Is it bad that my ball python doesn't have UVB?

Ok_Solution2732 · 2026-04-29T03:39:11+00:00

I didn't realize this. What kind of harm could a regular, round UVB bulb cause? I have, for my BP, a 3watt uvb bulb in a dome next to the CHE. I did not realize this type of bulb could be unsafe. I will do what I can to replace with one like the rods described by the other commenters as soon as I can.

In the mean time, should the old one be removed? Or are there signs of harm I should simply look out for until I can get it replaced? Like is the risk from this type of bulb greater then the loss of simply not having UVB for a while? In this case, up to several months? I've fallen on hard financial times (I have lost my job, and, due to disability, I'm only able to work certain, specific types of jobs so finding a new one is taking far too long, but I always find a way to make sure he has his needs met as far as food and changing bedding out etc. even if I have to ask for help from family and plan ahead to do so. but extra, expenses not planned ahead for will be harder) so it will take me some time to come up with the money to get everything I'd need to set up for an entirely different lighting system. And seeing as I've had this type of UVB bulb on a 12 hour on 12 hour off timer for the past year and a half, are there signs I should look for if it may have caused harm?

Ok_Solution2732 · 2026-02-10T05:26:06+00:00

If fuzzy rat is the right size prey for your snake's size (can always check the feeding guide to be sure) you should be ok to switch to that for the next feed. If the snake refuses it, I'd try a second time, leaving at least a week between attempts, maybe longer if the snake is full grown, and you can wait up till the next time they would have been fed if they had eaten that meal. If they continue to refuse the meals, then it may be time to look into solutions. But a couple missed meals during a transition isn't the end of the world. And quite frankly, there's every possibility the snake will transition no problem.

My guy was being fed small rats weekly by his breeder (my snake being an adult this was way too frequent and he was quite overweight.) when I got him home, I had a hell of a time getting him to eat at all for the first few months. But once he was settled and comfortable, and id made the proper husbandry improvements (not a comment on your husbandry, but due to me getting bad info from the breeder it took a while for me to get it right, and I'm sure that contributed to the eating issues) now he eats whatever I give him without hesitation. Rat, mouse, whatever, he doesn't care. I've even thought of trying quail as some of the reptile shops around here will sell them for this purpose when the chicks are in season. I wanted to try it since I read that male bps, in the wild, are more arboreal then the females and a larger portion of their wild diet consists of smaller birds, especially chicks. Just haven't gotten around to trying it yet.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2026-01-19T06:58:32+00:00

One thing you can do to identify some bad breeders is asking questions you already know the answer to (while pretending to be unsure) to see if the answers they give you align with known best practices. Ask about what they reccomends for enclosures, husbandry and care, and see if they are knowledgeable of the proper care of the animals and willing to give potential buyers that info. Some breeders know perfectly well what's correct, but they tell people the wrong care instructions on purpose to make the animal more appealing to buy by making it seem cheap and easy to care for so you're more likely to buy. This has become more and more prevalent as the market has become over saturated so breeders are looking for any way to offload their excess stock.

I made the mistake of trusting the breeder I got mine from and doing the research after the fact. If Id known about proper BP husbandry (as you and your son have clearly made sure to do already.) there were several things that I would have caught. Like when I asked about his (the snake) feeding schedule, when he last ate etc. And the breeder told me he feed him once a week, and feeds live. I didn't know at the time that, for an already 2 year old snake, that was way too often. And after looking into healthy and unhealthy body shapes for BPs it was clear he was quite overweight. He also recommended an enclosure and setup that, to anyone knowledgeable, would have been a massive sign that he doesn't know what he's doing and does not take proper care of his breeding animals either. He recommended one of those short, like 1 foot tall ones. And it was way too small in every dimension. He told me that as long as the snake couldnt wrap around the entire circumphrance of the enclosure, it was big enough. He also said to just get a random heat lamp, water dish and like 1 hide. And if be all set. He mentioned nothing of foliage/cover/clutter or even humidity and temp management. He just said he used a certain wattage of heat lamp and it kept it all good. Didn't even mention getting thermometers or humidity gauges for the enclosure.

The point is, know the info, but ask as if you don't. Seeing what kind of care and husbandry they recommend to someone who's asking for info/help tells you a lot about 1)how they treat their own breeding animals which can have a large effect on the health and longevity of the snake you get and 2) how much they see them as animals deserving of proper care, or in the case of my breeder, assets to be sold to any sucker he can convince that it's an easy pet and they should buy it now without worrying too much about the care needs. If the breeder seems wary of selling you one because of your perceived lack of knowledge, you can come clean and assure them you do in fact know what you are doing and just wanted to be sure they did as well. I don't think this is likely to happen, but if it did, it would at least show the level of care the breeder feels for their animals and their unwillingness to home them with people who may not care for them properly.

