Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi i would like to apologys for all of the questions ahead of time. but i have liked snakes for a while and i finally got one on sat. and i got a ball that is still young and i have a few questions first of all i was told that it is eating once a week small mice should i feed live or dead i asked and they were feeding him live. and with all of the reading i have done do you recommed a bottom heater or the light on top? right know i have the light on top. and i was told to handle him as much as i want but then i read that i should put him in his cage and let him set for about a week before i handle him. what do all of you recomend. i didn't know it but last night my husband got him out when i went to the store and when i got home he said that the snake tryed to bite him what should i do get him out or not??

like i said sorry for all the questions.

miskie

If he was eating live, then continue with live. You can try to convert him over to frozen/thrawed after he acclimates to his new enclosure. I recommend using a UTH (under-the-tank heater). You can use a human heating pad set on low which will produce about 80 degrees, but I suggest ordering a UTH-$14.95 and a thermostat-$29.95, for the warm side, asap. While your spending money, get a heat gun to measure temps-$25, and a humidity gauge-$9. Check out Big Apple Herpetological and Pro Exotics on the web. They both are very good companies to order from. You need to leave him alone for at least 7-10 days or even two weeks. This will help him acclimate to his new enclosure. Biting is usually defensive and normal, so let him get used to his surroundings.