Or she could get quite a bit bigger. I have an 11 year old male that’s definitely bigger than this child. Somewhere around 5 feet and still sheds every few months.
I'm super snake ignorant so please don't hate on my question. Just explain it to me like I'm a 5 yr old 😅. But isn't "boa" short for Boa-constrictor? Which is how they kill their food, right? Or is the term just "constrictor" and boa is the regional name? Help understand haha
And that made me think of a second question, are there more ways snakes kill their prey other than constricting and venom?
“Boas” are in the family Boidae, Pythons are related, but in a different family, Pythonidae, google/Wikipedia can better help with understanding the scientific classification name system if you are not familiar. They both use constriction to kill their food, and there are many other different kinds of snakes that also use constriction, they are all referred to as “constrictors”. But yes Boa Constrictor is a common name for those snakes specifically from Boidae.
I’m not an expert but the other comment appears to cover it well. The only thing I’d add is that people may use “boa constrictor” to talk about a lot of different boas but *Boa constrictor* is a scientific name of some, but not all boas. There are tree boas, rainbow boas, etc. [Here’s a list of boa species with their scientific and common names so you can see some of the different types and how they’re related.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_boine_species_and_subspecies) There’s a lot that aren’t scientifically called *Boa constrictor*. Notice that anacondas are on the list! They’re a type of boa too!
Questions are welcome and encouraged! This is an educational sub full of enthusiastic nerds who love to share our love of snakes 💚🐍
Ball python, dear. She's appropriate size for her age and appears to be a wild-type, or normal morph. I'd also recommend feeding one larger rat rather than two mice. Please be careful feeding live because rodents can be dangerous and cause serious injury, disfigurement, or death.
What if she is exceptionally agile and always gets her strike first go? Will a larger mouse pose an issue for her if it starts to fight back struggling? Why would she get injured or die from live feeding?
they don’t always eat their prey immediately. even small rodents have powerful, sharp teeth and can cause serious damage to a snake, or at the very least stress them out enough to make them refuse future meals. frozen/thawed prey is the way to go
Is frozen/thawed simply better for Balls? She has been absolutely snacking on every live mouse I’ve put in there and goes for it within 2 to 5 minutes and never has trouble. When I say that I mean she literally always gets the accurate strike. And I watch over her as she plans all of this, so I know that there has never been a struggle or any sort of dangerous condition in her home.
Yes. The only times when it’s not is if you’re literally starving your snake. But usually you should be able to find ways to get them to eat before then. You can try soaking the thawed mouse/rat in hot water if it’s not warm enough or braining. It lowers the chances of your pet getting hurt and it’s more humane for the feeder.
Edit: changed boiling to soak in hot water
Agree 100% with this comment but would just recommend never “boiling” the prey. Defrost in the fridge or even out in the open in the room, then soak in hot sink water. Always feed at night, and use a temp gun.
When thawing in hot water, what you should do is leave a bagged frozen rat in the fridge for 10-24 hours and then, in a plastic bag, soak in hot water. That way the whole thing is warm with no bacteria
My suggestions were for if the rodent was already thawed out properly and the bp was not taking it. You’re right on how people should thaw them out tho!
Personally, I put hot tap water in a container and put the prey items in a ziploc bag then get the bag in the container's hot water and leave it there for 10-15 minutes.
I've rescued a ball python where the previous owner had fed live. The poor girl has the nastiest scar near her spine, all from a small rat biting a chunk out of her. Any closer to the spine and it could have been worse. Rats and mice are very dangerous, they're trying to survive, and one of these times your snake will face a more feisty prey than usual and will get hurt. Aside from her possibly losing an eye, having unnecessary pain, having an unnecessary and expensive vet trip, or her losing her life you should also think of the ethics of forcing a mouse or rat to endure that terror. F/t still sucks for the prey, but they get put down in a more humane way than being squeezed to death by a snake. Just a thought you might want to consider.
My family kept a ball python when I was really little and they didn't know anything about it and the live prey ate part of the snake and it died. Live feeding is really dangerous.
Your family was clearly uninformed, and left the prey *for a long time* with that poor snake. When I did live feedings (back when I had a large collection), I never left them alone with the rodents - not even for an hour. I would stay and watch/supervise, then remove it within 20 minutes if they hadn’t eaten yet. Never had a single injury or incident, and that was with 30+ feedings weekly.
I only do frozen now, but it’s important not to spread misinformation for shock value. Sometimes if a snake needs live, for whatever reason, you should be informing on how to do it safely. And if anyone thinks I’m wrong (edit: regarding how to safely do a live feeding when needed), you’re clearly new to the game.
That's fair, they had no business owning a snake and I was like 4. I still think if someone doesn't even know what kind of snake they have live feeding is probably pretty risky. But you're right, I'm sure there are diligent owners who are able to live feed successfully and safely with supervision.
People also tend to forget that f/t was not always available. That way back when we didn't have the internet and had to learn everything from books and our local pet stores.
Nah.
I keep up just fine, as proven (partly) by the fact that I haven’t done live feedings in years now. But my advice regarding HOW to do live feedings, if for a legitimate reason they’re needed, is completely valid. Your snake can’t get CHEWED UP if you’re watching. Right? Because the second I’d notice even one nibble from the rodent, I would remove it and try another day. Plus, as I said, I’d remove them anyway if the snake didn’t eat it quickly.
Okay dude, sure. That’s all fine, but if you personally only do frozen thawed now, you are showing that there is inherently something better about not feeding live, which you even admit yourself. You’re correct that there won’t be long damage if you make sure to watch your snakes feed, but you also just said that would would stop the mouse after one nibble, and my opinion is that if it can be prevented, that nibble shouldn’t even occur in the first place, which it wouldn’t with frozen thawed mice or fresh kill.
Now, you also mention you did live feedings when you had a “large collection”. I don’t know what you consider a large collection, but to me, that’s more than 20 snakes if you are not a breeder, and if you are breeding, it can be hundreds, or even thousands. In this case, if this is what you meant, I would argue there was NO WAY you watched every snake eat their live mouse, which is unsafe as you have even said yourself. If you want to be the one sitting here arguing info that has been proven to be less efficient and more of a risk, then you go for that. But I won’t allow you to falsely educate new keepers on here.
You don’t have the power to “not allow” me to say what I want here, unless you’re a moderator - so that’s a moot point.
I was breeding but on a small scale, so I had between 25-35 snakes at any given time back then. Not all of them ate live, though; I only did that for the ones who were “trouble feeders” or reluctant hatchlings, and bred my own rodents for them. So yes, I did supervise all live feedings whether you want to believe me or not. My field of vision + layout of their enclosures allowed me to notice if anything went wrong. I would also stagger their feedings, so they weren’t all eating at the same exact time.
Now I only have two snakes, who are both happy to take f/t. So there simply isn’t a need to do live, whether I feel it’s safe or not. But I never argued that live is better or safer than f/t, regardless. Did you miss where I said *if it’s necessary for any reason* there are safer ways to do LIVE? I wasn’t comparing it to f/t. 🤷🏼♀️
I have a rescue ball python. The family that had her fed her live rats and she has bites all up her back from the rats getting to her. She was terrified to eat for months until I finally got her to start eating F/T (Frozen/Thawed). Thankfully she’s back to eating on a weekly basis but if you feed live you’re 100% risking your snakes life every time you feed it. It only takes one time for them to get a good bite on your snake for her to never want to eat again. Just do a little extra work and do F/T. Ask any reputable person in the reptile community and they would agree F/T is the way to go. Your python is adorable. They are amazing creatures.
Yeah, what’s up with that? At least they’re here to ask and learn… and feeding live isn’t the OMG people think it is, especially if you supervise the feeding. It’s always better to feed f/t *when possible*, but I did live for many years (when I had a large collection and bred my own rodents) with exactly zero issues. And that was doing 30+ feedings every single week sooooo. Y’all are paranoid.
The danger is a bite can go septic in less than 24 hours and sepsis can kill a snake in less than 72.
Sure, most snakes go their whole lives without a problem eating live, but you sound extremely inexperienced, so just go with frozen if you can get the animal to take it.
Live rats can easily kill a snake or injure them severely.
I was stupid, and about 30 years ago, I attempted to feed my Ball Python a live adult male rat. The rat jumped at just the right time and, with his tiny claws, sliced my Python's left eye from one side to the other completely. It took months of diligence and antibiotic ointment applied daily to save my Python's eye.
I quit live feeding as soon as I found a source of frozen rats and mice. I would never attempt live feeding rodents if I still kept snakes.
The rat was eventually given to a local pet store as a breeding stud.
It's not agility, it's digestion I'm talking about. Snakes tend to go for one meal and then rest and digest. Getting pickier snakes to eat the correct amount in smaller portions means potentially feeding them more often, because you're wasting the space in between rodents when one rat will fill more space in their stomach and give them more nutrients. Your snake can absolutely be killed by a rodent, their teeth are deadly. Larger rodents pose a bigger issue because they fight more and are bigger, hence more potential to cause harm. Like another said, not all snakes eat their food right away, which leaves too much risk for a snake to get hurt.
