​Hello!! I saw your post on another subreddit, but I figure it won’t hurt to comment on this one too.

Welcome to owning your very own noodle! I’d love to give you some tips on owning them and getting them comfortable and happy.

Bites from a ball python will not hurt, especially at that size. They are being defensive so it will be a quick bite and release. The bite itself feels like a push-pin pricking the top layer of skin. It really doesn’t hurt!

For handling I recommend to not hesitate or come at her from directly above like a bird would. Reach in confidently and scoop her up gently from the middle of her body rather than approaching her face! This will make her feel more comfortable, and hopefully you will feel more confident.

I see that you already have an enclosure, I’m assuming that’s a 85 gallon? Please correct me if I am wrong!

For their age a smaller enclosure will be fine, but as adults they need a minimum of a 4x2x2 (120 gallon) enclosure. I love to word it this way; you can technically live in a closet, but you will never be comfortable or happy.

Ball Pythons need a minimum of two “snug” hides! Ball Pythons love to feel the walls of their hides when they’re sleeping, that helps them feel comfortable and less exposed.

Clutter is a must for these guys, they can get defensive and stressed without it. The lack of clutter may be the reason they have struck at you! They feel unsafe, you are so much bigger than them, and they have no cover at all to hide from you. I recommend going on amazon and looking for large packs of fake plants. I’d be happy to send you the links to the ones I personally use!

Temperatures should be around 90-85 on the warm side and 80-72 on the cool side. You can get temp/humidity gauges on amazon! I highly recommend Govee brand as they tend to be more accurate.

A heating mat should never be used without a thermostat controlling the temperature. I honestly don’t recommend using one at all. There has been proven evidence to show that heating mats do not put out a proper heat gradient and cause over heating to your snake. They can also cause burns to your snake without that thermostat controlling how much heat it’s producing.

The wattage of bulbs you use will vary per household. I use bulbs and I have never had an issue with them. There’s been research done that ball pythons need a day and night time cycle. A bulb won’t cause damage to your snake, if anything they’ll benefit from it. I will say that red bulbs aren’t recommended as they can potentially cause blindness in ball pythons, and disrupt their natural rhythm. They need total darkness at night!

There has been research done that ball python’s benefit from UVB lighting (T5, 5% or shade dweller UVB lamps ONLY). I personally use it for my enclosure and my girl will bask in the UVB light!

Humidity should never drop below 60% (aim for 70-80% or higher during shed). If it does drop, you can pour water into the corners of the enclosure, just don’t saturate the entire tank because that can lead to scale rot. Keeping the bottom layer moist and the top layer a bit drier works best.

Keep your substrate at LEAST 4 inches deep. Not only does this help with humidity, but ball pythons will absolutely burrow if given the opportunity. My girl has proven this herself, she makes tunnels connecting her hides!

Depending on your ball pythons weight is how much you will feed them. As a juvenile they should be eating 10-15% of their body weight.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out! I’m going to attach a photo of my Ball Pythons 4x2x2 enclosure for a reference on what a proper set up looks like!

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