first time snake owner and i have a few concerns

[aces high123]

so this is my 3rd day with my ball python,when i first got him he was very active in the day time with his heat/day light lamp on and when i turn his heat lamp off he would just go to sleep in his hide that has it's own heat pad , i tried to feed him today because the pet store said it was about time for him to eat , im still a bit nervous picking him up to put him in his feeding box and i think he can sense this but when im holding him i give him all the support he needs and he seams pretty calm ,anyways i put him in his feed box which has it's own hide because i did some research and sometimes thats the best way to get him to attack his dead pinky , i could only get him to attack it once he held it in his mouth for about one min and then just droped it and i couldnt even get him to attack it again after about an hour of trying to get him to feed i gave up and picked up his hide ( the one in the feeding box) to lift him up to be put into his cage and he looked really scared when i did this and now that he is back i his cage he wont leave his hide at all even when i turn his light on , is he just really stressed out ? it is a new cage and one that i know myself is a bit to big for him a 20 gal and hes only about a moth and half old but i just didnt want to have to upgrade to quick so i went with this tank , i am also having trouble keeping his cold side above 75 deg but it never ever goes below 70 but will reach low 70's at night when ia m sleeping because i turn off his light i do this because i have his light on the hot side and i got a uth thermometer that reaches high 90's with the light on about 99.1 was the highest i seen it get , while im asleep i cant control how hot this hide gets so i turn off the heating/daylight just to be safe i dont overheat him , i know he thermo regulates himself but he wont leave this hot hide , so im afraid of these temps getting to high for him , also i got another hide ont he cold side that he dont use but like is aid earlier those temps are mid to low 70's with light off about high 70's with the light on im wondering is the cold side to cold for him ? maybe hes just to stressed to leave his hot hide and those temps are fine ? i got the humidity down pat from 50-70 and can regulate this fine. i know this is a big story but i just want to do everything possible to keep my new baby alive and healthy and want some advice from other owners really bad. is a hot hide dangerous for him at temps exceeding 94 deg ? plz some and any imput would be great i will do anything i can to give him the best home anyone could .

[bcr229]

Do you have a thermostat regulating the under-tank heater? If not, go get one before your snake gets burned on its belly.

Ditch the light, they make things way too hot (99*F is dangerously hot), and they dry out the enclosure. Ball pythons don't need them as in the wild they spend most of their time underground, and they are most active at night.

A hiding ball is a happy ball. It should have a hide on the warm side and the cool side. It will switch between them as needed. I keep the warm side at 92*F and the cool side at 78*F. Measure with a temperature gun at the substrate. Do not rely on a thermometer, use a temperature gun, as your snake is down on the floor of the tank not up in the air.

What are you using for substrate?

Do not touch your snake for a week other than to change its water and spot clean the enclosure once you have its environment correctly set up. Give it time to settle in.

Mouse pinkies are way too small, I hope by "pinky" you meant rat pinky. Otherwise offer it mouse fuzzies.

A separate feeding box is not needed and using one just adds to your snake's stress. Feed it in its enclosure where it feels safe. BP's don't tend to get cage-aggressive anyway.

I got my first snake less than a year ago. Everything I posted above was info I gleaned from reading this site.

Finally, try using paragraphs and correct punctuation if you want more responses.

[franks]

I know there are different schools of thought on where to feed snakes, so I want to chime in and say that Ball Pythons are better off being fed in there own enclosures. Even the good eaters go through periods where they can be finicky, and it generally makes it easier on both the snake and the keeper to feed in their enclosure.

[Mikoh4792]

Do you have a thermostat regulating the under-tank heater? If not, go get one before your snake gets burned on its belly.

Ditch the light, they make things way too hot (99*F is dangerously hot), and they dry out the enclosure. Ball pythons don't need them as in the wild they spend most of their time underground, and they are most active at night.

A hiding ball is a happy ball. It should have a hide on the warm side and the cool side. It will switch between them as needed. I keep the warm side at 92*F and the cool side at 78*F. Measure with a temperature gun at the substrate. Do not rely on a thermometer, use a temperature gun, as your snake is down on the floor of the tank not up in the air.

What are you using for substrate?

Do not touch your snake for a week other than to change its water and spot clean the enclosure once you have its environment correctly set up. Give it time to settle in.

Mouse pinkies are way too small, I hope by "pinky" you meant rat pinky. Otherwise offer it mouse fuzzies.

A separate feeding box is not needed and using one just adds to your snake's stress. Feed it in its enclosure where it feels safe. BP's don't tend to get cage-aggressive anyway.

I got my first snake less than a year ago. Everything I posted above was info I gleaned from reading this site.

Finally, try using paragraphs and correct punctuation if you want more responses.

why is 99f dangerously hot? We are having a discussion in the "general discussion" forum about snakes basking above and below recommended temperatures. You should check that out.

As long as OP has a gradient that the ball python can choose from everything should be fine. The snake can bask at 99f or at 90F as long as those options are available.