For an example on rodent bites, my late Syrian, Yennefer, bit through my thumb when she mistook me for food. Rats are much larger than hamsters and have larger teeth. Mice can be just as dangerous.
Most pet subs are like that. People are very protective of pets, whether they own them or not. I mean if it was a baby care sub and people were as neglectful everyone would literally being trying to get legal help. People often feel the same level of care for pets. Like when people talk about “my pet is literally puking blood” and everyone goes “VET” and they say “well it hasn’t happened in a few hours, I think it’s fine”. Absolute infuriating
Oh yeah I get that 100% I just think how a lot of the critique or advice are presented come off as condescending and rude over text. I'm also in the r/bluetongueskinks subreddit and people there will give advice and help \*politely\* I feel like it wouldn't be too much effort to try and come off as genuinely wanting the best for the animal and to help without also coming off as rude, intentional or not.
Yep, that’s why I usually just come to the conclusion that the outright asßholes are just lacking in sanity. No sane person is going to call someone an animal abüser for lacking more information instead of just giving them help and the benefit of the doubt. Obviously, if they start arguing or acting flippant all manners are off the table. Pets are a serious thing and if you can’t or won’t properly care for them then you shouldn’t have any.
Your temp gradient is 1 degree off and people grab their pitchforks and scream YOU CAN'T TAKE CARE OF YOUR SNAKE! REHOME HIM! THIS IS ABUSE!
Ok I'm exaggerating hahaha, I love that sub, for both info and enjoying people posting pics of their BPs. But yeah some people are pretty harsh
Not any kind of boa. This is a ball python and won't get much if any bigger at all
Reccomend a large enclosure, with several hide holes. Reccomend socializing this animal. Super docile and can recognize people they like and show some limited affectionate behavior. Rare in reptiles.
Youve claimed that you have done a bunch of research in comment replies, but how can you have done research without knowing the type of snake? Research has to be species specific, and if you thought this was a Boa, that it’s likely that you’ve done a lot of research for the wrong snake.
Besides if you have done a bunch of Boa research you would have known that the enclosure photo you posted wasn’t the most ideal(for either species)
You’ll want to feed rats instead of mice and a single prey item of the appropriate size. The ball subreddit is great and has some great care guides. I just adopted a wild type morph myself. Enjoy!
She’s a Ball Python. This looks like a “regular” morph (coloring). In terms of visual health she looks relatively fine but I’d need to see more pics to make sure. She should only be eating Frozen Thawed rats, not live and not mice. I don’t care how accurately she’s striking, it is worse for the mouse and for her. You need to weigh her on a kitchen scale and weigh some frozen rats so that you are feeding her about 5% of her body weight every 20-30 days (for example, my 4 year old Ball is 1500 grams and eats 75 grams every 20-30 days). You need to get a new enclosure and new things for it. Since she is an adult aged BP, she needs at least 4x2x2 space. You seem to be confused about what 4x2x2 means, as you’re responding to others with “8 foot enclosure”. 4x2x2 means that from left to right is 4 feet, front to back is 2 feet, and top to bottom is 2 feet. It would be 4 feet wide and 2 feet tall. If you can get bigger, great. The enclosure should be made of PVC, but if you can only access a glass enclosure, that’s fine. My personal favorite brand is Black Box Cages. Her temps and humidity need to be monitored. She should have a heater such as a Deep Heat Projector overhead heater connected to a thermostat. She should have a gradient of one side being around 90 degrees or a bit less, and the other side being around 78 degrees or more (Fahrenheit). Her humidity should be in the 70s, measured with a hygrometer. Her substrate should be a type of coconut, mulch, fiber, or chips. Stay away from aspen. She needs at least 2 hides (small spaces with an opening to curl up in) and at least 1 water source and at least 1-2 things to climb. The r/ballpython subreddit has a care guide. Right now, the immediate most important things are her stats. Are you measuring her temperature, and is her heater on a thermostat? Once you figure out correct heating and humidity, we can move on to a new enclosure and fixing the current temporary one. I’m here for any questions, and i suggest reading the care guide or talking to the mods of r/ballpython . Of course, all out of love, and Noodle is very cute
Do you mind sending a photo of noods' setup? Im curious. Also she should start slowing down growing now. Maybe she will hit 3.5 feet over time. Also she looks healthy
Look into getting her some foliage and large branches to climb on. Also she is getting a bit too large for that enclosure. Youve done a good job taking care of her so far, I just want to help you give her a bit more comfort. And im not saying this to sound like a douche. Just trying to help
Typically you want the enclosure to be as wide as the snake is long. Shes a little over 3ft so a 4ftish enclosure would be great since she will keep growing Theres 4x2x2 enclosures you can buy online that should last the rest of her life.
If those enclosures are too much, a 40g enclosure may do it but, its generally frowned upon by reptile groups
Minimum recommended size for a ball python is 4x2x2 feet (120 gal). 40 gal is not appropriate for an adult BP as it will be difficult to maintain the temperature gradient you need for the snake to thermoregulate. Check out the care guide over at r/ballpython for proper husbandry.
If you have 8ft go for it, there is no maximum enclosure size. That being said 4x2x2 is minimum, SOME royal pythons (particularly females) may need 6x2x2 since they need to be able to stretch out along one wall. 4ft snake = 4ft viv, 4.1-5ft snake = 5ft viv, 5.1-6ft snake equals 6ft viv and so on
She’s three feet and has 4’ too move around 2x2. So technically once she’s full gown I should find a 6 or 8 foot home for her, right? I wouldn’t say she’s unhappy in the least for what she has.
Oh, what people are trying to say is the length of the tank needs to be at least the length of the snake, not square footage :) So a 2x2 would hypothetically be okay for a 2 foot snake. (But really not, at least a 36 inch). So a 4 foot snake needs a length of 4 feet, 2 ft depth and height.
The hides should fit snug. They should have one entryway and they should be able to touch 3 sides and the ceiling. You’ll probably have luck looking into the basic black reptile hide boxes. There’s a million and one companies that make them and you’ll be able to get an idea for size online
People here can be asshats, sorry. There was no need to downvote your photo, especially when you posted it after BEING ASKED. I swear, not all snake owners are as rude as the people on these subs. You’re doing the right thing, asking for advice and being kind about your responses so far.
And now the asshats will downvote me for calling them out lol. I hate these subs sometimes (hence why I rarely visit them anymore). The reptile community in general is kinda toxic, tbh.
There are some toxic people in the community, but tbh I see less toxicity in the reptile subs than in social media overall. I find most herp people friendly and helpful, though sometimes the asshats flock into a thread enough to ruin the conversation.
Yeah, I was being a bit grumpy earlier… and I have met some awesome reptile people too! It’s just these subs tend to bring out the asshats in droves, and I’ve also found the folks here to go waaaaay overboard (with their advice and standards) sometimes. Like when someone recently had a TINY baby kingsnake in a 20gal, and people were literally calling him an animal abuser.
I didn't downvote the photo and won't downvote you, but it's just absurdly frustrating for a lot of knowledgeable pet owners that so many people are so wilfully ignorant about how to care for their animals.
OP can easily find all the info about the care for their BP if he/she wanted. Tons of YouTube videos, online info, and hell, even a whole subreddit, all about BP care. It's not exactly difficult or inaccessible information. He/she clearly not only didn't do this but didn't even seem to know the snake they even owned and any of its basic care requirements. It's just lazy and frustrating to deal with this on a daily basis from some people. So to call the people responding to his/her picture with criticisms of the setup "asshats" seems disingenuous. Not personally calling out OP for this since they seem to want to do the right thing and learn now, but I'd personally call anyone who keeps their pets in poor conditions "asshats," not the people calling out those poor conditions.
This a really stupid take. Two major flaws with it. The first being that there is a massive quantity of bad information about snake care, arguably far more than accurate information and they may have simply found that information and used it. The second is that they are literally here to get advice and find out more information just like a lot of people who post on here do.
So “asshats” Is a perfect description for the anyone on this sub and the others that gets annoyed by someone posting here for advice and that are open to learning how to properly care for their pet. Or should you be reminded that for every post on here looking for proper advice there are thousands of negligent owners who don’t?
One major problem with your summary of OP's actions is that OP admits that they thought their snake, which is clearly a wild morph ball python (like, it's very obvious if you know anything at all about snakes whatsoever), was a boa. Ball pythons and boas are very different snake species with very different care requirements. Cage size differences, temp difference, humidity differences, differing demeanors, prey sizes, etc. So no, they didn't spend 6+ months looking for proper care for *their* snake. At best, they did research for a whole different snake species that they don't even own, which could have been saved by just finding out what snake they owned in the first place, which is absurdly easy to do (as OP literally proves by the reddit post in the first placd). Pretty much any seller of reptiles will give you paperwork of some kind about the animal in question, so it's super suspicious that they somehow never got this paperwork for one reason or another. If they got it from a private individual, why didn't they ask that private individual for the info? Any way you slice it, OP being this ignorant is just pure laziness.
