So I have a question about Python regius, particularly heating/temperature. After reading several caresheets online and some say keep it between 75.2 F and 85.1 F, and other 80-85 F... One person says the temp should not get above 90 F (not even in basking spot), other one says basking spot should be 92-95 F - I'm kinda confused and would like to hear some personal opinions based on experiences.
Python regius question(s)
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I keep a nice solid range of 80 on the cool end and 90 on the warm, give or take 2-3 degrees as weather varies the temps in my apartment. My male is about three years old now, fat and healthy, and has never had any problems except when previous drafty poorly insulated apartments kept dragging his heat (and humidity) down.
Keep them much cooler than 80 and you'll get a non-eater/respiratory infection, keep them much hotter than 90 and they seem to avoid that hot area like the plague.
Keep them much cooler than 80 and you'll get a non-eater/respiratory infection, keep them much hotter than 90 and they seem to avoid that hot area like the plague.
Thanks for the input. 
I have a male too, but he's only months old I think, he's about 18" long, and terribly cute.
I'm currently heating his enclosure with a heating cable from under. The ambient temp in his enclosure is 77 F, inside his hiding place on the warmer side (which is a granite cave) it's 80-81 F... (the cave keeps the warm air in obviously, making it nice and warm) I'm thinking about buying a heat meat on Monday, which I think heats it up better so I can keep him a little warmer (I'm gonna need it eventually anyways when it gets colder in winter). He seems to be doing ok, he's hiding during the day, and comes out exploring in the evenings. Haven't fed him yet (got him only a week ago), so don't know if I'm gonna have feeding problems, we'll see, I hope not.
I have a male too, but he's only months old I think, he's about 18" long, and terribly cute. I'm currently heating his enclosure with a heating cable from under. The ambient temp in his enclosure is 77 F, inside his hiding place on the warmer side (which is a granite cave) it's 80-81 F... (the cave keeps the warm air in obviously, making it nice and warm) I'm thinking about buying a heat meat on Monday, which I think heats it up better so I can keep him a little warmer (I'm gonna need it eventually anyways when it gets colder in winter). He seems to be doing ok, he's hiding during the day, and comes out exploring in the evenings. Haven't fed him yet (got him only a week ago), so don't know if I'm gonna have feeding problems, we'll see, I hope not.
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Don't feed him if the tank's not warm enough! Even if he eats, he may not be able to digest without proper heat to help his metabolism along - which can lead to regurgitation (damages snakes inside much more than when a human vomits) or food rotting in their stomachs.
You're better off not feeding until you have the temps right (I'm next to positive 80F as a basking spot won't cut it), snakes don't suffer any by waiting a few more days before a meal.
You're better off not feeding until you have the temps right (I'm next to positive 80F as a basking spot won't cut it), snakes don't suffer any by waiting a few more days before a meal.
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Aww geez they're so cute and stubby at that age. I remember when my Rorschach was so tiny he could try to wrap around my neck and not be able to reach his tail with his nose.
Now I handle him and his big long fat body is just all over the place.
I remember when my Rorschach was so tiny he could try to wrap around my neck and not be able to reach his tail with his nose.Now I handle him and his big long fat body is just all over the place.
News, and a few more questions
I have just made a proper measuring (right now I only have a plain crappy thermometer that's mobile, so I might grab a digital one tomorrow) inside his hiding place, and it's 84 F, but I'm still buying that heat mat. Got some more questions though: should I worry about "over heating" the area inside the hiding place, cus it keeps the heat in pretty good? What do you think about night drops?
I think we are starting to develop a level of trust. When I handled him and offered him to go back to his enclosure he didn't go back in (like every day so far), instead he turned around and climbed onto me.
I have just made a proper measuring (right now I only have a plain crappy thermometer that's mobile, so I might grab a digital one tomorrow) inside his hiding place, and it's 84 F, but I'm still buying that heat mat. Got some more questions though: should I worry about "over heating" the area inside the hiding place, cus it keeps the heat in pretty good? What do you think about night drops?
I think we are starting to develop a level of trust. When I handled him and offered him to go back to his enclosure he didn't go back in (like every day so far), instead he turned around and climbed onto me.
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It won't overheat, as long as the mat isn't allowed to get too far above 90 (or 95-98 if you use a lot of substrate that the heat has to rise through - I use tons of aspen shavings and bury his hides with about two inches of aspen under them, this species loooves anything they can dig in (no pine or cedar, they're toxic)). If yours does, you can get a thermostat or dimmer or something to turn it down a bit.
