Everyone gave great advice, I just wanna add - Try taking off the heatlamp. It's unnecessary if you have a heat pad (just dries out the air). Also, if 80 is the highest that might be too cold for the snake. Is that the ambient temperature or are you measuring the temp right above the heat pad? Usually temps between 85 and 90 are preferred for the hot side - my snakes all have a hot side of about 90, give or take a few degrees.



Also, NEVER EVER leave a live rodent in with your snake overnight. The rodent can seriously injure the snake, even if its just a lil ole mouse. I have a 5 ft female whose tail end got chewed down to the bone and then some by a rat that I left in overnight a few years ago.



Like someone mentioned before, don't handle the snake for at least a week. I prefer to wait until the snake is eating regularly before I start handling them.

And, a note - once the snake starts eating it can probably handle larger prey than a mouse. My 9 month old ball eats medium rats



Even if your ball doesn't eat in a week, give it a few more before you start worrying. Unless the snake is dropping significant wieght or it's been over 6 months since it last ate, you probably don't have anything to worry about. They do this all the time!

Good luck!



~jenny
-----
"The python has, and I fib no fibs,

318 pairs of ribs.

In stating this I place reliance

On a seance with one who died for science

This figure is sworn to and attested,

He counted them while being digested."

~Ogden Nash



jenny.thegreenes.org



"If you're happy and you know it,

Bomb Iraq!

If you cannot find Osama,

Bomb Iraq!

If the terrorists are frisky,

Pakistan is looking shifty,

North Korea is too risky,

Bomb Iraq!

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