≛☣ General Chaos ☣≛ wrote:New Snake Owner Questions
So, as I dont own a snake yet I've always been really intresting in owning one.
After binge watching Snake Discovery on youtube trying to get as much info on snakes before getting one, I still have quite a few questions.
After watching the 'Top 5 Best Begginer Snakes' video im really more intrested in a Ball Python. (Although hopefully down the road after having experience I want to get a Hognosed Snake.) But, Im not going to get one before knowing absolutely everything I can first.
Question 1
What size enclouser do I need, and more specifically, what is the best encloser I can get?
Question 2
Is it better to live feed Ball Pythons, or use frozen thawed mice and rats?
Question 3
Does it matter if you have a male or female, is one gender more dosile than the other?
Question 4
Do you think doing feeding inside their enclosure or outside of it is better? Ive heard both sides, as some people think feeding them in their enclouser can make them connect your hand to food and be more likely to strike.
Question 5
What do I really need to watch out for when finally purchasing my snake? I know i need to look on the jaw and tail for mites, but anything else?
Thank you to anyone who answers my questions, Ive been doing a ton of research on this topic lately but have gotten mixed answers about all these questions. Im not comftorable owning a snake until I know exactly what to do to not only make them comftorable but everyone that comes around it as well.
Off the bat, I'll say Snake Discovery is not a good resource. I don't really know a single youtube channel I would recommend for accurate information for care. (There's one I've seen recommended, I think, but I don't remember the name and I don't watch it anyway.) That being said...
1. "Best" depends on your preferences and location. Tubs tend to be easier because they can hold humidity and heat better, but many people do just fine with tanks. PVC are amazing, but they're expensive. For size, my minimum requirement would be enough to let the snake stretch out. Bigger enclosure is better as long as it's well furnished (ie. lots of hides and leafy decor etc. so the snake can feel well hidden). 4x2x2 is a popular recommended size for an adult ball python. If you're starting with a hatchling, a 20qt tub is fine and you can upgrade as the snake grows, or you can start with the adult enclosure and save money. Larger enclosures are more to clean and more to furnish, but it's also much easier to maintain a proper temperature gradient.
2. F/t has less risks, it's easier to store, it's cheaper to buy (since you can also buy in bulk), etc. but some never learn to take f/t. If you have to feed live, it's fine, just make sure you ALWAYS supervise when feeding (never leave a live feeder in with the snake).
3. No sex differences in terms of personality or temperament. Most are docile because that's their nature, but individuals may have different thresholds (ex. one handles stress more easily than another) -- those aren't really something you'll be able to evaluate (or that most breeders would care to) before you actually have the snake.
4. Inside is generally better. Moving them to feed can stress them out into regurgitating (very hard on the body). You can use tongs to feed so your hand isn't near, and if you always feed at a certain time of day (ex. 10pm), you shouldn't really have problems with your snake striking at you just for opening the enclosure during the day to change the water or something. They do get used to routine (so if you stick your hand in there at night, they may mistake it for food) or if you underfeed them or if their husbandry is off, etc. they can stress out and glass surf or strike more, etc. The only real risk for feeding in the enclosure is impaction from swallowing substrate, but just keep your humidity in proper range, and you shouldn't have issues (otherwise snakes in the wild would have issues all the time).
5. Not trying to be snarky, but literally, find a better resource to learn from and do more research. There are a lot of great resources for ball pythons
here. There are a few good Facebook groups, too, like Not Just a Pet Rock (Python Regius) and Innovative Ball Python Keepers.
Last minute tips uhhh... make sure you set up the entire enclosure BEFORE you get the snake. That way you can make sure all your electronics are working and you can post your set up and get opinions on what can be changed/improved. Likewise, you can compile a list of things you need to buy, etc. and ask about that first. Things that commonly get passed around as okay but aren't (or should only be temporary) are heat rocks, heat lamps/night lamps/those red light lamps, the half log hides, etc. Learn the difference between ambient and surface heat, how you read both (you need different instruments), proper thawing/heating, etc. There are a lot of things people read about to "get ready" like the myth that ball pythons are "picky eaters" etc. so they assume it's fine if their hatchling doesn't eat. Not exactly true. If your HATCHLING isn't eating, it's either sick or your husbandry is wrong. Ball pythons are sensitive to their environment, but if their environment has ideal conditions, ball pythons can be fed a variety of food (good enrichment!) such as african soft-furred rats to mice to chicks to rats etc. And yes, don't let anyone tell you otherwise, but ball pythons DO need and benefit from enrichment just like any other animal (a HUGE misconception in the ball python community is that they have "primitive" brains and therefore don't need/benefit from enrichment -- FALSE FALSE FALSE).
Sorry to info dump, but there's just so much out there. I hope I answered your questions, though, and at least gave enough tidbits of other things that you can start to look into those. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to help or you can check out one of the sources I posted above (wheremyscalesslither is a friend of mine and where I learned about ball python care, and I'm in both of the FB groups I mentioned). All of them have, together, mentioned the things I addressed above, so make sure you use the search function, too! :)
-fireflii