newb questions about pythons

[Jessicat]

So, with no real experience owning a python, I have some [probably stupid] questions to ask ^^; So here goes:
Do these snakes need a "balanced" diet? I know with leos there's crickets, all kinds of worms, the occasional pinky mouse, along with vitimin dust; in contrast, I've only heard that you should just throw a rat to your snake once in about a week and that's that XD

About heat, light, and humidity; I know it varies for each species, but generally, is undertank or overhead heat better? Do they need a uvb "day" light, or are they better off without it? And what are good ways to keep up and monitor humidity levels? I used to just do a twice daily misting when I had anoles, but not sure if that would be the right way to go in this instance [and I despise those water stains on the glass x.x]

Which species are best with handling? I've read varying stories on carpet python temperments, are they actually aggressive, or do they seem that way in comparison to, say, ball pythons? [which sound much more shy]

Which python would be best to start out with? I'd need to take size into consideration too, if it'll be bigger and heavier than me, I don't have the room for it XD

And finally, I reside in Ontario [Canada] are there any species that are not allowed to be kept in the province? Just incase :p

Thanks a lot in advance! :3

[Lankyrob]

Our ball python just eats mice but is nearing moving onto rats - no other food is necessary.

We use ceramic bulbs to heat all our vivariums - in my opinion they are best but others may disagree.

As the Ball is the only python i have at the moment i cant compare handling with other ones.

We have a hygrometer in the tank (currently a dial one but they are unreliable over time so a digital one will be in there soon) we keep a water bowl near the heater end to keep humidity up and if it drops for any reason i then spray the viv as an additional source.

[dragunov.762]

frozen rats is all you need to feed (please don't throw a live rat in with a BP unless it is a pinky, they can kill your snake)

lighting i use incandescent lights (red so they can be left on at night) ceramics are another good option but they are a tad expensive.

for the hygrometer you can go to you local hardware store and get a digital hydrometer/thermometer for a decent price. misting is a good way to keep humidity up but if you have the cash and are away from home for a while a misting system would be a nice investment. (they are a convenience and not necessary though)

i don't have a python so i can't tell you from experience how there temperaments are but my suggestion is that if there is a doubt in your mind about it don't get it until you are ready to deal with something that is nippy. if you can go out and look at some in person, each snake has its own temperament and can only be generalized and may not apply to the individual you are looking at.

[bladeblaster]

having kept ball pythons in the past, and currently keeping carpet pythons, I would answer you questions as follows:-

As for a balanced diet, I try to give my snakes a bit of variation, especially carpet pythons, I feed mice, rats, chicken, pigeon, and guniea pigs. Pretty much anything I can get my hands on really. i don't supplement food for snakes eating this type of prey, unless they have been bred, then I give them a boost of vits and calcium for a few weeks after laying.

For babies in tubs UTH heating is best, but in vivariums over head heating is best IMO. I don;t monitor humidity in any of my enclosures, if they shed well the humidity is fine.

As for handling, carpet pythons have an undeserved reputation, all of mine are as soft as pupies. Hatchlings can be nippy to start with, but so can babies of all species. Jungle IMO are the worst for being bitey into adulthood.

Carpet pythons make better start snakes than ball pythons IMO. They generally eat like pigs, they don't require any specific humidity, and are pretty tollerant of temp variation. Coastals can get pretty big though.

Cant answer your last question though.

[Nafun]

Do these snakes need a "balanced" diet

Nope. They should just be fed an appropriate sized whole prey item. Once every 5-7 days for hatchlings, gradually increasing to once every 10-14 days as adults. All pythons are carnivores. Whole rodents are the most popular, but whole chicks/quails/turkeys are also possibilities. Most will accept frozen/thawed rodents with little trouble.