Night drops aren't required, but as long as they aren't too drastic they don't seem to do any harm either. I never bothered with it until recently when my setup changed; I have a good digital space heater in my bedroom/snake room that runs at about 75F during the day. That way I don't have to worry about heating the whole apartment when I'm gone during the winter, or the room getting too cold when I need the AC on in summer. Tank heaters are great, but I learned a long time ago that any heat source small enough to go on an enclosure can be overwhelmed by a really cold house.
Anyway, I can't sleep that warm, so I cut it down to 70 at night. He still has his undertank heater on, but I imagine the air temps drop 2-5 degrees when I do that. No problems yet.
AWWW. Yeah, they do that.I think we are starting to develop a level of trust. When I handled him and offered him to go back to his enclosure he didn't go back in (like every day so far), instead he turned around and climbed onto me.
Admittedly, some of it is probably because people are warm, but they can definitely recognize the difference in one person's smell and another. I don't pretend my snake actually loves me, but I do know he trusts my smell as familiar, and tends to shy away from other people.This species in particular is just so...civil and easy to get along with.
Just a couple weeks ago I had Ror on my neck and shoulders while I cleaned his water bowl, because he wouldn't stay in his tank during my chores. So he behaved himself and got to see the rest of the apartment (so exciting! I think the mirrors confuse him ), and when I had his bowl clean, full, and back in his tank...he calmly crawled back down my arm and went home again, his adventure complete.You're gonna love yours.
(Oh! That reminds me. Is yours actually sexed as male or are you just guessing? Because if he's a male, he may stop eating for a really long time during his second winter and every winter after that. It's a breeding season thing, don't worry unless he's clearly losing a ton of weight.)
I got him at an expo from a breeder. He picked him up from the box, flipped him, and said that it's a male. He looked pretty experienced so I think he's right.
Oh, yeah, he's already got me wrapped around his... well he's the one who wraps around my arm and fingers, but you know what I mean. I think I'm gonna miss this 18" little cutie when he gets 3 feet, but at the same time I can't wait to see him that big!
(Btw I'm currently eyeing this exo-terra heat mat.)
Oh, yeah, he's already got me wrapped around his... well he's the one who wraps around my arm and fingers, but you know what I mean.
I think I'm gonna miss this 18" little cutie when he gets 3 feet, but at the same time I can't wait to see him that big!(Btw I'm currently eyeing this exo-terra heat mat.)
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I've never heard of being able to visually sex a hatchling, but then I'm not a breeder.
It doesn't really matter either way, just, again, don't panic if he stops eating during his second winter.That's a good one! I use the desert model myself, but then like I said I also use a lot of substrate. Exo-terra mats seem to last freaking forever, so there's that advantage too.
Yeah, I saw that one too. But I don't really see the difference between the two from the profile page on exo-terra website. Does the desert one produce more heat / higher temp? BPs like savannah areas and groves, so that's like right between desert and rainforest lol.
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The desert one is a little warmer, yeah. Don't worry about their native environment, worry about the one that will get that 90F warm end you need. If your house is generally in the low 70s or lower, and/or if you use a lot of substrate, get the desert one.
If your house is generally in the low 70s or lower, and/or if you use a lot of substrate, get the desert one.So far he's refusing food. I gave him proper sized mouse, tried both white and grey. I think the conditions are right. Maybe stress? I've read it's not advised to handle them after putting them in their new environment. It's my fault I just couldn't help myself, he is sooo cute. I left him alone in the last 4 days, I will try to offer some food soon.
I gave him proper sized mouse, tried both white and grey. I think the conditions are right. Maybe stress? I've read it's not advised to handle them after putting them in their new environment. It's my fault I just couldn't help myself, he is sooo cute. I left him alone in the last 4 days, I will try to offer some food soon.
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4 days is probably too soon after being moved to a brand new environment, mine would go a couple weeks at LEAST after that kind of thing. Once he got older, it became more like a couple months. So I wouldn't worry unless he's starting to look sickly or his backbone is clearly jutting out.
Also good call on trying multiple colors of mice, they can be picky about that. I could never get him to swallow anything but white mice, the other colors confused him. For some reason he's not choosy about rat color though.
