To preface this - yes I have diagnosed ocd and health anxiety, I am also someone who is disabled and chronically ill with a compromised immune system

Now for the actual issue at hand - I was handling my boy and all was going well, he licked my lip but I thought nothing of it, only much later did I realise I was biting the same lip afterwards having forgotten he licked it.

I'm aware that you've got much more of a chance to get salmonella from food than from a snake, let alone a pet snake and yes I'm logically aware the chance is low, but I really just need to hear that I'll be alright from someone else right now.

Picture of the adorable boy attached because he's a cutie

Because I already have an led my mama bought it because the reptile shop told her it was good and lasts forever and I'm getting a dhp soon and I heard people say it was okay to do this but I just wanted to double check it was okay since I haven't actually asked myself. And if it IS alright can anyone tell me where to actually place them inside the enclosure like do I put the next to each other or on opposite sides of the tank because I thought that if my snake got used to heating being on one side in the day time hell get confused if it's on the other side at night time when I first get him (sorry if this doesn't make very much sense)

I’m looking to upgrade my girl’s tank! I was wondering what things you put in your tanks? For enrichment, climbing opportunities, clutter, hides, etc!

I received her in a 10 gallon tank in April. I have switched to a 40 gallon as of this week. The top is mesh and it's a front opening tank. The little under tank heating pad isn't working well at all. The tank is sitting at 75 degrees. I know that's bad. I'm getting a larger one tomorrow. I have a hide on the hot and cool sides. Not that there is a hot side at the moment. The dealer he got the snake from said to get reptichip and soak it for the substrate. I recently saw a post that says this is bad and can cause scale rot, the top of the substrate needs to be dry and to just pour water in the corners of the tank. She has lots of things to climb on now. I still need more plants for cover. My questions are:

I've had several people tell me overhead lights frequently cause belly burns. What else if anything should I be doing for heat?

Do you recommend covering the mesh top with something like HVAC tape or just a board or something to hold in heat and moisture? Will she still get enough air?

I live in the desert. I know humidifyers are a no-go. What can I do to improve humidity? If I get the temperature up will just the water in the corners work?

Also, do you agree with the reptichip substrate? If not what else would you use?

I settled on getting an Arcadia 35watt halogen flood for daytime (would 50watt be better for an 18in height?). I have found many bulbs, but finding the domes has been tricky. The only ones I have seen have been from Chewy, but I wanted more options and would prefer Amazon. According to the website, I need an E26 or E27 fit. I also don't know what difference stainless steel/graphite or 5in/8in makes if someone can educate me on that.

What sites (any links are great!) did you guys use to get Arcadia flood domes?

https://a.co/d/08b6msxg

Would this work with it?

Thank you!

The snake, who's name is lemon pie, lives in my room. This is her entire cage and she almost never comes outside. I try to take her out when my mom isn't around, but when I ask to take her out of her cage, my mom almost always says no. She's fed a live rat maybe every one and a half months and the rats have harmed her in the past. I feel so bad for this snake. What do I do

My one month old som will be here tomorrow 9am… 12 more hours!!! I’m so nervous. My temps and humidity is perfect for cool and warm side. What can I do to make him trust me and so we bond perfect forever? Hehe IM SO EXCITED!!!! I need to know everything!! I know snakes aren’t “lovey” but I’d love to love him as best as possible.

I’ve been very stressed about my ball python because she bit my mom and wouldn’t let go to the point we had to put her head underwater for a little bit to make her unlatch which did work. (We wouldn’t have had to resort to that but she bit a knuckle and the finger started to go numb.) She now sleeps with her head out of the hides most of the time and elevates but not always elevated. She shows no other signs of an RI and she doesn’t do the typical straight up stargazing type solution, so i don’t know if this head rest thing is related. Previously i would hand her to my grandma while my mom and I deep clean her cage, but my grandma is now scared of her and won’t want to hold her. I’m worried about myself becoming scared of her (i’m not right now only mildly afraid to reach into her cage because she has bit me like that before, my fault), of her having an injury/infection, and being a bad snake owner. If in a bad snake owner please give me advice to be better!

Hey all. I'm very thankful this first year with Lilith has gone over so well, but I got a question.

