baby ball python, please help.

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Originally Posted by mrshawt

Oh, trust me, he would find a way.

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haha yeah i was waiting for that :P

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

Here's another link you can use for ideas. Read all the way through the thread because there are alot of "bumps"...

http://www.repticzone.com/forums/Bal...s/1971927.html

Also, since you are using a glass enclosure, the ambient daylight and night time are sufficient for a light cycle. It only becomes more important if you are housing them in tubs or getting them ready for breeding...

Hope this helps...


Rob

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cool thanks ill have a read.
at the moment im using the light for heat as i dont want to use the heat mat as i havnt actually got it under the enclosure yet. im not sure whether or not i should turn it off at night. it would leave the enclosure probably at low 70's.

is that ok?
or would it be better to run the light 24/7? remember that the snake cant see the lightly directly because of the partition.

anyway.

he moved from his position ontop of my cardboard hide, and for the last few hours he's been sitting ontop of the log :)

so he hasnt actually 'hid', in quite a while now. i hope thats a good sign. i took some more snaps of him:

i think he always looks like he's concentrating real hard, lol. trying to figure the meaning of life...

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/9890/1001651.jpg
http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/8851/1001654.jpg
rofl@"feel the difference". the box is from a gaming mousemat with some kind of special surface, the box already has a hole in it so you could sample the texture lol. how ironic that know the box is encouraging you to get bitten xD
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/828/1001661jrr.jpg
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/818/1001666l.jpg

i like his colour, for a normal ball python i think he has quite alot of yellow in him.:cool:

when using lights for heat, I will use the red lights. you can use them at night without interferring with the light cycle...


Rob

Him not hiding is a sign of stress.
Cardboard hides are a good temporary fix, but the ones you have constructed are far from ideal. They like TIGHT dark spaces. I would consider constructing something that the snake barely fits into and has a very low height, maybe 2-3 inches tall.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Him not hiding is a sign of stress.
Cardboard hides are a good temporary fix, but the ones you have constructed are far from ideal. They like TIGHT dark spaces. I would consider constructing something that the snake barely fits into and has a very low height, maybe 2-3 inches tall.

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i figured why he was climbing (ontop of the box and ontop of the log). he was just finding the heat. trust me, those hides are a tight fit. they touch him on all sides. im glad he wasnt scared too much to stay in his hide even if he's cold. gotta raise the temperatures a little tho.

i know its heat because with the heat mat on, he'll happily lay in a hide. when i turn it off, after about half an hour, he'll come and sit on the log or climb a box.

and yeh man thanks but ive already said that those boxes are temporary, ive only had him for three days.

Those hides dont touch him on top though. Its good you are getting new ones soon :) Gl

yeh ive left him be for a couple of days, and both days ive woken up in the morning to catch him exploring his tank, lol.

he definately looks more comfortable now. i opened up the rest of the tank for him, and put in another couple of cardboard hides :P theres actually 6 hidey holes he has now and theres plenty of hiding spots in between them too. he's just more active, less scared. and he's flicking his tongue about alot more.

i phoned the store i got him from today and told them that the light was too hot. they said they probably gave me a 40w or something so if i go down tomorrow theyll exchange for a 15 or 25w. i think ill go for the 15.
ill also have a look at what hides they have there. but, if theyre really overpriced then ill continue to make my own. but ill make them to last, IE not out of cardboard. :)

he ate last wednesday (the shop said) so tomorrow im going to give it a go and see if he'll take something.. wish me luck, lol :)

also, i am pretty confused by the thermostat business.

let me get this straight:

the thermostat has a sensor, which i clip on to or otherwise attach to the mat itself? substrate? wood?
i dial what temperature i would like the mat to be kept at, and the thermostat will... switch the mat off when it gets too hot?
so does the mat plug into the thermostat then? how does the thermostat cut the mats heat?

and if you look here:

http://www.888reptiles.co.uk/product...CategoryID=205

there are numerous thermostats ranging from £15 to £70.

how do i know which i want?

please help, lol. thanks.

ok, and ive just gotten around to taking the heat mat out and putting it under the enclosure instead of just under the substrate.

but i want to know some things.

should the heat mat be in direct contact with the enclosure?
should it also be in direct contact with the surface the enclosure is sitting on? (a spare bed...)..
or, should the enclosure be given little legs so that it isnt in direct contact with the mat?
or, should i both give the enclosure legs, and stick the mat to the bottom of the enclosure, so the mat has contact with the enclosure but there is space between the mat and bed?

please let me know and explain. thanks again:confused:

ive put the enclosure on little feet, and just put the heat mat on the surface underneath. theres probably about 1.5cm space between the mat and the enclosure.
is that ok?

the temperature on the surface of the substrate, above the heated area is about 88f. the air temperature in that area is about 79f. and the air temperature on the other side of the enclosure is perhaps 76f.

is that okay?
does he need an air temperature of around 90f on the warm side or is it okay to have around 90 just on the surface of the substrate?

please, someone let me know.

thanks guys.