Snakes

[kivr & fireflii]

Hmm, okay. There's a bit to break down here. To be frank, the unfortunate reality is that most pet stores don't care about spreading correct information. For many, it's about making a sale (thus with the "corn snake kit"). The enclosure itself is doable, but there are definitely some changes.

1. Your heat mat NEEDS a thermostat if it doesn't. If they didn't tell you, that's absolutely essential. A heat mat not connected to a thermostat can keep getting hotter and hotter. It can potentially burn your snake or, worse case scenario, kill your snake (from long term exposure, short circuiting and causing a fire, etc.).
2. Get rid of the thermometer they gave you and get a digital one when you can (and a digital hygrometer; many have a 2-in-1). Analogs are inaccurate, so it's possible your temperatures and humidity are too hot or too cold. If your temperature is too hot, it could be drying out the enclosure. Simultaneously, your humidity might just be too low.
3. I admit I'm not 100% sure about the substrate. I've heard it's more popular with colubrids (but as I mentioned, I'm more into the ball python community). That being said, I would first try covering the entire top of the enclosure with something like foil tape, a towel, or plexiglass. The slits on the side are enough for ventilation, and covering the top will help stop humidity from escaping.

-fireflii

[blueh]

Hmm, okay. There's a bit to break down here. To be frank, the unfortunate reality is that most pet stores don't care about spreading correct information. For many, it's about making a sale (thus with the "corn snake kit"). The enclosure itself is doable, but there are definitely some changes.

1. Your heat mat NEEDS a thermostat if it doesn't. If they didn't tell you, that's absolutely essential. A heat mat not connected to a thermostat can keep getting hotter and hotter. It can potentially burn your snake or, worse case scenario, kill your snake (from long term exposure, short circuiting and causing a fire, etc.).
2. Get rid of the thermometer they gave you and get a digital one when you can (and a digital hygrometer; many have a 2-in-1). Analogs are inaccurate, so it's possible your temperatures and humidity are too hot or too cold. If your temperature is too hot, it could be drying out the enclosure. Simultaneously, your humidity might just be too low.
3. I admit I'm not 100% sure about the substrate. I've heard it's more popular with colubrids (but as I mentioned, I'm more into the ball python community). That being said, I would first try covering the entire top of the enclosure with something like foil tape, a towel, or plexiglass. The slits on the side are enough for ventilation, and covering the top will help stop humidity from escaping.

-fireflii

I want to add that when i first started keeping snakes, I had a uth w/o a thermostat & because of that i now have a 3 inch hole in my carpet where it caught fire. the only reason my house didn't burn was because the tank smothered it. thermostats are super important!

[Violently Violet]

okay right now i'm making him a himid hide at 23:56 in the night.
I do not have a digital hygrometer, but i have one of these,
it's in the middle of 70-60. his substrate is this and he's
perfectly fine with it for sure. My local shop suggest this kit to me
when i first get him, it's not much but they did say it will help him.
( it came with food, water dish, substrate and the normal kit you'll get
for a corn snake)

Same as everyone else has said, and yes I would ditch the analog hygrometer. I have this for my ball python:

https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-02067M-T ... rite+probe

You need a thermostat if you don't already have one. I also suggest a heat gun to double check the surface temp. If the temp in the room is fairly stable all the time, you may be able to use a less expensive dimmer or rheostat, but if the temp often fluctuates or you don't have time to constantly monitor the temps, you will have to use a thermostat. They can be very pricey, but there are some on amazon for as cheap as $20. However these are less reliable.

Anyway, in my opinion, I would change the substrate, especially if covering the lid doesn't work. I understand that corns may not need as much humidity as a bp, but from what I can tell, that substrate is made to absorb moisture and it would seem to pull it out of the air as well. I think it said it works well with rosy boas, who live in deserts and therefore require low humidity.

You can try adding a sterile rock or something to help aid him while shedding.

If it doesn't come off the next time he sheds, I would become concerned. You can try looking up how to remove stuck shed. Right now I would focus on stablizing the humidity ( if you ditch the analog hygrometer).

I wish you good luck!