Also OP, 20 gallons isn't too large for a baby ball python. Just give it a lot of cover and places where it can feel secure. With a bigger enclosure it is easier to provide a larger thermal gradient so your snake can thermoregulate more freely.

And as bcr229 suggested, you should get yourself a thermostat to control the temperature of the heatpad. This way you can set it at a certain temperature at night and not worry about it getting too hot.

[Terranaut]

Nothing wrong with a 99º hotspot as long as there is a cool spot to escape to. Nothing dangerous about it. As said above ditch the feeding box and the heat lamp and get a heat pad with a thermostat. Never try to feed your snake. Let it eat. So offer food if they don't strike it leave it in there a few hours and if they still haven't eaten it remove it and wait a week before trying it all over. Balls can go months without eating and then suddenly start eating again with no ill effects at all. It is a normal part of their behavior. Mine hasn't eaten since November. 7 months and no wieght loss at all.

[bcr229]

Sorry, I was under the impression that when the hot side got to 99*F the cool side temperature rose accordingly since the tank isn't all that big.

[Starbuck]

did the OP mention anything about a cover for the tank? I am assuming it is a 20 gallon glass aquarium with a screen lid?

If so, you will want/need to invest in a cover for the lid in order to maintain humidity. You can use tinfoil, a piece of plywood or plexiglass, etc.

[aces high123]

did the OP mention anything about a cover for the tank? I am assuming it is a 20 gallon glass aquarium with a screen lid?

If so, you will want/need to invest in a cover for the lid in order to maintain humidity. You can use tinfoil, a piece of plywood or plexiglass, etc.

it took me like 4 try's moving stuff around in his cage but i managed to achieve a good setup i think , uth temps are 94-97 while outside that hide is mind 80's. Just to the right of this hide is a night time heat lamp (that i leave on 24/7) with a basking spot of 90 ish. ( will be adding a tree branch so he can climb if he wants to get a little closer to the lamp for a temp of mid 90's)
The cool side temps are high 70's. i use 2 towels to cover up the screen i dampen these towels with warm water and i achieve a humidity of 55-60. if he shows signs of shedding i will make sure i achieve 70 to high 70's to help him along.

I think Slick ( my python) is really starting to feel at home now as he don't wonder much anymore and just likes to chill in his hide! my nerves are starting to clam down now as well that i am pretty sure my baby has everything he needs.

ps. how do i upload pictures says i need a url ! do i have to upload them to a picture website such as photobucket then post the link ?

thanks for all the feedback guys let me know what you think of the temps and humidity i now have .

[Mikoh4792]

it took me like 4 try's moving stuff around in his cage but i managed to achieve a good setup i think , uth temps are 94-97 while outside that hide is mind 80's. Just to the right of this hide is a night time heat lamp (that i leave on 24/7) with a basking spot of 90 ish. ( will be adding a tree branch so he can climb if he wants to get a little closer to the lamp for a temp of mid 90's)
The cool side temps are high 70's. i use 2 towels to cover up the screen i dampen these towels with warm water and i achieve a humidity of 55-60. if he shows signs of shedding i will make sure i achieve 70 to high 70's to help him along.

I think Slick ( my python) is really starting to feel at home now as he don't wonder much anymore and just likes to chill in his hide! my nerves are starting to clam down now as well that i am pretty sure my baby has everything he needs.

ps. how do i upload pictures says i need a url ! do i have to upload them to a picture website such as photobucket then post the link ?

thanks for all the feedback guys let me know what you think of the temps and humidity i now have .

You can use photobucket but tinypic . com is faster since you don't need an account.

Your temps should be fine although I would place another hide for a 90F hotspot. If his only choice is 99f and a coolside it may not be ideal. You should still give it a hide in between those temperatures.

[aces high123]

You can use photobucket but tinypic . com is faster since you don't need an account.

Your temps should be fine although I would place another hide for a 90F hotspot. If his only choice is 99f and a coolside it may not be ideal. You should still give it a hide in between those temperatures.

oh i got a cold hide as well temps in the high 70's and i got a hide in the middle of the cage temps about med to high 80's ! took me along time to get all these temps but im pretty sure slick has alot of good options now !

[Mikoh4792]

oh i got a cold hide as well temps in the high 70's and i got a hide in the middle of the cage temps about med to high 80's ! took me along time to get all these temps but im pretty sure slick has alot of good options now !

I'm not talking about a cold hide, I am talking about a warm hide of something below 99F and above high 80's.

[aces high123]

I'm not talking about a cold hide, I am talking about a warm hide of something below 99F and above high 80's.
well 99 deg f was the old uth temp now that i got everything moved around his uth temp stays around 95-96 , do you think i should try to get another one in there at about 90-94 ?

[aces high123]

I know there are different schools of thought on where to feed snakes, so I want to chime in and say that Ball Pythons are better off being fed in there own enclosures. Even the good eaters go through periods where they can be finicky, and it generally makes it easier on both the snake and the keeper to feed in their enclosure.

thanks for the info i will try to feed him in a few more days inside his own cage hope this works !