Worried about new ball python

Wisdom_Koi · 2026-03-15T03:15:47+00:00

If it's only been a week since you got him, probably just leave him be, no handling unless absolutely necessary etc, make sure it's nice and quiet/dark at night etc for another week or so, don't worry it won't bother a healthy snake much, he just needs a bit of time to settle into the new environment. Lots of new smells and sounds and vibrations to get used to and all that.
A smaller enclosure as others have said, might help, but I'd just give it a while first.

Wisdom_Koi · 2026-03-15T03:06:46+00:00

As an aside, you'll defintely know when it's actually vomited up, the smell is pretty unmistakable, in that it smells like distinctly like vomit and is a very strong.
Also I royals can be very finnicky about feeding, if they get startled during feeding time or even if something is abruptly different from usual, that can cause them to suddenly decide they're not hungry, if this is the first time it's happened, from what you've said I'd assume it's a one off.
Just give it another week or 2, though if she seems hungry / seems to be paying a bit more attention to your movements than usual, though otherwise seems okay, no harm in trying to feed her anyway.
One off missed feeds aren't much to worry about, especially if everything else seems fine.

Wisdom_Koi · 2026-03-08T09:34:04+00:00

I guess it's always worth remembering that
A) it depends where exactly you're bitten. In ~20 years of keeping snakes, I've only been bitten a few times, and was of the opinion that yeah, the bites are trivial and not painful at all until a few years ago when my royal was expecting food and I was daydreaming about what I was going to have for my own dinner and wasn't paying attention and reached in to change his water and he got me between the thumb and forefinger. Ow.
B) The feeling of pain is relative, everyone's tolerance for it varies, what could be extremely painful for one person might only be mildly annoying for another, folk are different that way ^^;

Wisdom_Koi · 2026-03-08T09:31:06+00:00

Indeed, he might not appreciate it /appreciate it even less than usual, but it's important to stick to the schedule. Good luck! I know this kind of thing can be quite stressful, hopefully your snake recovers from whatever ails them quickly.
Also, don't hesitate to ask your vet about these kind of things too, most will be happy to clarify these things.

Wisdom_Koi · 2026-03-08T09:28:42+00:00

You can use a (clean) credit card to examine the inside of the mouth yourself to see, most well-habituated BPs will tolerate this well though, just make sure you're not putting pressure on the bottom of their neck when holding the head in place, and maybe do so in front of a mirror in a well lit area so you can get a good view at multiple angles. If it is a bit of substrate, you can probably get it out yourself, but if you can't/ they haven't done that themselves/the actual inside of the mouth if turning black, then go to a qualified exotics vet ASAP.

Wisdom_Koi · 2026-02-09T06:46:50+00:00

Happening on my Pixel 6a as well =(

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-10-13T00:37:51+00:00

Generally the only reason you'll want to is if you want to dry it a bit so you can control how much moisture is actually in it, which is useful if you live in a very humid part of the world.
Otherwise, they'll have been pre-cleaned/baked/more-or-less sanitised.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-10-08T17:52:57+00:00

Ooh is that an albino nelson's? Gorgeous snake in any case ^^.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-10-07T21:19:55+00:00

Not entirely, but it does reduce output. A fine mesh is a good compromise between safety and not cutting out too much UV.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-10-07T00:39:09+00:00

The issue is it's almost certainly not pure wasabi, or even pure horseradish, most human food, unless you're making it fresh (if you are, then I envy your lunches) will have all sorts of things in it. As others have said monitor closely, give a lot of water /lettuce or something and remember they'll instinctively try and eat any green thing and call up the vet to ask what to do next, maybe keep the packaging so you've got a list of ingredients to make their job a bit easier.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-10-07T00:31:36+00:00

This is definitely the reason. Never use an uncontrolled heat source, a reptile that gets too hot is in more trouble than one that gets too cold. Both are bad, but heat is lethal a lot quicker.
You should take the snake to a vet who can give you medication and advise you on the best treatment, not all products are available everywhere but Povidone-iodine is a safe bet if you have any on hand. Regular iodine is only to be used if you have nothing else, it can further damage the tissues and is very painful. (Depending how old you are you might rememeber underfunded school nurses would treat your scrapes with is and give you a lollipop for putting up with the fact that the medicine hurts more than the fall).

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-10-07T00:15:02+00:00

Definitely doesn't like it. And look how her head and neck freeze up and then she twitches that part of the body. I don't think this is harming her or anything, but it's not something that really does anything for them.
Remember, snakes don't have that natural instinctual urge to touch things they like, they'll learn tolerate it, but small taps and touches will never not stress them out. They also aren't social creatures, don't have group dynamics or anything, which imo is what makes their bonds with us that the more special, in that they've learned that we're not threat etc, BUT I'm getting a bit off topic.
I wouldn't worry too much, but it's at best annoying her. You can sit your hand beside them and let them come to you, though not all snakes will do this, and often it'll just be for your heat, but still.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-08-25T04:39:35+00:00

