Fresh and hopeful!

[CJNetrider]

Hey all! new to the forums and proud owner of a 16 week old Ball Python. This is my first ever snake and i'm looking forward to sharing a long, healthy and friendly relationship with for as long as he doesn't decide to make a quick snack out of me. That is if it really turns out to be a he as the previous owner didn't have a clue herself.

I've a quick couple of questions if anyone could shed some info please..
Firstly his set-up. I have him housed in a plastic tank that they bought when purchasing him. It came with a cave hide, heat mat, habistat, water dish and some bedding. I tried not to bother him thinking not to stress him out for as long as possible, but thought it a good idea just to let him have a sniff about and he seemed fine. Then came the surprise.. I set him back down and was lowering the hide over him and wammo! he arched back and struck at it like lightening! I haven't bothered him since and have been surfing for answers as to why this could have happened. I came up with two things which i'm hoping can be confirmed here or more advice offered. The temp settings on the habistat were set to 80f but komodo dial reads as 65f. Thinking this was low I handled him again and he felt cold! I've now set this to 85f, is this right? Secondly he has been fed 1 pinkie every 7 days to the hour and he is at least 13-14" long. I have been told that he should be on a full mouse by now?? I'm guessing the strike is a combination of stress at being moved, me lowering the hide on him from above, possibility of him about to shed, and maybe more.

Any and all advice very much appreciated as I really want to care for him in the best way possible!

Cheers all, Cj

[infernalis]

sSnakeSs.com - Rules (http://www.ssnakess.com/index.php?page=rules)

http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg

[alessia55]

Welcome to the forum, CJ! :)

Why your baby struck at the hide: You were lowering it over him... Imagine being small like him, and having a big dark thing being lowered over your. It's scary! I'd recommend putting the hide back inside BEFORE you put your snake in. Then put the snake in near the entrance of the hide and let him slither into it himself.

By the sounds of it, you only have one hide in there. He needs at least TWO. He needs one at the hot end of his enclosure, and one on the cool end. Snakes thermo-regulate themselves, and he'll want to feel safe doing so. Having a hide on each end will help him do that.
Another thing that adds to it is... he's in a new environment. New scents, new sights, new everything. He needs time to settle in and get used to his new home.

Feeding: you should be feeding him a rat that is 1.5 to 2 times the size of the largest part of his body. You'd be surprised how much they can eat! For a baby ball python that you say is about 16 weeks old, a pinkie is WAY too small. Look at his girth, then find something that is 1.5-2 times the size of it. Are you feeding live or frozen/thawed?

[Trent]

Hi and welcome!!

[Norm66]

Welcome!

First it's vital to have an accurate measure of the temps inside the snake's home. Best bet is an infrared temp gun but you can also get digital thermometers that have a probe you can place to get temps on both sides of the cage.

Second it's not a good idea to lower a hide down on your snake. Put the hide in first then the snake and let him/her decide to go into it or not.

Third, check out the stickied threads in the Ball Python forum here to get a good idea what's going on then post more questions as they arise. Someone will be along to help better soon I'm sure.

[shaunyboy]

hello and welcome

we have plenty helpfull ball python owners on here,i'm sure you'll enjoy the forum

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

Hot end temp should be 91f cool end about 75f, hides at both end and a waterbowl that he can fully get into is ideal.

What size is the snake and the tank?

Oh, and welcome to the forum!!! Whereabouts in the UK are you?

[marvelfreak]

Hello and welcome to our zoo.

[KORBIN5895]

Welcome. It's a jungle in here!

[Swany]

Hi and welcome to the madhouse ;-)

[CJNetrider]

Hi again,

Firstly, a big thanks to everyone for the welcome, replies and advice!!

Alessia and Norm, I completely understand what you've said and thought shortly after that lowering the hide probably scared the pants out of him.. I've since put hide back first and lowered him alongside. I also purchased another hide though it seems that the cave type doesn't allow him much room to manoeuvre. The enclosure is 17" x 10" and even though Petwise said it should suffice until he is around 11 months i'm already having my doubts :/ I would post some pics but don't think I have permissions as yet.

Now i'm home i'll be checking out the various stickies as there's a few more things i'd like to know such as shedding.. The previous keeper said she was told that he could be
close and looking at his skin it seems dry compared to the babies I was looking at, also his eyes look like they have a greyish matter forming, though the left eye much stronger than the right (fingers crossed its not heading for a poor shed)!!

Many thanks again!! i'm sure i'll be around fairly often with more questions and help where and whenever I can.

P.S i'm in Wales Rob, South to be exact. :)
Cj

[KORBIN5895]

The eyes clouding up is totally normal. As far as the container size goes I will let someone else field that one. Most snakes prefer a nice snug hide. My four foot BP used to get under this one hide and lift it off the ground but she loved it.

[shaunyboy]

Hi again,

Firstly, a big thanks to everyone for the welcome, replies and advice!!

