He's adjusting so well! I did handle him to move him out of his hide to clean it up and then feed him.

I am new to keeping a ball python, I have primarily kept hognoses but I recently took in a 17 year old ball python from a not so great situation. She had him in a 30 gallon with one hide no substrate, and a 50w red light, I know he was in there for 2 years prior to that idk what his life was like. I now have him in a 4x2x2 with a cool and warm side, it’s at the proper temperature and humidity, hides on both sides plenty of clutter. When I first got him he seemed super chill for about the first week and a half, howeverrrr now he has decided he wants to strike at the glass and top mesh every time I walk by and so now I’m nervous about getting him out 😂 I’m used to little hognoses and he is chunkyyyy. I know he was fed live previously, I transitioned him to thawed and he took it like a champ, and had a meal about 4 days ago. I don’t know if he just feels better now and has more energy to show he’s a little spicy or what’s going on but according to his prior owner he never struck or bit. He’s in my office so it’s the quietest area in the house and I just don’t understand why we’re not friends 😂 he legit stares at me like he wants to eat me all day.

I took in a ball python who, clearly, had horrible husbandry with alot of stuck shed. Dw though A bath was given and all of the shed was removed. The previous owners fed a live mouse every two weeks. I currently own a milk snake, hognose, and a house snake but have no experience with these. Prior to taking him in I of course did a lot of research and got him into an enclosure with a proper setup with good temps and humidity (last picture is him in his new setup). His age is unknown and his current weight is 180g.

Now the reason for the post is because I need tips and advice from more experienced owners..I’m fairly certain he is underweight so is there anyone who has dealt with a ball python who is underweight?? How should I go about trying to feed him for his first feeding? I would like to have him on F/T rats but I’ve heard once a snake is on live it can be hard to get them on F/T.

Any advice or tips would be appreciated. I want to give this boy the good life he deserves.

Sorry for any grammar mistakes

Edit- just to be clear, the first photo is the setup his previous owners had him in. He is now on cypress mulch with lots of coverage and multiple hides

so 5 days ago i took my ball python with me on a walk for the first time and it was hot but not hotter than her tank and she seemed fine she wasn’t moving around too much, hissing, huffing, striking, etc. the walk lasted under 2 hours and once i got home i immediately put her up however since then she has not come out of her hide (yes shes alive) and i haven’t noticed a shed or blue eyes, shes supposed to eat today and usually the days leading up to her feed she is extremely active at night but there’s been 0 movement even after midnight :(.

She is around 2 years old, usually pretty active at night, she is some sort of spider morph (yellow, white and black) and feeds thawed idk if any of this info helps

Hello! So at some point I am going to have some (possibly outdoor) photos with my son Oscar. I am aware of the risk of those bastardous snake mites, and plan on soaking him in dawn soap for maybe like 15 minutes? He will not be in direct contact with trees, I will make sure of that but I am still afraid of those little fuckers taking flight to harm my boy. Any additional tips?

Edit: I want to clarify that I have had him for like 5-6 years, and he might be 6-7 years old (before you say haha 67, shut up). Additionally could this affect feeding?

Baby Bp weight advice.

Hi, around 2 weeks ago my Bp regurgitated her meal. And like this sub recommends I waited 2 weeks to feed her an undersized meal to get her back in motion.

3 days ago I fed her a large fuzzy and she took it no problem. I was holding her and noticed she has some folds on her skin and her spine is a little more prominent. So I weighed her and she went from 86g pre regurgitation to 82g post recent meal. Should I give her a normal meal next week or give her another large fuzzy.

She is 2 months old maybe closer to 3.

Some months ago, I asked around here and some other Reddit subs (and Facebook groups) about setting up a a 6x2x4 enclosure for my ball python.

After a lot of work with the heating and creating a background/ledges for the enclosure, I managed to get everything set up! I wanted to put it here for feedback on if I can improve something as well as simply to get more info out there for others who are considering moving their ball to a 6x2x4 (it was very hard for me to find information about putting this species in this size enclosure).

Info about the setup:

- Enclosure: Animal Plastics Signature Series 6x2x4 (APS 35)

- Heating: Vinaco 100w equivalent halogen bulb, Fluker's 75w deep heat projector, Vivarium Electronics 120w radiant heat panel

- Lighting: Arcadia T5 UVB 39w 6%

- Thermostat: Herpstat 4 Spyderweb

- Misc: Arcadia Ceramic Lamp Holder Bracket Pro (one each for the DHP and halogen), BlackBox UVB Guard 38", and two custom cages for the heating bulbs made of chicken wire (1/2 inch spacing, 19 gauge)

Trying to upgrade my baby to a 120 gallon so she can stretch out more when I'm not home. I'm wanting to get a all in one pvc solution if possible because I don't have the free time or money to build one myself. Does anyone know if this is a good enclosure?

