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Should I take the BP or not?

NFS07

NFS07

Stolen
I have been asked to take on a BP. Its a friend's brother's and step-father's snake but he does not get cared for very well. Heat rock/ lamp and Im sure the temps are never over 70 since the house is always so cold and there is a screen top on the glass tank and he is on paper towels. Though I would not be able to tell since they have a stick on thing. Since I have been learning about the care of corns I have been trying to get them to at least switch over to an UTH, needless to say it has not worked. The mother is tried of having the snake in the house when no one wants to care for it. The following is the email she sent me, names have been marked out well other then mine and the snake's.

Hey Cole,

I see you have a lot of snake pics now and I was wondering if you would like another one? It makes me sad that ---- doesn't care for Jake the way he should and I want to get rid of him. I think it would go over a lot smoother if I could find a home for him with someone that --- and ---- know. You know how low maintenance he is, he eats every couple of months, poops a few days later....you know the drill. I am looking to get rid of him and the tank and all included. I also have a small tank on the porch that can be used as a feeder tank or for another snake if you want it. I don't know if you have room for something so big as Jake but if you do and you would like to have him, it would make life here a lot easier. I will mention to ---- one more time about his responsibility to Jake (who he has had for 10 years now) and see if he really desires to keep him, otherwise, I'll be looking for a new home for him.

Hope all is well,
---
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At the moment I don't have the space but it can be made. He is eating live which to be honest I am not fond of at all. The poor thing already has a messed up eye and many bites on him due to live feedings. Also, found this out from my friend. Jake stopped eating for about 6 months not to long ago he passed a bone. Can't be good...

If I was to take this animal on would he be ok in an 28Lx18WX6D tub? They have a LARGE tank, 50 gal I think that he does not use since he is always in his hide which I was able to talk them into upgrading... ok I switched them out a few Christmases ago and no one complained and Jake fit better. I would not be able to fit a tank that size into my room so he will have to be downgraded. Would he be able to switch over to F/T or am I stuck with live feeding? I looked into BPs when I first started looking into snakes because Jake is the first snake I held but I remember little. Tell me what I need to know or point me to were I can find out the info. Yes I am starting to read care sheets and all again but as someone else said you guys know the snakes!

Thank you to any help. I got this email today and I told her that I don't have the room right now but it could be made. Asked how large the tank is and told her I would think it over.
 
Found a photo of him from about 5 years ago that I had on my myspace.
 

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Tank should be ok, depending on his size now. I assume its male because of it going off feed at this time. I dont think it would be super hard to switch him over from live to maybe fresh killed and then to f/t.

There are many on here that I am sure will offer loads of help :) I guess I would see what they have to say but I would also contact LadyOhh about it. She knows so much about bp's.

Do you feel it would be better off at your home? Do you really want it or will just take it in because you feel pressured to do so??
 
I adopted a ball python that had been housed in a 30 gallon and fed live her whole life, because she "would not eat prekilled". I kept her in the 30 gallon for a while and she was fine with it. She's in a 40-long now, though she always stays in one spot and doesn't seem to notice or care about the extra space. I think Jake would probably be fine in a smaller enclosure than he's in now. Oh, and she ate prekilled for me the very first time I offered. I just had to wiggle it a bit.

Does that mean Jake will? No. He might not. But he might. It will probably take some enticing first, but the only way to truly know is to try. If he want take f/t you can try fresh killed, or if he refuses that, try stunned.

Taking him in is your call. I know a lot of people on here have mixed feelings about ball pythons. I find mine to be extremely low maintenance. I mist them once in a while, but otherwise I care for mine almost exactly as I do my corns. One eats like a champ and the other goes on random hunger strikes, but remains healthy and active with a good weight on her. I'm sure Jake has sentimental value to you, being the first snake you held, and I think it would be cool if you gave him a better home. Though you should only do it because you want to, not because you feel you should.

If you do decide to take him, I would definitely take him in for a probably overdue vet checkup.
 
I would say take him. Obviously, you're much better equipped to take care of him. Even if you end up not wanting him, you're much better equipped to find him a good home (and care for him in the meantime). On the flip side of that, you could end up with a beloved, life-long pet. I've experienced both sides of that... My rescue beardie is mah baby but the BPs (one rescue, one "freebie") are just a couple extra mouths to feed every few weeks.

The tub would probably be fine. Another one of those "depends on the snake" things... Specifically, how big/active he is.
 
Cat_Eyed_Lady said:
Tank should be ok, depending on his size now. I assume its male because of it going off feed at this time. I dont think it would be super hard to switch him over from live to maybe fresh killed and then to f/t.

There are many on here that I am sure will offer loads of help :) I guess I would see what they have to say but I would also contact LadyOhh about it. She knows so much about bp's.

Do you feel it would be better off at your home? Do you really want it or will just take it in because you feel pressured to do so??
Click to expand...

Yeah Im not really sure how the live and fresh killed would go over in my house. Part of the reason I was able to get a snake was because of the f/t thing. So I really hope he is able to switch over, I know there are many threads out there about how to get him to so I will have to find those. I know that I could give him a better home and life just not sure if I want to give up that space to him or not.

