How can I tell if my Ball Python is asleep?
In the wild, ball pythons are sit and wait predators so, it is hard to tell when they are really sleeping. The best thing to do before you attempt to handle a curled ball python is lightly tap the glass of the tank and get it's attention.
How long do ball python sleep?
I have A Ball Python, and it is not abnormal for him to sleep for days on end, only waking up when I drag his lazy *** out of bed. Snakes are never very active, they focus most of there energy on digesting there food.
Normal ball python sleeping pattern?
First off, there's likely absolutely nothing wrong with the ball python. So don't be overly concerned. Second, although ball pythons are nocturnal animals that will often be active during the night, there are periods of times when they will just literally sleep through days and even weeks. My ball python, for example, does this regularly when she's getting ready to shed. In fact, she doesn't even bother to sleep in her hide, but just lays outside of it asleep for weeks ( http://mypetpython.com/going-into-shed-a... ). Once she's shed she returns to normal, waking up at night for exercise. Check for good breathing about twice a day, and see if you can spot any physical changes to your ball python. If it starts to look saggy, more grey than usual, less colourful, or if you see its eyes turning blue, it's in the process of shedding and is resting up to conserve its energy for the actual shed (which you can see pictures of here if you're curious: http://mypetpython.com/slithering-out-of... ). If your ball python is gearing up for a shed, you should increase the humidity in your enclosure to about 65-75% (you can do so easily and affordably with this trick: http://mypetpython.com/increasing-humidi... ). Again, don't be too concerned, and just keep your eye on the ball python. It's likely perfectly healthy.
Sleeping habits of my ball python or a bit unusual?
My python rarely sleeps in his hides.... one on hot side one on cool side. Today i find him wedged between him water dish and the side of the tank. Usually he is in the opposite corner behind his hide and a little fake tree. Is it normal "ok" for him to not sleep in his hide? Do they like to have lots of stuff in their space to climb on or minimal stuff .... i have two hides _ a small wood piece _ a larger wood piece at an angle so be can climb up on it _ and his water bowl is big enough if he wants to soak Thanks for any help/advice New Snake Mommy
Is my ball python normal ?
**** I got a juvinile ball python (I named her Hydra) from Petco almost a month ago , probably about 3 weeks ago maybe 4. But anyways I handled her the first night I got her and almost every day after that and she at first would just be in a ball for a while and Id pet her and stroke her till she came out and explored a little. And seriously like after maybe a coulple days of me handleing her she seemed to warm up to me VERy fast. I even took her to the pet store with me like 2 days after I got her and she wrapped herself around my wrist and kinda slithhered every now and then along my arm. And the first thing they said at the pet store was "wow shes so comfortable with you !" and today i went and walked my little dog and Hydra just stayed around my wrist watching stuff go by and sometimes moving around up and down my arm and seemed to really enjoy it. She seems to enjoy being with me and sitting out in the sun messing around on my arm or sleeping on my stomach. Shes just really special and connected with me really fast. Shes laying on my stomach as I type this too. I know most people and/or research seems that snakes dont "affection" but "tolerate" things but to me she seems to really love going anywhere and everywhere with me. Never tried biting me or anything. Maybe cuz she knows Im not scared or uncomfortable at all with handeling her and petting her. She even leans her head for me to pet under her chin and over her head ! Like a dog ! Its really cute. So yea I was just wondering if thats "normal" of ball pythons or what but to me it seems like she definately has affection and enjoyment. (oh and if anyones curious to meet her theres photos of her on my facebook. Her own album called "HyDra" -facebook . Com /raychelkaulitz :) basically I think some snakes do have "affection" towards their owners ! Thnx for reading , thoughts and such are welcome please !
My ball python's asleep all day & awake at night - when can I hold it?
You can wake him up, lol. They are nocturnal animals so it's completely normal for them to sleep all day. I bug my guys whenever I want/need to. I only have one that is pissy with me when I open his tub, but he's been like that since the day he hatched, two years ago! Also how do you know he's sleeping? They don't have eye lids so they can't close their eyes, lol. Anyway, here's my website, you might find something interesting on there. I have a care sheet and a feeding tips page. http://www.slitherinsisters.com/
My baby ball python will cuddle up on my chest and sleep - is that normal?