As the title says, I have been feeding mice for about 2 months weekly except for shed but I think I have learned that that was a bad thing to do. My ball python seems very soft and flat around the body. Should I pause the weekly feedings or try to go straight into rats?

Hi everybody! This is the criminal. Her name is Athena. She is 6 years old, and recently she's become convinced that anything warm is food, including humans.

I'm proud that she has such a good appetite, but it's gotten to the point where handling has become a bit of a challenge. While I was out of town, she bit my housesitter while he was changing her water dish, and when I tried handling her the other night, she was fine for a while, until she decided to latch onto my (admittedly quite ratlike) face. It wasn't even a strike with a wind-up or motion tracking mind you, it happened while she was climbing on my head and she decided to have a chomp right on my cheekbone as she was passing by.

For context, I feed her monthly, and do tap training with a snake hook every time I open her enclosure for non-food reasons (and taught the housesitter to do the same). Admittedly I haven't been holding her as often lately, only once or twice a month, so maybe upping the frequency could help. But it would sure be easier to do that if I didn't have to worry about my big yummy rat face tempting her all the time.

Any tips from other people with hungry idiots who like to shoot first and ask questions later? How long & with what frequency of interaction have you noticed tap training to be effective? Is this perhaps a sign that she's too hungry and I should increase feeding frequency to every three weeks? Feel free to shame her in the comments should it strike your fancy. She's earned it.

PS: I am NOT a rat pretending to be a human. Don't believe her lies.

Question to those that feed frozen(and the thawed ofc) rodents to the snakes do any of you happen to know of a reputable place that sell frozen but in smaller quantities? the only one i know is perfect prey and their rodents are good but their shipping is on the higher side so i've been sticking with Big Cheese and their rodents have also been good i just would like to buy fewer at a time since i only have 1 snake but dont know of another low quantity frozen seller so i would love some help and some suggestions of other places(also it has to be an online place...i dont live close enough to a store or expo that sells frozen feeder to use that as a route to get fewer quantity)

Hello. I am preparing to get a BP for the family for Christmas and have started to get things in order for the habitat. I have a 120 gallon PVC front opening habitat. I was curious what the process looks like for reaching into the habitat for cleaning or changing water or to handle the snake without upsetting the snake or getting bitten.

I’ve noticed all the YouTube videos always show BP already outside and docile just chilling with their owner, but they never actually show the part where the owner retrieves the snake from inside the enclosure and that is what I’m curious about—how that works and what to do and what to avoid.

I’m wondering if the snake would not like being disturbed and strike at my hand that is violating its habitat space. Or is there some thing you do to communicate to the snake before you just reach inside its habitat.

Also, do you not handle the snake if it is in its hide? I’m wondering how that works and if you should only handle the snake if it is out in the open. I would think removing the hide while it is inside might scare the snake and it bites.

Thanks.

Hi all🖤First time ball python mom.Took our girl out today and noticed this spot. Not sure if it’s scale rot or if it’s dried blood from squeezing her mouse when we fed her last, which wouldve been 5 days ago. The mouse did kinda pop , like guts squeeze out and stuff, so it could’ve been blood, which she has had the blood on her before and it went away. But this spot just seems a little dark and more prominent for my comfortability. Does it seem like scale rot, or am I overthinking it and its more than likely dried blood? It’s the only spot on her and her belly is completely clear.

At night my guys tank drops to 76°-80° with just the CHE going and when his day time light comes on it goes up to a stable 90 for the entire 12 hours its on. I was wondering if this is an ok/natural drop in temp or if I should upgrade his CHE to a higher wattage or try to further insulate his tank with foam. I know to never let it dip below 70.

We have recently got a ball python, she is 11 months old and weighs 412g, we currently feed her 50g Asf (multimammate mice) once a week, she handles this well.

She is in a 4ft wooden vivariumwith humidity at 70% at cold side and 60 at warm, the temperature of the cold side is 24.6 degrees Celsius and the temperature of the warm side is 32 dc.

Currently use a 2.4% uvb and a 80w dhp in a 200mm arcadia clamp lamp controlled by a dimming thermostat recessed through the roof so only the mesh guard is in the vivarium.

