that’s not apt to be pushed off).

-Joan

[marisa]

Yes I also use upside down saucers! They RULE! Here is a bad photo, but my example with the hole cut into the side....but now that I see the top hole in Joan's photo I think I'll try that out as well!

<img src="http://8snakes.myftp.org/marisa/Snakes/bp/eighthead3.jpg">

:D Marisa

[Jeff_Favelle]

JF, that thing looks like an Angolan! Do you have a full-body pic?

[jfmoore]

No, sorry, and since I loaded a new Norton Internet Security update, I've been unable to download any new pics from my camera. At least that what I think is to blame.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Ha ha, but the question is, is that an anchietae or not?? LOL!! :D

[Gollum]

Ahhh ... so that's why my Bp liked better the smaller hide.... gonna change that around. :)

[m1k3_88]

jfmoore i had the same problem, but b4 u plug in the cables for the camera, you have to right click on norton and disable auto-protect, after teh pics are loaded and the camera is unplugged,then u can just turn auto-protect back on

[BoidKeeper]

jeff I was thinking the same thing, need to see more of that snake. As for the hid box I use some of those too.
Cheers,
Trevor

[jfmoore]

Mike – Thanks for the tip. I’m still having problems with the damn software crashing my system both before and after the photos download, but at least I’m not totally SOL.

Nevertheless, I wasn’t able to get any good current photos, so how about a baby picture? Judging from the clothes, looks like it’s from the same session as when that avatar photo of my ball python was taken. Judging from my mottled pink and yellow skin, looks like the color rendition isn’t too hot!

-Joan

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/507/3573Angolan02M-med.jpg

[Linds]

Joan,
Awesome snake! Not that you don't already know that ;)

Beaglegod,
Flowerpots and saucers are great for reptiles and amphibian setups, however, I would definitely recommend using plastic. A snakes skin can easily be abraded by the texture of the clay pot if they are constantly sliding their sides against it, allowing harmful pathogens in to the system, which can lead to all sorts of problems. The pots are very porous, so you have no idea what they have soaked up prior to when you bought them, in addition, they will soak up any bacteria in the environment and any cleaning agents you choose to use on it.