New ball python! :o)

[Lilyskip]

Hi everyone! I'm buying my first snake this week...it's a baby ball python, and I'm really excited. I've been doing a lot of research, and I have all of its cage stuff already...I'm just missing the snake ) I'm a little nervous about doing a good job taking care of it, though, so I have a few questions...

Assuming that I can get it to eat pretty regularly, how often should it be fed? A lot of people seem to say once a week to help it grow really big, but what if I don't want it extremely large? I don't plan to breed it or show it or anything...I just want it to be healthy, so whaddya say? Also, what should be the ideal humidity in the tank? I got a 100 watt heating bulb...will that be too hot?

Thanks for the help! I'll keep you all posted! ;o)

 

[Lilyskip]

Additional question...

Also, do female bps lay eggs if they haven't mated? I know that some female birds lay eggs as they ovulate, and they guard the unfertilized ones just like they would guard their own nest. Is this is the case with snakes?

 

[BigSam]

I think female Ball Pythons have to mate in order to lay eggs, Dat would be cool if they didn't have to mate though.

Sam,

 

[Bry]

Lily, welcome to the world of snakes. I'm glad to hear that you've done your research and have everything set up. You're already off to a good start, so don't worry too much about taking good care of this snake. A ball python is a pretty good choice for a first snake. The reason I say that is because ball pythons are known to have feeding problems, particularly with wild caught specimens. By your post, I gather you're already aware of this. Every 7-10 days is a pretty good feeding schedule to follow with a young ball python. Once they graduate to small adult rats you can cut back to every 10-14 days. A ball python will hardly get "extremely large". You don't often see adults at 5', but 5-6' is possible, but not very common. 3-4' is the is the average size for this species.

People are often mistaken that ball pythons should be kept in dry humidity. They come from mainly forest areas in coastal countries in Africa where the climate is rather humid. Keeping your ball python in a humidity range of 65-70% is ideal. Many people complain that ball pythons are prone to shedding problems. This mainly due to the misconception that they should be kept in dry climates. Living in Georgia, I don't have this problem with my ball python.

As for heat, you will have to play around with various wattages, but 100 watts sounds like it would be too hot. You can use regular household bulbs for heat. They're far cheaper than "heating bulbs" you find in pet shops, and work just as well. I've used them for 3 years with no ill effects. Again, you'll have to play with various wattages, but 40-60 watt bulbs seem to work in most homes. The main thing is to get the warm side of the cage at 87-90 degrees.

As for the eggs, I have never heard of female snakes laying unfertilized eggs. However, I have heard of it occuring in lizards. If it does happen in snakes, it seems to be a very uncommon occurence.

Now, it's my turn to ask questions. What do you plan to feed this snake? Live, pre-killed, or frozen-thawed (frozen, then thawed when needed) prey? Where do you plan to purchase this snake from? Pet shops, including Petco sell wild-caught or farm-raised ball pythons. Your best bet is to pick the snake up from a specialized reptile store, or from a reptile show near you where you can buy directly from a breeder. Post here or PM me if you have any more questions.

Bry

 

[Gillian]

Lily,
I can't add too much more to what Bry said. If you have any questions, I'm here as well. I've had Othello for a little over 4 years now.
Peace,
Gillian

 

[Lilyskip]

Hey guys--
Thanks for all the help so far...nobody in my family has ever owned a snake, so it's really nice to get this kind of feedback.

I plan on feeding frozen/thawed food, esp. since I don't think I'm mentally prepared to deal with my snake bleeding as a result of a live prey bite. If that doesn't work for a while, I might switch to pre-killed, but I'm hoping that it won't be an issue if I give him enough time to adjust without handling him (I'm thinkin a week?)

I'm a little concerned, since I am planning to buy the snake from one of the local Petcos in New Haven. (I do live in Miami sometimes, but that is with my parents and they are anti-snake-in-the-house, so they'd definitely be anti-me-buying-the-snake-under-their-roof) I couldn't seem to find any breeders, and the Petcos that I have visited so far told me that the snakes were either captive born or captive bred. I've handled a bunch of them, though, and they seemed healthily scared, then curious, reacted quicky when I put my finger near their head, had good muscle tone, no visible mites or ticks, and eventually constricted around my arm. I only contacted one specialized reptile store here, but the babies there were wild-caught, which seems to be the least tameable/most problematic kind. Would buying a Petco snake be asking for problems? (sorry, I'm longwinded!)

 

[Felkon]

Be careful with your new snake. When I bought my baby ball python it wouldn't eat. So I waited two weeks and tried again. This time it ate two fuzzie mice, but died just a few days later for no apparent reason. (it was treated for worms and parasites when I got it just in case it had them) So I have no idea why it died.

 

[Lilyskip]

Felkon--What were the temperatures like in your tank?

 

[Felkon]

The temps in the cage were at 82. And the basking spot was 88.

 

[arachnoking1234]

balls don't bask

 

[David_F]

balls don't bask

I'm sure all the inactive users in this thread (that's over two years old, BTW) appreciate your input.