Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok here's the thing. a friend of mine breeds ball pythons and he said that, he has like 6 female ball pythons that don't eat andthat i can have one, and if i can get it to eat, well i just got a free ball python. well of course as you have probably wondere it is a wc. please help.

Set the snake up on mulch with a hide box. Temp 88-92 degrees on one end of encloseure. Make sure it has a cool side to go to. It is best to keep it in a low traffic area and do not handle it for two weeks. You should try a live mouse or small rat the first time. If that does not work a gerbil is there food of choice. Night time feeding would be best, but don't leave prey in over night. Rodents will chew on snakes. I would try put the prey near the cage about an hour before you try to feed, the smell may get the snake worked up. Leave the snake in the enclosure and dorp the prey in and leave them alone for about an hour. Then check and see if you had any luck. If not leave the prey for another hour and remove if not eaten by then. Try again in another week. It may take a while for the snake to eat, alot of balls usually go off food this time of year. Try to get a book on ball pythons there is so much more to know. You should be able to find one at your local pet shop or reptile show. Hope I could help, Jon

By leave them alone for an hour you mean watch them the whole time where they can't see you....that is critical. In one hour a scared rodent can evicerate your snake. I know you say I have done this for a million years and ndver had one do this...well I have and so has Ralph and so has Joe and Wes...just one each but that's too many. Live rodents are very dangerous to your snake so you must be judicious in monitoring what goes on. It takes one slip up, and your snake is in a world of hurt. Our one was a beautiful female of breeding age, and we missed that this rat was in the tank, he had hidden. I just happened to go back down to the tanks a few hours later and my female was missing 2/3 of her skin along her back down to the spinal cord. It took 4 months to save her.
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Mike and David at 3-D Pythons
www.3dpythons.com

Well right know I have my ball python in:
Tank-40 gallon
substrate-coconut chips with green moss
lights and heating- 60w uv exo-terra sun-glo and zoo med UTH
in cage accesories-cardbord box on hot side (for hide)grapevine branch in middle, and a big water bowl at the cool end with another hide.

and i have a blanket covering the cage.

Would it be a good idea to put it in a smaller cage, like a twenty and decorate it like hardcore, maybe it will feel more secure and safe? it's a good 3 feet.

Length width should be greater than or equal to snake length. For balls height is not that important. 40 Gallons are what 29 inches long? Not sure I'd personally go much smaller, and remember the more stuff you put in the harder it gets to clean it all. Patience is key with feeding, Balls can be a real pain.
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Mike and David at 3-D Pythons
www.3dpythons.com

well a 40 gallon is 3ft x 2ft. I think?

so i should put it in a twenty? thats 2ft(24"
i know more stuff would be harder to clean but, wont it make it feel mmore at home?
and wouldnt the 40 gallon make it feel more at home, or no?

I'm not sure I can answer that as you'd get differing answers from different people's experiences. Many argue keeping them in smaller containers when young and particularly under stress makes them feel more safe and secure...the tank grows just in time with snake growth. Others would say a snake is much happier with a big environment to explore. I personally feel it's a snake by snake issue as they do have unique personalities. Some seem to just thrive in large habitats loaded with stuff...and it is pretty and these we display as such. It is dreadful to clean though...these are 55 galln sized or larger tanks. Others really wigged out in this scenario and we instead have them in rack boxes hides, little else. I guess your best bet is to do some trial and erorr and see how it responds....and be patient you have time. That said though at full grown your 36x24 type set up is a minimum.
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Mike and David at 3-D Pythons
www.3dpythons.com

i have a question, i have talked to many snake breeders and hobbyist, and have read tons of care sheets and "The Ball Python Manuel" by: philippe de vosjoli, and they all said 20 gallons are the minimum size for a ball python, that rarely they grow big enough to need another size tank. jere's the thing, i am going to buy a female pastel ball python, and as you may know they are very exspensive and i wouldn't want it to die on me, right know it is still a baby and is being kept in a 10 flat. would i be able to put it in a 20 gallon it's whole life. oh and by the way, my snake still hasnt at yet, when do i know when i have to start force feeding?