I bought a Baby Ball Python!

[steppy104]

he doesn't have a UV light. just a heating lamp.

 

[BinkyB]

I think it's a good idea to have two "caves" for the snake. One over the heat pad and one on the other end of the tank. That way the snake has the choice to sleep in the hot shelter or the cool one.

 

[steppy104]

thanks for the info binky. (i'm posting for bettabub right now, since he doesn't always have time to post)

we'll probably only get him one hiding spot. well, the little guy wasn't eating the hopper mouse we had got him, and it had been just over a week since he last ate. i noticed a black thing on him that was kinda where his underside started....it looked like a swollen black scale or something.

so we went to a pet store that has a REALLY nice lady working (not where we got the snake) to ask 2 questions.....why wasn't the snake eating and what the heck that black scale lookin thing was.

so we get there and she goes on about how his skin is loose, basically because he doesn't have enough muscle, and isn't as fat as he should be...then she goes on saying how weak he is, by hardling gripping her when she was holding him, and hardly moving (which i think he was being stubborn, cuz he wiggled all the way there in the car!)....but then she examined the black dot, and come to find out, it was a TICK! she said something along the lines of "and this is kinda a big tick for such a little snake....it's probably whats making him so tired-like.". then about him not eating, she said that the live hopper mouse, that the store we bought him from told us he would eat, was too big for him, and thats why he refused to eat it.....so she sold us a tiny frozen pinky mouse to try...she said if that didn't work, to come back and get a tiny live black mouse.

i'm ashamed at the store we bought this little guy from.....i just soo want to go back there and tell them, that the snacks they're selling could have ticks! but bettabub don't wanna go back there....he officially don't like that place.

hopefully the little guy recovers nicely, and starts showin some attitude or something.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I never had a ball (and god am I jealous ) but I gave my snake live pinkies which he loved (the motion really attracts them). They'd be small enough for your snake. And careful when they are shedding, there eyes get cloudy and they can't see as well, I just left mine alone when I saw that. (Wished I'd noticed sooner, wouldn't have had him try to take a chunk out of me, good thing he was little) Have fun with the little guy and good luck!

 

[kj23502]

I had a ball python named snickers. I had a heating pad that attatched under his aquarium on the right side. If you haven't found them yet, they'll probably at most pet stores by the lizard/reptile area. I fed mine pinky mice when we first got him! Make sure the frozen mice are thawed BEFORE you offer it to him. It could cause serious probs if it's not thawed since they can't regulate their body temp. I put mine in warm water and let it sit for a little while. It could help if you have something that you could hold the mouse with and wiggle it around. Just make sure that whatever it is it won't hurt the snake when he/she strikes it. I had one large mass of fake branches for the decor. It arched upward and created an empty space underneath and snickers almost always slept/rested there. Make sure the water dish is wide enough that it can curl up in it if it wants too(it shouldn't be too deep). Sometimes they like to soak when they're going to start shedding. I gave my snake to my sister a couple years ago...

For the heated pad.....i put the aquarium on top of something to allow for a half inch of clearance under the tank so the heating pad doesn't get too hot. It could potentially burn whatever it sits on!

 

[Esfa]

You're right, snakes don't need UV but they sure do bennefit from it, like most living things do. Most living things need it to make Vitamin D.

Not all snakes, UV light can make cornsnakes blind.

 

[OohFeeshy]

[quote date='Jul 10 2004, 05:05 AM'][/quote]


[quote date='Feb 3 2008, 08:16 PM'][/quote]


Hrm...

 

[kj23502]

[quote date='Jul 10 2004, 05:05 AM']

[quote date='Feb 3 2008, 08:16 PM'][/quote]


Hrm...[/quote]
I know its kinda old, but when people do searches they can find it and have more opinions and thoughts on what to do. Why not add? I'm kinda new...is there a rule that we can't add to ones that are so old?