Poop, Pee, Yawning, farting & Feeding all in one

[Nicolak]

Alright, my snake took a huge poop but it looked like he was about to vomit as he did this. He had his mouth open and it sounded sort of like farting and then his brown poop shot out. I have never owned a Ball Python before so I am not sure if this is normal or if he has issues, I have only had him for 3 days.

He is 2 years old, roughly 2 feet.

Also, can you tell by his poop when the last time he was fed? When I purchased him from the breeder they said he hasn't eaten this week yet. So I bought him a small rat (since he eats live). I watched him with the lights on & off and eventually he got bored & left the rubbermaid. The rat was staying still the whole time.

He just pooped yesterday so I want to make sure he is healthy and what to do for him to eat.

Thanks

[never25]

you should give any new snake a week or so to get used to their new enviornment. he is most likely stressed and that is why he wasnt eating.

good luck with your new ball python

[Chu'Wuti]

It also seems that he wasn't really finished digesting when you got him. I wouldn't try feeding until seeing evidence that digestion has been completed--in the form of feces. As I haven't watched any of my snakes defecate, I cannot say whether the behavior you observed is normal or not.

In general, it's considered best to give a snake at least a week to adjust to a new environment, maybe two, before you try to handle him or feed him.

Now that he has defecated, just let him be for a few days, then you might try to offer the rat again if he acts like he might be hungry. Good luck!

[Nicolak]

Here are some pictures of him & his enclosure.
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/4047/img1649n.jpg
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/2278/img1653.jpg

Enclosure:
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/6198/img1651g.jpg

[Nicolak]

As you can see in the picture I posted he's been hiding in his water bowl hide (I have another water bowl that is open & another hide on the other side) for the last day.

Is this a sign of stress? What can I do to make him feel better? Is soaking for long periods of time dangerous for the snake?

[Chu'Wuti]

His constant soaking is an indication that he needs to increase his hydration because the ambient humidity is too low. So, yes, it may be a sign of stress. Short-term, it isn't a big deal, but if he has to do that for weeks on end, it could cause skin problems.

A couple of things may be contributing to the dryness & his constant soaking. The heat on the basking rock may be a little too high, judging by the temp displayed and by the fact that the probe is off to the side rather than on the top of the rock. You need to get a temp reading on the top of the rock under the heat lamp you're using to assess what the temp is where your BP would be if he decided to bask there. It's possible that the heat lamp is drying things out too much.

A lot of people get sucked into buying the stick-on dial gauges. Unfortunately, they're not very good, as they will not give you accurate readings, and in particular, the stick-on thermometer is only telling you the temp of the glass where it's stuck.

To determine whether that is part of the problem, get a good hygrometer and find out what your humidity is--your set-up looks like it won't maintain a good humidity level to me, but that's just my opinion. A BP needs a minimum of 60% humidity except during the shed cycle, when it needs to go up close to/about 100%.

You may need to start misting 3-4 times a day to increase the humidity, and you can also get sphagnum moss (long fiber), soak it in water, squeeze it until just damp, and put it in the other hide for a damp but not wet place.

Good luck!

[Kmef07]

Chu is right if the temp in the enclosure is too high your snake will try and get cool by soaking in the water.