Humid hide for a ball python?
You don't need a humid hide for your ball, you just need to make sure his overall humidity stays where it should be, which is in the upper 50's to 60's and up to 75 or higher when he's shedding. Balls usually don't soak, and when they do, it is often a sign of parasites. However, a large water bowl on the warm side does help keep humidity up. You can also cover half or 3/4 of your cage lid with alum foil or a damp towel to increase humidity. Run a humidifier in the room where the snake is, close to his tank to help keep humidity up as well. A smaller tank also helps with humidity. Balls like to hide all day and like tight, cramped spaces and do not need a large tank. In fact, too much space can make them feed insecure. A 10g is big enough for a baby and a 20g is big enough for an adult male. Maybe up to 30 or 40g for an adult female. A rubbermaid tub is a great house for your snake and also helps hold in humidity. You tank does need 2 hides - one on the cool side and one on the warm. Your snake wants to hide, so if there is no hiding place on the cool side of the tank, he may never go over there to thermoregulate because he won't feel secure. Ideally, the hides should be identical so he won't have a favorite and stay there and avoid the other. The hides should be just big enough for him to get into and touch him from all sides and the top. The half logs are not good hides for balls because they are open on 2 ends. Please continue your research at http://ball-pythons.net/ to learn everything you need to know about taking care of your ball! Best of luck!
My ball python won't shed. She has all she needs, but won't come out of her hide. What do I do?
Has she gone through all the steps? She should have gotten dull and then her eye turned blue/cloudy and then they clear up and THEN after some time (Stan my BP takes a few days) they will shed. During this time Stan never leaves his hide. Remeber that shedding takes a lot of energy, not to mention when their eyes cloud over they are essentially blind. It is a very vulnerable time for them so they are likely to stay in thier hides where they feel safe. Until you are sure you had a failed shed (skin doesn't come all off and is flaking off) you just wait. Best of luck!
Do you have to have two hides for a ball python?
Yes it is preferable, I made my own 'viv' out of two bedside cabinets, the draws have been taken out of the left one and the drawer fronts joined together to make a hinged door, this hide is painted dark blue inside and is in semi darkness. http://www.flickr.com/photos/burryport/2521974453/ The heating lamp is in the right hand hide to which I've added a glass front and is the warm side, but there's enough heat to keep the left hide just about 5 degree lower which is more comfortable when he's resting. You can easily make a second much smaller hide for your python to curl up inside your main hide, all you need is a couple of holes in it slightly larger than the thickest part of your snake.
Do you only need a heating pad for a ball python?
I have a ball python now people are starting to tell me I do not need the lights+domes I bought.. they told me I only need the under the tank heater because they are mostly in the ground.. and the lights just drys out the air so would I really only need the underthetank heater and thats it? and my ball python is a very young about how much longer do I move it's mice size up?
Will my ball python hide more when she is about to shed?
It's perfectly normal for them to stay in hiding throughout the shedding process. You don't ever want a ball python to be out roaming the cage unless it's nighttime. My ball python care sheet http://www.slitherinsisters.com/ball-pyt...
Why does my ball Python move a lot?
If your ball python isn’t spending most of the day in its hide, then it’s obviously unhappy. You need to trouble-shoot immediately, because a ball python roaming in the open all the time is very stressed.Check temperatures — the basking area (from an under cage heat mat or cord) should be 90F, no hotter, no colder. Make sure the surface is not too hot or cold using a digital thermometer with a remote probe.The air temperature on the cool side should be 80 to 83 F. No hotter! If it’s too hot, the snake may be trying to escape from the heat to save itself. No colder — colder temperatures can lead to respiratory infections.Humidity — this rarely causes roaming, but it should be 60% at minimum. Dehydration will result, otherwise.Hides — the enclosure should have two single-entrance hide boxes that are just big enough for the snake to squeeze into tightly. This is crucial for ball python to feel secure (unless it’s in a rack system, which is basically a dark hole in a box anyhow).Cage size— while many ball pythons are very flexible in what they will tolerate, a huge percentage of them are claustrophiliac. By this, I mean they want a small enclosure, and become stressed out in a big one. If the enclosure is too big, especially if it’s not crammed with cover (fake plants, etc), they want to find someplace more secure, and roam to search for a way out. They will often not eat in a cage that’s too large.Now, if what you’re complaining about is actually the snake moving around a lot when you take it out of its cage, this is just normal, especially for a young snake that’s still getting used to being handled.A ball python that is very afraid will curl up in a tight ball. If it’s anxious and unhappy, but not terrified, it will try to leave. So, having your ball python try to get away is a normal step in the taming and habituation process.Keep handling sessions fairly short, and do it once a day or so (skip feeding days, and a few days after feeding). The snake will eventually calm down and be less inclined to bolt when handled.It’s normal for a ball python to spend time exploring its enclosure at night. They are nocturnal.
My ball python won't quit hiding after eating.?
Thats exactly what you want! You see after eating they will normally go hide on the warm side so that they can properly digest there meal. But all around ball pythons hide A LOT, its what they do and its what you want. A hiding ball python is a happy one, if she is constantly out and rubbing her face one the cage then thats a sign that she does not feel secure and wants out or could be due to other things like sickness or stress. Ball pythons spend about 90% of there day hid away. Leave her be for another 24hrs before handling, its good to give them a full two days to digest there meal, because if you handle and stress them you can force regurgitation which is not good, and to add they just like to be left alone, you want someone holding you up when your belly is full? Now on to this pinky mouse thing, trust me when i say they are much too small even for a hatchling.. You want to feed a rodent that is just as wide as the girth (widest part on snakes body) on your ball python. And straight out of the egg ball pythons can take pinks and fuzzies with no prob, after the first shed they move up from those. So maybe try a hopper or use the method i just gave to find the right size rodent to feed, after feeding you want to see a really decent sized lump in the belly. Also switch to rats while you can, because in about a year or so your going to need two mice to full up your ball python, my 7month old ball python could easily take down two adult mice no prob she is 25-30" long. Switch to rats now before yours gets addicted to mice and you end up buy multiple mice and feeding rather than one decent size rat, rats are also much healthier and like mice come in sizes from pinks to adults, a rat pinky is the same size as mouse fuzzy/hopper. Check this chart out http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/fe... Good luck!