bought a python who is supposedly 10 months old

[Wendtskie]

How big should a 10 month old ball be? Mines prob 2 feet long and as thickasa loonie at his thickest part

[alessia55]

Not sure what a loonie is, but this is my 6mos old male ball python for size reference:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG_0632.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG_0634.jpg

[Wendtskie]

Thats a gorgeous snake! Mines even small then that tho!

[alessia55]

Then he is either underfed or not 10 mos old. Post a pic please

[Wendtskie]

Not much smaller then that but still a bit smaller i.cant.upload pics froms my phone

[Wendtskie]

They said they fed him every second weds

[alessia55]

They said they fed him every second weds
A young ball python should be fed every week. That's what you should do for him now to help him catch up on his growth. Post pics when you get to a computer if you can.

[Jenn_06]

If its from a breeder a lot will underfed them. I got a BP thats about 7 months old and only 160g i had her for a month and already put on 70g.

[mykee]

A young ball should be fed every 4-7 days. A 10 month old ball python should be in the 400-750g range.

[theapexgerman]

Not much smaller then that but still a bit smaller i.cant.upload pics froms my phone
If you got an smart phone you can use Postimage.org - free image hosting / image upload (http://www.postimage.org) I post pics from my phone all of the time its pretty easy

[Wendtskie]

View image: IMG 20120320 163010 (http://postimage.org/image/5qhycy3tb/)

[Gungirl]

That poor snake looks like it is having a horrific shed.

[Wendtskie]

View image: IMG 20120323 191200 (http://postimage.org/image/9r5ggmw59/)

[Wendtskie]

I bought.him during a shed so prob stressful

[Gungirl]

What are you keeping him in? temps and humidity ?

[theapexgerman]

Besides the shed problem he looks like he's at good weight but I'm not an ball expert

[Wendtskie]

Hes in the exo terra i talked about in the Boa forum. Temps at 80 on the cold side and 85ish on.the warm and its at like 88 at the top of his tree

[Gungirl]

Ok.. balls don't like to climb for heat. try and get the temps right on the ground. Also what is the humidity like? does he have 2 hides? ( one on hot side one on cold side)

[Wendtskie]

Exoterra like the one.I mentioned in the Boa forum. Temp is 84 warm side 80 cool side and.88 up in.his tree by the light

[Gungirl]

did you even read my post?

[Snakefood]

88 is not hot enough, and the heat should be coming from the ground, not a basking light. Not enough humidity will cause a bad shed. And he definately needs to eat more than that person was feeding him

[Wendtskie]

He has a warm hidey and a cool one i have a temp probe in the warm one and it stays ag about 87.9 the humidity is at 40

[Wendtskie]

Yes i read your post i refreshed the Page and my comment wasnt there so i rewrote it

[Gungirl]

you need your humidity way up. Don't let it get below 55-60 normally and when in shed 75-80 is more like it.

[Wendtskie]

How do i get the Humidity up and stay up at 55-60? ive read alot saying balls only need like 60 in a shed

[Gungirl]

get it out of the exo terra and into a tub. Heat it with flexwatt and not a light. Also mist down the sub-straight. I use cypress because it holds the humidity and doesn't mold like aspen and most others do.

A screen top and a light will kill your humidity.

[theapexgerman]

Also reptibark is good to don't know if it is cheaper than cypress tho

[alessia55]

You need to make sure your husbandry is spot on. If you need help with the proper set up, you can check out Ball Python Set Up Enclosure (http://www.pythonregiuscare.com/Setting_Up.html) . Feed him every week and he should start to put on more weight.

Temps: The hot side should be set to be 87-90F, and the cool side should be 77-80F. He should be getting his heat from an under tank heat mat, not a lamp.

[alessia55]

How do i get the Humidity up and stay up at 55-60? ive read alot saying balls only need like 60 in a shed

Put him in a tub or in a melamine or a plastic enclosure. Use ReptiBark as a substrate, and mist occasionally. Use a digital hygrometer to measure humidity for an accurate reading. You should aim to have 55%-60% at all times, and up to 70% when he's in shed. Provide a water dish that is large enough or him to fit inside, that will help up your humidity too.

[Wendtskie]

i dont really want a tub as it is an eye sore and these Exoterra are quite nice. is there a way i could just cover some of the screen?

[theapexgerman]

You could try foil use the foil to cover most of the screen I've herd of others doing this I don't know if it would be the best

[alessia55]

i dont really want a tub as it is an eye sore and these Exoterra are quite nice. is there a way i could just cover some of the screen?

Aesthetics shouldn't matter at this point. His well-being needs to come first, always. So get him a tub. Or, if you have the money, you can get a melamine or a plastic enclosure like this one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/alessia55/IMG02441-20120307-2149.jpg

But he NEEDS better husbandry, and switching to a tub might be what he really needs right now. Glass and screen tops are going to put him at risk for dysecdysis (bad shedding), dehydration, and stress.

Get at heat mat, hook it up to a thermostat, get the temps right on the ground, and cover the screen top with towels or saran wrap to try and trap humidity, and mist the substrate. If you have aspen as a substrate, though, you'll be creating mold by wetting it. So switch to ReptiBark if you can.

Not trying to be "mean." I just want to make sure your snake can be happy and healthy so that you can enjoy him for a long time to come.

[Wendtskie]

he seems healthy he is real happy and likes exploring alot when hes out. he doesnt seem to be stressed at all but ill try the saran wrap thing for now i guess see what it does.

[Gungirl]

Take the advice given please, Regardless of how you think he is. He is in rough shape and the husbandry is poor.

[alessia55]

he seems healthy he is real happy and likes exploring alot when hes out. he doesnt seem to be stressed at all but ill try the saran wrap thing for now i guess see what it does.