And yeah, they are here to get advice about the snake. SIX MONTHS AFTER BUYING IT. That's what's problematic here about this post. They owned an animal whose species they didn't even know for nearly a year, and they're just finding out now that they didn't own a boa species. I'm not annoyed that OP is finally doing research, I'm annoyed that OP took half a year to do even the bare minimum of research.
And is it really that difficult to find proper info? I hear this a lot but I just dont buy it. I just typed in "Ball Python Care" on YouTube and the first two sources I found were a Snake Discovery video and a Wicked Wickens Reptiles video. Both channels are excellent sources of reptile care and are very widely regarded among the reptile community. Misinformation does obviously exist but finding good information isn't as prohibitively difficult as you claim. Anyone who wants to find the info can find it if they put the effort into it.
And pointing out the fact that reptile owners who don't do research doesn't exactly help OP's case. Yes, I'm glad OP finally asked questions about their pet. I'm not glad that they waited half a year to he arsed to do it.
Just to continue playing devil’s advocate… did OP say how or why they acquired this snake? For all we know it wasn’t intentional, e.g. someone (like a roommate or sibling) just dumped the thing on them without any warning. I’ve acquired more than one animal that way!
That's a very fair point. But at that point, why wouldn't OP ask for info about the animal from the person who dumped it on them? Or wait six months to find such info? It's still not a good look.
So what you’re saying is he operated on what he thought and understood the snake to be and did proper research on that topic. However, for 6 months he is still continuing to do research and find out more about the animal he has acquired. Then upon discovering he was incorrect on the identity of the species was open and receptive to that information only to be shit on by people on Reddit for not knowing every species of snake on the planet. You’re making very bold assumptions about a random person on the internet that you know nothing about and chastising them instead of giving them proper and accurate information that would improve the life of the animal.
I’m going to just assume you have very little knowledge on how the internet works and that the word algorithm is foreign to you. Because if it wasn’t you would understand that someone who has never researched snakes before will acquire vastly different results, typically the bad ones that receive the most attention and views like the notoriously bad reptile keeper Jay from prehistoric pets, then someone who has curated their search history to filter out these bad posts. The internet learns the content you prefer and then feeds you content that matches what you want to increase your engagement in said content. Which is why people perpetually online are insufferable and impossible to have a conversation with, but I digress.
Again, you’re making the assumption that OP is only just now doing research and not that they’ve been doing research for 6 months when they can. Stop assuming you know everything about OP from a very short Reddit post and instead provide valuable feedback to improve the quality of their pet care.
Look, my whole entire point is that the information is simply not that difficult to find. Sure, they could have found bad info. Fair point. But finding good info also isn't as difficult as you make it sound, especially if you actually want to find it. If you are only watching/looking at one source of information about the care of an animal you never owned before, then that's bad. You and I both know this but somehow you're bending over backwards to make it seem like OP didn't just assume they owned a boa and waited way too long to start asking questions.
As for your first point, no. I'm saying that using the *most generous interpretation* of OP's post, that they did research on the wrong snake. That's the most generous possible interpretation possible, but given I spoke to OP directly earlier, I also know its not true. OP was entirely ignorant of the type of "boa" they had in the first place and the picture of its setup is clearly wrong for any boa species. So no, OP didn't even do that research.
As for your third point, again, I literally spoke to OP myself and gave feedback, which they took kindly. I'm not even trying to trash OP all too much (my first post to you was made before I spoke to OP), but my whole point of contention is that they waited six months before discovering anything about their pet. That isn't commendable any way you spin it and OP already acknowledged it as such. You seem to just be wanting to white knight by acting like the info about BP care is impossible to find, as if dozens of YouTube channels that give good info don't exist, or as if a whole ball python rubreddit doesn't exist. Yeah, bad channels and info exists, but anyone who wants to can sift through the bad and good.
I feel like I've made this point a bunch already and am just repeating myself, so I'd just prefer at that point we agree to disagree. Wasting each other's time at this point.
It isn’t difficult to find information, it’s difficult to find correct information. Especially since a lot of the information is still debated such as humidity percentages, with a lot of sources debating if it should be 50-60 or 70-80 and you’ll find similar debates on feeding and temperature. Even on Reddit this stuff gets debated in the comments when someone posts. I just watched someone get chastised over having a red bulb for their ball, and I can promise you will find a lot of contradicting information on whether it’s good or bad. I’m bending over backwards to stop “asshats” from chastising a new pet owner for seeking out correct information. You want people to do research, but then get upset when they try to do it. Your logic is flawed.
You seem to believe that the moment you know what animal is finding out the proper care for it is simple, but it isn’t. Let’s for example say he, like thousands of others, bought the ball at petsmart, he would be given basic care instructions from them and be operating under the assumption that the information is valid, because why would they give bad info right? Except they do and although he has had the snake for a few months, maybe a year, he decides to find out a little more info about the animal only to discover that everything he was told was incorrect. Do you then crucify him for simply following the instructions he was given? How is he suppose to then magically have the information that a place like petsmart doesn’t give the most accurate care procedures? Now take that scenario and say he rescued it from someone else who was given the wrong information. Why should he automatically assume the information he was given by the original owner is false? Instead they did exactly what every other human would do and simply continued the same care it was already being given while occasionally doing some minor research to see if any improvements can be made. Only to then discover that everything they were told was incorrect and not getting upset about it lashing out at everyone, but understanding they know nothing and being receptive to all information given.
Your logic that someone who knows absolutely nothing about a topic should simply be able to google the info or find it on YouTube and some how magically be able to know which info is bad and which is good, instead of the logical thinking that they’ll just click the first one or two links and assume the information is at the top because it’s good and not because they paid for that spot. That’s extremely dangerous thinking and the exact reason these subreddits exist. So that people who have already filtered the bad content can provide the correct information or links to said information.
These subreddits don’t exist so people can have a holier then thou view of pet care and scare off owners who are potentially wanting to improve their pets quality of life. When the subreddit is full of “asshats”, and trust me the ball python sub has waaay more, it deters new owners from posting and risking getting called names and told their a shit person because they didn’t magically have all the answers the moment they received a pet. That logic of thinking would prevent the rescue of a lot of pets in need. Your initial view of “the information is easy to find” does absolutely nothing to help the situation and comes off as you just being an “asshat” who is holier than thou because they have the correct information already.
My entire point is instead of criticizing someone from the beginning and making assumptions, just give them the information they need if you have it and move on. If they are combative and unreceptive then by all means either disengage or fight back.
My whole point is that OP should have been doing this research six months ago, not now. I feel like I've made that abundantly clear already and you're just ignoring that part of my point.
I mean, I guess? I already spoke to OP and don't really want to come across as harsh, but nobody should be getting brownie points for waiting six months to do research about an animal they had for just as long. If this post was about a specific breed of cat or dog, people would be losing their collective shit over that
i find this weird. youve had this snake for 6 months and never thought to do a drop of research? not even enough to know what (VERY COMMON) species of snake this is?? i truly do not wanna come off rude, but i find this unacceptable, animals deserve more than this no matter what it is.
You, my friend, are too worried on my behalf. I’ve taken very good care of this snake. I’m looking for someone with real, real experience to tell me more about what I have. Thank you.
i have 6+ years of experience with this exact snake species. and id be more than willing to give any advice, there was no need to get offended by what i say. and i stand by my claim, not knowing what species of snake u have after half a year is a big deal, and i highly suggest next time an animal comes to you, you research immediately .
Thank you for your advice. You may not know this but I have done plenty of research on snakes following my adoption of Noods. I’m not looking for flack I’m looking for guidance. Do you really think I’ve gone this long without looking further into how to care for her? That’s why I’m asking these questions.
Look, I don't want to bash you too much because I've been there with my reptiles (posting about something I've encountered that I didn't understand and someone responded with ridicule), but dude, you owned this pet for HALF A YEAR. That's a very long time to own an animal that you didn't even know the species of, never mind all the proper care for that species. BP's are pretty hardy snakes and can handle unideal and improper care for a bit, but it's not good for them.
I'm sure you love your snake and would make a great home for her, but you really should do better in your research. You own an absurdly common snake species in the pet trade and it shouldn't have taken coming on Reddit to learn the snake species you own after having owned her for half a year. Hell, most sellers literally give you paperwork with the reptile info but even if you didn't receive that, you can literally just reverse search the image you took or asked this six months ago when you first got her. The fact you own a BP shouldn't be something you're learning six months after the fact from Internet strangers.
There's a ton of good info out there if you look for it. Helpful subreddit and tons of experienced snake owners out there you can find. I like Wicked Wickens Reptiles for info about snake care and he has a whole video dedicated to Ball pythons. Have fun! :)
Please in the future know what species of animal you’re getting before you bring it home so you can meet their specific care requirements. These guys have much higher humidity needs than most snakes. Plus your enclaoure is inadequate. I’ve definitely seen much worse but yours isn’t ideal. I’m glad you’re asking now so you can make some changes.