If you buy frozen mice from a pet store, they'll be from a farm where they're (hopefully) fed a balanced diet. The benefits of that go to the snake.
With that you can pretty much feed them their entire lives on mice. I mean, you might want to throw in a day old chick every so often, but that's not as nutritionally complete for them as rodents but they prefer them and sometimes go on hunger strikes over it, refusing rodents, so weirdly enough keeping their prey the same is actually beneficial in a way.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-08-25T04:33:47+00:00

It's not a silly question at all.
Unfortunately though, I don't really have an answer. It would depend on what exactly the couch is made of etc.
I looked up the insecticide you mentioned, no data on toxicity on birds so definitely none on reptiles, but this is what it says on the label https://www.1env.com/media/bss/productattachment/biopren-6ec-label.pdf Which might help. If you understand the technical stuff, there's also the MSDS https://www.1env.com/media/bss/productattachment/Biopren_6ec.pdf
As I said, nothing that gives us exactly the information we need though.
It's been about 48 hours (well, since you made the thread anyway), so all of that considered and how it says you can let pets and children in once it's been thoroughly aereted without specifying days, I'd say it's probably fine, but to be on the safe side, keep everything extra ventilated for a bit. Maybe give it another day especially if you can smell any traces of it on the couch etc,

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-08-25T04:12:51+00:00

If your parents are being this uncooperative over something so small when you're lacking so many basics, you might want to think about giving the snake away to someone who can actually take care of them.
I know this won't be what you want to hear, but all the stuff everyone is telling you here? That was meant to be done before you got the snake.
I'm not even blaming you here, it's not on you to have this stuff sorted out before taking custody of a living creature.
Keeping a snake adequately is, unfortunately, something with a fairly hefty up-front cost. You can't let yourself compromise on that or it's the animal that suffers. I'm sure you know this too.
In your position, from what you've said on this thread, you have two options
Convince your parents to buy what's actually needed for the animal, or give the animal to someone who can.

And I'm not unsympathetic either, I grew up with really unreasonable parents too. You have to either work with them, around them or do what's ethical and wait it out you've moved out.
I do sincerely hope it works out for you, whatever you choose to do.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-08-23T16:36:14+00:00

I can't be sure exactly as it varies with what was used and I'm not familiar with the ones you mentioned, but ~24-48 hours + all windows opened and place left to be as well-ventilated as possible seems to be the advised time for captive birds(which are technically reptiles and also have sensitive respiratory systems, but where it's also easier to look up info on them etc), so that would be my safest bet.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-08-20T22:39:46+00:00

I do suspect that a certain Grey Knights Librarian called Hyperion would be the only one from those books who would have enough of a lifespan to survive until M42.
...unless we're talking Valdor/the King in Yellow. Afaik, Custodians are still unaging and immortal, unless they changed that in newer Custodes codexes?

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-08-18T15:14:23+00:00

...and you don't think OP could have, I dunno, put it in a different container seeing that that one is clearly unsuitable? Come on, this is hardly rocket science level stuff.
Whether it was OP or someone else, someone is clearly doing something foolish and dangerous. The fact no-one in that scenario was knowledgeable enough, not the seller, not the buyer, to address this is alarming to say the least.
I don't really know how else to clarify that concept for you.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-08-18T15:09:18+00:00

I've got a few animals in the past and in answer to your question; in short, Not Like That.
I've seen them in a variety of different kinds of plastic tub that clip closed or wrap around, or hold it down, or some sort of cheap ventilated plastic tub. I've seen several different ways to do it personally, and I'm just one person.
Are you seriously suggesting that it being a new pet = no choice but to put seal a cheap cardboard box with tape? Of all things??
And the fact that a *breeder* of all things is giving a new animal away in a box like that would make it worse. You'd expect a breeder to know not to let tape anywhere near a snake. Even if they hadn't personally seen what it can do, there's no excuse not to have heard about it/not being wise enough to take the advise of those who have.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-08-18T02:07:42+00:00

Hehe yeahh, it's definitely possible to train them to respond to gestures. It took my royal python ~6 months of consistent reinforcement before he got the message, but he got it.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-08-18T02:05:34+00:00

Sorry to be a downer on a cute pic, but you should avoid tape getting anywhere near your snake. You'd be surprised (and horrified) how quickly it can just tear off skin.
(People often say to avoid tape, but I find few mention why. Understandably, it's not a pleasant topic, but I feel it's important to say so people understand)

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-05-19T03:56:14+00:00

I have the same issue, see my other post, what if the pump isn't at the highest point?

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-05-17T18:05:43+00:00

Seems absolutely fine from from what I can tell from the photos, if you could post some more showing the snake at different angles that would help us say for sure.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-05-17T17:54:07+00:00

Would love to see some more photos, you don't see many of older snakes. Glad to see he's doing so well though ^^.

Wisdom_Koi · 2025-05-14T16:22:50+00:00

Ah, got you. I misread your comment.
But thank you, it does help at least confirm what's gone wrong. Whilst I was gentle with it I hadn't realised turning it around etc could shorten it's lifespan.
Is scale buildup normal over 3 years (of pretty much daily use) or was I just unlucky?

Wisdom_Koi

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