Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I purchased a ball python about a week ago. So far all is well. It ate its first meal (while in my possesion) last night. I did quite a bit of research before my purchase but I have some ?'s:

Why do I keep hearing that rats have more nutritive value than mice?

Who determines these nutritive values anyway?

Why does my snake rub his or her cheek on boxes and water bowls etc. sometimes? (no mites I checked)

What is the appropriate term for the "regular" color morph?

To feed in the cage or out?
I've heard much on both. Last night I fed in the cage because right now I have no way to keep another container warm. I sort of got some mouse brains on the side of the tank. Minute traces of course but the snake obviously knows they are there. Is this bad?

How much do vets usually charge to examine a snake and do a fecal? There are a couple herp vets around here.

My snake is pretty bold, I have never once seen it go into a defensive "ball" posture. I am very gentle if I handle it and usually just let it do what it wants within reason and I never reach in the cage and grab it. Any comments on this?

Hiya! Congrats on your new BP. They are such neat animals.
I'll give you my input on some of your questions.

As far as rats being more nutritious....my opinion is that the nutritional differences between rats and mice are minimal. I'm sure somewhere, someone did a study and found that rats are more nutritious. I'm sure steak is more nutritious for dogs than kibbles, but kibbles are more convenient, and suffice. I think it's a matter of preference. I fed mice until he was taking 2 at a time, then switched over to rats because it was convenient.(1 big meal as opposed to multiple small food items) I've heard people have trouble with this switch, but I didn't. He eats like a champ every week.

Has your snake shed yet? They tend to rub when getting ready to shed, starting at the face. I'm not sure of other causes, ie:mouthrot, mites, etc. We'll leave that to the experts!

Regular morph BPs are called "normals". I have 2 normals.

I'm an advocate of feeding outside the cage. I move all my animals to a seperate "feed box". Basically, it's a cardboard WB Mason box I got from work. All my snakes know when they go in their box, it's time to eat. They have eaten every time for me, and I feed every 5-10 days. They are only in there for about 10 minutes, so it doesn't need to be heated or anything fancy. I think this choice is again a matter of convenience. People with 40 snakes aren't going to move them to a box everytime they need to be fed, nor will people with 15 foot snakes. For the casual pet owner, I think it helps with the snake not associating hands in his tank with food, and less chance of getting bit.

As far as vet bills, I have no clue at all.

Pythons generally ball up when stressed or as a defense, so if yours isn't, that's good! It feels safe and comfortable with you. You are a good snake parent.

Good luck with your addition, and post some pics soon!
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1.1 Ball Python
0.0.1 corn snake
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.2 fish
1.2 cats
3.1 kids
1.0 husband

Last night after my snake took the mouse it went down really fast. At the reptile shop he'd been having live hoppers and apparently didn't notice that I gave him a prekilled one. He struck and constricted it for about two minutes and swallowed it in a minute or less and then looked around like he wanted another. Next time shall I give him another or maybe try a rat of a small size? I shouldn't say he because I don't know the gender but any way the snake is between 16 and 18 inchs and about as thick as a large mans thumb. I was worried about feeding him outside the cage because I've been told picking it up soon after eating can lead to regurgitation, which I did not want since it was my first time feeding it. It's ok to pick the snake up out of say a bucket and put it back in its cage after it has eatten?

Again, I think it's all a matter of preference, and what works for you and your snake. I have always handled my snakes after eating, and have never had one regurgitate a meal. I don't swing them around by the tail, mind you, but I DO pick them up and hold them for a bit before they go back in their home. Switching to fuzzy rats might not be a bad idea. Are they easy to get for you, and inexpensive? Or do you breed your own?
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1.1 Ball Python
0.0.1 corn snake
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.2 fish
1.2 cats
3.1 kids
1.0 husband

I live in a pretty urban area with lots of places to obtain rodents for reptile food. I choose not to use live food, even though that's what my snake was eating, because of the potential danger to the snake and because I'm not even supposed to have the snake in my apartment (I don't think anyway, I'm not asking) so I don't really need to set myself up for trouble with live rodents. I'll have to check and see what the going rates on rats are, I get the prekilled mice for $0.50 each. Would it be better to feed the snake twice a week or maybe two rats in one sitting? I'd like to encourage an optimum growth rate, even though a little baby snake is fun, I'd like to see it grow. Is there a good way to weigh a snake? I'm worried about it moving and not getting an accurate reading. Also what is the standard way to measure the length of a snake? Nose to tail?