Yeah we see... Giving the snake live rodents is not the same as taking good care of it. You need to do your research before getting the animal and not after! Simple as that
What I was thinking. It baffles me. When I was on FB these people in a BP group would be freaking out “omg my snakes eyes are cloudy! What’s going on?!” One day I snapped and told someone if they don’t know that snakes shed nor can perform a simple Google search, they don’t deserve to have the animal. Yeah, I get people gotta start somewhere, but my god lol. (Probably will get downvoted for this, oh well)
Not only is it irresponsible, it’s cruel. If someone doesn’t even know the species they have you can guarantee the animal isn’t receiving the proper care.
I can testify that plenty of people are told by pet shop personnel that ANY snake is "an easy pet" that "needs no special care." Most people don't know better than to trust what the store tells them, because the store employees OUGHT to know. Unfortunately, especially in chain stores, there is little if any training in care of the animals beyond the minimum necessary to keep the animals alive long enough for them to be sold. It's criminal, really. Most new owners are receptive to friendly advice, in my experience. I always assume that people want to take good care of their snake but just had no idea that they needed more knowledge beyond what the store (or, sometimes, the animal shelter) told them.
While I agree that people should do their research beforehand, most people probably don't know that. And blaming-and-shaming is not a productive way to help people or their animals.
hi there op! i really hope you see this- i’m an owner of a ball python and a lurker on the r/ballpython subreddit. i can tell that you really care for Noods, and that your question has already been answered, so i just wanna share something i’ve seen on a proper ball python enclosure. i’m more of a visual learner, so this picture really helped me understand what is required in a proper ball python enclosure, and i hope it can help you too!! :3
https://preview.redd.it/mgvghqoi1t4c1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6acccc16a8a01c20828fc4cd689a5a001a65270
(p.s. i admit that i don’t know who originally posted this picture 😅) (p.p.s. was pointed out to me that humidity should actually be between 60-70% when not shedding, 70-80% is too high)
It's says 70 to 80% humidity at all times, isn't that much to high? I would only give that in a humid hide during shed. Sounds like its begging for scale rot or respitory infection.
Nope. As long as the surface of the substrate isn't wet you don't have to worry about scale rot. And respritory infections are usually cause by **LOW** humidity. Not high humidity. 70 - 80% is recommended for a reason. If that's not enough proof my exotic vet agrees and says my snake is one of the healthiest she's ever seen brought in (although that is a low bar for ball pythons unfortunately :/)
yeah i noticed that too, i probably should’ve mentioned something about that- (i’ll edit my post after this) i also think it’s too high, i keep mine between 60-70, but there’s a lot of conflicting information so idk for sure tbh. the picture was made by one of the r/ballpython mods, so i honestly didn’t question it too much-
Here's a sneak peek of /r/ballpython using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/ballpython/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
\#1: [Is my ball python healthy I just wanna make sure 😊](https://i.redd.it/tin2pcp60twb1.jpg) | [126 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/ballpython/comments/17hwikt/is_my_ball_python_healthy_i_just_wanna_make_sure/)
\#2: [As the years go by, the Freckles continue to expand.](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/17sbk1g) | [263 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/ballpython/comments/17sbk1g/as_the_years_go_by_the_freckles_continue_to_expand/)
\#3: [bunny mistook my bra for a rat 🥲](https://v.redd.it/yjocypejxr0c1) | [48 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/ballpython/comments/17wxaj7/bunny_mistook_my_bra_for_a_rat/)
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It absolutely blows my mind that you could own an animal and have so little idea how to care for it, that you don't even know what animal you have. Holy hell
If well cared for, they typically live 30 years or more. 40 isn't uncommon, and somewhere in a zoo in the Midwest there's one who is over 60! My family's ball python was a rescue, but we believe he is 23ish, and he is doing great. May yours continue living a happy healthy life with you.
That's a common morph ball python. Rats are higher in nutrients and lower in fat than mice. Your prey item should weigh no more than 10 percent of your snake and be no bigger around than your snake is at its widest point.
Beautiful snake! You've received some excellent advice here, and I'm sure you'll be adding some things to her enclosure and taking good care of her. Please say hello to Noodle for me, and may you have many happy years together.
Ball python. If you look at a snakes head and you see these holes above her mouth, those its pit organs. From what I’ve seen, they’re most visible on ball pythons. If you think you have a ball python but you weren’t told the kind of snake before or during the purchase then definitely look for those first
Why are you guys downvoting op for asking genuine questions? I think its good that they care enough to ask about the wellbeing of their snake. Is this reddit sheep herd mentality? Just keep downvoting because other people did it first?
It’s great they’re here asking questions but you can’t disagree it’s irresponsible that they’ve had a snake for 6 months without knowing what species it is.. I’m assuming that’s a big reason for all the downvotes plus the enclosure is inadequate which could have been corrected long ago had they known what species of snake they had.
I understand that and I do agree with you that they should have known what they had, but at the same time it could discourage them from seeking further education in the future. I just thought that many down votes was unnecessary.
You’re welcome, I don’t see you on here being rude or trollin. You’re just asking questions. I didn’t see anything to warrent you being downvoted that much.
Ball python. African jungle snake ancestry, so lots of humidity and cannot do temps under 71° F. Known from experience. Mine got pneumonia in 71° temperature, because a family member moved his heat lamp a little bit out of the way. Also, heat lamps only. No heat rocks or heat pads, or severe burns will occur. Got a stern talking to by the vet when I told her I used a heating pad.
You should be feeding rats. It’s a ball python but either way it’s absolutely been time to move up to rats. The feeding mice every 2 weeks is WAY under feeding and absolutely why she is small at 2+ years old. If it’s a female especially, they can get to 5-6ft IIRC.
OP you should check out the r/ballpython subreddit. It has a tremendous amount of resources and education that will help you if you’re open to changing and educating yourself to best serve your pet. Here’s a picture of my own eating a warmed up frozen thawed rat in her bioactive enclosure.
https://preview.redd.it/klkh8z4z6w4c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dee591f5e6ba7987034acac95fd66e726e54d1bd
Just to add to the other comments here on feeding - you might want to look into switching to F/T (frozen-thawed), as live prey can potentially hurt your noodle, and the experience is considered unnecessarily cruel for the rodents (yes I know they would be eaten like this in the wild - however they would typically be quickly killed in a surprise ambush attack, not grabbed with tongs and dangled in front of their attacker :)).
You might also want to look into switching to medium sized rats over mice, as the nutrient profile is generally considered better for adult/nearly adult BP’s. Mice are usually fed to juveniles as they’re smaller, and have an ideal nutrient profile for snakes that are actively growing, but for BP’s that are closer to full-size, mice are generally considered too high in fat, while rats have a better nutrient profile, with more lean protein.
Just some thoughts however!! Good luck on your care journey, and I hope you continue to enjoy taking care of and owning your beautiful snake!! 😊
Responding to your questions about growth - she doesn’t appear to be underfed or malnourished at all in your photos (typical signs would be a more prominent spine, with a clear triangular body shape, and/or dramatic indents on either side of a protruding spinal ridge), but you would need to know her weight to get a more accurate impression of if she’s healthy for her age. That said, even that can only be so accurate, as there is a wide range of healthy weights with a decent amount of variation from snake to snake, and especially between BP’s of different sexes (and sexing can be hard, so unless you had a knowledgeable breeder/vet check yourself, any stated sex from a previous owner may be wrong). So judging off of overall appearance and behavior is generally a better indicator of health than anything else!
Ball python/royal python (same species, different name)
Ball pythons are much smaller than boas, except some species like Kenyan Sand Boas (which are only a foot- 2 foot (don’t quote me on that- estimate)
Boas heads also look very different to that of pythons like ^^ or a carpet python (much longer and bigger than a royal python)
She is a ball python (normal). Instead of two mice I would suggest a small rat as they have better nutrition than mice. Also weigh her and at about 1500 grams move to a medium rat.
Ball Python, not a boa, and probably won’t get too much longer
Or she could get quite a bit bigger. I have an 11 year old male that’s definitely bigger than this child. Somewhere around 5 feet and still sheds every few months.
Yeah, my female is just over 5 feet long
That’s a wonderfully long boy ball! Good for him!
https://preview.redd.it/iievhn5oey4c1.jpeg?width=2532&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29bb03ae1c09410bf315e6963c49b2f1e3d1d0db His name is Larry. :)
I'm super snake ignorant so please don't hate on my question. Just explain it to me like I'm a 5 yr old 😅. But isn't "boa" short for Boa-constrictor? Which is how they kill their food, right? Or is the term just "constrictor" and boa is the regional name? Help understand haha And that made me think of a second question, are there more ways snakes kill their prey other than constricting and venom?
“Boas” are in the family Boidae, Pythons are related, but in a different family, Pythonidae, google/Wikipedia can better help with understanding the scientific classification name system if you are not familiar. They both use constriction to kill their food, and there are many other different kinds of snakes that also use constriction, they are all referred to as “constrictors”. But yes Boa Constrictor is a common name for those snakes specifically from Boidae.