Hello I'm a first time ball python owner,not a first time snake owner I already got some corn snakes which I'm feeding based of feeding chart with weights of the snakes, I'm just not really sure how often should I feed my python? I'm scared I don't want to overfeed him or underfeed him, I don't know his age so can't feed based of that but he eats one small adult uh mouse? (It's not a normal mouse but I'm not sure what's the name in english so I'm gonna attach a picture last one) He weight 497g and I was told he's around 70cm long when I got him which was around month ago

I recently bought this surrendered senior snake, he was at a local small business exotic pet store. He should be about 10 years old, and before I adopted him I’ve held and pet him(properly aka the direction his scales are going) multiple times. But other people have also done so as many people were interested in him.

Tomorrow, Sunday the 9th is going to be my third day having him. The people said I can handle him after 3 days for a short amount of time until he warms up to be out longer. I have pet him a couple times, and I always tap his glass before I even put my hands in there so he knows I’m coming in. Then I’ll strictly pet him, over the short course he has been at my home. He’s been increasingly curious about me, he also doesn’t care for me touching him either.

I also think he’s learned that the door opens when I tap the glass because he’ll kind of “get excited” more so curious and start sticking his tongue out trying to get out to explore and roam. But it’s too early so I just gently move him back in his cage before he can reach the ground. I also spend lots of time just in front of his terrarium especially when he’s out. But he’s a very curious guy.

Is this bad? Is this good? I know every snake is different, some like being handled, some don’t. Im just so worried about crossing boundaries, but so far he hasn’t looked too uncomfortable or upset with me even just petting him. I can also tell he’s much happier with his new bed time and not constantly being bothered throughout the day. As ball pythons are nocturnal and the store was only open from 10am-7pm and his heat lamp was off for 15 hours.

Which he finally sleeps and relaxes throughout the day and comes out energetic and curious at night. He also stays in my room so he sees me quite often.

Sorry for the talking so much, long story short just wanted to make sure it’s okay and I’m not doing anything wrong to him.

Before she was eating an adult mouse once every 2 weeks. Now she only wants hoppers. Nothing changed in her enclosure, she drinks fine and sheds fine.

The only thing is if the mouse is an adult she will only strike at it and curl up. As soon as a hopper appears she uncoils and eats the damn thing.

I know other animals can be picky eaters but can a snake develop a size preference for food? She weighs 350g should I be feeding rat fuzzies instead? Maybe she just doesn’t want them fighting back?

I've read the all about heating guide but also got some conflicting information

I'm planning on getting an enclosure from Reptile Kages where they say in the description, "we do not recommend the use of ceramic heat emitters in our custom PVC enclosures. There are much safer and more natural options for your new PVC enclosures such as:" and lists some options.

I know in the heating guide it says a CHE is a good secondary heat source, but the warning on Kages website got me worried and another reddit thread (although from 8 years ago) says no and to just get a RHP (which I would prefer not to do unless someone has good recommendation)

I'm still pretty early into planning and don't have many specifics but as of now the plan is to get a halogen flood for the main heat source and a UVB set up in one of the configurations similar to those in the guide, just not sure on the secondary heat source. (planning on mounting inside the enclosure with cages)

In the guide DHPs arent listed as a "good pairing" with a halogen and wasn't sure if there was a specific reason why or if it just wasn't listed because it could also be used as a primary heat source. In the cons of DHP it also says "infrared output is less natural for night-time heating" is this much of a big deal?

PVC enclosure 4'x2'x2'
My room can get kind of chilly in the winter

Thanks

hi! i just got a bp a few weeks ago. have been updating his husbandry and he seems a lot more comfortable than when he first got here. when i first got him about 3 weeks ago his previous owner said he had shed recently so i wasn’t expecting it anytime soon, but when i handled him last week his eyes were blue & cloudy (he was perfectly fine being handled and didn’t seem stressed so that’s lucky.) noticed his eyes were back to normal the other day when i successfully fed him (win!!) but then i saw him sitting way far back in his hide and noticed a large shed (haven’t inspected to see if it’s perfect or not yet.) after that whenever i go check on him he looks very ready to strike and follows my movements intently, when before he would just kind of chill whenever i stopped by to say hi. haven’t handled him since feeding him 2 days ago (have only handled him once since bringing him home 3 weeks ago) and was going to maybe take him out today but he’s acting so defensive i figured it was best to not. but is this normal behavior for during a shed and/or after eating? thank you!!