Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone. I'm Will, from Nottoway, Virginia. I'm new to the board, as well as keeping ball pythons. My experience before the ball python consisted of a few kingsnakes. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to give me a few pointers in getting my bp started. He is an 03 hatchling, had him for almost a week now. I've handled him twice, and both times he seemed to enjoy it. He was very alert, and it's obvious he loves attention. Any info would be greatly appreciated =).
-Will

Here is a photo of his housing, which I am a bit skeptical about. The heat lamp is placed one foot above the cage, and with the light on the temp according to my crappy thermometer reads 90*. Without the light, it drops down to the lower 80's. I have a human heating pad under the cage set on low, on the same side as the hide box. Also, since this photo was taken. I've built a different hide box with a tighter space, he seems to like it a lot better. Thanks .

-Will

Firstly, welcome. Everything looks good, but if you have a human heat pad underneath the hide, what are your temps.? If your temps are over 90, there is probably no need for the heat lamp. Good luck.

You mean I should check the floor temp? I'm going to take a few more photos soon. I really do appreciate your help, because I love this little guy... And I want the absolute best for him... Thanks again...

-Will

Correct me if I'm wrong, but BP's spend 99.999% of their time rubbing their belly on the floor. Floor temps should be between 90-95 on the hot side.

There are some good books and a lot of good web pages out there on ball python care. Since you've kept other snakes before, you probably have a good grasp on the commonalities of snake keeping, putting you well ahead of me in that department. I've had my BP for almost a month now, and this is pretty much my first real foray into snake keeping. I've been soaking up information from books and the web like crazy, and I must be doing most things right as my snake has been eating and appears to be plenty healthy and happy. The nice thing is that BP's seem to be a pretty undemanding species and tolerate our learning curves pretty well.

A nice piece of advice I received from a co-worker who has kept lots of snakes was in the hiding place I use now. He advised to pick up one of the clay saucers that are designed to sit underneath a flowerpot and knock a small hole on one side. It's durable and heat tolerant, has a low roof that the snake can feel secure with the feel of, inexpensive and easy to find, washable, and can be placed under a heat lamp for a nice basking spot as well. For larger snakes, he advised picking up a clay roof tile of the type found on Spanish style houses, especially here in the Southwest. Currently, I'm using a 8" saucer, though as my BP grows I'll replace it with a larger one appropriate to his size. The 8" cost less than a buck at the local department store garden department (and yes, I washed it well before placing it in the terrarium), so they're not a big economic burden to replace.