Starter Kit
What Ball Python Starter Kit I should i get?
I am thinking of getting a ball python but am not sure what starter kit i should get so if anyone has any ideas i would like to know and i would like to know what age snake i should buy because i am a beginner.
Thanks to anyone who can help.
To start off with, I’m going to give you a bit of information on enclosure size.
Over the course of your ball python’s life, you’re going to need to upgrade the tank. If you decide to get a hatchling/neonate, then you’re looking at keeping them in a 20 gallon long (not high, they may like to climb when they’re younger, but they’ll appreciate the ground room more). Nothing bigger than that, as it may make your snake uncomfortable. In the wild, they live in small secluded areas, and putting them into a large open space will stress them out. As it gets older and longer, you’re going to want to upgrade to a 30-35 gallon (keep in mind this rule of thumb: the tank should be MINIMUM 2/3 the length of the snake, but more space is better). And eventually even a 50 gallon. Make no mistake, these guys will get 5-6 feet long and several inches wide. They need stretching room. For lids, you can get sliding or just a sit-on-top lid. It doesn’t matter as long as you have some kind of lock (metal clamps are sold for the sit-on-top). Snakes are notorious escape artists.
Then comes environment, you’re going to want the following:
Heat lamp (which I recommend) and a bulb (lower wattage for smaller tanks), or an under tank heater (which works, but I don’t recommend it. Snakes have heat sensors on their back, not stomach, the heat can get too high or low, there’s almost no temperature gradient, and when they get old they develop “hot spots” which can burn your snake).
Proper substrate (aspen, repti bark, paper towels, newspaper. NO CEDAR, the oils can cause your snake to develop respiratory infections)
2 hides (one for warm side, one for cool) that aren’t too large or too small
A water dish to provide water/toilet/soaking area
And a few other branches, drift wood, rocks (sterilize them before putting into your tank, you can bake them at 350 degrees to kill bacteria/parasites) to give a good shedding surface and keep from having an open “field” that may stress your snake.
For age, I’d recommend one that’s several months old and is a proven feeder. The last thing you want as a beginning snake keeper is a snake that refuses to eat. You can ask the seller of the snake about its habbits, and even ask them to feed it for you that one time to show you how it works.
Next comes feeding. Are you comfortable feeding your python mice and rats? You CAN feed them live, but in my experience you’re far better off with pre killed. They’re frozen, removing all parasites, and they’re unable to fight back, which can cause injury or sometimes death to your snake. Just be sure to put them in a bag of hot water for a good 10 minutes to thaw them prior to feeding. Don’t microwave. If you’ve ever had a nasty hotpocket that was molten on the outside and icey on the inside, you’ll know why. This can be very harmful to the snake. You can feed your snake in its enclosure as long as you don’t only ever open the lid to feed (they may associate you opening the lid with food coming and nip or bite your hand in anxiety). If you do, be sure to take care that they don’t ingest their substrate. It can cause blockage or tear the digestive lining. For size of food, compare it to the widest point of the snake. It should be no larger than that widest point. This way, you can feed them healthily once a week, and when they get to be close to full grown you can space that out to once every two weeks.
For maintainance, I recommend you spot clean by picking up waste as you see it (especially if it’s in their drinking water), and keeping an eye on their temperature/humidity. For a ball python you want the hot side to be around 90 degrees on the hot side and 80ish on the cool during the day, and room temperature at night. You also want a humidity level of about 60%. You can control this by spritzing water in the cage once or twice a day. NOTE: wet substrate =/= humidity. Excess water on the substrate can cause mold and other fungal growth that could lead to health problems. You want humidity in the air, so don’t soak the cage, just lightly mist it. You can also help humidity by placing their water bowl under neath the heat lamp or over the tank heater, which will cause the water to evaporate faster and provide more humidity. If you still can’t maintain it, you can buy plexiglass from home depot for dirt cheap and place that over part of the lid. OR you can put seran wrap over part of the lid. Either way more moisture is held in the more space you cover (which is how I maintain a very high humidity when keeping other reptiles).
Thta’s all I can think of off the top of my head, hope this information helps. If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to drop me a line at trinilim@yahoo.com . I’ll be glad to answer any questions you have. If you’re going to have a hobby, herpetology is the hobby to have!
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