Any tips for new Ball Python owners??

Question

Like I heard you shouldnt feed them in there cage, if not in their cage then where?

thanks :]

Answer 1

Yea i got a couple of tips.
1. Dont feed it in his tank. Put him in a box big enough for him to fit and move around and then put the rat in. Im not going to get into the debate on live food and frozen and thawed. im personally prefer F/T but if your snake is used to live food and u want to change it to F/T it will take some persistence and patience.
2. After It Eats dont bother(after putting it back in his tank) it for for about one hour. this might cause it to regurgitate the mouse and that will stink.

3. make sure it has a hiding spot because some tend to be shy and wont eat till they feel secure and safe.

4. Once u have it and it wont eat cover the sides of the tank with a towel or something that will stop him from seeing you and leave him alone for about a week. just make sure his temperature on the tank is at 85 degrees f. once 7 days have passed offer him food again and hope he will eat. if this attempt fails, cover him up again for another week.

5. while he gets used to you dont do any sudden movements around him once u begin to handle him/her. little by little he will be getting used to being handled.

6. handling time should be about 15-20 mins every other day while he gets used to it so he doestn stress out.

7. now cagin wise it depends how big the snake is just make sure he/she has enough room to move and stretch around. keep humidity in the 60's (if he is not sheeding if he is leave it at 75 and mist him or around him 2 times daily). temp wise keep it at 80's during the day and 70's during the night. if its too cold at night where u live u might need a night light or a undertank heater. those are about $20.

8. while seeding make sure the humidity is where it should be. and dont help him sheed by pealing his lose skin that just hurts him. to help him shead u can give him a bath but letting him swim in nice warm water in your tub or where u can. but dont fill it up to much to there point were he drowns just enought for him to swim.

i think that is the best i can explain this i hope this helps.

if u have any question or want more detail message me in yahoo messenger im blood4eva69.

Answer 2

1. Never feed your snake a live mouse. Yes, snakes are predators but it is much safer to give them dead food. Mice have claws and teeth that can draw blood on a snake's delicate skin.

2. Feeding inside of your cage is not the best of things. If you do it, you run the risk of your snake associating the cage opening with food. Feeding them in a travel case is best. There is no subtrate that they can choke on as well.

3. Handle them often, but learn when snake wants to go home. I don't care if you think you are the snake's owner. Try tell it that, I guarentee you won't get results like that. The best bodning exercise is to sit down on the floor with you legs spread out. Put the snake on your shoulders and let him explore! A happy, curious snake will not get off of your body. It's warm and safe to them. A timid, shy snake will bolt off of you. Timid snakes should be stroked in their cages. There they are more at home. There you are the guest on their turf.

4. Have lots of hiding places for the snake in its cage. Ball pythons will thrive in an enclosure filled with rocks, logs and fake plants. But make sure they have a spot where they can spread out their entire body on a flat surface. Otherwise, its like living on a bump matress.

5. Do not ever, ever use real plants. Plants need dirt. Dirt carries germs and the plant can carry parasites. And just because you can't see them, does not mean they aren't there.

6. Give your snake a large water bowl. Otherwise, you are going to have a horrid sheading. Water bowls will also keep the snake's skin healthy by adding humidity to their enviroment.

7. When a snake turns into a ball, do not try to uncurl it. Your are asking to be biten, and it would be your fault. Remember that a snake can not ask you to stop it or tell you to go away. If a snake is so afraid that it goes into a ball, let it go. Put it back in its cage and try later.

8. Hand feeding is asking to be bit. A dead mouse can only retain heat for so long. By the time you have opened the cage, moved the snake into the feeding box, ect. the temperature has dropped by a few degrees. To a snake, you hand will look much more appealing. Its warmer and moving more realisticly. So buy a set of tongs.

Answer 3

1.do not feed with live rats they can injure your snake, buy frozen rats there are many sizes.
2.always feed with tongs never your hands the snake may bite you.
3.always feed outside the cage in a box big enough for the snake to roam around.
4.you need a heating pad for your snakes favorite spot to hide.make sure the tank is room temp.
5.remember to provide many hiding spots if you dont it will a stress to your snake.
6.you need a water bowl big enough for the snake to fit in.

good luck with your snake and good choice on that pet.

Answer 4

If you have only one snake in the enclosure then don’t worry feed it in there. If you have more than one snake in the same enclosure they will need to but separated. Don’t mess with snakes when feeding if you don’t need to. Who comes up with some of these stupid ideas?

As your new and just starting to keep snakes just be careful what you read especially on here.

Good look with your new pet.

Answer 5

A couple of good sites to visit:

http://ballpython.com/page.php?topic=ballfaq#7

http://www.jetpythons.com/index.html

http://www.debscaptivebredballpythons.com/content.asp?cid=8

http://www.kingsnake.com/ballpythonguide/