About heat, light, and humidity; I know it varies for each species, but generally, is undertank or overhead heat better? Do they need a uvb "day" light, or are they better off without it? And what are good ways to keep up and monitor humidity levels? I used to just do a twice daily misting when I had anoles, but not sure if that would be the right way to go in this instance [and I despise those water stains on the glass x.x]


It depends on your set up. Most pythons want a "cool" side in the high 70's to low 80's, with a hot side in the high 80's, with a night time temperature drop. What kind of heating works best will depend on the room temperature, and how much airflow the enclosure has. If you have low airflow (such as in a tub), UTH and heat cable work absolutely brilliantly. If you have a screen topped aquarium, or your house falls below 70ish degrees, you're probably going to need to go with more aggressive heating, such as a ceramic heat emitter. I would recommend a ceramic heat emitter over any kind of heat bulb. They look nicer, are more efficient, and are much less fragile. To keep up humidity, use can mist, or use a fogger. The best way to maintain it is to limit the humidity loss. This can be done by closing off the top of the tank. If you're using aquariums, you can cover a screen top with plexi glass (leave an air hole), or just wrap it in plastic wrap (again, air holes!).



Which species are best with handling? I've read varying stories on carpet python temperments, are they actually aggressive, or do they seem that way in comparison to, say, ball pythons? [which sound much more shy]


Balls are probably the best at being handled. They are shy, but they very seldom bite. I have 4 ball pythons, they range from enjoying handling all the way to hissing at me when I open the lid. In general though, they are very docile snakes (ie. lazy).

Carpets, especially Jungles, can be little bitches. Sometimes they grow out of it, sometimes they don't. Other carpet subspecies are supposedly nicer, especially diamonds, but diamonds are ridiculously rare and expensive.

I have seen Bloods that are like puppy dogs, and I have seen Bloods that I wouldn't put my hand in their cage without a welder's glove. Bloods are quite possibly the only snake lazier than balls, however.

I would not recommend scrubs, rock, burmese, or reticulated because of their size.


Which python would be best to start out with? I'd need to take size into consideration too, if it'll be bigger and heavier than me, I don't have the room for it XD


I would start with a Ball Python, or a Carpet Python. Carpets are much more active, but also more aggressive. If you want a snake that'll hang out on your shoulder all day, get a ball. If you want a snake that'll slither around exploring when you handle it, get a carpet.


And finally, I reside in Ontario [Canada] are there any species that are not allowed to be kept in the province? Just incase :p

Thanks a lot in advance! :3

The only relevant laws I could find, is that you cannot be evicted for keeping snakes, nor can a landlord force you to get rid of your snakes, unless it is deemed dangerous (like a cobra or something). Looks like you're in the clear. However, you're probably much more likely to have municipal laws banning a snake.

[percey39]

Hello and welcome to the site. Carpets are great snakes as they are very active and arboreal, which makes them great display snakes. Also they are very forgiving with temps and set ups, which is great when starting out as you will learn along the way. Most carpets start out bitey but will settle down once they are older. Remember a bite off a 1m snake does not hurt, even 2m dont hurt imo.
As for feeding always try and offer a varied amount of different food, as rats contain high fat cell counts and fatty tissue this leads to liver issues and heart problems when they are constantly fed rats for their entirity of their life.

[Lankyrob]

Hello and welcome to the site. Carpets are great snakes as they are very active and arboreal, which makes them great display snakes. Also they are very forgiving with temps and set ups, which is great when starting out as you will learn along the way. Most carpets start out bitey but will settle down once they are older. Remember a bite off a 1m snake does not hurt, even 2m dont hurt imo.
As for feeding always try and offer a varied amount of different food, as rats contain high fat cell counts and fatty tissue this leads to liver issues and heart problems when they are constantly fed rats for their entirity of their life.


Ok am now confused slightly - i understood that rats were less fatty and more protein than mice? Have i got wrong end of the stick?:crazy2:

[percey39]

If you buy pre killed frozen rats off pet shops, some of these rats would also be worse than others as well because they have small enclosures and are not able to fully move around. Yes rats contain more protein than mice as they are more muscle a bigger sized bones, but still most poultry is higher in protein and a lot less fatty as well. I try to offer my snakes a varied diet of chicks, quail, rats, rabbits, duck, some get the odd piglet and a few other animals. By giving them some variation i believe it gives them more stimulation an keeps them guessing a bit. I breed rats but mostly use them for their pinkies, fuzzies and weaners. Once they get on weaners i offer day old chicks and quail more than the actual rats.