I'm sorry, but if he is shedding the way he is in the photos you've given us, then he is stressed. Exploring is not a sign of snake happiness. Please take the advice that has been given to you seriously... your snake will thank you for it.

[Wendtskie]

how has he survived on these conditions then? i figured i buy a snake off somebody they would be raising it right but obviously not. i saran wrapped the top hopefully that helps!!!!

[theapexgerman]

I don't know if saran wrap will replace Tin foil I would use Tin foil

[alessia55]

how has he survived on these conditions then? i figured i buy a snake off somebody they would be raising it right but obviously not. i saran wrapped the top hopefully that helps!!!!

Survival doesn't mean he's happy and healthy. Ball pythons can SURVIVE in bad conditions, but eventually it'll cost him his health. I really shouldn't have to convince you to want to do what's best for your snake...

[lady_bug87]

I don't know if saran wrap will replace Tin foil I would use Tin foil

I used saran when I realized the air in my condo was dry (middle of winter) and if you double up it works just fine.

My BP lives in an exo screen top and he is doing very well. Gets misted 1-2 times a day and always has beautiful sheds.

[theapexgerman]

Oh I never use either I just herd of others members use and thought I post it lol might help

[lady_bug87]

Anything can work, Ive used damp towels, taped garbage bags whatever is handy and usually only in the winter months. During the summer it gets pretty humid here so my tanks are all usually 65-70 without doing much work

Screen tops are not the devil they just require more husbandry attention then tubs. Since my collection isn't very big it isnt a big deal to spot check and spray twice a day.

[CK SandBoas]

I use Lexan to cover the top on my Royals enclosure, and it works perfectly to hold the humidity in.

[theapexgerman]

I have 4 snakes in screen top tanks what I did was just use duct tape on the under side of the screen works good and in arizona there's like no humidity just dry air

[Wendtskie]

i am taking your advicd so dont think you are "trying.to convince" me it was a simple question. Obviously i bought a snake i wanna look after it right

[Wendtskie]

And i just figured saran would seal better then foil

[Wendtskie]

Exo-Terra Humidity Tips - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHxd386B4Wk)


sweet vid would it work for a Ball?

[Caylan]

I use a folded up shower curtain on my tank... As for humidity, feel free to spray the cage down every night and that should help. 40% isn't too far off so there's probably not a lot of tweaking needed to be done. Simply changing substrates to bark mulch or coco fibre can drastically increase humidity, and when sprayed, it holds humidity without molding really well. Another Option is adding a humid hide to the enclosure, filled with damp sphagnum moss. We'll get it straightened out, no problem!

[Wendtskie]

I have everything all figured out its not pretty its alot of duct tape and foil but it seems to be doing the trick Hi side temp is 88 low side is 79 ish and humidity is at about 50. I seen a vid on youtube on how to help a bad shed I did it seemed to work and now everything should be perfect

[theapexgerman]

Also I herd of this stuff called zoo med sheeding aid I know a few people that use it its suppose to help the sheeding and make a shiny coat on skin its like 4 bucks may wanna try that spray it on him once an month or something

[Wendtskie]

I know you guys say no heat light for ball but i dont think my UTH is putting out enough so i need it!

[lady_bug87]

I wouldnt spray the snake.

My bullsnake is a problem shedder it does not matter what I do with my husbandry humidity can be perfect she just sheds poorly. I take her out of her enclosure and I get a damp wash cloth and I let her feed through my hands, works every time.

Also make sure your water bowl is big enough for the snake to coil up in mine will soak before it sheds.

[KORBIN5895]

My heat is all from lamps. You just have to keep on top of your husbandry.

[Gungirl]

Exo-Terra Humidity Tips - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHxd386B4Wk)


sweet vid would it work for a Ball?

No that is not ok for a Ball. That was a set up for an arboreal snake, one that likes to be perched and climb. Ball pythons (royals) like to be hidden on the ground. A longer wider tank/tub/viv is far better than a tall slender one like the one on the Youtube video. Here is a picture of my Royals viv

http://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee454/KAMacie/DSCF0512.jpg

[alessia55]

I know you guys say no heat light for ball but i dont think my UTH is putting out enough so i need it!

Is the UTH on a thermostat? It can help raise the temperatures. Where are you measuring the heat? With a thermometer that reads ambient air? or with a heat probe in the substrate?

[KORBIN5895]

A thermostat isn't going to help raise the temperature of a heat pad.

[alessia55]

A thermostat isn't going to help raise the temperature of a heat pad.

If I set my thermostat to 90F, it brings my UTH up to 90F. Most heat pads have a range of temperatures they can reach. So long as the temp you want is within that range you should be able to get it there.

[KORBIN5895]

Try plugging your heat pad in and then check your temps. It will probably go to its Max temperature.

[Wendtskie]

I didnt mean the setup in General just his top idea to cover the screen for humidity control

[Wendtskie]

Where do i get a thermostat in Canada and how much am i lookin at?

[Gungirl]

It is never a good Idea to use any heat source without a thermostat. I am not in Canada so Idk but look around online.

[KORBIN5895]

Try plugging your heat pad in and then check your temps. It will probably go to its Max temperature.

This was for Alessia not the op.

[alessia55]

Try plugging your heat pad in and then check your temps. It will probably go to its Max temperature.

I am well aware of this...

[KORBIN5895]

Is the UTH on a thermostat? It can help raise the temperatures. Where are you measuring the heat? With a thermometer that reads ambient air? or with a heat probe in the substrate?

Sorry I guess I just misinterpreted this. I am a little foggy today.

[mykee]

Too much bad information in this thread so I thought I would pop on and clear it all up.
You'll need 60% humidity from day to day and as close to 100% during a shed.
You'll also want cool side temps of 80-82 and warm side temps of 90-95.