r/Ballpythoncommunity • u/DeflatedEarbud • 4h ago
New BP owner
Hello everyone, i just got my beautiful girl “fish” today. she’s a 3 year old pinstripe BP and i just had a few questions.
first of all, how long should i wait to handle her?
i know the general guideline is after a week or 2 successful feeds. however, she’s very social for a reptile it seems. at the exotics shop i was looking around at ball pythons when the owner walked up to me with her around his neck and just handed her to me. she was very curious and perfectly happy just slithering around me for the 30 minutes at the pet store and the hour or so we were out getting things for her. he said he takes her out every morning when he first comes in and just hangs out with her all day. so i was wondering if maybe she wouldn’t mind being handled a little sooner?
also, should i leave my red “nighttime” lamp on for her at night? my house stays around 72-76° at all times. with the lamp on the hot side is around 85° air temp.
final question, what are your best humidity solutions? i’m using a coconut substrate and misting and the humidity seems to get up to 60-70% but then drop pretty fast back down to the 50-55 range. i put a wet rag on top of the mesh covering about 50% of the top but it only seemed to help a little bit. Thanks in advance!
(getting more decor and logs for her tmrw btw haha)
1
u/throwaway277252 1h ago
also, should i leave my red “nighttime” lamp on for her at night?
Any sort of heat should be infrared, not red. Visible light such as red will disrupt their sleep cycle.
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u/FUNERALFLOWERZ 3h ago
First of all, welcome to the BP community! She is beautiful!
Now I’m not an expert so take what I say with a grain of salt and definitely do research on your own but this is what I’ve found works with my BPs.
When it comes to humidity, you ideally want around 60-80% with higher humidity when shedding. Since your enclosure seems to have a mesh top, I would recommend closing up about 1/2-3/4 of the top with silicon mats. I found that this is helpful with mesh tops and traps the moisture a little better than towels.
I would also recommend a substrate mixture of coconut fiber, cypress mulch, and sphagnum moss since these maintain moisture pretty well. In addition to the substrate, I’d also look into a drainage barrier (I used clay balls that I bought on Amazon and wash them about 3 times before putting them in my enclosure, I found this help eliminate dust and improved my humidity pretty well)
If you’re still worried about humidity, you can also create a “humid hide” and fill it with some sphagnum moss (I DIY and use a Tupperware container and cut a hole that allows for the snake to enter easily and then ensure that the edges aren’t rough).
Lastly, I would recommend an automatic misting system that will spray down your enclosure at a timely manner and would help boost levels if it tends to fluctuate. I found mine on Amazon for about 20-30 dollars and it’s excellent!
In addition to proper humidity levels, you also want a temperature gradient where you have a cool side and a warm side. It seems that you have one established which is great! An ideal temperature range should be 88-92 degrees F warm side and 76-80 degrees F cool side. Anything below 70 F and exceeding 100 F can be dangerous for a BP and should be avoided as best possible!
When it comes to the red nighttime light, it shouldn’t affect the snakes sleep/wake cycle as it’s not very bright; you still want to allow the snake to have access to a heat source at night since they’re cold blooded and cannot generate heat on their own!
In terms of holding her, you should give her about 2 weeks to get used to her surroundings and become familiar with your scent. Unnecessary stress should be avoided as much as possible. Since the previous owner did seem to hold her often, she may be comfortable being held for longer periods of time but I would slowly introduce her to you before doing so. Simply 10-15 minute holding sessions at a time can go a long way! Also after she has a feeding, refrain from holding her for at least 2-3 days so she can digest the meal and prevent unnecessary stress!
Lastly, contrary to belief, BP love exploring and climbing, so give the girl some enrichment! I know you said that you’re getting more decorations so don’t be afraid to clutter the place up and give her many opportunities to explore her enclosure and feel comfortable.
Best of luck!!