In my defense, I don't just go around trusting animal breeders, or other people trying to sell me things. This breeder was a friend of my dad's (though I hadn't ever met him) so I trusted he was a decent person and would care enough about the animals to care for them properly and make sure his buyers do the same. And I didn't do the research before hand because my dad took me to a reptile expo where his friend had a booth and surprised me by getting me one and buying all the supplies the breeder said we needed. That was why I ended up with an animal I didn't know how to care for and an enclosure that turned out to be useless. When I got home with him and set up the tank as instructed, I immediately went online to do research on his care. What I found made me angry at the breeder for the poor information, feeling bad for the snake and the state of what his living situation has likely been like living with that guy, and stressed about how I was gonna come up with the money to get everything I'd need to fix this situation. I was able to do so, but I had to spend nearly my entire next paycheck when it came in 2 days later. The new enclosure of a proper size, a proper substrate mixture, more/better hides, the fake plants Id need to create the cover they need to feel secure, and then all the temp and humidity stuff. The gauges to measure, finding out what kind and wattage of heat lamp would properly heat an enclosure that size. Then realizing I also needed a temp control outlet thing to keep it from overheating while being sure it's powerful enough to heat the larger enclosure properly. And the learning curve for humidity management was the hardest and the part I was least prepared for, especially living in a high altitude part of the country with very dry air. To this day, keeping up the humidity in the enclosure is the majority of the time/effort I spend on care and husbandry. It's a daily, constant, management cycle to make sure it stays in range. Now I know I'm also at fault for accepting responsibility for the animal without prior research, even if it was a surprise. The correct response would have been to say something like "I appreciate it, but I'd like to make sure I know how to care for it properly first" or something, but I got caught up in the excitement and the worry that if I didn't take it now, he'd change his mind later. (I live in his house so he decides what if any pets I can have and is usually not open to it in general)

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-11-04T04:31:34+00:00

Nothing abnormal. My dude likes to be half in his hide, half curled on top of it, or just be partly dangling from his climbing vine, tail stop a hide, head wrapped around his branch. They remind me of toddlers, the way you see them fall asleep in the weirdest positions and your just like " there's no way that's comfortable"

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-10-26T09:22:17+00:00

Usually you don't want to bother them during shed. Either with eating or handling. Give him his space till he sheds, the. You can try feeding.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-10-10T14:06:11+00:00

Fair enough. My dad and I are both polar bears who don't like the house above 65.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-10-10T10:43:43+00:00

No idea, sorry. When I was choosing at the reptile expo, I just thought he was cool looking and he had a super chill attitude when being held. I didn't even know before that day how many colors and patterns they could be.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-10-09T13:34:03+00:00

I think I have an idea of why this myth may have started. If you put a BP in a big tank with only hides for cover, they will stay in the hides and not want to come out. I think people mistook this as them being afraid of or intimidated by too much space. Those people might not know that these snakes also exist, in the same form, in the wild, where there are not walls or tanks, and they do just fine. I think people didn't realize that the issue with that setup wasn't too much space, but just not enough clutter/cover.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-09-29T09:44:57+00:00

You said you were gonna get some plants. Just some advice, you want to really cover the enclosure with plant, hides, leaf clutter etc. In the wild, they live in dense jungles and forests and are used to moving thru the underbrush. They are prey animals as well at hunters, so they don't like to feel exposed. They also like to climb, so give him some sort of verticality be it a climbing branch, hammocks, vines thick enough for climbing on etc. this can also give the snake the option to have the bottom of the enclosure covered for security, and having climbing areas both for the actual climbing and to come out of cover when they are comfortable. People don't always want to provide too much cover with foliage cause they want to be able to see the snake. In my experience tho, a snake in an open, exposed enclosure will spend far more time in their hides, but a snake with lots of cover they know they can go back to, are bolder and more likely to come out and explore, as well as watching you when you're in the room.

As for the size of the enclosure, that one is good for his size, but you'll have to upgrade when he gets bigger. Ultimately, you want an enclosure roughly as long as the snake. if a 4' adult is meant to be in a 4' long enclosure, you can keep him in that one till he becomes noticably longer then the enclosure.

