Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is my first snake, a normal ball and he's amazing! I just got him Saturday and he's very calm easy going. The store(Finish Line Reptile and Hobbies in Laporte,IN) said he was eating live mice fine.

I would prefer to feed him frozen and I was wondering how hard is it to switch over.

Secondly when they are ready to shed do there eyes get 'clouded over'? His are and was wondering if this is the case.

I love this little guy(he's only 15 inches or so, what age would he be?) and he's named Ricky(for Rick Neilson of Cheap Trick). Thanks in advance!

First let me say congrats!!! They are addicting, and this isn't going to be your last ball python. I would make sure you get him settled in and feeding on live before attempting to switch him to frozen thawed. One can't say its easy to do, nor can they say it is difficult, because it depends on the snake. Some take to them the first time you try, others simply never take them. But about the shedding question, yes their eyes will turn a milky color, and so will their bellies. What you need to do is make sure he has a warm humid place to hide if he wants, because ball pythons have a tendency to have shedding issues if the proper precautions arn't taken. With all this said email me if you have any more questions and good luck! Welcome to the world of ball pythons.
Will Wohlers

How do you make it more humid? I've got a 10 gallon tank with a decent sized water bowl. The temp is around 85-90 during the day and in the 70's at night. The humidity is around 30% which I know is low but how can I make it better?

What you need to do is place some most substrate in a hide box or even some wet paper towels. You need to be shooting for atleast 60% humidity. What I like to do is get a small butter tub and cut a round hole in the lid. Then you can place the moist substrate in the tub and he will use it as needed. Hope this helps
Will Wohlers

What sorts of precations need to be taken? One of my balls has been "cloudy" for about 4 days now. When should we expect her to shed? This would be our first shed and so we're wondering if there's anything we can do to ensure it goes well. How would one go about increasing the humidty? Let me know! Thanks!

I use cypress mulch for bedding which holds humidity very well and i spray it with a water bottle every couple of days, when they get milky, i have a rubbermaid that i put luke-warm water in and let them sit in it for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure you have a lid on it with air holes becuase they will wander off.