Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok well my baby ball python will be here on tuesday....I am puing her in a 6'x3' closet cage that my boa 5' is cvurrently in now...I know I know shouldnt mix but the cage is huge and i think it will be ok so lets move on from that note...Is it ok to put a bbay in such a big cage? hwn i feed her im going to remove the boa...then dangle to prey p/k with tongs...then when shes finished i will put the boa back....same thing when i feed the boa .....anway....there is a large hide on the hot side with a heat mat under it reaching about 93 and the cage has a ambient of about 80....at night about 75....is all this ok'>?

also let me know what you think about this feeding schedule...

16"-24"= 1 small mouse a week...

24"-30"- 1 large mouse a week

30"-36"= 2 adult mice a week

36"-42"= small rat every 2 weeks

42"-48"- medium rat every 2 weeks

4' and up appropriate rat every 2-3 weeks

please let me know what everyone thinks and if anyone else had their baby ball into a big cage or mixed with other snakes thanks alot
Mike

First off, you should never mix species, but if you are absolutely set on keeping them together, then their size difference is another problem. And by the time your ball is 4 ft, your boa could easily be 8 ft. Some people will argue that the boa might eat the ball, I know this occasionally happens, but it is pretty rare. However, your bigger concerns will be the size of the cage and the size of the boa. The boa and baby ball will both want to sleep in the same warm spot and the boa could easily crush the baby or at least break a few ribs by accident. Also, baby balls feel much more secure in small cages where they feel like they are in control of a very limited territory. Balls are much pickier eaters than boas and these two factors could stress the snake enough to make it not eat.

The ball will be much happier in his own private tank.
Good Luck,
~kasey

Invest in a ten gallon tank a Under the tank heat mat two hides and a water dish. This will way better and safer for the baby ball. It may stay in the ten gallon for at least a year or more. I really would not house them together, I think you are just asking for problems. Look in your local papers ten gallon tanks are cheap even if you buy a new one.

You aren't going to have to worry about that feed schedule if you intend on housing those animals together. If you do - you are in all likely hood looking at a dead baby in no time.

You shouldn't house more than one snake in the same cage.
You NEVER house two different species in the same cage.
You NEVER house two snakes of extremely different size in the same cage.

Bare minimum:
15-32 qt. Rubbermaid or sterilite - $7-10
Mini heat pad - $12
Alife thermostat - $26
Hide and Waterbowl - relatively free - use your imagination
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Tosha
JET Pythons

So despite the responses we gave you in your other thread, you still plan on going ahead? Did you do ANY research before buying this ball python? Your caging/feeding questions would easily have been answered with a simple Google search for a care sheet.

IMO, you should not own snakes if you're not willing to do research on their proper care and heed the advice of others with more experience than you (especially when you specifically asked for it).
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

As Everyone stated...

click this link
Read Your Other Post!!!