Adopted Ball Python (w/ pictures)

[ballpython2]

I just received a two foot (length could be wrong I didn’t measure her/him) ball python and I wanted some help in making sure I am taking care of it properly. Here is the story, my good friend works at Petco and a home owner came into his job and gave him this ball python because the tenant who was there moved out and left it. So my friend gave me the snake for free. Right how I have it in a 50 gallon tank with some fake branches a big water dish and a big wood hide that it can fit its whole body inside of. I do not have a heat lamp because its summer time in Boston so it’s really already warm in my house plus I keep the snake in a walk in closet and I never open the window so heat gets trapped in there. However, if I need another heat source I do have a heat lamp and I also have a SAFE space heater I can use to heat the room up. Since I diversify the food in which all my animals eat, my ball python will be eating parakeets, mice, rats, hamsters , and gerbils as mean as some people may this snakes don’t discriminate in the wild when it comes to over powering and eating other animals. Here are some pictures, if you don’t have positive compliments or good constructive criticism (sp) don’t say anything at all. Thanks in add advance for all the help. I have had ball pythons in the past so I just want to double check and make sure I am doing this right.

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

i don't have any experience with snakes, but i'm just curious, why would you feed it parakeets?

 

[ballpython2]

i don't have any experience with snakes, but i'm just curious, why would you feed it parakeets?

just part of a varied diet, not any other reason. you ever seen a snake or heard of a snake in the wild passing up food because humans see it as a pet? or course you dont so i have parakeets on their food menu for that reason because snakes eat different kinds of animals including birds. but birds around my way carry mites and stuff so id need clean ones or ones close to it.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Right how I have it in a 50 gallon tank with some fake branches a big water dish and a big wood hide that it can fit its whole body inside of.

Sounds good, but I'd get two hides - one for the warm end of the tank, and one for the cool end. That way it won't have to choose between thermoregulating and feeling safe.

I do not have a heat lamp because its summer time in Boston so it’s really already warm in my house plus I keep the snake in a walk in closet and I never open the window so heat gets trapped in there. However, if I need another heat source I do have a heat lamp and I also have a SAFE space heater I can use to heat the room up.

The thing about reptiles is that you can't keep the whole tank at the same temperature; it doesn't allow them to adjust based on what they need at any given time. A digesting BP will want to be about 90F, but they need to be able to go to the cool end (80F) regularly so they don't overheat.

So I'd suggest getting thermometers so you know the exact temps you're working with, and moving the snake cage/adding an additional heat source as necessary. Lamps actually aren't that great, they'll drain all the humidity that your BP needs out of the air. Undertank heaters are the best.

(Also thermometers should be on the *ground* and not near the top of the tank. The snake lives on the ground, after all, and so the temps up in the air don't matter much. )

Since I diversify the food in which all my animals eat, my ball python will be eating parakeets, mice, rats, hamsters , and gerbils

Please don't do this. Ball pythons are notorious for getting "addicted" to one prey species and one alone, and as your snake grows it will become inconvenient and expensive to be feeding it multiple birds or ten mice or whatever every week because it will refuse to ever eat anything else. (Many people, including myself, have had BPs that won't even eat a rodent that's a different color from what they've imprinted on.) It needs to get on rats ASAP, which come in a wide enough range of sizes to last your BP its entire life.

With most species, yes, variety is fine. With this one, not so much.

Also looking at the pictures, the proportions of that tank look wrong for a 50g. It's too tall and narrow, like a fishtank. BPs are ground dwellers, and it looks like your snake has less ground space than my male in his 20 long. If you can find something lower and wider in the future, your snake'd probably like that.

 

[ballpython2]

Spore thank you very much for all of your help I greatly appreciate it so what I will do is keep it on rats. from looking at the size of my BP what size rats do you think will be good for this size snake? also, do you feed your BPs live rats? or do you buy them from rodent pro? If you buy them from rodent pro what sizes do you get? Again thanks for all your help and thanks for not biting my head off about the whole parakeet thing you actually put that in good words so it didnt sound offensive. Also, about the tank you are right I dont remember what size its but it may not be a 50 gallon could be a smaller. and yes it is an aquarium I am using for a snake tank instead. and I brought an under tank heating pad and this week I will buy another hide for the other side of the tank. Again thanks for your help if you have any more advice I'd love to hear it thanks.

Also I have a humidifier I use for that walk in closet because I have tarantulas in there also. that should be fine during its shedding times right? it has two settings high and low. I know too much humidity can make it sick right? So I'd be better off keeping it on low?

 

[Mushroom Spore]

from looking at the size of my BP what size rats do you think will be good for this size snake?

Without anything to show scale (hehe) in the pictures, it's hard to say. I'd put your snake next to a dollar bill and compare it to these: http://www.rodentpro.com/catalog.asp?prod=2&label=frozen_rats

You want something about as big around as the fattest part of the snake, but not more than 1.5 times as big.

also, do you feed your BPs live rats? or do you buy them from rodent pro? If you buy them from rodent pro what sizes do you get?

