New Ball Python - first time owners

[stlphotogal]

Good Morning (Afternoon/Evening depending on where you are!) - we just picked up our newest family member Bellatrix Lestrange (lol, 12 YO daughter named her) an appx. 3 YO Ball Python yesterday. Her tank is all set up (a 36x18x18 tank with locking lid) and heat source (UTH on one end with bulb/reflectors for during day) and climbing/water source in a quiet closed off room in our home. She is accustomed to being handled about an hour per day from her previous owner and we had her out of the tank yesterday just long enough to get her from the transport box into the tank and then again to attempt to feed her. She didn't eat (although I suspect my husband didn't 're-heat' the frozen mouse well enough) and seemed very agitated when we attempted to pick her up to move her back into her enclosure when she didn't eat. My husband was afraid she was going to strike at him - obviously it wouldn't hurt terribly but it freaked him out a bit all the same. I've read a lot about leaving them alone to acclimate to their new surroundings and just wanted to get some opinions on if we should attempt to feed her again this evening or leave her alone...any advice/info would be very helpful. Thanks so much, in advance. :)

[Will0W783]

Ball pythons are notoriously picky eaters. I would leave her alone completely- don't try to handle her at all, don't offer food, don't bother her at all other than to make sure she has water, for a week. Then try offering food- if you are feeding frozen/thawed you need to make sure it feels very warm to you. What I do is boil water and pour it in a bucket, let it sit for about 20 seconds and then throw the frozen rodents in it. I let them thaw and make sure they are very warm before offering them on tongs to the snakes. I have snakes that would eat them frozen if I offered them that way, and others that the food has to be piping hot or they will ignore it.
Quick question- are you sure she was eating frozen/thawed for her previous owner? Ball pythons that are not used to f/t often take months of hard work to switch over. If she is definitely used to f/t then just try again in a week. She just came to a new place and is being overwhelmed with new sights/smells/vibrations/spaces. She needs time to get used to her new space and become comfortable again. Adult ball pythons can go months without eating with no ill effects- we have one member on here whose ball python did not eat for over a year and is now still doing fine! Once you get her eating, you can handle her, although I would not recommend handling every day. I'd limit it to 3-4 times a week. It can be stressful on them if you do it too much. Best of luck with her, and keep us updated!

Oh, if you could also tell us the temperatures on the hot and cool ends of your cage, day and night, and how many hides you have in there for her, it will help us figure out if there are any husbandry problems that might contribute to continued reluctance to eat.

[Feebo]

Two whole weeks of no handling at all and minimal tank disturbance. That`s what I do with every single new snake to give them time to build confidence in thier new surroundings. Ball pythons are very picky eaters as Willow says, I`ve got a huge great big female that eats about three times a YEAR, that`s it. She`s perfectly healthy and as I say, she`s huge... :) Make sure you`ve provided a couple of well hidden hides, essential that. I give mine a leaf litter as well, so they can traverse the tank under semi cover......

[Aaron_S]

All the information given is pretty sound. I will add that the best way to get a snake eating is to NOT move it to another bin/enclosure/whatever. Just feed it where it lives. It's not going to mistake your hand for food every time the lid opens. Secondly, how big is the snake? If it's 3 years old an adult mouse is a very undersized meal and that also could be the problem.

[stlphotogal]

Aaron S - she's about 30 inches long (maybe a bit shorter) and about 1.5" around at her thickest. We had two adult mice to offer her but she didn't even show interest in one so obviously the 2nd was out too. I've heard (from more than one source) that you should move them to another enclosure to feed them so that was the reason for the move.

[Will0W783]

I own quite a few snakes and I do not move any of them to another enclosure to feed. I feed everyone in their enclosures, and always have. I have never had problems with them mistaking my hands for food. I just make sure to handle them between feedings so they don't get used to food being offered every time the cage door opens. With only one snake, I doubt that will be a problem for you. I agree with Aaron, just keep the snake in its home enclosure to feed; it will feel more secure and be more likely to relax enough to eat. But honestly don't offer it food for at least a week- let it get settled in and used to the new surroundings first. Also, at 30" long and 1.5" thick it should be eating a single small rat, not several mice. But I would get it eating first of all, and then worry about appropriately-sized prey once you've gotten it to take food for you.
The problem with feeding ball pythons mice, even when they are babies, is that they get "hooked" on the mice and then refuse rats even when the mice are too small for them. And it really sucks and is a drain on the wallet to be feeding a 5-foot ball python 4-5 mice a week when a medium rat twice a month would be much more appropriate for it.
I got my male BP to switch from live mice to f/t rats when he was 3 and I'd had him about a year, but it took several months and letting him get very very hungry before he did it. The cage environment has to be absolutely perfect or they will be even more finicky.