Kaminoke said:
I adopted a ball python that had been housed in a 30 gallon and fed live her whole life, because she "would not eat prekilled". I kept her in the 30 gallon for a while and she was fine with it. She's in a 40-long now, though she always stays in one spot and doesn't seem to notice or care about the extra space. I think Jake would probably be fine in a smaller enclosure than he's in now. Oh, and she ate prekilled for me the very first time I offered. I just had to wiggle it a bit.

Does that mean Jake will? No. He might not. But he might. It will probably take some enticing first, but the only way to truly know is to try. If he want take f/t you can try fresh killed, or if he refuses that, try stunned.

Taking him in is your call. I know a lot of people on here have mixed feelings about ball pythons. I find mine to be extremely low maintenance. I mist them once in a while, but otherwise I care for mine almost exactly as I do my corns. One eats like a champ and the other goes on random hunger strikes, but remains healthy and active with a good weight on her. I'm sure Jake has sentimental value to you, being the first snake you held, and I think it would be cool if you gave him a better home. Though you should only do it because you want to, not because you feel you should.

If you do decide to take him, I would definitely take him in for a probably overdue vet checkup.
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I don't really have room for anything larger then a 30 gal which I was hoping to put Kryp into. I have seen Jake move to eat and when we would take him out, maybe it was because the temps were wrong but from what I have read so far they don't do much so I was hoping it would be ok to move him to something a bit smaller. And Im not even sure they knew snakes should go to the vet so a trip to see one would be soon after I got him.

Floof said:
I would say take him. Obviously, you're much better equipped to take care of him. Even if you end up not wanting him, you're much better equipped to find him a good home (and care for him in the meantime). On the flip side of that, you could end up with a beloved, life-long pet. I've experienced both sides of that... My rescue beardie is mah baby but the BPs (one rescue, one "freebie") are just a couple extra mouths to feed every few weeks.

The tub would probably be fine. Another one of those "depends on the snake" things... Specifically, how big/active he is.
Click to expand...

I know if I took him in I would take care of him without a doubt but Im not sure if I would be able to give him away to someone else just because I am pretty sure the son and step father would want to know who has him. He is at least 10 years old, I dont remember how small he was when they got him so at the most I would have 10 years with him, unless he lives to be over 20. Not that I want him to die when he hits 20 or anything. Just thinking. I would not be able to take him until the new year since I am going to be out of town for awhile. (Alan is watching my babies. I will cure him!)
 
NFS07 said:
...Im not sure if I would be able to give him away to someone else just because I am pretty sure the son and step father would want to know who has him.
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not to be rude...but if they dont care enough to care for it properly now then i dont see how they have the grounds to dictate how YOU choose to 'solve their issue' so to speak. that may be a bit too blunt...but i'm sure you see my point. :)
i think that if you take this animal you need to make it clear to the owners two things: you are doing them a FAVOR. and not a small one at that. they should be kissing your butt. second: you reserve the right to do whatever is best for the animal...including re-homing if that comes to be the case. if you are paying the vet bills you are taking responsability. that gives you the decision making rights.
i dont do 'strings attached' rescues. when i am responsable for an animal i am the only one making decisions on its behalf. this doesnt mean i cant take advice or input...but i will ultimetly make all decisions on my own. just some food for thought.
 
NFS07 said:
I know if I took him in I would take care of him without a doubt but Im not sure if I would be able to give him away to someone else just because I am pretty sure the son and step father would want to know who has him. He is at least 10 years old, I dont remember how small he was when they got him so at the most I would have 10 years with him, unless he lives to be over 20. Not that I want him to die when he hits 20 or anything. Just thinking. I would not be able to take him until the new year since I am going to be out of town for awhile. (Alan is watching my babies. I will cure him!)
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That makes sense. I'm in much the same situation with Hobbs... I guess that's the problem with "local"/friend rescues... Though Rosie does make a very good point.

What if you tell them, very clearly, that you WILL rehome him to a better home if it doesn't work out with you? I told a friend of mine pretty much that concerning a tortoise this month... A friend from school wants me to "rescue" a juvenile Sulcata tortoise from her little brother. I can't do a tortoise right now (let alone a big species like Sulcata), so I told her that I would help them rehome it and, if I could, I would take it off their hands in the meantime. :shrugs:
 
Floof said:
What if you tell them, very clearly, that you WILL rehome him to a better home if it doesn't work out with you? I told a friend of mine pretty much that concerning a tortoise this month... A friend from school wants me to "rescue" a juvenile Sulcata tortoise from her little brother. I can't do a tortoise right now (let alone a big species like Sulcata), so I told her that I would help them rehome it and, if I could, I would take it off their hands in the meantime. :shrugs:
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This makes sence to me. your limited in your ability to do whats best for the animal when there are people out of the picture that have a say over what goes on.
 
Good point. I will have to let them know that I will do what I can but if I can't then I will find him a great home. Thanks for pointing that out.
 
check out Ballpythons.net..it's a site very similar to this only it's for bp instead of corns :)..You might have to do a google search for it..but it's a great site ;)
 
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