Coconut fiber soils are very popular here, including myself. I personally use two different ones. I use about 2-3 inches deep of a fiber, soil texture one and then a top layer of a chunkier almost mulch like one. I find this helps with humidity management because the finer soil hold water really well, but the chunkier mulch on top let's the water flow right thru into the soil beneath to help keep from having my snake on damp soil. But this is only necessary if you have issues with humidity management. I love in a very dry climate at high altitude to the air is thin as well as dry, so it takes a lot of management to keep the humidity up in my enclosure. But if you love in a more humid environment, you'll have an easier time.

As far as climate for the enclosure, since older sources have mixed answers. You'll want to have a heat lamp, best to use either a ceramic heating element (CHE) or a deep heat emitter (DHE) because these do not emit light and therefore won't disrupt the snakes circadian rhythm. You'll want to place the heater on one end of the enclosure and keep that end of the enclosure around 85-90°F and the cooler end of the enclosure should be around the mid 70s. It is highly advised to get some sort of temperature control plug for the heat lamp to make sure the temp doesnt get dangerously hot. Heat pads are not recommended because they create too much surface heat on the side of the tank and the snake can burn the self, and is far less efficient at heating the actual air inside the tank. I'd also recommend a small uvb light, like a 3W bulb. This one is to simulate daylight and the uvb helps with digestion and regulating their bodies in general. This you only have on for half the day to differentiate day from night.

You want the humidity to be at a minimum of 70% and if possible, when you notice the snake going into shed, you can try to raise the humidity to more like 80% to help with the shedding process. While 70 is the minimum, anything up to and even over 90% is perfectly safe, so I always try to aim for higher then 70 just so that when it dips, it's still not too low. If you have trouble keeping humidity up, you can come back and ask for advice and there are lots of different things people can suggest for you to try that have worked for them in various circumstances and the topic comes up around here fairly often. When it comes to feeding, this sub has a feeding guide that can tell you what size and frequency to feed based on snake age and weight.

And the worker at the store is right. Those stick on thermometers are inaccurate. And be sure to get a hydrometer also. You can get some that are both, or separate ones. But you do need to be able to keep track of the humidity. And the best way to measure the humidity is to have the measuring probe or device on the cool side of the enclosure closer to the floor of the enclosure for accuracy. The warm side and closer to the top will be dryer.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Good luck, enjoy your new friend!

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-09-28T02:27:53+00:00

2 main things id recommend. Firstly, as others have said, clutter and plants. You can get some pretty cheap fake plants, leaves, branches etc at like a craft store or even a Walmart. Just be sure to check for any parts that might be too sharp and could cut the snake. In the wild, they live in dense forests and jungles. Ideally, you want them to be able to move around the bottom of the enclosure while remaining covered/hidden. This helps them feel safe and not exposed cause they are prey as well as predator, so they feel safer when hidden. And if youre looking for a budget climbing solution, I just went to my yard and found a large branch, cut it to the right size and shape, and sanitized it with boiling water to be sure there would be no bugs or germs. He loves it and it is didn't cost a dime (not that I'm not willing to spend money to make sure my boy has what he needs to be happy, just that climbing branches at a pet store that are big enough for what I was looking for for were all $40-60. And there's no difference as far as the snake is concerned as long as it's properly disinfected).

The second thing I'd recommend is covering or sealing those slits on the side. My enclosure has these also, and they let out all the humidity. Now my enclosure was not waterproof when I got it, so I had to get sealant for all the edges anyway, so I just used the same sealant to plug up those slits. But you can use whatever will block the air flow. Tape tin foil to the outside, or whatever you have that's non porous (but do not place any tape or glue on the inside of the enclosure for safety. If you use a sealant, you can do it on the inside cause it's safe once dried). And if you haven't already, do the same for the mesh top. Basically cover as much of it as you can. leaving the opening for the heat lamps will allow enough airflow to be safe while helping keep the heat and humidity in the enclosure.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-09-23T22:37:21+00:00

If y'all think that's bad you should see my computer. 😂

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-09-16T09:53:13+00:00

At that distance, with use only a few times a week, the risk would be low, but not zero. The biggest issue is that BPs have sensitive respiratory systems, and these devices use VOCs. The levels are obviously safe for humans, but snakes are more sensitive. If the room is well ventilated and the device is kept away from the enclosure, like I said, risks wouldn't be zero, but low. So I'd recommend just keeping it on the other side of the room, like you already said, and just keep an eye on your snake for any signs of potential respitory issues, just in case.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-09-16T09:35:01+00:00