I have been a snake enthusiast since I was probably six years old. Now at the age of 23, I finallyhave my first snake- a five month old ball python. I bought her in California on a roadtrip from Oklahoma. I was so worried the journey back would stress her out. I have been handling her frequently which I've read is a no no, however, she seems to enjoy being in my hands, and has shown no signs of stress. She hasn't balled up once since I've had her. She will also "cuddle" on my chest and neck when I'm laying in bed and she will fall asleep for an hour or two. She is also on her way to shedding; she currently has grey eyes and I've read their slight blindness can make them snippy and she hasn't seemed alert at all when I pick her up. Do I have a special creature on my hands? Am I the snake whisperer? (Ha) Or is this normal behavior/does this behavior mean something?
Herp people: Is my ball python happy?
First of all, it's great you're asking for advice. It's always wonderful to see people who genuinely want to care for their animals properly. Ball pythons are my thing, I keep and breed them so I'll try helping you as best as I can. First off, the issues shedding is likely because of the lamp. Ball pythons do much better using a UTH regulated by a thermostat. (For a UTH you MUST MUST MUST have a thermostat. Without it they can get upwards of 120 and will burn your snake. A lot of snakes have had severe burns because of an unregulated UTH. Hydrofarm is a cheap but decent brand, you can buy it on Amazon) Lamps suck up the humidity, and they need humidity to shed properly. Tanks are also tricky to maintain humidity, but not too hard, it just takes a bit of trial and error. I would ditch that tall tank completely, they are not snakes who enjoy climbing at all. In the wild they live 100% on the ground, in burrows. They're not arboreal at all. They also need a hot side and a cool side, a tall tank doesn't give them the temperature gradient they need. The ambient temperature in their tank should never fall below 75 degrees. The ambient should be around 78-80. They need a hot side around 88-95. The general rule for ball pythons is a hiding ball python is a happy ball python. If they are moving around, slithering around the tank, there is probably something they're not happy about. The only time I'd say to not worry at all about them moving a lot is if it's the day before feeding day or something. Movement is stress, but that is also a very easy fix. It can be fixed by offering more hides and a smaller/more cluttered enclosure.Like I said above, they live in burrows. That means they like small, tight, and dark spaces. For BP enclosures, bigger is not better. Bigger enclosures stress them out. The corn's tank looks good for the BP for probably her entire life. I don't see any hides in there, so you should add at least 2. They need one on the hot side and one on the cool side. In short, ditch the tall tank for the BP. I'd recommend getting a UTH and not the lamp. Give her a minimum of 2 hides. During shedding humidity should be around 80%, ditching the lamp will probably fix the shedding issue, giving her a soak would probably help too. Bigger is not better in terms of enclosure size. A 41qt is the biggest I'd ever put a BP in, even big females
Should I introduce my baby ball python to my cats now while he's small to avoid future potential bites/eats when he's bigger?
As someone who has (accidentally) introduced her baby ball python to her cats, let me tell you how it went and maybe clear up some rumors/misinformation in the process.The gray one is indifferent, he doesn’t seem to even notice there is a living noodle nearby. The orange one is horrified. Even though the ball python was about 10″ when they first “met,” and couldn’t swallow his paw even if he tried, just the smell of the snake made him recoil in horror. He spent the following few days paranoid and jumpy, constantly searching for the little fear tube.After a few weeks, he got more used to him, and now is only scared of him when he sticks his nose right on top of him (he sniffs things like a moron). Meanwhile, the BP has grown slightly bigger and is still equally indifferent/mildly startled by the cat. I think he sniffed the cat once, just as he was exploring, and then the ginger fuzzball stuck his face right back in the snake’s face, causing the muscle tunnel to jolt back, but he never struck at him.Snakes’ brains don’t give them the ability to form original thought maps, or distinguish categories beyond “safe” and “not safe,” but they do have different personalities. Ball Pythons are some of the most docile animals in the world and the stories of BPs attacking their owners are often those who have been tank-fed (and thus associate motion in the tank with food), mistreated, or handled without any bonding - yes, your snake can bond with you in that it gets used to you and places you in the “safe” category.If you really want to introduce them, or if they decide to introduce themselves, I’d say you want to be 100% sure your snake is not a biter, because a baby BP may be too small to actually significantly hurt the cat, but it could still upset them. If he is a biter, just keep him at a safe distance from the fuzzballs. Cats and snakes unfortunately don’t like each other, but it’s not impossible to keep them in the same house if you just act responsibly.