My Female Ball : Morticia (Pictures)

[mattchibi]

Hey,
Ive been meaning to take some pics of my new bp, got her almost three weeks ago. Here she is, 3 years old, 30 inches long, weight unknown. Need to get a scale!

I wanted to make this thread so that I could go back in a year or two and see how much she has grown :) Shes already had one good shed and one good meal, hopefully she eats again this week.

Why hello!:
http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/3329/mortyface.jpg

Her new enclosure: (temporary for the next few months)
http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/2281/newcage2.jpg

Other pics of her exploring my room:
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6924/laidoutq.jpg
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/1984/dsc00412nx.jpg
http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/5409/crawlingupmyarm.jpg

Blurry shot of her eating:
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/1196/eatingf.jpg

Tell me what you think! Ive been told shes small for her age, but I am trying to get her on a regular feeding schedule.

[youngster]

2.5 ft is pretty small for a 3 year old, especially a female. I wouldn't worry unless she looks unhealthy though. She looks good from what I can tell.

[SkYyaMe1623]

Hey just as an FYI:

It's great you have 2 hides in the enclosure, and it's especially great that they're on opposite ends of the tank. However placing a light in the center of the tank defeats the purpose as snakes prefer a hot end (with a hide) and a cool end (with a hide). I highly recommend you place that light all the way on one end or the other. This is especially important for ball pythons because they will prefer to be hidden before they will place themselves in areas with healthier temperatures.

Nice ball python! They make great pets imo.

[mattchibi]

Hey just as an FYI:

It's great you have 2 hides in the enclosure, and it's especially great that they're on opposite ends of the tank. However placing a light in the center of the tank defeats the purpose as snakes prefer a hot end (with a hide) and a cool end (with a hide). I highly recommend you place that light all the way on one end or the other. This is especially important for ball pythons because they will prefer to be hidden before they will place themselves in areas with healthier temperatures.

Nice ball python! They make great pets imo.

Hey thanks for the heads up

I use the light to control ambient temps because my house is getting cold cuz of winter, i covered this in a past post. im only getting 75-78 on the cold side and 82-85 on the warm side. without the lamp, i would be getting 74 ambient temp LoL. still trying to resolve this issue

however, for now, I have a UTH on the right hide that sits at 92 all day. She spends most of her time in the warm hide but Ive seen her chilling in the cooler one as well.

Edit: to youngster:
Yeah she is quite small, I got her from an owner who wasnt feeding on a regular basis. That being said, he still kept her in quite good care, she just wouldnt eat for him regularly. As far as I can tell, shes disease free. no mites that I can see, no RI when I looked (need to open the mouth to further check), and her belly is completely fine from the UTH, no burns.

[Gungirl]

I have to say that the best way to control the temp is to get the snake out of the fish tank and into a wooden/melamine/pvc viv. Glass sucks for holding heat and a screen top kills the heat and the humidity.

My house is cold in the winter I have mine in a wooden viv with flexwatt on the hot side and a Radiant heat panel in the middle to maintain air temp with out killing the humidity.

[mattchibi]

I have to say that the best way to control the temp is to get the snake out of the fish tank and into a wooden/melamine/pvc viv. Glass sucks for holding heat and a screen top kills the heat and the humidity.

My house is cold in the winter I have mine in a wooden viv with flexwatt on the hot side and a Radiant heat panel in the middle to maintain air temp with out killing the humidity.

Are there any alternatives other than getting a new viv?

I plan on building her a big sweet new wooden viv after the Winter, Im just low on cash right now. Spent a lot on her current enclosure (well including the herpstat and uth and everything else), but Im willing to start building one now hopefully itll be ready in a few months.

Does anyone know some tutorials on how to create your own wooden viv with a glass front ?

[Gungirl]

There are a lot of threads on how to make your own enclosure.This is mine http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/enclosure-reptile-room-showcase/88383-building-another-1-thought-i-would-share.html
If you look on craigslist or ebay you can also get some used ones really cheep. If you can't get it into a new viv I would set an electric heater up in the room and raise the temp of the entire room.

[mattchibi]

There are a lot of threads on how to make your own enclosure.This is mine http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/enclosure-reptile-room-showcase/88383-building-another-1-thought-i-would-share.html
If you look on craigslist or ebay you can also get some used ones really cheep. If you can't get it into a new viv I would set an electric heater up in the room and raise the temp of the entire room.

I will probably move some stuff around in my house and create a room for her. Right now shes in my room with me, but I think since I am there at least a few hours a day, it might stress her out a little. I will probably move her before the end of the week, I have a space heater that would work pretty well in a small room.

What ambient ROOM temps should I aim for if I put her tank in a small room with a space heater? If I set the space heater for 80 F, it would eventually make the entire room 80 F, right? And that would be sufficient ambient temps for the entire tank, and then I also wouldnt have to use a heat lamp. So that would fix my temps as well as humidity?

[millertime89]

if you want a cheap and quick way to ensure your viv holds more heat, cover all but the front with corrugated cardboard with newspaper either underneath or over it (I like over, then you can read the comics whenever and constantly add new stuff).
corrugated cardboard is a fantastic insulator.

[alessia55]

You've got a lovely ball! :)

[ZARADOZIA]

Oh she is beautiful! Sasha just finished shedding today and hopefully I can get some pics of her out tomorrow. She weighs 4 pounds and I haven't measured her yet. But her girth is 6.5 inches.

[Lankyrob]

Unless the snake is stressed and not eating dont worry TOO much about being in the same room as it. All my reptiles are in my living room which i am in around 20 hours a day, my wife and daughter aer also there during different parts of the day and daughter has her friends around too and all mine eat fine and show no obvious steess signs.