Need alittle help from a seasoned pro...

[NocturnalBC]

Hello all,
1st off let me say hello to all of you out there from Vancouver Island, I just joined and can see this is an active place. looks good!
I've owned a snake in the past when I was younger but wasn't aware of the care they needed so I found a better home. I'm finally at that point in my life where money and time aren't an issue so I can give that extra care that is needed. Boy am I looking forward to it

On to bizz, I am picking up a couple of baby BP's from my local pet store next tuesday and have a few questions that I can't seemed to find answers for online so I hope maybe I can get some help here.
1)Should I give my new pals a bath and maybe a mite spray before adding them too their new homes?
2)Do I need an UltraViolet light or will a simple neon do just fine?
3)I've heard of some people dusting their meals with vitamins, Is this really needed?
If anyone can maybe shed some light on these questions I'd be very grateful.

NocturnalBC

[ReptiZone]

It has yet to be proven If snakes need UV lighting or not I can say it probebly wont hurt.
There is no special lighting required just a photo periode you know 12 hours one 12 off or somthing like 14 hours on and 10 off.

Vitamines IMO are not required for snakes because they get all the nutrition in there food dont forget they are not just eating the legs or the fur they are eating everything skin, muscles, bone, teeth, they all play a role in the nutriton chain not like a criket that is a empty shell alot of the time.

I nice warm bath with a good spray down of nix will do them some good be sure to quarentine them for 30-60 days this means just and empty cage with newspaper a water dish a hide box & a heat source. That is it, NO wood mites and backteria can hide in wood.

Pice of advice do not take them out of quarentine till they eat 4 straight meals. Also it is not a good or very ethical practise to house more then one snake per cage.
Here is why you feed both snakes on a friday on sunday one has a bowle movment but wich one 2 weeks pass and you are still finding fecease that acounts for just one snake. You bring a sample in and it has worms which snake is it now you have to treat both, you just double your vet cost. One snake one cage unless you are breeding at that time of year.

If you need more precise answers post the question in detail and I will help if I can.

The ReptiZone
Marc Doiron

P.S. get your snake from a breeder it is sometimes cheeper and pet store animals are just garbage I will not name names cause they are all bad to almost all pet stores get reptiles from wholesalers. Do I need to explain any more...LOL

[NocturnalBC]

Excellent! You helped with all my questions. thank you :)
As far as getting my pets from a breeder, I would love too but I can't find any in my area. If anyone knows of any in BC I'd be happy to get a PM from you with some info on how to contact them.

[ReptiZone]

Just keep checking the clasifides. You do not have to limit your self to just BC there are breeders all over canada just look for them they will come up we are in prime shiping weather now this is the time to have them shiped to you try contacting Henry Piorun @ www.a1pythons.com he may help you ball pythons are a dime a dozen these days if you just want regulare babys. you will see.

I am telling you if you get them from the pet store you will be seeing the vet in the same week.

The ReptiZone
Marc Doiron

[Princess Erica]

Where on the Island are you, Nocturnal? I know of a guy in Sidney... I don't know if he has anything available right now, I just noticed he was from Sidney (I'm in Victoria).

[NocturnalBC]

I'm in Nanaimo actually. I was doing alittle searching last night and have read some horror stories about pet shop snakes so I've pretty much cancelled that idea. I also was looking at the breeder section on this page and found a guy that also lives in Sidney and have contacted him through email....keeping fingers crossed anyway!..lol I'm guessing he's probably the same guy your thinking about