Also good call on trying multiple colors of mice, they can be picky about that. I could never get him to swallow anything but white mice, the other colors confused him. For some reason he's not choosy about rat color though.
This species is known to be picky about food...mine eat eagerly some weeks, and won't eat at all, other weeks. Leaving the mouse in the tank overnight (if feeding f/t) may work.
I've also never heard of ventrally sexing a snake -- I'm quite sure they need to be probed (but I have been known to be wrong, on occasion ).
I've also never heard of ventrally sexing a snake -- I'm quite sure they need to be probed (but I have been known to be wrong, on occasion
).He's been in the new enclosure for 2 weeks, but I handled him every day on the first week and some days on the second.
The breeder guy told me something about some mating claws or some stuff (can't recall the exact term) around the anus when I asked him how does he know is he is a he.
The breeder guy told me something about some mating claws or some stuff (can't recall the exact term) around the anus when I asked him how does he know is he is a he.
Breeder probably "popped" his hemipenes. I don't know how it's done, exactly, but have seen it. On baby male snakes, it can be felt under their skin near the vent. Older snakes need to be probed, but yours is just a wee one, yet.
My pastel ball python, Freya, lives in a 20 gallon with a human heating pad on one side. The heating pad gets up to maybe 95-96, and the top of the strate on that side is between 87 and 91 depending on the ambient temperature in my house, which is between 78 and 80. Freya has NEVER refused food, never regurged, and grows like a horse. She'll eat live or frozen-thawed, and any color mouse at any time it's offered (taking a few in a row, if they are given!). I just randomly took temps out of curiosity a few weeks back, just out of curiosity. I'd never worried about it since all of my snakes have done great on such a setup.
She was the same size as yours (probably a once-shed hatchling) when I got her. She had eaten one time, and that was the breeder feeding her just to make sure she'd eat for me. That was in September, and the little girl is now approaching 2 feet and is thick. I feed her maybe once a week, maybe every 10 days, 1-2 large mice, frozen-thawed, and she's great.
Some ball pythons do have eating issues, if so, try spiny mice. They're a weird African mouse that's born with hair and open eyes! I've heard that ball pythons who don't eat will sometimes eat those because they are native to the area in Africa where the ball python comes from. Yours isn't wild-caught, though, so you shouldn't have too much problem getting to eat normal white/gray mice, after it settles in. Snakes can be stressy, especially after being moved to a new home.
I've had around 20 ball pythons in my life, and they are all still fat, happy, and alive, except for the escaped one, which probably is fine. :| Never letting anyone babysit my snakes again, though. heh I had to give them all to friends/neighbors/schools about 4 years ago when I was riding horses professionally.
My pastel ball python, Freya, lives in a 20 gallon with a human heating pad on one side. The heating pad gets up to maybe 95-96, and the top of the strate on that side is between 87 and 91 depending on the ambient temperature in my house, which is between 78 and 80. Freya has NEVER refused food, never regurged, and grows like a horse. She'll eat live or frozen-thawed, and any color mouse at any time it's offered (taking a few in a row, if they are given!). I just randomly took temps out of curiosity a few weeks back, just out of curiosity. I'd never worried about it since all of my snakes have done great on such a setup.
She was the same size as yours (probably a once-shed hatchling) when I got her. She had eaten one time, and that was the breeder feeding her just to make sure she'd eat for me. That was in September, and the little girl is now approaching 2 feet and is thick. I feed her maybe once a week, maybe every 10 days, 1-2 large mice, frozen-thawed, and she's great.
Some ball pythons do have eating issues, if so, try spiny mice. They're a weird African mouse that's born with hair and open eyes! I've heard that ball pythons who don't eat will sometimes eat those because they are native to the area in Africa where the ball python comes from. Yours isn't wild-caught, though, so you shouldn't have too much problem getting to eat normal white/gray mice, after it settles in. Snakes can be stressy, especially after being moved to a new home.
I've had around 20 ball pythons in my life, and they are all still fat, happy, and alive, except for the escaped one, which probably is fine. :| Never letting anyone babysit my snakes again, though. heh I had to give them all to friends/neighbors/schools about 4 years ago when I was riding horses professionally.
Yep, I read about that mouse, I think it can also jump. But the breeder said he eats regular. Well, I'm not really worrited yet, since I only had him for 2 weeks and 4 days. It's just it would reassure me if he'd accept his first meal at my place.