Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I first want to apologize for sounding so dumb but I need information. I'm a mom that gave in to a teenage son and agreed to let him purchase a ball python today. While the son was at work, his father and I set the cage up and put the little guy in it. (Dad had to give up his fish & 55 gallon tank!! LOL)
The only information on the snake that we have is that he is a '03 baby and is a "guaranteed feeder". He/She is about 18"-22" long and seems healthy according to what I've read so far.
I would like to know how often can it be held?? How long can it be held?? Is the "hot rock" ok for him?? When should we first try to feed him as the pet store said he acts 'hungry' and I'm not partial to the idea of a hungry snake in the house because I have an Amazon parrot and 2 cockatiels also.
I'm afraid that I will be doing most of the care of this new family member so any information or advice that you can give me will be greatly appreciated. I have been reading information since we brought him home and I will continue to do so as long as it takes to care for him properly. (Mom hormones carry over to pets at my house!! LOL)

Let the snake adjust to his surroundings for about a week, maybe leave a small piece of clothing with his scent on it in the enclosure. He can hold it pretty much anytime he is active as long as he isn't stressed (shedding, just ate,ect.). He should hold him as long as the snake allows him to. Once the snake gets irritable put him back in. Also make sure the air is not to cold.
As for the heat rock...NOOO! It gets to hot with many centralized "hot spots." The best option is to go with an Under Tank Heater or UTH. This can either be a heating pad or "heat tape" like Flexwatt.
Feeding him should depend on how big he is,if he is in shed,and the last time he ate. If his is not in shed (you can feed him during shed but I perfer not to becasue I don't want to stress him. I don't think it matters though) and ate about a week ago and his head looks big enough for it (keep in mind the un-hinge their jaws and can swallow things completly out of proportion with their head) I would try a Frozen/Thawed Small rat. Hope this helps.

A ball python is a good beginner snake. They are usually docile and fairly easy to handle and take care of. Having said that, there are always exceptions.
First off, a 55 gallon tank is way too big for your "little guy". Not only too big, but its going to be hard to keep good humidity in a fish tank. I would suggest going to Wal-Mart and getting a rubbermaid container with a good lid about the size of a 20 gallon container and drill holes for ventilation. My ball python is about the same size in this set-up and doing well. Ball pytons do not like TONS of space. Keep the 55 gallon for later when is gets bigger.
As far as handling goes, let it get used to its tank for about 2 weeks. It's hard not to handle it but your snake will be much more secure if its not stressed on a daily basis. After a couple of weeks, start slowly-about 15 minutes 2 or 3 times a week.
Hot rocks are not good for snakes. Get rid of it and get an under the tank heating pad. Also make sure you have two hid boxes, one for the warm side and one for the cooler side. Add a water bowl for humidity, etc.
Also last but absolutely not least, find a vet that works with reptiles. Don't wait until the snake needs it, just find one.
Since you have a computer, do a search for "ball python care sheets," there's lots of them on the internet with good information. Hope this helps.

Is the world too big? How can it be too big if it has enough hides to make him feel secure? Why spend money on something you don't have to have? As for the fish tank, You should make a new lid for the tank. Get a pice of plastic, tile,wood and cut it to fit with about 1/2 inch left hanging over on all sides. Screw it onto a wooden frame made of 1/2 fiber board, or solid wood. make the frame 2 inches wide. Find a way to secure it so he doesn't get loose. That is what I would do If I had the time and money. There are other ways but I have never looked them up. If the fish tank cover Is a full canopy with not to many holes in it it shold be fine. You might have to get something to keep it from opening. Maybe melt the sides together...

According to Anthony Caponetto
http://reptiles.drivennewmedia.com/ball_python_care.htm

Part 2 - Caging

1. Size of the cage

Hatchling to 1 year old - 10 gallon tank or similar. I keep babies in 12 quart Rubbermaid containers.

Juvenile to Adult - 20 gallon Long tank or any cage of comparable size. Larger females may require a 30 gallon Long, or the equivalent. I keep males in 28 quart Rubbermaid containers, and adults in 24" Wide x24" Long x 12" Tall Barrs Cages.

Too large of a cage may make a baby or juvenile Ball Python feel insecure and may cause them to quit eating.

Make sure the lid is secure. Ball Pythons are very accomplished escape artists and if there is a way out, they will eventually find it.

there is no logic to that. As long as there are pleny of hides and it doesn't look big and open, how can they feel insecure? None of my balls ever had a problem venturing out at night all excited, they loved it. I have 3 balls at the moment. They are in wooden cages, that makes a difference because if they were in glass ones it would probably feel huge. I put a bunch of wooden dowles in there, and when they were babies, they loved climbing all over their cage. They still do. They just needed time to adjust.

I think the whole size thing has to do more with the age and size of the BP. If it's a hatchling its small and "defenseless", just what predators are looking for. Snakes arn't domesticated so they haven't lost the fear of said predators,and when your that young and little anything is construed as a predator,especially if your out in the open. They dont know that some bird or other reptile is not going to attack them. These are wild animals that still "think" they are in Africa. "They are generally secretive, they like small secure hollows and cavities. They are most comfortable in the dark with their back touching a firm surface." This is a quote I took directly from the BP book: The guide to owning a Ball Python.

I don't know if it matters but it is wood. Maybe he feels more secure than being in a big room...

The python that we have is actually my son's but we share in the responsibility of taking care of it. We have had it since mid may this year. We started out with a tall 30 gal. tank. Maybe what you could do with your 55 gal. tank to make it seem smaller for now, is get some wood and make a wall to make it smaller about in the middle, divide it in half. use silicon on the edges to seal it in place. That way you make a 55 gal. maybe into a 30 or so. Our snake loves to be held. When it was summer we would take him out to the yard and let him explore. When we first got him we fed him live pinky rats. The snake was about 16 in. long the. He now eats up to 4 wk old live rats. good luck.

Ball Pythons are known to prefer smaller spaces. Even enough hides would not help. Space is a big issue to a ball python and the more space you give them the more stressed they become. Even in the wild these snakes find the most cramped spaces to fit themselves into. Giving them too much space even with multiple hides is not giving them what they would atleast prefer and feel more secure with in the wild.