Alessia and Norm, I completely understand what you've said and thought shortly after that lowering the hide probably scared the pants out of him.. I've since put hide back first and lowered him alongside. I also purchased another hide though it seems that the cave type doesn't allow him much room to manoeuvre. The enclosure is 17" x 10" and even though Petwise said it should suffice until he is around 11 months i'm already having my doubts :/ I would post some pics but don't think I have permissions as yet.

Now i'm home i'll be checking out the various stickies as there's a few more things i'd like to know such as shedding.. The previous keeper said she was told that he could be
close and looking at his skin it seems dry compared to the babies I was looking at, also his eyes look like they have a greyish matter forming, though the left eye much stronger than the right (fingers crossed its not heading for a poor shed)!!

Many thanks again!! i'm sure i'll be around fairly often with more questions and help where and whenever I can.

P.S i'm in Wales Rob, South to be exact. :)
Cj


re hides
imo,snakes like snug fitting hides mate,it makes them feel more secure if they can touch all the sides at the same time

re shedding
the eyes will cloud up over the next few days,then they will CLEAR up and look normal again

5 to 10 days after the eyes clear up, you will have a fresh shed

during the shed proccess they tend to show little activity and usually pick a hide for the duration of the shedding proccess

i'll let a ball owner reply regards the size of enclosure as its only carpet pythons i keep and they are very different in nature compaired to ball pythons.

carpets like a lot of space to roam around in,not all snakes feel secure with a lot of space

cheers shaun

[alessia55]

A 17"x10" should be OK for a 4 month old ball python.... The younger of my two ball pythons is about 5 months old and I have him in a 20"x12" which is only slightly larger than yours. You can move him into a larger enclosure, but just make sure there's not a lot of empty space. Having wide open spaces can make your baby feel nervous and exposed.

I'm glad you got him a second cave :) He's probably going to be really happy with it. Don't worry about the cage being a bit tight. My 5 month old ball python, as I mentioned above, has two hides and water dish in his enclosure, and not much else fits there. They don't need elaborate enclosures or lots of open space.

You should be able to post photos of him and his enclosure as of now... It's easiest if you use photobucket or a similar photo uploading site to post photos straight into your posts. Or you can attach them. Mess around with the features and you'll figure it out.

Enjoy reading the stickies in the ball python section, hopefully a lot of it will answer your questions. But feel free to ask more on here! We're here to help you :)

[SnakeyJay]

Welcome... :D

[red ink]

G'day and welcome

[CJNetrider]

Back again and hopefully able to post a couple of pics!
Note: He does have two hides but I had removed the other in all pics so I could get a better view of him

I am almost certain he is going into shed as I have caught him bathing his front end in his water at night and often stretches his nose up against the walls of the tank. The one eyelid remains more cloudy than the other, but it hasn't got any worse. To be honest it does concern me a bit, although i'm not at the stage of freaking out just yet.



This is Junior when I got him at what I was told 16 weeks

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa361/cjnetrider/Snake/DSC04633.jpg

He was being fed a pinky every 7 days and as thought this must have been a snack. I went and bought a small rat first, but it seemed a tad too big so offered a jumbo mouse last night which was his first feed from me. Feeding turned out to be fun as he popped his head out of the hide, looked at the mouse then turned to me as if to say "ok, whats the deal here?". I immediately thought shoot, I could be in for a long run here. However, a few dangles and dances later and he changed from inquisitive to let me at it mode! The whole process took less than 50 seconds and he was firmly coiled leaving me a happy father! :D Took a quick look this morning and still not convinced that the couldn't have handled the rat given the hardly noticable bulge in his girth. Picture below and appreciate any comments on this...

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa361/cjnetrider/Snake/post-1stfeed.jpg

The following is Junior with the f/t jumbo right after taking it. I didn't want to disturb unnecessarily so its not a good pic. Gave some thought into feeding outside yet as many have said it doesn't matter, and can even deter when in shed, I decided to let him have a go inside where he feels secure.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa361/cjnetrider/Snake/DSC04643-1.jpg

Last for now with him stretched out to give an idea if anyone can comment/agree/or not, on age and size to feed ratio.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa361/cjnetrider/Snake/DSC04639.jpg

I'm looking now for a infrared temperature gun that will suffice for now with the one set-up, recommendations appreciated (especially any in the UK to keep delivery low and quick!).

Back soon with updates, Cj

[alessia55]

He looks great. Congratulations :)

My only concern is that cage... It has a lot of ventilation and that usually means that the humidity in there is escaping. Ball pythons need good humidity to shed well and for overall good health. What is the humidity level in there?

[CJNetrider]

Hi Alessia, thanks for the reply and sorry i'm a bit late with mine!

Since reading what you wrote I have been to another reptile dealer who agreed with what you said and advised I should do one of two things.. Firstly, if I was going to keep the faunarium, he recommended I tape over all but two of the ventilation slots as to better maintain both heat and humidity. However, due to my ball being around the 18" mark, he tends to think he would do better in a ADT viv with lighting, better heat and a bit more space for hides, etc. Re the humidity I cannot give you a reading as I never got myself a hygrometer. This was due to the fact that I was initially advised it wouldn't be necessary when I first got him as the water, etc would suffice for his size. But I had a good think last night and decided to make a couple of immediate changes.. I have now moved the faunarium so that the hide he mostly stays in is facing the radiator allowing all the heat inc heatmat is on his warm side. I also purchased moss which i've put in the second hide between both warm and cooler areas.. ordered a much better digital thermometer with probe and I am giving serious consideration into the ADT viv..