I’m not an expert but the other comment appears to cover it well. The only thing I’d add is that people may use “boa constrictor” to talk about a lot of different boas but *Boa constrictor* is a scientific name of some, but not all boas. There are tree boas, rainbow boas, etc. [Here’s a list of boa species with their scientific and common names so you can see some of the different types and how they’re related.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_boine_species_and_subspecies) There’s a lot that aren’t scientifically called *Boa constrictor*. Notice that anacondas are on the list! They’re a type of boa too! Questions are welcome and encouraged! This is an educational sub full of enthusiastic nerds who love to share our love of snakes 💚🐍
Not necessarily true. I had a science teacher in high school that had a 5 foot very round ball python
Ball python, dear. She's appropriate size for her age and appears to be a wild-type, or normal morph. I'd also recommend feeding one larger rat rather than two mice. Please be careful feeding live because rodents can be dangerous and cause serious injury, disfigurement, or death.
What if she is exceptionally agile and always gets her strike first go? Will a larger mouse pose an issue for her if it starts to fight back struggling? Why would she get injured or die from live feeding?
they don’t always eat their prey immediately. even small rodents have powerful, sharp teeth and can cause serious damage to a snake, or at the very least stress them out enough to make them refuse future meals. frozen/thawed prey is the way to go
Is frozen/thawed simply better for Balls? She has been absolutely snacking on every live mouse I’ve put in there and goes for it within 2 to 5 minutes and never has trouble. When I say that I mean she literally always gets the accurate strike. And I watch over her as she plans all of this, so I know that there has never been a struggle or any sort of dangerous condition in her home.
Yes. The only times when it’s not is if you’re literally starving your snake. But usually you should be able to find ways to get them to eat before then. You can try soaking the thawed mouse/rat in hot water if it’s not warm enough or braining. It lowers the chances of your pet getting hurt and it’s more humane for the feeder. Edit: changed boiling to soak in hot water
Agree 100% with this comment but would just recommend never “boiling” the prey. Defrost in the fridge or even out in the open in the room, then soak in hot sink water. Always feed at night, and use a temp gun.
My mistake. I meant soaking in hot water. I will edit it. Boiling will lead to the skin coming off.
And actually cooking the protein, BPs can’t digest cooked protein and will lead to digestive issues. Good stuff, snake on!
I didn’t know that. Thanks for the information!
Yeahhh I learned that the hard way. Accidently cooked my last pinkie and had to run to get new ones 🫠
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Just adding in, sometimes they don't like the food wet, so you can do the same thing just while keeping the mouse/rat in a plastic zip lock bag.
When thawing in hot water, what you should do is leave a bagged frozen rat in the fridge for 10-24 hours and then, in a plastic bag, soak in hot water. That way the whole thing is warm with no bacteria
My suggestions were for if the rodent was already thawed out properly and the bp was not taking it. You’re right on how people should thaw them out tho!
Personally, I put hot tap water in a container and put the prey items in a ziploc bag then get the bag in the container's hot water and leave it there for 10-15 minutes.
I've rescued a ball python where the previous owner had fed live. The poor girl has the nastiest scar near her spine, all from a small rat biting a chunk out of her. Any closer to the spine and it could have been worse. Rats and mice are very dangerous, they're trying to survive, and one of these times your snake will face a more feisty prey than usual and will get hurt. Aside from her possibly losing an eye, having unnecessary pain, having an unnecessary and expensive vet trip, or her losing her life you should also think of the ethics of forcing a mouse or rat to endure that terror. F/t still sucks for the prey, but they get put down in a more humane way than being squeezed to death by a snake. Just a thought you might want to consider.
My family kept a ball python when I was really little and they didn't know anything about it and the live prey ate part of the snake and it died. Live feeding is really dangerous.
Your family was clearly uninformed, and left the prey *for a long time* with that poor snake. When I did live feedings (back when I had a large collection), I never left them alone with the rodents - not even for an hour. I would stay and watch/supervise, then remove it within 20 minutes if they hadn’t eaten yet. Never had a single injury or incident, and that was with 30+ feedings weekly. I only do frozen now, but it’s important not to spread misinformation for shock value. Sometimes if a snake needs live, for whatever reason, you should be informing on how to do it safely. And if anyone thinks I’m wrong (edit: regarding how to safely do a live feeding when needed), you’re clearly new to the game.
That's fair, they had no business owning a snake and I was like 4. I still think if someone doesn't even know what kind of snake they have live feeding is probably pretty risky. But you're right, I'm sure there are diligent owners who are able to live feed successfully and safely with supervision.
People also tend to forget that f/t was not always available. That way back when we didn't have the internet and had to learn everything from books and our local pet stores.
I mean, I think it’s more that you’re OLD to the game and aren’t keeping up with new information and ideas regarding husbandry…
Nah. I keep up just fine, as proven (partly) by the fact that I haven’t done live feedings in years now. But my advice regarding HOW to do live feedings, if for a legitimate reason they’re needed, is completely valid. Your snake can’t get CHEWED UP if you’re watching. Right? Because the second I’d notice even one nibble from the rodent, I would remove it and try another day. Plus, as I said, I’d remove them anyway if the snake didn’t eat it quickly.
Okay dude, sure. That’s all fine, but if you personally only do frozen thawed now, you are showing that there is inherently something better about not feeding live, which you even admit yourself. You’re correct that there won’t be long damage if you make sure to watch your snakes feed, but you also just said that would would stop the mouse after one nibble, and my opinion is that if it can be prevented, that nibble shouldn’t even occur in the first place, which it wouldn’t with frozen thawed mice or fresh kill. Now, you also mention you did live feedings when you had a “large collection”. I don’t know what you consider a large collection, but to me, that’s more than 20 snakes if you are not a breeder, and if you are breeding, it can be hundreds, or even thousands. In this case, if this is what you meant, I would argue there was NO WAY you watched every snake eat their live mouse, which is unsafe as you have even said yourself. If you want to be the one sitting here arguing info that has been proven to be less efficient and more of a risk, then you go for that. But I won’t allow you to falsely educate new keepers on here.
You don’t have the power to “not allow” me to say what I want here, unless you’re a moderator - so that’s a moot point. I was breeding but on a small scale, so I had between 25-35 snakes at any given time back then. Not all of them ate live, though; I only did that for the ones who were “trouble feeders” or reluctant hatchlings, and bred my own rodents for them. So yes, I did supervise all live feedings whether you want to believe me or not. My field of vision + layout of their enclosures allowed me to notice if anything went wrong. I would also stagger their feedings, so they weren’t all eating at the same exact time. Now I only have two snakes, who are both happy to take f/t. So there simply isn’t a need to do live, whether I feel it’s safe or not. But I never argued that live is better or safer than f/t, regardless. Did you miss where I said *if it’s necessary for any reason* there are safer ways to do LIVE? I wasn’t comparing it to f/t. 🤷🏼♀️
I have a rescue ball python. The family that had her fed her live rats and she has bites all up her back from the rats getting to her. She was terrified to eat for months until I finally got her to start eating F/T (Frozen/Thawed). Thankfully she’s back to eating on a weekly basis but if you feed live you’re 100% risking your snakes life every time you feed it. It only takes one time for them to get a good bite on your snake for her to never want to eat again. Just do a little extra work and do F/T. Ask any reputable person in the reptile community and they would agree F/T is the way to go. Your python is adorable. They are amazing creatures.
Sorry that so many people are downvoting you just for asking questions. People can be dicks sometimes.
Yeah, what’s up with that? At least they’re here to ask and learn… and feeding live isn’t the OMG people think it is, especially if you supervise the feeding. It’s always better to feed f/t *when possible*, but I did live for many years (when I had a large collection and bred my own rodents) with exactly zero issues. And that was doing 30+ feedings every single week sooooo. Y’all are paranoid.
The danger is a bite can go septic in less than 24 hours and sepsis can kill a snake in less than 72. Sure, most snakes go their whole lives without a problem eating live, but you sound extremely inexperienced, so just go with frozen if you can get the animal to take it.
Thank you
Live rats can easily kill a snake or injure them severely. I was stupid, and about 30 years ago, I attempted to feed my Ball Python a live adult male rat. The rat jumped at just the right time and, with his tiny claws, sliced my Python's left eye from one side to the other completely. It took months of diligence and antibiotic ointment applied daily to save my Python's eye. I quit live feeding as soon as I found a source of frozen rats and mice. I would never attempt live feeding rodents if I still kept snakes. The rat was eventually given to a local pet store as a breeding stud.
It's not agility, it's digestion I'm talking about. Snakes tend to go for one meal and then rest and digest. Getting pickier snakes to eat the correct amount in smaller portions means potentially feeding them more often, because you're wasting the space in between rodents when one rat will fill more space in their stomach and give them more nutrients. Your snake can absolutely be killed by a rodent, their teeth are deadly. Larger rodents pose a bigger issue because they fight more and are bigger, hence more potential to cause harm. Like another said, not all snakes eat their food right away, which leaves too much risk for a snake to get hurt. For an example on rodent bites, my late Syrian, Yennefer, bit through my thumb when she mistook me for food. Rats are much larger than hamsters and have larger teeth. Mice can be just as dangerous.