[emjayy]

Okay, the new snake-dragons. I’m stuck on one. There’s a boa constrictor, African Bush Viper, emerald tree boa, red sided garter snake, a corn? And that yellow one with the green stripes? What is it

[kivr & fireflii]

Okay, the new snake-dragons. I’m stuck on one. There’s a boa constrictor, African Bush Viper, emerald tree boa, red sided garter snake, a corn? And that yellow one with the green stripes? What is it

Three are bush vipers (orange/purple, orange/black, orange/yellow), the other is red sided garter, brazialian rainbow boa, and emerald boa. I got confirmation from Swiftalu. :)
-fireflii

[MaineiacJay]

Hi everyone! I havent been on this forum for a while and I've really gotten into snakes in the past couple years so I'd love to join this chat thread and see others snakes! It's quite funny how addicting they are. My first snake was a western hognose, feisty little guy! Then I ended up with an amazon tree boa, then found my favorite, a brazilian rainbow boa, which I HAD to have! I then got a Kenyan sand boa, and just in the last week, stumbled on a malagasy speckled hognose in a local pet store and just couldnt resist and am not at all disappointed! I cant share photos until I get to my computer, but will post tomorrow!

In the meantime, I'm gonna go browse this thread in Hope's of snake photos!

[HowlToTheWind]

What's up fellow snake lovers!

I really want to get some sort of pastel ball python, but my mom is so afraid of snakes she won't even go near the snakes at the pet store or she freaks out XD I'm the only one in my family that thinks snakes are adorable. I hate it when people say snakes are SLIMY, like, they're actually really smooth and soft.

[miss_skye]

What's up fellow snake lovers!

I really want to get some sort of pastel ball python, but my mom is so afraid of snakes she won't even go near the snakes at the pet store or she freaks out XD I'm the only one in my family that thinks snakes are adorable. I hate it when people say snakes are SLIMY, like, they're actually really smooth and soft.

This is my pastel vanilla! My mom was actually TERRIFIED of snakes before I got one. After holding Winry she fell in love! Maybe try to get your mom to hold one or at least pet one while you are holding it. Ball pythons are completely harmless. I've had my girl for about 1.5 years and she's never even attempted to bite me.

Haha definitely not slimy! Just soft and cool.

[Jones.]

Hiya! I couldn’t resist and finally bought a banana ball python, I purchased him at two years old and he was placed in a soft bag in order for me to bring him home. I using a heat mat connected to a thermostat that’s placing it consistently in the 29-30c heat range and buried under a good layer of hemp substrate but I will be moving him to aspen at the next clean, I don’t have a way to measure humidity but he has a very large water bowl that’s constantly full and I spray his viv twice a day for extra water. I brought him home yesterday and so far he’s had a good explore and sleeps happily under his hide, I had a little bit of tail thumping when I tried to take a photo of him but that’s relatively expected.

Overall I was wondering how long do you think I should leave him in total before handling? Currently he’s had a full day to get used to his tank and I’ve seen answers ranging from a day to two weeks. I’ve also had people say that I should feed him first before handling him, however with my corn I waited 3 days and fed him the week after and he has a massive attitude but I think that’s just him.

As well as this (sorry I have a lot of questions lmao) when I held him in the store he seemed super relaxed and happily coiled around my arm, but I am a little worried regarding handling. I’m a pretty short person and his viv is sat on top of my chest of drawers, I’m worried regarding his viv being in open view of my door so the comings and goings of people have a possibility to stress him out, would this have a large effect on him or would he help him become accustomed to humans? As well as this, since the viv is relatively high up it is at arm length for me, meaning I have to pick him up by going straight for him rather than from above, I’m a little worried this could cause him to strike.

Any advice would be great and I’ll try and post pictures once he’s settled in a little, different morphs of ball python are relatively hard to come by where I live without a two hour drive, and I’ve always wanted a banana ball python so finding him at my local store was pretty lucky. Im either naming him Mars or Bowser and I’m so excited to start handling him, I love how relaxed they are.

[Samavasley]

I’d love to join this group ! I’m not sure if you have to go through the original format but I will anyway
user: samavasley
why i wanna join: snakes are one of my favorite animals, i love them so much !
do i have any snakes: yes! a brazilian rainbow boa named samara
password: silver

I’ll try to share some photos of her as soon as I figure out how to, I hope to get more snakes in the near future, I have 2 leopard geckos also! c: