Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i got my ball about 4 months ago at a petco, so that shoudl give you an idea of how big he was when i got him.

all the pet stores i went to told me to feed him about once every 2 weeks. that sounds a bit long to me since hes pretty young, but he has grown noticably and he sheds/poops often.
he just seems a bit restless about a week after he is fed. should i be feeding him every week or week and a half instead?

ive had alot of lizards and some turtles so i know if a herp is unhealthy and he looks pretty good, just wondering if i can be doing better.
oh yeah, and i never see him go in his water dish, its a large rock like dish and i change the water every day to every 2-3 days but there is never any fecal matter in it. (i know some reptiles like to BM i nthe water). he slithers ON the dish all the time but seems to avoid the water when he goes over/around it. whats up with that?

Once every 2 weeks is rather light feeding for young ball pythons. I would increase feeding to once every 5-7 days.

Yes ldypayne is correct, also snakes aren't like dogs or certain or herps they dont have to quench there thirst everytime they are thirsty. Just make sure the water is clean,and there for him at anytime, who knows maybe he's drinking right now...

ah thanks guys, i did figure he would grow alot faster then he is, most of the other herps i had took about a year or 2 for them to get full size and i figured this guy might take longer but for 5 months i expected alot more growth.

ill get him food tomorrow, and ill write down a little schedual for a few months to remind me when he needs to be fed.

ah ok, his tank is right next to my computer and im on here alot and never see him drink, hes probably doing it while im in bed.

also, should i have a night heat light for him? i have one for the day time and was wondering if he needs a night bulb. it gets about 75 in here at night and he doesnt have a UTH since i have reptibark in there.

yes, you should definitely have a night bulb (or maybe a UTH attached to the side of the tank). temps can drop a little at night but 75 all over is too low and might inhibit the snake's digestion or make him prone to respiratory tract infections.

could i have a night bulb (red or blue) on all of the time? this room gets sunlight all day so the room is well lit while the sun is up, or is a day bulb still needed?

TEMPERATURES are what's needed. actual temps, daytime highs, nightime lows, ambient temps, hot spot temps, the actual temperature is what is important, not the color of the bulb or the wattage.

you need to set it up to achieve the correct temps, period. you can use bulbs, you can use heat tape, or a heat pad (it doesn't matter what substrate you use, both still work), you can use ceramic bulbs, you can use a room heater, there are many tools that help you to achieve the right temperature. evaluate your setup and choose those that will work best. get yourself a temp gun and some digital thermometers to help you to measure, and understand, what temps you are achieving. adjust accordingly.

best of luck.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles