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New Baby Ball Python

R

Roxannenava

New member
I have posted a few threads on here about the loss of Jake my baby corn snake. I have decided to move on and instead of another beautiful corn I have decided on a python. I still hope that my Jake comes back to us. He is still very missed. Can anyone give me any advice from personal experience with owning a python that will be helpful to give my Bella the best possible life I can. Thanks!!
 
Did you read any caresheets or anything else before getting your new ball? Depending on the animal, they can be very finicky if their setup isn't just right. I had one who would go on hunger strikes if he was in a tank, and another who wouldn't eat unless he was in a tank. Babys can be very difficult to get started feeding. Did you purchase one who was well started already, or was still a tiny baby? Have they told you what it was feeding on? Some balls will absolutely refuse to eat f/t. (Note, I said "some" not "all".)
 
Bella I know has been fed at least 3 times. Last feeding was today, I mean yesterday. She is eating fuzzy mice. I have done some research and know that yes they in fact can be picky eaters. I also have some tips on how to try and coax feeding if I ever have a problem. So far so good. I am really excited to have her with us, and I am sure my patience will be tested at some point. Her tank isn't exactly what I would like for it to be but that will be fixed later today and then it will be pretty much what she is use to. Thank you for your post it all helps.
 
I didn't mean for it to sound like I was attacking you. Lol. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you could be in for in a worst case scenario. Who did your new little baby come from? Was it a pet store or breeder?
 
I posted this in the other thread, but here it is again just in case.

Couple of things with a new baby ball:

Did you get her from a breeder or a pet store?
Do you know exactly what she was eating before, frozen or live?

This is going to sound harsh, but after you get the cage changed around, ZERO handling for a full 7 days. Just check her water and make sure the temps are good, but do not handle her. Offer her first meal at the end of the 7 day no handling period. For the first meal, offer exactly what she has eaten before. If it was live, you need to offer live. After a few successful meals , then you can try to change to frozen thawed.

If you follow those steps, there should be no issues with feeding.

Is there any way you can snap a picture of your cage set up? Big open aquariums are really scary to baby BPs. A less confident and fearful snake may need extra hides or ground cover. Toss in some paper towel rolls, or fake plants.

They are shy and secretive snakes. An additional way to help is covering a few sides of the tank. You can use aquarium backgrounds, towels, or simply dark colored paper. This does not have to stay up forever. Cover three sides and leave one open. Over time (months) take the paper down one side at a time.
 
I did get her from a pet store. Yes the cage is quite open right now. I am using what I had for my corn snake after cleaning and buying some new things. I want to get more hides but I will throw in a paper towel roll until I can get it set up with what she needs. She has been eating f/t while at the pet store and I have visited for the last few weeks. She will be left alone for the next week. They fed her every Weds. Should I keep that schedule? They advised me to remove her from her habitat for feedings? This is what they suggested to me as well.

I am not feeling attacked or anything and much appreciate the feedback from everyone. :) I just want her to be happy and healthy while she is with us. With me being a first time owner I feel it takes a village. Thanks again!!
 
Cool, I'm glad she is eating frozen thawed.

You might want to block out at least two side of the tank. You can use construction paper or some pretty aquarium background like they use for fish. Just tape it on the outside of the tank and you will be good to go.

Once the "no-touchies" week is up, you can move the feeding day to whenever it is easiest for you.

I personally do not remove any of my ball pythons from their enclosures to eat. All 22 of mine eat in their enclosures. They are kept on cypress and newspaper. Most are just too shy, and once they get full grown, that is a lot of hungry snake to move.

I just make sure the food item is dry and super super warm. I keep a hair dryer in the reptile room specifically for that purpose. Thaw the food out normally like you did for your corn, then hit it with a blast of super hot air, or in a baggie dunked in super hot water, right before you give it to her. Ball pythons are much more heat sensitive than corns on food items.
 
Autumn knows her ball pythons!!

