My roommate and I just got a ball python. It's about 18 inches long right now (they take two years to get full grown, 6-9 ft long). The first one we got dies within three days because the guy who sold it to us gave us faulty information on proper care. He no longer works with the store that sells the snakes but we'd still like to be sure we're giving it the care it needs. Any suggestions from prople who have owned snakes or know a lot about them?

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

Answers

A snake...you bought a snake? Oh my...I'm in the wrong forum topic...*runs*

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

Caring for a snake is not a lot different than caring for a girlfriend. =) Don't make any sudden moves, keep your motives honest (they'll know if you're not), handle gently, work to keep them pacified, and if you're not careful, they'll leave you for a rat.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

Have no fear, the reptile geek is here.

If the first snake died within 3 days, chances are you bought a snake that was very ill to begin with. Balls (er, pythons, that is) actually only grow to about 4 feet long. Do you know whether it is wild caught or captive bred? Wild caught balls (pythons, that is) can be extremely picky eaters. You should definitely take it in to an experienced reptile vet - take a poop sample (fun, no?) so the snake can be checked for parasites, which it will most likely have. It'll need a hide box - if it has no place to hide, it'll become stressed. Pretty much anything will work - an empty kleenex box, a cereal box...or you can spend a ridiculous amount of money at a pet store for a hide log. Do NOT use a hot rock - these have caused severe and often fatal burns in reptiles, and should be taken off the market. I use a human heating pad, placed under only half of the tank, so the snake can warm up and cool off as it pleases. As for feeding, at this point you'll want to use large pinky (hairless newborn) mice, or fuzzies (mice that are about 5-10 days old, and just starting to grow hair), though it may not eat for a few weeks, until it has settled into its new home. Provide a bowl of water that is large enough for the snake to soak its entire body in.

Here's a great place to start for ball python info: http://www.sonic.net/melissk/ball.html

There is also a ball python forum located at http://www.kingsnake.com/forum/ball

It would be a good place to ask questions. Feel free to email me, as well. Have fun!

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

Snake advice:

What Lis said. :)

Also, remember to handle it regularly. We have a very sweet corn snake whom we raised from a tiny wee shoelace critter. He was very hand-tame but then we both got REALLY busy for a while and didn't take him out of the cage much. Then he got scared of us and would rattle his tail when he went in to touch him--defensive snake, sad people. We've been re-integrating him to happy snake status.

Reptiles are a bigger commitment than people think, because A.) They can live a long damn time--like, 20 years! and B.) their food costs more than you think it will (seriously, it's fine when they're eating one tiny little pinky a week, but two full grown rats is another thing entirely, price and ick-wise)and C.) they can get BIG and unmanageable. Those huge tanks ain't cheap, either, and I think it's mean to snakertons to leave them all squished up in little fishtanks.

I know, I know...you already have him. And those guys are cute, I know. But I'm just saying, for other possible snake-owners out there.

(Really, you should all get captive-bred corn snakes. Not that I'm biased.)

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2000

Thank you all for the advice, but alas, this snake is dead too. I got up to check on him only to find that my roommate fed him before she went to work and didn't make sure he finished eating. We were supposed to feed him feeder fish for a week and I don't know what she fed him but it appears that he started coughing it up. I found him with the tail end of the fish halfway out of his mouth and he wasn't breathing.

Morbid, maybe, but thanks anyway for the advice. :*{

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2000