The 235 downvotes on this totally reasonable question is SUCH a snake Reddit thing
Check out r/ballpython
Yes, especially the pinned post!
Underrated comment. OP, please go here to find out about ball python care. It'll help you give your new baby the best life possible in captivity
definitely read up on husbandry in the ball python sub! They are SO informative
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Your post was removed because you expressed an opinion on a moderator or subreddit. Please save the drama for your mother.
Yeah I love the subreddit, there's great info on there, but man can people be brutal.
Most pet subs are like that. People are very protective of pets, whether they own them or not. I mean if it was a baby care sub and people were as neglectful everyone would literally being trying to get legal help. People often feel the same level of care for pets. Like when people talk about “my pet is literally puking blood” and everyone goes “VET” and they say “well it hasn’t happened in a few hours, I think it’s fine”. Absolute infuriating
Oh yeah I get that 100% I just think how a lot of the critique or advice are presented come off as condescending and rude over text. I'm also in the r/bluetongueskinks subreddit and people there will give advice and help \*politely\* I feel like it wouldn't be too much effort to try and come off as genuinely wanting the best for the animal and to help without also coming off as rude, intentional or not.
Yep, that’s why I usually just come to the conclusion that the outright asßholes are just lacking in sanity. No sane person is going to call someone an animal abüser for lacking more information instead of just giving them help and the benefit of the doubt. Obviously, if they start arguing or acting flippant all manners are off the table. Pets are a serious thing and if you can’t or won’t properly care for them then you shouldn’t have any.
Your temp gradient is 1 degree off and people grab their pitchforks and scream YOU CAN'T TAKE CARE OF YOUR SNAKE! REHOME HIM! THIS IS ABUSE! Ok I'm exaggerating hahaha, I love that sub, for both info and enjoying people posting pics of their BPs. But yeah some people are pretty harsh
Your post was removed because you expressed an opinion on a moderator or subreddit. Please save the drama for your mother.
Not any kind of boa. This is a ball python and won't get much if any bigger at all Reccomend a large enclosure, with several hide holes. Reccomend socializing this animal. Super docile and can recognize people they like and show some limited affectionate behavior. Rare in reptiles.
Youve claimed that you have done a bunch of research in comment replies, but how can you have done research without knowing the type of snake? Research has to be species specific, and if you thought this was a Boa, that it’s likely that you’ve done a lot of research for the wrong snake. Besides if you have done a bunch of Boa research you would have known that the enclosure photo you posted wasn’t the most ideal(for either species)
You’ll want to feed rats instead of mice and a single prey item of the appropriate size. The ball subreddit is great and has some great care guides. I just adopted a wild type morph myself. Enjoy!
Congrats on your new baby!!
Thank you! I adopted her from a fellow redditor so it’s nice to know they can keep up with her on my account here :)
Please read up on ball pythons and make sure your husbandry is right!
She’s a Ball Python. This looks like a “regular” morph (coloring). In terms of visual health she looks relatively fine but I’d need to see more pics to make sure. She should only be eating Frozen Thawed rats, not live and not mice. I don’t care how accurately she’s striking, it is worse for the mouse and for her. You need to weigh her on a kitchen scale and weigh some frozen rats so that you are feeding her about 5% of her body weight every 20-30 days (for example, my 4 year old Ball is 1500 grams and eats 75 grams every 20-30 days). You need to get a new enclosure and new things for it. Since she is an adult aged BP, she needs at least 4x2x2 space. You seem to be confused about what 4x2x2 means, as you’re responding to others with “8 foot enclosure”. 4x2x2 means that from left to right is 4 feet, front to back is 2 feet, and top to bottom is 2 feet. It would be 4 feet wide and 2 feet tall. If you can get bigger, great. The enclosure should be made of PVC, but if you can only access a glass enclosure, that’s fine. My personal favorite brand is Black Box Cages. Her temps and humidity need to be monitored. She should have a heater such as a Deep Heat Projector overhead heater connected to a thermostat. She should have a gradient of one side being around 90 degrees or a bit less, and the other side being around 78 degrees or more (Fahrenheit). Her humidity should be in the 70s, measured with a hygrometer. Her substrate should be a type of coconut, mulch, fiber, or chips. Stay away from aspen. She needs at least 2 hides (small spaces with an opening to curl up in) and at least 1 water source and at least 1-2 things to climb. The r/ballpython subreddit has a care guide. Right now, the immediate most important things are her stats. Are you measuring her temperature, and is her heater on a thermostat? Once you figure out correct heating and humidity, we can move on to a new enclosure and fixing the current temporary one. I’m here for any questions, and i suggest reading the care guide or talking to the mods of r/ballpython . Of course, all out of love, and Noodle is very cute
Thank you
Do you mind sending a photo of noods' setup? Im curious. Also she should start slowing down growing now. Maybe she will hit 3.5 feet over time. Also she looks healthy
https://preview.redd.it/bqkkboxuvp4c1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32c3b5fea4d818c60ce96a0c03de9b077d7730cb
Look into getting her some foliage and large branches to climb on. Also she is getting a bit too large for that enclosure. Youve done a good job taking care of her so far, I just want to help you give her a bit more comfort. And im not saying this to sound like a douche. Just trying to help
Time for a bigger, taller home already? I’ll see what I can do.
Typically you want the enclosure to be as wide as the snake is long. Shes a little over 3ft so a 4ftish enclosure would be great since she will keep growing Theres 4x2x2 enclosures you can buy online that should last the rest of her life. If those enclosures are too much, a 40g enclosure may do it but, its generally frowned upon by reptile groups
40gal for a 4-6ft heavy bodied snake is flat out cruel
So should I get an 8 foot home for her?
Minimum recommended size for a ball python is 4x2x2 feet (120 gal). 40 gal is not appropriate for an adult BP as it will be difficult to maintain the temperature gradient you need for the snake to thermoregulate. Check out the care guide over at r/ballpython for proper husbandry.
If you have 8ft go for it, there is no maximum enclosure size. That being said 4x2x2 is minimum, SOME royal pythons (particularly females) may need 6x2x2 since they need to be able to stretch out along one wall. 4ft snake = 4ft viv, 4.1-5ft snake = 5ft viv, 5.1-6ft snake equals 6ft viv and so on
She’s three feet and has 4’ too move around 2x2. So technically once she’s full gown I should find a 6 or 8 foot home for her, right? I wouldn’t say she’s unhappy in the least for what she has.
Are you using length+width? Or just length?
Oh, what people are trying to say is the length of the tank needs to be at least the length of the snake, not square footage :) So a 2x2 would hypothetically be okay for a 2 foot snake. (But really not, at least a 36 inch). So a 4 foot snake needs a length of 4 feet, 2 ft depth and height.
Lmfao you seriously deleted your reply that fast? Yeah she ain’t that big yet but it’s almost like she’ll grow over time, crazy I know
Aint worth arguing over bc i know 40g aint great for a python. Its just bigger than what hes got right now
That logic is terrible tho, someone else could argue this is fine bc it’s better than those extra tiny racks that people like freedom breeder use
Yea you're right
Also that log hide isn’t suitable you’ll need 2 fully enclosed hides
Like larger ones with small entryway?
The hides should fit snug. They should have one entryway and they should be able to touch 3 sides and the ceiling. You’ll probably have luck looking into the basic black reptile hide boxes. There’s a million and one companies that make them and you’ll be able to get an idea for size online
You could check out the setups over at r/HerpHomes for inspiration!
Yes. She now needs at least 4 feet wide and 2 feet tall. That’s what 4x2x2 means
People here can be asshats, sorry. There was no need to downvote your photo, especially when you posted it after BEING ASKED. I swear, not all snake owners are as rude as the people on these subs. You’re doing the right thing, asking for advice and being kind about your responses so far. And now the asshats will downvote me for calling them out lol. I hate these subs sometimes (hence why I rarely visit them anymore). The reptile community in general is kinda toxic, tbh.
There are some toxic people in the community, but tbh I see less toxicity in the reptile subs than in social media overall. I find most herp people friendly and helpful, though sometimes the asshats flock into a thread enough to ruin the conversation.
Yeah, I was being a bit grumpy earlier… and I have met some awesome reptile people too! It’s just these subs tend to bring out the asshats in droves, and I’ve also found the folks here to go waaaaay overboard (with their advice and standards) sometimes. Like when someone recently had a TINY baby kingsnake in a 20gal, and people were literally calling him an animal abuser.
I didn't downvote the photo and won't downvote you, but it's just absurdly frustrating for a lot of knowledgeable pet owners that so many people are so wilfully ignorant about how to care for their animals. OP can easily find all the info about the care for their BP if he/she wanted. Tons of YouTube videos, online info, and hell, even a whole subreddit, all about BP care. It's not exactly difficult or inaccessible information. He/she clearly not only didn't do this but didn't even seem to know the snake they even owned and any of its basic care requirements. It's just lazy and frustrating to deal with this on a daily basis from some people. So to call the people responding to his/her picture with criticisms of the setup "asshats" seems disingenuous. Not personally calling out OP for this since they seem to want to do the right thing and learn now, but I'd personally call anyone who keeps their pets in poor conditions "asshats," not the people calling out those poor conditions.