[Will0W783]

I know a lot of people say ball pythons are good starter snakes, but I have to disagree. They are notoriously finicky eaters, have rigid humidity requirements and can be tough to get started. I would not recommend starting with that. I would say a carpet (buy a yearling or older and it will most likely be tame) or one of the Antaresia species (Children's pythons, Stimson's pythons, Spotted pythons). Those guys only get 3-4 feet long and are very docile, but more active than a ball python. They are desert snakes so do not need much humidity and are pretty hardy overall...they just need higher temps- basking spot around 100, cool end of 85 during day, drop to 80 at night. Carpets do not have as rigid humidity requirements as BPs and are usually very good eaters. I own 6 carpets and all of them are tame. A few I use a hook to get out of their cages, but the tamest snake I own is a big carpet "mutt" (coastal/jungle cross) and he is about 6 feet long and has never tried to bite...ever.

[Nafun]

I don't think balls are good starter snakes, but OP has experience with reptiles. I think most of the problems getting ball pythons to feed comes from over enthusiastic owners who want to handle their new snake immediately. New arrivals need to be left alone for one to two weeks before they're handled, or otherwise harassed. This includes feeding. If you look at a the behavior of ball pythons, this makes perfect sense. A ball python in the wild enters a rodent burrow, eats the inhabitants, and then stays in the safety of the burrow. They don't move around well with a full stomach (they're short, thick snakes), so they want to be safe before they eat, because eating makes them vulnerable. They just need to believe they're safe before they'll eat.

As for humidity. They do need high humidity, but it doesn't have to be extreme. My ball, Mr Slithers, has had perfect sheds at everywhere from 40% to 80% humidity. They're also fairly good at seeking out the humidity they need by going into humid hides, because that's what they do in the wild.

[BrandyMom2aFew]

My first snake is/was a BP he is 6 months old and I haven't any problem feeding wise except the whole refusing dead prey thing. When we got him home we put his tank in the living space where he would be and didn't bother him for 12 days except for changing his water.

I finally took him out of the tank when he decided to come out of his hide and handled him and he is quite active and always has been (from what I read not a normal trait) he really likes to explore and go everywhere.

I put him in his tub we bought for feeding and before I could put the top on he got his food. He isn't timid at all and again maybe he is just a cool snake but I think they are great first snakes.

Take me with a grain of salt though, since I only have him..

[Pythonian]

I'm pretty much strictly a python guy. I've never owned, or really wanted to own the bigger boys, but I've own Ball, Blood and Carpet pythons.

Bloods: You don't want to startout with bloods. They are one of the most beautiful pythons in existance (second to GTP) in my opinion... but they're waayyy too difficult to care for, for a starter snake... very fussy when it comes to humidity..

Balls: (tee hee) .. anyway... In the python family Balls are the greatest starter python... because they are very forgiving, very tame, slow, and grows very attached to you

Carpet: (tee hee...) ANYWAY.... THey are very similar to the balls.. except in my experiance.. they are very curious and very... in your face... like "OMG I WANNA GO THERE! LEMME GO!" ... I've had 2 carpets.. one named Spaz the other Space Cadet.. found homes for both, and they are still spazing and space cadeting all over the place LOL..

Every snake is different but that has just been my experiance with 5 bloods, 3 balls and 2 carpets.

[Jessicat]

Thanks a lot for all the replies!

I guess depending on the types of food available when I get a python, I'll try to have a bit of variety once in a while . "Variety" should still be limited to small rodents and birds right? Not sure what kind of response I'd get from a snake if I gave it a steak XD And I understand the dangers of using live animals as prey, so that's a no.

