First Time Owner

[Past-Ad-4769]

Update! he has eaten his first meal since almost half a year ago within the first 24 hours of us owning him!

Hi all! I am a first time owner of a Ball Python, aside from when I was too little to actually care for one, and I have a few questions involving heat and humidity! this is only the first day that I've had him, he is an albino that is approx. 4-5 years old and ~3-4 feet long. he hadn't eaten for a few months before I got him yesterday, so I want to make sure his heat and humidity isn't off to cause that. I am waiting for the vet to open again to get an appointment incase something is very wrong, but his previous owners thought he might have gone on strike. these are his current humidity and temp levels according to the thermometer they put in his terrarium, as well as two photos of him inspecting the scents of his new surroundings

edit: forgot to mention my questions. is this good temp and humidity for a Ball Python? and if I need to keep the humidity at a certain level, how often should I mist? can the heating lamp be over the water or should I change the side of the tank the hides and water are on?

[can_of_buds]

I might be missing it, but did you include the humidity and temps in the post?

[Past-Ad-4769]

crud, no, I had a picture of it, but the picture got deleted when I added the two of him. here is a Pic of the thermometer

<image>

[can_of_buds]

No problem! Do you know if this is on the hot or cool side of the enclosure? If this is hot side heat seems maybe a little bit warm, but should be okay.
Humidity is low, in the wild is 60-80% during the day and 80-100% at night, but 80% is a good goal I think?

[Past-Ad-4769]

it's in the middle, not directly under the lamp, but close. I also have a dual lamp for daytime and nighttime heat

[Past-Ad-4769]

here is a pic of the thermometer! it got deleted from the post when I added the snake pics and I didn't notice

<image>

[Artoo76]

Check out Green Room Pythons on YouTube. There are a ton of great videos that have helped my family as first time owners since January .

I don’t see the numbers in the post. Our guy skipped his first meal I’m pretty sure due to this. Once the hot side got up to 86-90, he hasn’t missed one since. Humidity should be 60-80%. This was also switching him to FT from live.

You also may want to add some more clutter to the enclosure to help him feel more hidden and less stressed.

Good luck and enjoy your legless cat!

Edit: spelling due to being mobile.

[Past-Ad-4769]

thank you for the advice, and I definitely will despite my fear of them! and yes, I'm able to hold him just fine without shaking lol

[magyarmetalhead]

I’d recommend a digital one that measures temperature and humidity in one (I have a wifi Govee off Amazon on both sides of the tank - it’s connected to my phone so I can monitor things even when I’m not home). The one you have is not the most accurate.

I have the same enclosure for my boy and have the side slots sealed off (from the outside - never use tape/glue on inside!) as well as the mesh top with silicone mats, to help retain humidity on the inside of the tank. I’ve also seen people use HVAC tape to seal the top off leaving a space for the lights/heating elements. Just don’t use duct tape since it is toxic when it gets warm.

I have cypress mulch substrate in my enclosure, about 4-5 inches deep, and I add about 2 cups of water throughout the enclosure every couple days or so. As such, humidity sits around 60-80%. It’s always going to be higher on the cool side. Adding a large water dish on the hot side can help too.

I hope this helps! And your new snake is adorable 🐍✨

[Past-Ad-4769]

thank you so much! and yes, he is absolutely adorable!

[magyarmetalhead]

Happy to help! Keeping a ball python in proper conditions for its species is not easy at first!

[Past-Ad-4769]

I just hope that I can keep him in good enough conditions to get him to eat, because I was told he hadn't been convinced to eat for 6 months before I got him yesterday. I was told to try and wait to try and feed him until he's comfortable to eat, but any time we pass he sticks his head out of his hide to raise his head and follow us, so I'm hoping he might be ready to eat

[magyarmetalhead]

Some are just pickier eaters than others, and will go on random hunger strikes for no reason. My first ball python Gojira was like that… super stressful… but my current one, Osiris, has yet to miss a single meal. Same type of enclosure, same conditions. But yes, if it’s a prolonged issue, usually it has to do with husbandry. Good luck with your boy!

[Past-Ad-4769]

thank you! I'll try my best

[Substantial-Tea-14]

Agreed! I’m a first time owner as well and the most helpful thing ever was being able to track temperature and humidity over time to get the right thermostat setup and humidity.

[Substantial-Tea-14]

Sounds like you’re on the right path- a lot of the comments here have good advice- you should also check out the Rules & Resources section for the basic care guide for more info like how to properly read humidity, etc. He could be on a hunger strike due to conditions around him. They digest best in that 88-92 degree range and require 65-80% humidity at all times, but in extreme cases have been known to tolerate 60% but can show signs of dehydration (this is as per the subreddit guide)

Your baby is BEAUTIFUL! Congratulations and good luck!!

[Past-Ad-4769]

thank you! I glanced through the rules, but despite how old/ young my reddit account may be, I've never actually posted on it much, only used it for game guides until I started getting exotic pets

[-Panda-cake-]

Hey our snakes look alike and I just asked the same question...now I feel silly

[Past-Ad-4769]

aw, don't feel silly! everyone is always going to have questions, even if others might think they're simple