is a UV light necessary?

Pliskin · 12-14-08, 11:15 AM

Just got my ball python in his new tank.could someone answer a couple of questions for me ,

- is it necessary to have a UV light ? I know some reptiles require this , but I'm not sure about snakes.( well, i've done a bit more reading and found out that ball pythons are nocturnal and thus don't require UV light)
- how many hours of daylight is recommended ?
- recommended temps for the tank?
- what kind of substrate are you guys using? I'm using some repti bark I had left over from when I had a lizard. The only thing I've heard of being bad for snakes is red cedar, anything else I should avoid?
here's the stuff I'm using , what do you guys think ,is this suitable for snakes?

Zoo Med Repti Bark - Bark - Substrate - PetSmart

Chu'Wuti · 12-14-08, 06:16 PM

BPs do not need a UV light--that's for diurnal (daytime) animals that bask in the sun. BPs are nocturnal.

Avoid pine, cedar--the evergreen tree-type shavings/woods--they contain & outgas toxic phenols. Reptibark appears to be fir--maybe it isn't as toxic? I'm not sure of that, and firs are definitely related to pine & cedar, so I personally would feel better being cautious.

I've read that the best wood shaving bedding to use is aspen, and I've used that for several years with no problem, so you might want to get that reptibark out of there & use aspen. It doesn't contain the phenolic compounds that are toxic. I've also read in Kevin McCurley's book, The Complete Ball Python, that cypress mulch is OK.

Re temps--80 to 85 degrees F during the day is good; 78 to 80 degrees F at night is fine. Also have a basking area of 88 to 95 degrees at one end of the enclosure. 95 would be the top temp--keeping it around 90 seems to be best. Use a thermostat for heat control if at all possible--you don't want your snake to cook or to freeze to death.

Humidity is also very important. It should be about 60-70% in the enclosure. Too dry and the snake won't be able to shed properly. Too wet constantly and you could end up with a sick snake, especially if too wet combines with too cold. I maintain around 60 to 70% with damp sphagnum moss in one of the hides so the snake can choose his comfort level. He generally switches fom one hide to another at some point during the day (24 hour cycle), so I figure he's regulating himself re humidity that way and perhaps also on temps, as one of the hids is over the under-tank heat pad where I maintain an even 80 degrees, while the other hide is in the warm end of the enclosure.

You'll find most people maintain a cool end, warm middle, "hot" end--but don't go over 95 degrees even at the hot end, and a little cooler is better. At my hot end, I have a ceramic heat lamp, and I've noticed my BP will get up on the branch under it to bask occasionally when he wants to warm up.

Have fun!

mykee · 12-14-08, 09:29 PM

I'm glad Chu gave you all the info you needed, because my response can now be this:
Why the hell didn't you do any of this rather important research PRIOR to owning your ball python, rather than posting on a forum to find out after the fact. It seems that with people are far less responsible adn mature when it comes to reptile owndership than any other type of pet. I also recommend you purchase a book on the captive husbandry of ball pythons so that you don't kill your animal because you couldn't get an answer fast enough on some forum. Time to get off your tuchus and start doing some research for yourself.

Pliskin · 12-15-08, 03:33 AM

thanks Chu'Wuti.

Chu'Wuti · 12-15-08, 04:10 AM

Mykee--ROFL!!

**Aaron_S** · 12-15-08, 08:33 PM

He's entirely right though Chu.

Why do we need to answer all the basic questions for new owners? It's great to come and ask questions but to me it's kind of lazy for someone to come to a forum and request us to do ALL the work for them.

It might not have been so bad if his first sentence was "So I plan to buy a ball python shortly but I'm unsure of a few things. Can any of you answer these questions?"

Chu'Wuti · 12-16-08, 10:48 AM

I know. But you know that for many (I'll agree, too many) people, hindsight is 20/20.

We can wish, though . . .