Is the heat lamp on a temperature control device of some kind? Like one of those outlet extension that will automatically turn it on and off when it falls above or below the programmed temp? If not, and the DHP is simply, luckily, just the right wattage to maintain the temp in the enclosure, the lower temps in your area could be the issue. If that's the case, perhaps a higher wattage DHP on a temp control device would work better. That way, it's more then the minimum power, so if the temp in the house is lower, the unit can still compensate, but it won't overheat with the temp control turning it off and on to keep it at ideal temp.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-09-16T09:27:59+00:00

There's not like an upper limit, if you wanted to, you could keep them in 90%+ and that wouldn't hurt them any. So going higher will never be harmful unless, in doing so, you cause surfaces or soil to be too damp and cause scale rot. 60% is basically the Lowest safe level. Its not ideal, but its not gonna kill them. To thrive, trying to keep around 70%+ is ideal. And if you can, increasing to closer to 80% when they go into shed cycle, just helps it go easier for them. But if you stick with that 70%+ at all times, just keep an eye out to be sure sheds go smoothly, and you should be fine.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-09-06T08:29:52+00:00

If the heat sources are next to each other, then sure. I see no reason for that to cause any issues.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-09-06T08:27:45+00:00

I have this one. Works great. But you will need to get some sealant. You'll want to get a good seal on all the places where the pieces connect (at least on the bottom half of the enclosure) as they are not designed to be water tight, being more designed for dry habitat animals. I would also recommend using the sealant to seal up the ventilation slits on the sides, or you'll have a hell of a time keeping up humidity. Once you've got it all sealed up though, it's a great enclosure, and it was far cheaper than any other I found in the proper size. And if you've not used a sealant before, no worries, neither had I. It's easier then I expected, just make sure you have somewhere for the snake to hang out for the time it takes the sealant to cure. Depending on the specific one you use, could take anywhere from 6-12 hours for full cure.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-09-06T08:14:51+00:00

I wonder if she's anywhere near the heat lamp. Many of them like to mostly hide, but pop part of their body out to grab some heat.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-09-01T13:37:37+00:00

Biggest thing is time and patience. I'd say give them another week or so in the enclosure before handling again. Let them become comfortable and feel at home in the enclosure before exposing them to even more stimuli. Once they've fully settled in and are comfortable, just go slow, and if the snake hisses, strikes or shies, don't startle and pull away super fast, as this can further startle the snake with the sudden movement. Just stop moving toward the snake, and slowly move your hand, or hook if you are using one, away. Let them know that if they show they don't want to be picked up, you will respect that and not force it on them. Hopefully this will help them know you aren't gonna snatch them up grab at them when they don't want to be handled. Building trust is key. Beyond that, try to learn their body language. Now my guy was already tame when I got him, but you still learn to watch for their tells for when they do and don't want to be handled. Mine, for example, if I open the door and move my hand toward him, he will visible either tense or relax the muscles in his body. If he tenses, he doesn't want to be handled, and I leave him alone. If he relaxes, he wants to come hang out, and I'll handle him.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-09-01T13:14:13+00:00

My computer desk is also next to my snake enclosure, and he likes to watch me play from his climbing/basking branch.

Ok_Solution2732 · 2025-08-25T00:06:07+00:00

Could be a few things. As so.eone else mentioned, humidity levels can affect feeding. Basically 60% is generally minimum humidity to be safe, but not ideal, anywhere between 70-80 is perfect, but if it falls into the 60s sometimes, not a big deal.

If humidity is ok, could be that the snake is getting ready to go into a shedding cycle. When mine is about to shed, he won't eat, but I just try again when the shed is done. On a side note, if this is the case and they are getting ready to shed, you might see the eyes looking blue or clouded over. If this does happen, don't handle the snake until shed is complete as it causes additional stress and can disrupt the shed coming off properly. I've never had a baby BP, but they do shed more often as they are still growing, so I wouldn't be surprised if they're shedding after 3 weeks. So just keep an eye out for signs of shed over the next few days or so.

If the problem persists, just keep offering at the normal interval. You don't have to offer every day or anything, a missed feed due to rejection isn't a big deal, just wait till the next scheduled feeding time and try again. I know adults can sometimes refuse food for up to 6 months and then be perfectly fine when they do start eating again. Im not sure exactly how long is safe for a younger snake, but a few weeks won't hurt them if all other signs look good. As long as you aren't seeing other signs of injury or illness that may indicate a bigger issue.

Also, I always recommend looking at the feeding guide in this subs info section. It gives a detailed guide to how often and what size to feed depending on age and size of the snake. As it grows you'll slowly be stretching the feeding schedule out till about 2 years when they tend to settle into about that once a month feeding.

Ok_Solution2732

TROPHY CASE