My experience with balls has been pretty negative, and it has put me off from ever delving into the ball python world more expansively. I have Ramesses, my very handsome normal boy, and he is such a pain. When I first got him, he had been a picky eater, the breeder had to force feed him for 6 months, but he finally started taking food on his own. At this point I was feeding all my snakes live (under the false impression it was better!) well, he lived in a 12 quart sterilite in a nice dark place (cough cough, hiding in my dorm room), and was a fantastic eater. After I got bit on the hand by one of the mice I was feeding him, I switched him to prekilled, then F/T which was super easy for him, I was lucky. Well when it came time to move him to a larger enclosure, he completely stopped eating. The cage was probably too large, but he is a big snake and I thought I was doing a good thing. He had lots of cover, his temps and humidity were all correct, and then he began to plummet down hill.

Though the husbandry was good, he stopped eating. I tried everything, rats, mice, and ASF. His sheds began to fall off by the piece rather than one long shed, and the scariest thing of all (which I think was actually a substrate allergy) is that the scales on his stomach would crack and flake off. He had been on cypress mulch.

Well. Against my own wishes I ended up buying him a boaphile rack (off craigslist thank goodness). I got him switched into the tubs in it, and put him on aspen shavings. His next shed came off in two pieces and his stomach began to heal. The next shed was one nice piece, and I literally cried because it had been over a year since he had a good shed. Within 3 months of getting him into the rack he began to eat again. He had not eaten anything at all in 6 months by that time, and I knew of another ball my friend had that went off feed for 8 every year, so I thought maybe he just had "other things" on his mind. That kinda all fell apart this year though, he ate all fall and right up into mid December. He refused food twice this year and is back to eating.

Any way. I guess my point is- anything can make a ball python turn finicky. Of course each one is an individual, but my experience has completely turned me away. I may one day add one or two when I have more patience because I really like pieds, but over all- I never want to deal with this again.
 
I put a towel covering pretty much half of the tank (20 gl) Bella decided to go into the hide that I have for her. The towel covers both sides, one end, and the top of the tank. I am hoping that will help with humidity as well. It's not very humid in my house and I can't seem to get the tank up to high 80's without having my heat on super high. We live in an apartment. :-/ Anyway, I think I need to get a larger UTH. This one says its large enough for the tank but it isn't really helping much. Moss is something that I hear works well. Does it work with aspen? Does it dry out? I have a Zilla and it came with a mesh lid. What can I change to make things perfect?
 
How are you measuring the temps?

Can you post a picture of the cage set up?

News paper or cypress is the best thing for ball pythons. Aspen is too dry for them. Most do really well on cypress their entire lives. Once in a great while you have one who is irritated by it.
 
They also like a hide they can squeeze into and feel all around them...Clay flowerpots with the hole in the bottom work great :)
 
I wish I could take a photo. I am only using my phone and I haven't figured out how to post photos yet or if I even can. I am using the thermometer/humidify gage that came with the tank for the humidity and for the temp I am using a digital with a probe. I will go out and buy some cypress and miss. I assume I still need to wait the "no-touchiest" week to change it out. :) I like that. I need to explain it that way to my son. Haha
 
Right now the temp is at 85.3. Bella is in the hide on the warm side. I am hoping she is cool with the temp and stuff the humidity gage says 30% or so
 
How are you measuring the temps? I've never heard of a UTH and lamp not working.

Autumn is obviously the one who knows more about the BPs, so listen to her advice, but I wouldn't use a light on a BP. It dries the tanks out too much, at least here in CO.
 
What kind of thermometer are you using? Is the prob directly on the glass at the bottom of the tank, under the substrate?

What type of bulb are you using?

A lamp with a UTH should be perfect, unless your house is unreal cold.

You need to hit 88-90 on the hot side.
 
My UTH is on the side of my tank and the heat lamp is on the same side and no the probe isn't touching the glass. I will fix that when I get home. My tank is bare right now aside for a hide and a small plant and a water dish. I am going after work to pick some things up. In a few hours I will be able to fix it up nice and comfy.
 
Ah, double check where the probe is. Your temps might actually be fine.


This is not the greatest example, since I would never use duct tape, but this is where the probe needs to be. Right down on the glass under the substrate. (This is an example only)

PICT0017.jpg
Borrowing this photo from BP.net

I use hot glue to keep mine on the glass if I am using them in a glass tank.

Once you get the cage adjustments made, start the no-touchies week. :)
 
That makes a ton of sense actually. So I will get it ready and fixer up. Ooooh I am getting more and more excited. The cypress mulch will help with humidity then with some moss. As soon as I can figure out how to take photos I will do so. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
 
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