I just had a quick check on him and found what appear to be two very small white balls of white hard pressed toilet paper in his hide. Unsure if this is a "very" bad shed or remains of the mouse he ate just the other day :/ Maybe better I upload a pic later..

On another note i've been offerered a columbian rainbow boa at 13 weeks complete with 3ft viv for £115 and have to say i'm tempted!! God help me i'm becoming addicted already lol! Anyone know the temperament of this snake?

Cj

[alessia55]

Hi Alessia, thanks for the reply and sorry i'm a bit late with mine!

Since reading what you wrote I have been to another reptile dealer who agreed with what you said and advised I should do one of two things.. Firstly, if I was going to keep the faunarium, he recommended I tape over all but two of the ventilation slots as to better maintain both heat and humidity. However, due to my ball being around the 18" mark, he tends to think he would do better in a ADT viv with lighting, better heat and a bit more space for hides, etc. Re the humidity I cannot give you a reading as I never got myself a hygrometer. This was due to the fact that I was initially advised it wouldn't be necessary when I first got him as the water, etc would suffice for his size. But I had a good think last night and decided to make a couple of immediate changes.. I have now moved the faunarium so that the hide he mostly stays in is facing the radiator allowing all the heat inc heatmat is on his warm side. I also purchased moss which i've put in the second hide between both warm and cooler areas.. ordered a much better digital thermometer with probe and I am giving serious consideration into the ADT viv..

I just had a quick check on him and found what appear to be two very small white balls of white hard pressed toilet paper in his hide. Unsure if this is a "very" bad shed or remains of the mouse he ate just the other day :/ Maybe better I upload a pic later..

On another note i've been offerered a columbian rainbow boa at 13 weeks complete with 3ft viv for £115 and have to say i'm tempted!! God help me i'm becoming addicted already lol! Anyone know the temperament of this snake?

Cj

CJ, It's good to hear you've updated to a better cage for your little guy. I really recommend getting a digital hydrometer though.

I can't tell by what you've described, what you might've found in his cage... Post a pic, that'll help us help you.

About getting a rainbow boa... You just got your first snake. I'd take at least a few months to get used to housing one snake before you get into a new snake that's a different species. Rainbow boas do make great pets, but I'd recommend getting more experience and perfecting the husbandry on the one you have now before you move onto a new one. Soon enough you'll be at the right time to get a new snake, but I recommend getting used to taking care of your ball python first. :)

[Gungirl]

I have now moved the faunarium so that the hide he mostly stays in is facing the radiator allowing all the heat inc heatmat is on his warm side.

I just had a quick check on him and found what appear to be two very small white balls of white hard pressed toilet paper in his hide. Unsure if this is a "very" bad shed or remains of the mouse he ate just the other day :/ Maybe better I upload a pic later..

On another note i've been offerered a columbian rainbow boa at 13 weeks complete with 3ft viv for £115 and have to say i'm tempted!! God help me i'm becoming addicted already lol! Anyone know the temperament of this snake?

Cj

I am a little concerned.. I highlighted in bold what worries me. If you have the snake near a radiator and a heat mat. Do you have the heat mat controlled by a thermostat? Also how are you to know how hot the Radiator is making it in the viv? If you are gone and the heat kicks on for a bit you could roast your snake.

As far as the little white balls.. a pic will help but it could be Urates ( pee). My Royal has passed some that look kind of like wadded up wet toilet paper.

I would say hold off on getting any more snakes until you are comfortable taking care of this one.

[CJNetrider]

Point taken re another snake.. I had already given thought and guess I was a bit over enthusiastic and was more interested in his viv. Problem is the guy wasn't prepared to sell without snake.

Gungirl, I have the heat mat regulated by a Habistat and that's one thing I am constantly checking. I have the probe positioned on top of the mat below the faunarium due to heat rising and keep a close eye on the temp reading inside. My concerns over this was the thermometer that was supplied when I got him.. Its a exo terra "clock dial type" that seems cheap and i've already ordered a new digital one with seperate probe so I can get a more accurate reading. The reading as I type (21.40) is 76 degrees F and the radiator has been just turned off. When on with heat mat it was giving a reading of 79/81 degrees F daytime. I have held him to see if he is swaying to the high or cold side, but nothing I could say was untoward. The digital should be here tomorrow morning and i'm going for the 24" viv so i'll have a half decent set up until he needs bigger.

Re the white stuff.. i've added pic below and have a feeling you're right on this one. It has a nasty smell to it akin too errr poop. Anyway, here it is alongside a radiator valve key for size idea.

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa361/cjnetrider/Snake/DSC04658.jpg

Thanks for the input :)

[Gungirl]

Ok the white stuff is snake pee (Urates)...

I am glad you are on top of getting it all set up right!