[shaunyboy]

everythings pretty much been covered.the snake will pick up on your husbands nervousness.tell him in my experiences ball pythons are some of the tamest snakes ive come across so he'll be ok.even if he gets tagged its over and done with that quick its only the blood that makes you realise you've been bit.its not sore and leaves only little pin prick type marks.i think we're all the same at first we fear getting bit that much,then when it happens you wonder what all the fuss was about.
cheers shaun

i let my frozen rats thaw at room temperature for 8 hours.i then use a hair dryer bought new just to heat my food.once it feels roughly the same temperature of a living mouse,hamster,etc in my hand.i then offer it to my snake using tongs.i treat my frozen rats,etc as i would treat frozen meat my family would eat.i dont feel comfortable thawing it straight from frozen with boiling water.other folk do this,i just dont feel right doing it that way.

[stlphotogal]

Thanks very much for all of the advice/information. Our gal seems to be doing okay - we've left her alone in her enclosure to acclimate to the the surroundings/sounds/vibrations and plan to continue doing so for the next week or two, however, she is spending a lot of time (at least what seems to be a lot of time) in her hide on the cool side of her tank. Obviously I don't know what she does in the middle of the night and during the day when we are @ work but I just wanted to make certain that it is 'normal' for them to do that. Her temps are as follows: Cool side: 75, Warm Side: 86, Humidity - 50-60%.

[Will0W783]

Yes that is perfectly normal- the snake will move from hide to hide to basking as it feels the need to. Snakes have very strong thermoregulating instincts, so there shouldn't be any need to worry, as long as the hide on the hot end is similar in size and shape so she will feel as secure there.

[citysnakes]

i'd bump up those temps a little bit.

[Will0W783]

Yeah, you should have a basking area up near 90-95 and during the day the cool end should only go down to about 80. Snakes' digestive enzymes, like all other living creatures', have a fairly narrow range of temperatures they will function in. If it is too cold the snake cannot digest the food properly and will refuse it or regurgitate it back up. If it's too hot the enzymes cannot digest the food as fast as it rots in the stomach and the snake will vomit it back up as well. Therefore a range of temperatures within the ideal range for the particular species is very important.

[Aaron_S]

Other than bumping the temps as it's been suggested just know that a ball python with a hide will primarily live in that hide. I had a couple of snakes who really only ever came out to eat or shed. Of course I keep mine in rubbermaids but she really just liked to stay hidden.

[stlphotogal]

I will bump up the temps, however, I do have a question: We heat her enclosure (a 36 x 18 x 18 glass tank with locking screen lid) with a 75W reflector during the day and have a ZooMed UTH heater on her warm side - is this appropriate or should I be heating the cool side as well? Ambient house temp is about 70F and she's in a closed room. Thanks, in advance, for the info - it's so very much appreciated as we want to keep her healthy and happy. :)

[Hillsberry]

My room is about 70F too. My snakes seem to be fine. As long as the cold side isnt to cold I wouldnt worry about it to much. Sometimes if my snakes enclosures are alittle cold I will put a towl over just the cold side to keep some heat in. The only bad thing with glass in enclosures is they dont hold to much heat in I think. But as long as your temps are good I think you Ball Python should do fine. BTW how warm is the hot side and how cold in the cold side?

[stlphotogal]

My room is about 70F too. My snakes seem to be fine. As long as the cold side isnt to cold I wouldnt worry about it to much. Sometimes if my snakes enclosures are alittle cold I will put a towl over just the cold side to keep some heat in. The only bad thing with glass in enclosures is they dont hold to much heat in I think. But as long as your temps are good I think you Ball Python should do fine. BTW how warm is the hot side and how cold in the cold side?

Warm oscillates between 86-90 and cool side is between 75-80

[shaunyboy]

dont heat your cool end mate.you only heat the hot end,then the temperature drops the full legnth of the tank to give you a good temperature gradient.that way the snake will pick the temp that suits it best.put hides in both ends of your tank,in the middle too if you have enough hides.that way a shy snake can hide in the temp it likes best.if a snake only has one hide and its nervous it will use that hide even if the temps dont agree with it.it will take being out of sight over a desired temp every time.most of my snakes only go up their hot end just before,during or after a shed,some sit up there for the whole shedding proccess.as for it being in its hide most of the time.your snake may prefer to stay out of sight on the other hand once it settles in it might come out more.the longer you have it the more you'll get to know it.before buying a snake check up on how that particular species acts in the wild and in captivity.some snakes like blood pythons will stay hidden most of the time and only come out to feed.carpet pythons on the other hand are semi arborial and love to climb and hang off branches in full view most of the time.its really worth asking people who work with the species your after just in case its usuall living habits go against what your looking for with your reptile.hope this has been some help to you mate.
cheers shaun

[mommanessy247]

ok since your talking about feeding, humidity, heat & substrate...has anyone here ever invested in dri-dek? they're rubber mats with holes in them to filter out pee/poo & rubber pegs on the bottom to keep the snake off the pee/poo. that's what i'm planning on using.
heating-i'm also planning on a uth & thermometer strips. i'm not buying stuff for the snake until june so i have time to make changes to the list of things i need.
now, as far as feeding ...i'm hearing alot of conflicting ideas on how to feed, feed it in a seperate bin, feed it in its cage...i'm thinking what the heck. now i'm not sure what to do.
humidity-my cage is gonna be a visionarium from creativepet.com so theres no screen top & it should hold the humidity better.
if there's anything i'm missing please tell me.