Pliskin · 12-16-08, 01:54 PM

every time I go into a new forum, seems like there's always some resident know it all that can't just answer a question or stay the hell out of the thread.

Just because I asked what may be rather newbish questions , doesn't mean I'm not actually already looking for the answer elsewhere . I am familiar with google.

If I have a question I'll post it on a forum, sometimes it'll yield an answer faster than googling.

I ask a couple of questions, and you're doing ALL the work for me?. ok, buddy.

I did ask the guy I bought it from for advice about caring for the snake. but, he just told me the basics and said I could call him for advice if needed. but I didn't think it was needed yet . and it doesn't hurt to hear other peoples views, so I asked for other opinions.

also, just because someone asks a question , don't mean you gotta respond to the thread.

**Aaron_S** · 12-16-08, 02:53 PM

Substrate, temps as well as lighting are all pretty basic questions that apparantly you've already had answered. I'm sorry but these are questions that you should have gotten answered before you bought the animal.

Posting on a forum is faster than google? This is from google that I just did.

Results 1 - 10 of about 171,000 English pages for ball python care sheet. (0.22 seconds)

Pretty sure that noone can make a response to a forum post as quickly as that.

I made a generalized statement in regards to "ALL the work". I wasn't being specific to you. Plenty of times on forums people come asking all the questions that can be found in a care sheet. Maybe if you word things like "I keep reading in different care sheets that the substrate should be this. What are your opinions of such and such".

citysnakes · 12-16-08, 04:33 PM

although those are basic, newb questions that everyone should somewhat know prior to purchasing any reptile they can all be answered differently depending on who you speak to.

what are we gonna do, respond like this to every new poster who "should" already know all the answers? lets just help the guy out shall we?

Pliskin, email me whenever if have any other questions and ill try to help man.

**Aaron_S** · 12-16-08, 04:45 PM

I would have responded better had he asked before he bought the snake and brought it home.

Pliskin · 12-16-08, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I would have responded better had he asked before he bought the snake and brought it home.

here's some evidence that I did actually ask some questions before bringing home the snake.

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/gener...ake-owner.html

did you happen to notice who the last poster was?

"I made a generalized statement in regards to "ALL the work". I wasn't being specific to you. Plenty of times on forums people come asking all the questions that can be found in a care sheet. Maybe if you word things like "I keep reading in different care sheets that the substrate should be this. What are your opinions of such and such"."

so, you just don't like the way I asked the question then? my apologies for not phrasing the question to your liking.

and like I mentioned before , you're not obligated to answer any questions , so don't if you feel its beneath you.

and thanks for the offer citysnakes, I'll keep it in mind.

**Aaron_S** · 12-16-08, 08:57 PM

The questions aren't beneath me.

I prefer not to assume you've done reading or know anything else because if I do and you don't then you'll just have follow up questions. I only like getting as much information as possible.

Yep, I gave polite answers in those. So I obviously am not above particular questions. I applaud you for your questions in that thread.

Julian, I stand by my statement that it's FACT ball pythons should be kept with 90 - 95 degree hot spots. I do agree that an answer regarding substrate can be answered different by who you speak with.

citysnakes · 12-16-08, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Julian, I stand by my statement that it's FACT ball pythons should be kept with 90 - 95 degree hot spots.

no its not...

Chu'Wuti · 12-17-08, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Julian, I stand by my statement that it's FACT ball pythons should be kept with 90 - 95 degree hot spots.

Quote:

no its not...

OK, I'll agree that technically it's not "fact," as facts cannot be other than true and are objectively true, which opinion is not. However, it seems to be fairly well established as appropriate by some apparently knowledgeable snake keepers/breeders, such as Kevin McCurley of NERD. Example: he makes that very temp suggestion (well, 88 to 95 deg F) on pp. 12-13 of his book The Complete Ball Python. McCurley has apparently been very successful in his keeping/breeding with BPs for a long time, so his text is pretty convincing.

So here we seem to have a difference of opinion--based on?? More data are always helpful.