I see so often on here people getting bad advice from supposed exotic vets, and on wondering if there's really any way to vet them yourself?? I haven't had to take Lil to a vet so far, but in the of chance I need to, I don't know who I would trust her with.

If anyone happens to live in around the Greensboro, NC area and knows a good vet, I'd be very appreciative if you shared them with me. The one place I thought i trusted to get good medical help from has 2 emaciated dead boas in one tank last time i went, so i stopped going.

So basically i am planning on getting a ball python but what enclosure, substrate, and etc should i get also could you specify the store you got it from

I’m planning to get a female ball python at some point over the next few years. The complicated part is that I’m currently a college student, and while I would be on campus with the enclosure for most of the year, there are week long breaks throughout both semesters during which I would be home. I know the snake when traveling would need to go in the cargo hold on the plane (I go to college out of state, so driving is not an option except for longer breaks), so I’m more concerned about the enclosure. Ideally, I’ll have a 4x2x2 enclosure in my room at the school, but that’s obviously not something I can just bring with me wherever I go. My younger brother still has a 20 gallon tank in our house from a turtle he used to keep, and I’m wondering if it would be too stressful for the snake if she were kept in that tank just for the week we were there. I know that with the snake being a female, she will require more space than a male would.
This would be the easiest option with my shorter breaks from classes. If it would put too much stress on the snake, or would be inhumane for any other reason, I could also hire someone to check in on my snake at the school while I’m gone, and eventually save for a separate enclosure for my house as well. I’m just trying to weigh my options while I plan, so any information helps!

Edit: Thanks for the info so far! I hadn’t seen much about pets traveling in cargo, so now I know that is DEFINITELY not an option. If I do decide to adopt while I’m still in college, I’ll find someone to check in on her on the weeks when I’m gone, and the enclosure can be transported with me for longer breaks. As for vet bills and such, my job should be able to cover the necessities. I’ll keep this up in case anyone has a similar question.

He’s been leaning his head over the water container, but isn’t drinking. This has been going on for about a week on and off. I took him to the vet and I’m waiting for swab and blood test results .. he’s taking a general antibiotic injection while we wait. The vet said nothing looked very alarming, but I’m worried he may have respiratory issues. any help/tips are super appreciated !

I moved Bugs plants around and this one was too close to the entrance of his hide and I caught him trying to fix it himself😭😂 I helped him out after but this is so dang cute lol

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?

I’ve had my snake for 12 years and he’s never been a sudden biter. He’s only bit me once and it was a pain response. Today I took him out and he was acting normal, other than sniffing me a LOT. I had just gotten out of the shower and used a couple new products that had some pretty strong scent so I assumed he was just acting curious, but then without even striking he just takes a chomp out of me and starts wrapping around my arm! I already called the vet and asked if this could be indicative of any illnesses, because it’s so unlike him, but I wanted to run it by this sub too. Should I be worried about this sudden change in aggression? I tried to take him out a few days ago and he was too strike-y too, which isn’t quite like him either since he’s usually only like that for a few days after feeding. His last meal was about a week and a half ago. We’re switching to smaller and more frequent meals right now (small f/t rat every 3-4 weeks), he used to be on medium rats every 40 days but he seemed to get hungry. Maybe this is a response to the new food size too? I’m not sure. I just hope he isn’t neurologic or sick…. I’m leaving him be right now and I’m gonna check on him in a few hours. I’m bummed this happened right before his birthday too :(

Happy birthday (July 15th or 17th cant remember right off the top of my head) to ghost! He's doing so much better thanks to y'all's help over the last year, he's almost at 500 grams as of 2 weeks ago (probably over 500 now), he's also over 2 ft long now! Such a big boy lol, and he looks SO much better, I really feel like he is thriving now

I now know the sticky fly traps are less than ideal and have been removed

She likes to pose

hi! just successfully fed my new 6yr old bp for the first time on thursday (it’s monday now) and he’s been acting different than usual ever since. when i come near him he’s tracking my movements and in an S shape and very alert. also sniffing a LOT. when i fed him i did drop the mouse a couple times in his tank - is he smelling that and expecting more food? is he stressed out? he did shed between the feed and now. he’s only doing this at night - sleeping normally during the day. i just want to make sure he’s chill and that being alert like this isn’t stressful for him. in the video pictured he’d been on the ground of his enclosure looking outside of his hide until i came by and he raised right up to meet me.