can someone tell me all the requirement and supplies i need for a baby ball python between 13-17 inches?

Question

hi all i need is a litle advice and tip to have a healthy snake. i also want to know what are some good supplies that arent to expensive but dont have to be to cheap. i need to noe how big of a tank, heating equipment, how big of mice for a 13-17in baby ball python, and what are good bedding for the snake

Answer 1

i own 2 balls i suggest you start with a 20 gal tank you can get a larger one later (it will be needed) so if you have the money go with a 40 gal breeder tank. you will need a under tank heater, and heat light i prefer ceramic. it is NOT recommended to use a heat rock as they can burn and possibly kill the snake. and ball pythons DO NOT eat crickets, they eat rodents so as a baby it will eat fuzzy mice and as it grows it will need larger food items going up to rats.
please do research i will give a few reputable websites to start with
good luck and happy herping
btw cedar is poisonous to ALL snakes

Answer 2

Keeping a ball python is relatively easy and can be as costly or as cheap as you would like. The basics are a cage / enclosure of some kind (a 10 gallon aquarium will work). A good cover to keep it safely inside (I prefer a steel mesh cover to screen) with some kind of locking clips (they can push). A cleanable water bowl and some kind of bedding that if eaten will pass through the intestines (shavings will not digest). I have used newspaper for an easy clean and throw away and for a more asthetic appearing enclosure regular peat moss (from the garden center) at any store that sells plants. Some kind of cover for privacy in the enclosure (hide box or some plastic plant will work). Temperature is important !! Ball Pythons are TROPICAL, keep the temperature about 80*-85* F. and they will do just fine.. I have heard stories about hot rocks and heat pads, both good and bad, but have used both with no trouble. Now for dinner.... a mouse or two a week ( depending on the size of the mouse) about the same size as the snakes "middle". A small bump is ok but no weanling rats...until the snake is over two feet and then feed the rats to the snake dead... Rats can cause serious damage in a hurry if fed live.
Additional information:
I have no idea the size of the enclosure that you are or will be using.. You do NOT want to heat the enclosure evenly, you should provide a warmer place and a place that the snake can retreat from the heat if it wants to do so. Keep in mind that Ball Pythons do well at about 85* and there should be a place in the enclosure that has a constant temperature of about 90* or so. I have used hot rocks (they have come a long way on the improvements since they were first made.) Zoo Med makes a good hot rock, but I have also used those made by Four Paws. The hot rocks should be warm to the touch after they have been plugged in for a few hours (they take time to heat up) but not uncomfortably hot. Under tank heaters (the heat pad that sticks to the bottom of an aquarium also works) but tend to fall off over time ( the adhesive fails). When using the UTH, stick it under one side of the aquarium ONLY !
Hiding places are easy to aquire, plastic plants from places like Walmart, hide caves from Walmart or any pet store. In a pinch, a small cardboard box or plastic butter container with a hole cut into the side will also work for privacy.

Answer 3

NO HEAT ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and NO NO NO CEDAR!! Cedar will KILL your ball - pine is no good either. Dont listen to this first post at all - he's got it practically all wrong. Crickets are a ridiculous foor for a bp.

Ball pythons like to be in small spaces - they get stressed easily, and a stressed ball is a ball who will probably not eat.
~A 20 might be a little big to start off with a baby - a 10 would be much better, unless you put in a bunch of hiding places in it - you might be able to get away with it then.

~Another essential is at least 2 things for your baby to hide in - something tight with not a lot of room. They want to feel the sides all around them to make them feel secure. You will have to upgrade these as your ball gets bigger.

~A water dish is a must (obviously)

~HEAT. The general rule is that you need a cool side and a warmer side - and the temps are usually 80-82 on one side and 90-92 on the other. They NEED these temperatures in order to 1.) digest their food (otherwise it will rot in their stomach and they will die and 2.) not get Respiratory infections. IF you're snake gets sick with a respiratory infection, the ONLY way to get it to go away is by taking it to the vet and getting shots. its expensive - the snake will need at least 4 shots to cure the infection.

Soooo - achieve those temps however you want. However, do NOT use a undertank heating pad with a thermostat to control it - those things can get up to temps of 140 degrees - something that can burn/kill your snakes. I know ive seen thermostats and rheostats in petco. And obviously you'll need 2 indoor/ outdoor thermometers with PROBES to accurately watch your temps. Dont guess - it's not worth loosing money to a vet or loosing your snake. They are 7 bucks at walmart

~Bedding - something as simple as newspaper, or your can go expensive with the wood chips at petstores in the reptile section. If you can find it, aspen shavings are really the only safe shavings for a ball.

~Humidity is important for your ball to shed in nice one big piece. I know a lot of people who still use glass tanks just take a piece of wood or something and cover up half the tank with it to keep humidity up.

~small adult mice will be fine for a baby ball. Its scary the first few feedings b/c the mouse looks so big, but trust - the snake will get it down just fine. :) When they are little i like to feed them 2ce a week, but once a week will be totally fine too. When they get big enough to eat small rats i will feed them once a week for the rest of their lives. You can tell if the food item is a good size by looking at the largest part of the girth of your snake. If the roundness is about as big as its food- then it will be a good size prey.

and about the "vomiting" - balls only regurgitate if they are handled right after they eat (wait 24-48 hours) or if they are stressed by something wrong in their environment. They dont die from the regurge, they die from whatever makes them regurge in the first place. If you do everything by the book you wont have any problems.

A REALLY great forum that you should come and join is http://ball-pythons.net/. There are so many nice, experienced people on this site that will be more than happy to make sure you get everything right. There are caresheets and a live forum you can ask any question you want and get pretty quick answers. I love it there <3

Answer 4

Never us a heat rock for snakes! use a heat lamp that goes on the lied. heat rocks will cause burns. 20 gallon will do fine for now. make sure the water dish is big enough for the snake to soak in when it wishes. they do this to aid in shedding and to cool down if they are to hot. some sort of rock for shedding. they rub the skin off with this. mine love the ones w/the hole in the center. bedding-i have always used wood shavings. make sure they are the plain light brown ones. many ppl say not to, but both of mine have been in them all their liefs & are tip top health. my corn is bigger then she should be. bafeled the pet store when i had her sexed! i'd stick to pinkies for now, don't want to over feed and cauase vomiting(this can kill the snake) temp. is about 80. hope this helps. :)

Answer 5

a 20-30 gallon aquarium, a wood based bedding, ultraviolet night time light, basking light, a place to hide, a good tight lid with clips to keep it on, and a ceramic water dish with purified water only. you will also need a thermometer, make sure that the temp is in the high 80's during the day and low 80's during the night. you will also need a box for feeding. have fun, hope i could help =]

Answer 6

you're going to need a 20 gallon glass tank, heat rock, water bowl, and some hind of bedding (preferably cedar, or pine shreds). Also, small mice once every few days for food. If it doesn't eat the mice, try large crickets, or small fetus mice. And maybe a tree branch or some kind of stone for the snake to rest on or under. Would also be good to purchase a heat lamp too.