1) How to determine the sex. Unfortunately the person who sold me wasnt able to tell me. Any way besides probing?? Tail shape?
Probing is the most reliable, but popping is another fairly reliable method. Neither should be attempted by someone who isn't experienced though as both can lead to permanent damage if done incorrectly.
2) feed in tank or out of. I fed it in a small box, ate with no problems. the problem only came when it was time to remove it and put it back into the tank. he was still in feeding mode and it was really hard to pick him up, i ended up gently tipping him back into the tank cause i couldnt handle him. normally he is a sweetie, just only when it comes to feeding he's like this.
I do a mixture of both in my collection. For the animals that are fed out of their cages, I use a snake hook to help lift them from their feeding tubs. Investing in a snake hook and acclimating your snake to having it used is a must for keepers IMO. It's a safe way to handle and manuever the animals while being safe for both the animal and the keeper. The leather gloves idea mentioned by someone else is also an option, but I still think having a hook, especially for when the animal is larger, is a must.
3) Over/power feeding? I fed him 2 small mice, slightly bigger than hoppers. I was planning on doing this every 1 1/2 weeks. would this be power feeding? i hope not, cause 1 mouse doesnt seem to fill him up/cause much of a bulge at all.
For neonates and juveniles, I feed one or two prey items every 10-14 days on average. Sometimes with newborns I will feed them once a week (every 7 days) then wean them to a slower schedule as they get older. Most of my juvenile and subadult boas and pythons are fed once every 2-3 weeks, while my adult boas and pythons are fed once every 3-4 weeks. Basically you want to make sure that the snake maintains good muscle tone and remains active.
4) and lastly, temps. would a unheated tank placed in a room heated at ~86-88F be adequate? or do i need to provide tank heating.
You need to provide supplemental heat - a good quality heat mat on a thermostat or a heat lamp - either placed at one end of the cage. This allows the snake to thermoregulate and choose the temperature that best suits it at any given time. I also recommend using at least two hides, one at either end, or provide a substrate that the snake can burrow in or under to feel safe & hidden while selecting the temps that best suit it.
Hope this helps!
Raven