You should feed it a prey item no wider than the widest part of the snake's body. The risk of feed the snake too large prey and to much is the snake can regurgitate it's food. You would only need to feed your baby snake twice a week. Snake and other reptiles can go for a long time without food as a result of very slow metabolism. Some snakes can go for as long as a year without eating if well fed and are healthy. But this should not be attempted in captivity as it is unhealthy. They can also have very efficient digestive system. They can digest almost everything from bones to hair and all are absorbed to be part of the snake...and is one reason why they don't need to eat often and a lot. Once fully grown, you will only need to feed it every 3 to 6 weeks. Have fun herping and enjoy your new pet!!!

Every 3 to 6 weeks depending on the snake ofcourse. If your snake looks very fat I would feed it every 6 weeks, but if it doing ok on a mouse every 3, 4 weeks then I would stick to that feeding schedule.

I said every 2 weeks for babies, but that depends on the snake, too. If it looks and feel skinny I would feed at a shorter interval between meals...like maybe every 10 days. A skinny snake would feel very bony to the touch and have loose skin I think.

Lol...neither are we. (having snakes in the apt) I just haven't mentioned it.
We feed out 1 year old a small rat, our baby BP an adult mouse, and our corn snake a pinky. BP's can usually take a regular sized mouse by a few months old no problem.
We don't weigh our snakes, but to measure them we use a piece of yarn and start at the head to the tip of the tail, then measure the string.
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1.1 Ball Python
0.0.1 corn snake
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.2 fish
1.2 cats
3.1 kids
1.0 husband

How do I figure out how old my snake is? I know it's a hatchling but I don't know exactly where it came from. Perhaps the shop might tell me? They are reptile specialists and quite accesible. I'm 90% sure that it was bred and hatched in captivity. It's about 16"-18" long and quite heavy for a little snake.
Also it's rather rambunctious, if I handle it, it wants to get into EVERYTHING and is obviously not scared or trying to hide, it's just nosey. Is this fairly normal?

As far as age of the snake....I'm not sure. From the size it seems to be about 2-3 months old. (correct me if wrong, as I'm not sure....) That's how big my guys were at that age. My one year old is 3 ft currently. He was always outgoing and curious, but my new girl is shy and flinches easily. She doesn't nip anymore (she did when I first brought her home, I'm guessing she wasn't handled alot if bred for sale) but she's not as adventurous as my male. Sounds like you just got a cool snake! What did you name him/her?
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1.1 Ball Python
0.0.1 corn snake
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.2 fish
1.2 cats
3.1 kids
1.0 husband

I think the snake is named Clove for the moment due to coloration and lack of information regarding gender. I'm having a snake christening party soon

LOL...I like it. Tell everyone to bring a mouse. I like Clove, too, that's a neat name. Ours are Jake and Sunshine. Then there's Speedy, our baby corn snake. And Grendal-baby, our beardie. Watch out....herps are WAY addictive.
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1.1 Ball Python
0.0.1 corn snake
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.2 fish
1.2 cats
3.1 kids
1.0 husband