I actually buy from Big Cheese Rodent Factory, but they don't have a visual guide to sizes, only weight. So since you aren't sure what you're starting out with, rodent pro is probably good.

Also live rats are fairly dangerous, those suckers have some TEETH.

Also, about the tank you are right I dont remember what size its but it may not be a 50 gallon could be a smaller. and yes it is an aquarium I am using for a snake tank instead.

It's probably fine for now, they aren't extremely active snakes or anything. It's just something to keep in mind when you eventually get something bigger as it grows - look for more floor space, and less height.

My only immediate concern with a fishtank is to ask what you're using for a lid? I can't really make it out in the pics. Anyway, you want something with some ventilation, but that also locks securely and has no openings the snake can get its head through. These are some strong little buggers, and they can get out of VERY small openings. I underestimated this once, a couple years ago, and woke up with a python in my bed.

Also I have a humidifier I use for that walk in closet because I have tarantulas in there also. that should be fine during its shedding times right? it has two settings high and low. I know too much humidity can make it sick right? So I'd be better off keeping it on low?

Without knowing roughly how humid "high" and "low" are with that machine, I don't think I can safely say. You should be able to find a hygrometer for fairly cheap at the pet store (just not TOO cheap, you want something that actually works), and then we can work from there. Ideally you want over sixty percent, but less than...I dunno, eighty-five or ninety?

The real thing that seems to make them sick from "high humidity" is actually due to no ventilation, or living on damp substrate which tends to cause skin infections.

I can't think of anything else, but then I'm also half dead from too much heat and humidity myself. That's summertime in the South for you! Argh.

 

[ballpython2]

here are some pictures of the lid I use, instead of an aquarium lid when I initially brought this tank I brought a Terriaum top to go with it. and here is a picture of the locks I should be using these locks dont fit the tank the BP is in. So I'm going to use those hook things that mountain climbers use or just maybe some bricks.

 

[GootySapphire]

How would a snake like a ball python be able to differentiate colors of a mouse....

 

[ballpython2]

How would a snake like a ball python be able to differentiate colors of a mouse....

snakes can tell a lot by smell. they arent as stupid as many think. for example a lot of jungle carpet pythons wont take rats only mice. or is it they will only take mice and not rats one of those.

 

[Binky/Carol]

Please go to Repticzone.com and to Ball pythons.net.
They have great ways on helping you set up your tank the correct way.
You will need a hydrometer and a digital thermometer, one for each side.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE an UTH.. they REQUIRE belly heat to process their food.
you need to have that on a thermostat, a Lutron table top dimmer switch works well along with a digital thermometer.
You need to have TWO hides, WOOD IS BAD it WILL mold. you have to have 50-60% humidity. You can use simple plastic bowls, mixing bowls, small cat litter pans with a hole cut in the side of each.
They like SNUG hides. And since they are ground dwelling you need to add more clutter to the tank. It is a bit big for him/her. But if you clutter it up it may work.
I have rescued aobut 15 in the last 8 months, and have learned ALOT from those websites.

Carol

 

[rollinkansas]

Please go to Repticzone.com and to Ball pythons.net.

repticzone.com is one of the worst reptile forums out there.

 

[ballpython2]

Please go to Repticzone.com and to Ball pythons.net.
They have great ways on helping you set up your tank the correct way.
You will need a hydrometer and a digital thermometer, one for each side.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE an UTH.. they REQUIRE belly heat to process their food.
you need to have that on a thermostat, a Lutron table top dimmer switch works well along with a digital thermometer.
You need to have TWO hides, WOOD IS BAD it WILL mold. you have to have 50-60% humidity. You can use simple plastic bowls, mixing bowls, small cat litter pans with a hole cut in the side of each.
They like SNUG hides. And since they are ground dwelling you need to add more clutter to the tank. It is a bit big for him/her. But if you clutter it up it may work.
I have rescued aobut 15 in the last 8 months, and have learned ALOT from those websites.

Carol

Did you read anything I wrote? or what was already said to me? :? Spores has already told me what I need/needed to get.

I already have an UTH I already have hides. These Hides I have dont rot at all, I have actually used them in the past for other snake species I have had.

You do also realize its against the rules of this board to advertise other reptile - type forums/websites right?

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

omg! breaking message board rules!!!! call the police!!!

 

[penny'smom]

All I can say is, I am currently snake sitting an 18 inch BP, and yours seems much bigger than two feet.

Beaut of a BP!!!

 

[ballpython2]

All I can say is, I am currently snake sitting an 18 inch BP, and yours seems much bigger than two feet.

Beaut of a BP!!!

Thanks, I agree with you, I have no idea how long my BP is, maybe its already the max size lol..

 

[ballpython2]

here is my baby in a youtube video...

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