I'm not scared of getting bitten, although I'm sure it does hurt [one of my leos got a good grip on my hand once, that was pretty painful x.x I should've seen it coming though]. I just didn't want a snake that would constantly freak out every time I went near it's enclosure XD

And I managed to do some digging around the 'net and finally found out the laws for the city I live in relating to reptiles:
[i]Prohibited Animals
-Crocodylia (such as alligators, crocodiles, gavials)
-All snakes which reach an adult length larger than 3 metres
-All lizards which reach an adult length larger than 2 metres
-All venomous and poisonous animals
[if you live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and want to read up on other animal-related laws, you can take a look at the PDF (http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_349.pdf)]
Darn, guess I can't go adopt a caiman after all :B

Now I have a couple more questions ^^;
Can you cross breed pythons of different species? If so, are the offspring like crossbred dogs [who can still breed] or are they like mules [sterile]? Seems like a weird question, but I'm curious. ^^;

Is there any real difference between what gender of snake to get? [relating to temperament, care, price, health, etc.] My mom has had this totally biased opinion about male [mammal] pets because "they'll spray everywhere", lol, but I know reptiles are different, and I'm not too fussy about gender. Do females lay eggs even when not going through a breeding cycle? I'd like to know a bit more about this, since I don't really plan on having any breeding going on.

About enclosures, is it really a bad idea to give a baby snake a large enclosure "to grow into" even if there are plenty of hiding areas and climbing branches? Seems weird that some snakes would have a phobia of large spaces, I'd have been more concerned about having too small of a space.

Thanks so much for all the info everyone :3

[Lankyrob]

I think as a general rule females can tend to be bigger than males.

As for males "spraying" i have been peed on twice so far by my female snake and never by my males!!

[percey39]

Females are generally larger than males in both length and girth. Either genders can be bitey and there really isnt a difference in temper/personality between the two.
A juvie snake can have an adult tank as long as there are plenty of hiding places and good basking and cooling area's.
The stress is only caused to young snakes when they have no hiding areas. They feel threatend and worried about being attacked mostly by you when you go near them. Remember a lot of young snakes get eaten by other animals in the wild.

[Lankyrob]

Our young snakes are all in 4ftx2.5ftx2.5ft viv's that are big enough for when they are adults. We have hides covering approximately 80% of the floor area including some cork bark that they can travel underneath form one end to the other.

[Aaron_S]

You're asking some very valid questions so I hope I can help you here.


I guess depending on the types of food available when I get a python, I'll try to have a bit of variety once in a while [I mean, even if I liked eating chicken every day, it'd get boring after a while XD]. "Variety" should still be limited to small rodents and birds right? Not sure what kind of response I'd get from a snake if I gave it a steak XD...

There is never a reason to give variety to a snake. If it's eating rats, then you never need to worry about it getting boring. They don't see eating the same way we do.

...
Now I have a couple more questions ^^;
Can you cross breed pythons of different species? If so, are the offspring like crossbred dogs [who can still breed] or are they like mules [sterile]? Seems like a weird question, but I'm curious. ^^;

You can cross breed pythons. It has happened numerous times and no the snakes aren't sterile. It can be a very heated debate. I'm sure you can look into this forums past to find out.

Is there any real difference between what gender of snake to get? [relating to temperament, care, price, health, etc.] My mom has had this totally biased opinion about male [mammal] pets because "they'll spray everywhere", lol, but I know reptiles are different, and I'm not too fussy about gender. Do females lay eggs even when not going through a breeding cycle? I'd like to know a bit more about this, since I don't really plan on having any breeding going on.

As a general rule females tend to get larger than males. Females also tend to cost more due to the fact a single male can "service" multiple females but a female can only lay eggs once a year. (Some species do double clutch). There really is no other major difference between the genders.

About enclosures, is it really a bad idea to give a baby snake a large enclosure "to grow into" even if there are plenty of hiding areas and climbing branches? Seems weird that some snakes would have a phobia of large spaces, I'd have been more concerned about having too small of a space....

Definitely can be depending on the species. I had a ball python that wouldn't eat in a larger tub and I had to move her to a smaller one for her to eat!Even with multiple hides.