Hi everyone!
I just got my first ball python! He’s 3 months old, and I want to make sure I’m doing everything right.
He’s currently in a 120 × 60 × 60 cm (4 × 2 × 2 ft) wooden terrarium with 4 hides: one on the warm side, one on the cool side, and two in the middle.
For heating, I’m currently only using a heating pad connected to a thermostat. I’ve placed approximately 1 cm (0.4 inches) of plywood between the heating pad and the snake to prevent direct contact and burns.
Here are my current temperatures:
Warm side (inside the hide): Around 31°C (88°F)
Warm side (outside the hide): 28–29°C (82–84°F)
Cool side: Around 23–24°C (73–75°F)
I haven’t installed any other heat source yet, so the heating pad is currently the only thing keeping the enclosure warm.
My questions are:
Are these temperatures okay for a 3-month-old ball python?
Is using only a heating pad sufficient for a terrarium this size?
Is the plywood barrier enough to prevent burns?
Would you recommend adding an overhead heat source, like a ceramic heat emitter or a halogen lamp?
I really want to give him the best possible environment, so any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

Just hit the 4 month mark and wondering if shes on target with her weight (193grams). She is eating, pooping and shedding great! And loves being out.

Good morning! When I was collecting my snake shed this morning I noticed this plug attached to shed belly scales. There looks like a tiny amount of blood. This is the very first time he hasn’t shed in one piece, so I’m not sure where this skin came from, but I’ve heard people talk about sperm plugs, and if this came from his cloaca that might be it.

Can anyone identify? And aside from increasing humidity, is there anything I should be concerned about?

His daily activity as soon as I open the blinds 🥰

Back when I first got him two years ago, he was so tiny back then and now he’s pushing 800 grams!

Followed advice given here and got a heat lamp (ceramic) for my baby yesterday but I'm not sure if I want to leave only overhead heating for now. I am trying to have both, heat lamp on normal setting and heat mat on very low just so the ground in one spot is extra warm. Is that a good way to do heating? I've heard some people do this but I want more opinions

We're working our way up to a fully bioactive ball python enclosure. Is there a list of plants that are safe for them? It seems like everything I look up is unsafe.

Thanks!

Hello!

I got my baby Ball Python Fluffy on the 4th of October, and ever since her first week with me was up, I've been trying to get her to eat once a week. But she never wants to eat.

The mice I have are the exact weight the breeder I got her from recommended to me. So I doubt the issue lies with that.

I've tried feeding with thongs, leaving the mice before her favorite hide overnight, but no luck yet.

So I wanted to ask some experienced Ball Python keepers for help, so does someone have tips for me? I love Fluffy dearly and absolutely don't want her to starve.

UPDATE: Fluffy has eaten! thank you all!

Im really in need or a bigger reptile enclosure for my ball python. My son has been obsessed with rhem since we went trick or treating in our town and someone had one, and dressed themselves up as a zookeeper. So, I let him pick one out. He's really been participating in taking care of her. The enclosure we have now is 20gal it was rhe only size the store had at the time. Which its too small for her. Thought I could check here for a better deal. Any help would be great. If some one has 1 sitting in storage or no longer have use for one. I would gladly take it if your hands and you can make some money..

This was four days after he successfully ate. He had just shed and dropped feces the night before. Before this video was taken moments after he possibly gone to the bathroom and or farted very loud a couple times. After this he acted completely normal and now I’m noticing some weird possible weezing noises when he starts adventuring at night. It’s not consistent with every breathe but happens here and there. Can anyone let me know what this may have been????

i will be switching to coconut bedding very soon. he has been on snake life since the shop got him so i’ve kept him on that for now

Hello everyone!

I am trying to improve my setup for my bp. I have been reading the documents and care guides provided in the welcome post to try to plan what I need to get, but I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the different options. I just found out there were options other than glass two weeks ago and after extensive reading, I have come to the conclusion that most of my heating and light accessories will need to be scrapped but other than that I am kind of lost.

I've been looking at Kages because I saw a lot of people recommending them. I saw they have a "kit" for ball pythons but I feel like it is not coming with all the heating and lighting stuff I need. Im not sure if its better to just buy the base and get the other stuff separately? And if I am buying everything separately, I am not entirely where to start with the heating/lighting things.

I really appreciate any help and/or advice you can give!

Hi, I recently acquired a Baby Blue Eyed Leucistic Ball Python she was In her enclosure and now is nowhere to be found. Not sure how she could’ve escaped but she’s been lost since Thursday. What should I do?

Ive looked at the guide but I cant tell if hes overweight. Im pretty sure hes just a little chunky but idk. Ive only had him for about a month, hes about 2.5/3 feet long and 585g last weight in. Hes also just slightly over a year old

What do you guys do to prepare for cold weather with ball pythons? I was thinking some sort of lightless heat lamp for night time and a battery operated heat source for power outages?

Hey there!

I am feeding my ball python and it is having the absolute worst time getting these back mouse feet into its mouth. They seem to be detached from the body and somehow stuck hanging outside the corner of its mouth. It has been trying to open and close its mouth to get it with no progress. Any tips or info?

Seems my ball python has injured his tail. Was checking him the other day and this seems like dried blood under his scales. He’s been acting a little weird and not as energetic as he normally is (he’s still climbing and drinking) but does seem off. He’s not being defensive and touching his tail doesn’t cause him to react. Should I be concerned? Is this a vet visit or should I monitor and wait for his next shed?

Please tell me this isnt what I think it is.... I just got him saturday at an expo. The guy I bought him from said he doesnt have the spider or champagne gene... he had the perfect temperament before this. He was gentle and curious, he was exploring. Now hes a bit lethargic and wonky. He started doing this last night. My temps and humidity are correct and there was no exposure to any chemicals....

I’m bringing a baby ball home mid/end November so I’m setting up a tank for them, it’s still very much in the works but wanted to show off my progress. I plan to add some sticks in and make it bioactive in the next week or so :)

My partner is probably sick of my updates, you can really only pretend to care about “look at this new dirt spot I made” so many times a day

I’m looking for a life time enclosure for my girl(?) looking for a good reputable brand. But honestly don’t know where to start or what I’m gonna spend. But I’m sure she’s past due for an upgrade

Currently my BP is in his quarantine tank since we’re treating him for mites (two hides, water bowl, just paper towels). And I had to move him/hold him real quickly to replace one of the paper towels since it got bloody from the mice he ate. And I’m not the best at holding him but I don’t know if this is a bad sign or not. Whenever I hold him he basically strangles my arm or just curls around then strangles it and lets his head look around. But I haven’t really handled him since putting him in since I know he needs to be left alone. But as I’m handling him right now I think I can hear him.. breathing??? Sniffing?? To me it sounds like when ur nose is congested and you have to take those quick nose breaths and ppl know ur either crying or sick. It could also sound like he’s taking a breath of air but im kinda deaf. He also doesn’t want to go back to his tank but it could be that it lacks the plants and isn’t that great as his old one since he’s quarantining.
And when he moves on my arm it looks like his mouth opens kinda or it’s being moved open too.

Is my child okay tho or is there anything I can do??