Clove and I had a good session last night. "Snake time" usually happens in the evening and involves me picking up the paper towel tube the snake is resting in and putting it in my lap while I read. After a few minutes a flicking tongue emerges and then the rest of the snake. Last night Clove came out and proceeded to crawl around in my lap and on the couch and then back in my lap etc. for about an hour and a half. When he/she got tired of that he/she just sat half way in and half way out of the tube and looked around until I put the snake and the paper towel tube back in the snake cage. It was nice as there were very few attempts to make an expedition to the floor or under the couch cushions. The snake seems to like my lap, proabably because it's warm. Now that Clove is pretty comfortable with the "lap snake" couch scene I'm going to work on the desk as the new "frontier" of exploration. Being held while I walk around the room does not seem to be high on Clove's "oh boy" list and he/she much prefers that I make a kangaroo pocket in my tee shirt and carry him/her around that way if I need to answer the phone or something. So finally the question is: how well can my snake see and hear me? He/she does not seem to like the radio or the vacuum cleaner. Do snakes have binocular vision? Clove doesn't usually look at me straight on when he/she is out andabout during "snake time".

That's a good way to let Clove get comfortable with you, IMO. Bringing the tube out and letting him/her come out and explore on his/her own terms. Good thought! We do that at our house in the evenings, too. Everyone grabs an animal, and sits to watch a movie, or relax with a book. Mine tend to like my glasses and my hair. When they were babies, this was fine! Jake would inch his way up my neck, under my hair, and over the bridge of my glasses and just perch there. Of course, I couldn't see. Only problem is, he's 3 feet long now and still tries to do it! The glasses get dragged off my nose, hair everywhere....
Snakes can hear, but having no external ears, it's different from what we hear. It's probably more like vibrations, and certain frequencies are more unpleasant than others. I've read that the frequency range they are most sensitive to is the same as the tread of a large animal. Makes sense. Personally, I don't like the vaccuum either. As far as looking at you, they see color but not as intensely as we do. I'm not sure how aware they are of us in a personal sense. Dogs and cats know where your "face" is, and respond to your eyes, and facial movements because they are visually cued socially as well. Snakes use taste or scent more than visual, so I would think that "looking" at you wouldn't really happen. More like "tasting" you and sensing your temp, chemical output, the vibrations of your voice, etc. Clove is probably studying you VERY intently, just not in a way that another animal would.
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1.1 Ball Python
0.0.1 corn snake
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.2 fish
1.2 cats
3.1 kids
1.0 husband

Clove is very curious and would LOVE to crawl around near my face I think but presently is not allowed to due to the fact that most of my training is in microbiology and I have no interest in having something carrying Salmonella near my face. Also I don't quite trust Clove as far as biting goes although he/she has never show any inclination to do so, however if I am going to get bitten I would rather it not be near my face so Clove isn't allowed to climb any higher than my chest. As far as recognition goes I'm hoping my biochemical imprint is what Clove is getting used to, then I may try introducing him/ her to some of my freinds. Sometimes I exhale gently in his/her direction hoping that's a good way to get my "scent" to Clove. As far as visual recognition I was wondering because Clove seems to regard me as a big warm jungle gym although I know my scent is going to be pretty obvious and he/she should be able to hear my heart beat. I keep large South American cichlids as my primary hobby and they are highly intelligent for "lower vertebrates" and certainly recognize my face. Not to be mean but I think Clove is a couple of degrees below them as far as cogniscance goes but I wasn't sure.
On another topic: when might Clove defecate? As indelicate as that sound I want a fecal sample for a check up even though he/she seems very healthy, I just want to make sure. I've had Clove for almost two weeks and he/she has been fed once a week for his or her entire existence to my knowledge. I at least know Clove was fed the week I got him/her and then I fed him/her last week. When might shedding occur? There haven't been any signs yet.

quote-
"Pythons generally ball up when stressed or as a defense, so if yours isn't, that's good! It feels safe and comfortable with you. You are a good snake parent."

Most snakes will react this way at first, then as they get older and have had time to adjust to their parents, they are less tense....

What I'm saying is that it's OK if his BP doesn't ball up. He said he has never seen it ball up. It means he hasn't done anything to make it feel defensive. That's a GOOD thing.....how did you interpret that????
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1.1 Ball Python
0.0.1 corn snake
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.2 fish
1.2 cats
3.1 kids
1.0 husband