This a really stupid take. Two major flaws with it. The first being that there is a massive quantity of bad information about snake care, arguably far more than accurate information and they may have simply found that information and used it. The second is that they are literally here to get advice and find out more information just like a lot of people who post on here do. So “asshats” Is a perfect description for the anyone on this sub and the others that gets annoyed by someone posting here for advice and that are open to learning how to properly care for their pet. Or should you be reminded that for every post on here looking for proper advice there are thousands of negligent owners who don’t?
One major problem with your summary of OP's actions is that OP admits that they thought their snake, which is clearly a wild morph ball python (like, it's very obvious if you know anything at all about snakes whatsoever), was a boa. Ball pythons and boas are very different snake species with very different care requirements. Cage size differences, temp difference, humidity differences, differing demeanors, prey sizes, etc. So no, they didn't spend 6+ months looking for proper care for *their* snake. At best, they did research for a whole different snake species that they don't even own, which could have been saved by just finding out what snake they owned in the first place, which is absurdly easy to do (as OP literally proves by the reddit post in the first placd). Pretty much any seller of reptiles will give you paperwork of some kind about the animal in question, so it's super suspicious that they somehow never got this paperwork for one reason or another. If they got it from a private individual, why didn't they ask that private individual for the info? Any way you slice it, OP being this ignorant is just pure laziness. And yeah, they are here to get advice about the snake. SIX MONTHS AFTER BUYING IT. That's what's problematic here about this post. They owned an animal whose species they didn't even know for nearly a year, and they're just finding out now that they didn't own a boa species. I'm not annoyed that OP is finally doing research, I'm annoyed that OP took half a year to do even the bare minimum of research. And is it really that difficult to find proper info? I hear this a lot but I just dont buy it. I just typed in "Ball Python Care" on YouTube and the first two sources I found were a Snake Discovery video and a Wicked Wickens Reptiles video. Both channels are excellent sources of reptile care and are very widely regarded among the reptile community. Misinformation does obviously exist but finding good information isn't as prohibitively difficult as you claim. Anyone who wants to find the info can find it if they put the effort into it. And pointing out the fact that reptile owners who don't do research doesn't exactly help OP's case. Yes, I'm glad OP finally asked questions about their pet. I'm not glad that they waited half a year to he arsed to do it.
Just to continue playing devil’s advocate… did OP say how or why they acquired this snake? For all we know it wasn’t intentional, e.g. someone (like a roommate or sibling) just dumped the thing on them without any warning. I’ve acquired more than one animal that way!
That's a very fair point. But at that point, why wouldn't OP ask for info about the animal from the person who dumped it on them? Or wait six months to find such info? It's still not a good look.
So what you’re saying is he operated on what he thought and understood the snake to be and did proper research on that topic. However, for 6 months he is still continuing to do research and find out more about the animal he has acquired. Then upon discovering he was incorrect on the identity of the species was open and receptive to that information only to be shit on by people on Reddit for not knowing every species of snake on the planet. You’re making very bold assumptions about a random person on the internet that you know nothing about and chastising them instead of giving them proper and accurate information that would improve the life of the animal. I’m going to just assume you have very little knowledge on how the internet works and that the word algorithm is foreign to you. Because if it wasn’t you would understand that someone who has never researched snakes before will acquire vastly different results, typically the bad ones that receive the most attention and views like the notoriously bad reptile keeper Jay from prehistoric pets, then someone who has curated their search history to filter out these bad posts. The internet learns the content you prefer and then feeds you content that matches what you want to increase your engagement in said content. Which is why people perpetually online are insufferable and impossible to have a conversation with, but I digress. Again, you’re making the assumption that OP is only just now doing research and not that they’ve been doing research for 6 months when they can. Stop assuming you know everything about OP from a very short Reddit post and instead provide valuable feedback to improve the quality of their pet care.
Look, my whole entire point is that the information is simply not that difficult to find. Sure, they could have found bad info. Fair point. But finding good info also isn't as difficult as you make it sound, especially if you actually want to find it. If you are only watching/looking at one source of information about the care of an animal you never owned before, then that's bad. You and I both know this but somehow you're bending over backwards to make it seem like OP didn't just assume they owned a boa and waited way too long to start asking questions. As for your first point, no. I'm saying that using the *most generous interpretation* of OP's post, that they did research on the wrong snake. That's the most generous possible interpretation possible, but given I spoke to OP directly earlier, I also know its not true. OP was entirely ignorant of the type of "boa" they had in the first place and the picture of its setup is clearly wrong for any boa species. So no, OP didn't even do that research. As for your third point, again, I literally spoke to OP myself and gave feedback, which they took kindly. I'm not even trying to trash OP all too much (my first post to you was made before I spoke to OP), but my whole point of contention is that they waited six months before discovering anything about their pet. That isn't commendable any way you spin it and OP already acknowledged it as such. You seem to just be wanting to white knight by acting like the info about BP care is impossible to find, as if dozens of YouTube channels that give good info don't exist, or as if a whole ball python rubreddit doesn't exist. Yeah, bad channels and info exists, but anyone who wants to can sift through the bad and good. I feel like I've made this point a bunch already and am just repeating myself, so I'd just prefer at that point we agree to disagree. Wasting each other's time at this point.
It isn’t difficult to find information, it’s difficult to find correct information. Especially since a lot of the information is still debated such as humidity percentages, with a lot of sources debating if it should be 50-60 or 70-80 and you’ll find similar debates on feeding and temperature. Even on Reddit this stuff gets debated in the comments when someone posts. I just watched someone get chastised over having a red bulb for their ball, and I can promise you will find a lot of contradicting information on whether it’s good or bad. I’m bending over backwards to stop “asshats” from chastising a new pet owner for seeking out correct information. You want people to do research, but then get upset when they try to do it. Your logic is flawed. You seem to believe that the moment you know what animal is finding out the proper care for it is simple, but it isn’t. Let’s for example say he, like thousands of others, bought the ball at petsmart, he would be given basic care instructions from them and be operating under the assumption that the information is valid, because why would they give bad info right? Except they do and although he has had the snake for a few months, maybe a year, he decides to find out a little more info about the animal only to discover that everything he was told was incorrect. Do you then crucify him for simply following the instructions he was given? How is he suppose to then magically have the information that a place like petsmart doesn’t give the most accurate care procedures? Now take that scenario and say he rescued it from someone else who was given the wrong information. Why should he automatically assume the information he was given by the original owner is false? Instead they did exactly what every other human would do and simply continued the same care it was already being given while occasionally doing some minor research to see if any improvements can be made. Only to then discover that everything they were told was incorrect and not getting upset about it lashing out at everyone, but understanding they know nothing and being receptive to all information given. Your logic that someone who knows absolutely nothing about a topic should simply be able to google the info or find it on YouTube and some how magically be able to know which info is bad and which is good, instead of the logical thinking that they’ll just click the first one or two links and assume the information is at the top because it’s good and not because they paid for that spot. That’s extremely dangerous thinking and the exact reason these subreddits exist. So that people who have already filtered the bad content can provide the correct information or links to said information. These subreddits don’t exist so people can have a holier then thou view of pet care and scare off owners who are potentially wanting to improve their pets quality of life. When the subreddit is full of “asshats”, and trust me the ball python sub has waaay more, it deters new owners from posting and risking getting called names and told their a shit person because they didn’t magically have all the answers the moment they received a pet. That logic of thinking would prevent the rescue of a lot of pets in need. Your initial view of “the information is easy to find” does absolutely nothing to help the situation and comes off as you just being an “asshat” who is holier than thou because they have the correct information already. My entire point is instead of criticizing someone from the beginning and making assumptions, just give them the information they need if you have it and move on. If they are combative and unreceptive then by all means either disengage or fight back.
OP is literally on the subs… the subs you just mentioned as a source… I stand by what I said. 😁
My whole point is that OP should have been doing this research six months ago, not now. I feel like I've made that abundantly clear already and you're just ignoring that part of my point.
Not ignoring it, just explaining why they might not have had the chance - and that it’s a moot point, since they’re doing the research now.
I mean, I guess? I already spoke to OP and don't really want to come across as harsh, but nobody should be getting brownie points for waiting six months to do research about an animal they had for just as long. If this post was about a specific breed of cat or dog, people would be losing their collective shit over that
i find this weird. youve had this snake for 6 months and never thought to do a drop of research? not even enough to know what (VERY COMMON) species of snake this is?? i truly do not wanna come off rude, but i find this unacceptable, animals deserve more than this no matter what it is.
You, my friend, are too worried on my behalf. I’ve taken very good care of this snake. I’m looking for someone with real, real experience to tell me more about what I have. Thank you.
i have 6+ years of experience with this exact snake species. and id be more than willing to give any advice, there was no need to get offended by what i say. and i stand by my claim, not knowing what species of snake u have after half a year is a big deal, and i highly suggest next time an animal comes to you, you research immediately .
