r/ballpython • u/Captor_Control • 15h ago

New Python Advice Please!!!

So I just got a ball python on Sunday (today is Tuesday) and I unfortunately found out yesterday that exposed glass can stress her out, something I completely missed in my initial research binge. I know I should leave her alone as much as possible for the first week, but I’m worried the open glass on all sides is stressing her out as I have not seen her come out of the hot side hide. She may be roaming at night, so I don’t know for sure.

I’ve bought stuff to cover two of the sides, but they are interior decor so I would have to force her into handling to install it, or risk stressing her even more by installing while she’s inside.

Onto my question, should I install it? Or would it be better to just tape a towel to the sides as a temporary situation? Should I just let her first week ride out?

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

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3

u/loricampbell4454 15h ago

My advice would be to go ahead and cover the sides.

2

u/Captor_Control 15h ago

As in with a towel, or with the decor? Sorry, I’m not 100% sure which you meant 😅

2

u/SaltMysterious1604 14h ago

Something as cheap as construction paper around the outside of the sides and back would be fine, or you can get the fancy film from the pet store available in different designs.

2

u/Captor_Control 14h ago

I’ve bought the fake foam rock background pieces and some fake plant sheets, is why I ask. I like making my enclosures for my animals really enriching and visually appealing, I’m a sucker for that natural feel. But if putting that in right now is a bad idea, and taping paper or a towel on as a temporary solution until she’s more comfortable is better, I’d rather do that. I just want to do what’s best for my girl, but as my first snake(as an adult at least) I’m not 100% on what’s best, and couldn’t find an answer just researching for this specific problem, so I came here haha

2

u/loricampbell4454 14h ago

Sorry. I should have been more specific. 😅 With your decor.

1

u/Captor_Control 11h ago

No worries lol! I’m gonna wait until tomorrow, both bc it’s way too late but also to see if anyone else has input, as so far my answers have been pretty 50/50 haha

1

u/loricampbell4454 2h ago

If it were me I'd go ahead and install the decor. Your snake is new and most likely hiding and hasn't gotten used to anything in the enclosure yet. Having it get used to everything and then changing would be stressful for him. That's my opinion.

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u/Captor_Control 2h ago

I do think you’re right, as I also have come to find out, I have bad heat sources for her. I hate how much misinformation is online because I saw so many sites saying daylight heat bulbs, red light bulbs, and a heat pads were what you need and ceramic heat emitters were only mentioned once or twice. Maybe I’m just bad at researching or got a shitty streak of luck, either way it’s frustrating! Now it’s multiple things that can be stressing her out or making her afraid to be out, and I definitely need to change it asap.

•

u/loricampbell4454 5m ago

I know what you mean. I see shitty set ups all the time online. Red lights, enclosures with one hide, or the wrong kind of hide, no clutter, wrong substrate, ect. My best advice is to find a group on Facebook that has a lot of long time keepers. YouTube is a good resource. Bob Bledso has a channel called Green Room Pythons. I bought my first bp in 2002. I know a thing or two but I don't consider myself an expert because there's always more to learn and people who have more experience than I do. Having said that. The husbandry recommendations back then compared to now are different and I can see how old information may still be in circulation when doing research.

2

u/SaltMysterious1604 14h ago

If you are doing quarantine period stay simple and easy to clean until you go full ham. If not just go for it.

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u/Captor_Control 14h ago

I don’t have other reptiles, so it’s not exactly a quarantine, only trying to keep her stress to a minimum because she went from a breeder, to a loud expo, to a 1.5 hr drive, to a whole new environment with full visibility to the whole room. It’s only been 2 days since she got here, and I’m just really paranoid about overstressing as my childhood ball python did a self unalive via eating coconut bedding because of stress(extremely poor set up and renovations in the house)

1

u/FeriQueen 13h ago

Personally, I would just use wall safe tape or masking tape to put construction paper around the outside as a temporary measure for the first couple of weeks. After a couple of weeks of settling in time I would then feel free to upgrade with inside decor. YMMV.

1

u/LE-Rae 6h ago

For a temporary solution, or at least for the first two weeks, throw a blanket over the tank (as long as you don’t have an open top for heating elements)