Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just got a 2 yr old male ball python from craigslist yesterday and wanted to inquire about some more specific issues that have come up since then.

so far he has remained coiled under his log, but he just ate when i picked him up. is this normal for the digesting period or could he be stressed from his change of environment?

would it have any effect to change out some of his accessories or can pythons grow accustomed to the items they were raised with?

also i have large speakers. do i need to worry about the proximity of his tank to these when they are in use?

just covering all the bases. thanks!

coiling up in a hide is normal behavior for a ball python, especially if you just got him. I also suggest don't handle him when feeding or right after feeding. Stressful on the snake, could cause a regurgitation or, he may mistake you for food and bite.

If you play music often and like it loud, I would move the cage somewhere else. The vibrations from a speaker can be stressful to a ball python.
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PHLdyPayne

>>so far he has remained coiled under his log, but he just ate when i picked him up. is this normal for the digesting period or could he be stressed from his change of environment?

Do you mean he ate when you picked him up, or you picked him up, then he ate, or he ate, then you picked him up? Most balls won't eat while you're holding them (I've never met one that did), and some get too stressed out by handling to eat immediately after. You should wait 24-48 hours after the snake eats to handle it again, because like PHLadyPayne said, the stress will likely make the snake throw up the food.

>>would it have any effect to change out some of his accessories or can pythons grow accustomed to the items they were raised with?

Go ahead and change the accessories, but when you change the accessories, don't handle the snake. Limit the changes/stressful things in his life to one thing at a time. So a week after you rearrange his cage, AND he eats again, then once his stomach has settled, handling him should be fine.

>>also i have large speakers. do i need to worry about the proximity of his tank to these when they are in use?

Yes. If there's too much vibrating, like from the bass, the snake will actually become visibly agitated. I've been at a friend's house who had really loud speakers and a snake, and the second he started playing music, the snake came out and went as ballistic as a snake can get. The music even hurt MY ears, so I can't even imagine what the snake was going through.
Snakes 'hear' through vibrations, not sound like we know it, so the louder the music, the worse it seems for the snake. This is the same reason why it's so bad to tap on the glass of cages

Also, just in case (I dono if you smoke or not) - avoid any kind of smoke in the snake's room. It'll likely lead to an upper respiratory infection.

Hope this helps!

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

"so far he has remained coiled under his log, but he just ate when i picked him up. is this normal for the digesting period or could he be stressed from his change of environment?"

This is what ball pythons do -- they always stay coiled up in hides and rarely come out. They are nocturnal burrow-dwellers in the wild. They're not much for display snakes, you won't see him much.

You need to leave him alone for 1-2 weeks with absolutely no handling, no cage rearranging or changing, nothing but giving him fresh water. You can offer food in a week or two and then begin short handling periods (15 minutes a couple times per week). When he eats, he should not be handled or bothered for a minimum of 2 days, preferably 3.

Congrats on the new snake!
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

cool thanks everyone!

when i went to pick him up the prior owner fed him and then i brought him back to my apartment.

that was on saturday so today i handled him for about 10 minutes and let him go back in his cage.

from here on out i'll give him a week or two to settle before touching him and keep his tank away from the speakers.

Any reservations about putting structures that have been shop-made from beech or poplar wood in there with him? Also would I want to leave his water dish fairly rough or does it matter if I smooth it out?