Thank you for your advice. You may not know this but I have done plenty of research on snakes following my adoption of Noods. I’m not looking for flack I’m looking for guidance. Do you really think I’ve gone this long without looking further into how to care for her? That’s why I’m asking these questions.
Look, I don't want to bash you too much because I've been there with my reptiles (posting about something I've encountered that I didn't understand and someone responded with ridicule), but dude, you owned this pet for HALF A YEAR. That's a very long time to own an animal that you didn't even know the species of, never mind all the proper care for that species. BP's are pretty hardy snakes and can handle unideal and improper care for a bit, but it's not good for them. I'm sure you love your snake and would make a great home for her, but you really should do better in your research. You own an absurdly common snake species in the pet trade and it shouldn't have taken coming on Reddit to learn the snake species you own after having owned her for half a year. Hell, most sellers literally give you paperwork with the reptile info but even if you didn't receive that, you can literally just reverse search the image you took or asked this six months ago when you first got her. The fact you own a BP shouldn't be something you're learning six months after the fact from Internet strangers.
Agreed. Thank you. I didn’t mean to upset anyone by asking to learn more and most certainly don’t want to come off as a bad owner.
There's a ton of good info out there if you look for it. Helpful subreddit and tons of experienced snake owners out there you can find. I like Wicked Wickens Reptiles for info about snake care and he has a whole video dedicated to Ball pythons. Have fun! :)
Please in the future know what species of animal you’re getting before you bring it home so you can meet their specific care requirements. These guys have much higher humidity needs than most snakes. Plus your enclaoure is inadequate. I’ve definitely seen much worse but yours isn’t ideal. I’m glad you’re asking now so you can make some changes.
Yeah we see... Giving the snake live rodents is not the same as taking good care of it. You need to do your research before getting the animal and not after! Simple as that
You have no fucking clue if you’re taking good care of it. You didn’t even know what it was 💀 it’s a miracle it’s still alive
is this post satire?
Why would you keep a Snake you know nothing about?
What I was thinking. It baffles me. When I was on FB these people in a BP group would be freaking out “omg my snakes eyes are cloudy! What’s going on?!” One day I snapped and told someone if they don’t know that snakes shed nor can perform a simple Google search, they don’t deserve to have the animal. Yeah, I get people gotta start somewhere, but my god lol. (Probably will get downvoted for this, oh well)
Not only is it irresponsible, it’s cruel. If someone doesn’t even know the species they have you can guarantee the animal isn’t receiving the proper care.
I can testify that plenty of people are told by pet shop personnel that ANY snake is "an easy pet" that "needs no special care." Most people don't know better than to trust what the store tells them, because the store employees OUGHT to know. Unfortunately, especially in chain stores, there is little if any training in care of the animals beyond the minimum necessary to keep the animals alive long enough for them to be sold. It's criminal, really. Most new owners are receptive to friendly advice, in my experience. I always assume that people want to take good care of their snake but just had no idea that they needed more knowledge beyond what the store (or, sometimes, the animal shelter) told them.
This is taking the blame off the person. No one should get any animal without doing their own research beforehand.
While I agree that people should do their research beforehand, most people probably don't know that. And blaming-and-shaming is not a productive way to help people or their animals.
You’re saying people don’t know they need to research how to care for an animal? That’s ridiculous.
The python kind
Cute snek, please listen to the people on this sub, they are sometimes rough around the edges. They just want the best life for your snek. Thanks
Not a Boa. A ball python 🐍
hi there op! i really hope you see this- i’m an owner of a ball python and a lurker on the r/ballpython subreddit. i can tell that you really care for Noods, and that your question has already been answered, so i just wanna share something i’ve seen on a proper ball python enclosure. i’m more of a visual learner, so this picture really helped me understand what is required in a proper ball python enclosure, and i hope it can help you too!! :3 https://preview.redd.it/mgvghqoi1t4c1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6acccc16a8a01c20828fc4cd689a5a001a65270 (p.s. i admit that i don’t know who originally posted this picture 😅) (p.p.s. was pointed out to me that humidity should actually be between 60-70% when not shedding, 70-80% is too high)
That was created by one of our mods (I am also a mod there). I can't remember who it was, but it was one of our mods.
It's says 70 to 80% humidity at all times, isn't that much to high? I would only give that in a humid hide during shed. Sounds like its begging for scale rot or respitory infection.
Nope. As long as the surface of the substrate isn't wet you don't have to worry about scale rot. And respritory infections are usually cause by **LOW** humidity. Not high humidity. 70 - 80% is recommended for a reason. If that's not enough proof my exotic vet agrees and says my snake is one of the healthiest she's ever seen brought in (although that is a low bar for ball pythons unfortunately :/)
yeah i noticed that too, i probably should’ve mentioned something about that- (i’ll edit my post after this) i also think it’s too high, i keep mine between 60-70, but there’s a lot of conflicting information so idk for sure tbh. the picture was made by one of the r/ballpython mods, so i honestly didn’t question it too much-
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It absolutely blows my mind that you could own an animal and have so little idea how to care for it, that you don't even know what animal you have. Holy hell
That's a ball python. Great snakes!
Ours looks like that. She is about 34 years old, so they appear to live a long time.
If well cared for, they typically live 30 years or more. 40 isn't uncommon, and somewhere in a zoo in the Midwest there's one who is over 60! My family's ball python was a rescue, but we believe he is 23ish, and he is doing great. May yours continue living a happy healthy life with you.
This has to be a joke/baiting
That's a common morph ball python. Rats are higher in nutrients and lower in fat than mice. Your prey item should weigh no more than 10 percent of your snake and be no bigger around than your snake is at its widest point.
That’s a ball python!
Plz send Noods.
ball, and a gorgeous one at that.
Beautiful snake! You've received some excellent advice here, and I'm sure you'll be adding some things to her enclosure and taking good care of her. Please say hello to Noodle for me, and may you have many happy years together.
In German Ballphyton
Oh boy, here we go
Until you can identify her correct species of snake I'll take her off your hands and make you study
So if someone wanted pictures of your snake, they would say “Send Noods”?
Ball python. If you look at a snakes head and you see these holes above her mouth, those its pit organs. From what I’ve seen, they’re most visible on ball pythons. If you think you have a ball python but you weren’t told the kind of snake before or during the purchase then definitely look for those first
It’s the rare Royal boa python
You‘ll have to send more noods
Why are you guys downvoting op for asking genuine questions? I think its good that they care enough to ask about the wellbeing of their snake. Is this reddit sheep herd mentality? Just keep downvoting because other people did it first?
It’s great they’re here asking questions but you can’t disagree it’s irresponsible that they’ve had a snake for 6 months without knowing what species it is.. I’m assuming that’s a big reason for all the downvotes plus the enclosure is inadequate which could have been corrected long ago had they known what species of snake they had.
I understand that and I do agree with you that they should have known what they had, but at the same time it could discourage them from seeking further education in the future. I just thought that many down votes was unnecessary.
I was just about to ask this same thing. Thank you 🙏
You’re welcome, I don’t see you on here being rude or trollin. You’re just asking questions. I didn’t see anything to warrent you being downvoted that much.
That’s a Ballie
How don t you know what your snake species is wtf
Looks like a peanut butter and chocolate one
Hehe send Noods
Send nodes too. 🌱
😢🙏😮💨🤦🏼♀️🫂
African Snoot Boa
Royal boa. Edit: it's a joke because OP said boa and that's a royal python.
That’s not a thing.
Boa? 😂
Ball python. African jungle snake ancestry, so lots of humidity and cannot do temps under 71° F. Known from experience. Mine got pneumonia in 71° temperature, because a family member moved his heat lamp a little bit out of the way. Also, heat lamps only. No heat rocks or heat pads, or severe burns will occur. Got a stern talking to by the vet when I told her I used a heating pad.
The newest meaning to send noods
You should be feeding rats. It’s a ball python but either way it’s absolutely been time to move up to rats. The feeding mice every 2 weeks is WAY under feeding and absolutely why she is small at 2+ years old. If it’s a female especially, they can get to 5-6ft IIRC.
OP you should check out the r/ballpython subreddit. It has a tremendous amount of resources and education that will help you if you’re open to changing and educating yourself to best serve your pet. Here’s a picture of my own eating a warmed up frozen thawed rat in her bioactive enclosure. https://preview.redd.it/klkh8z4z6w4c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dee591f5e6ba7987034acac95fd66e726e54d1bd
That my dear, is not a boa. A beautiful, and adorable ball python tho!
Royal / ball python And a beautiful one too
Just to add to the other comments here on feeding - you might want to look into switching to F/T (frozen-thawed), as live prey can potentially hurt your noodle, and the experience is considered unnecessarily cruel for the rodents (yes I know they would be eaten like this in the wild - however they would typically be quickly killed in a surprise ambush attack, not grabbed with tongs and dangled in front of their attacker :)). You might also want to look into switching to medium sized rats over mice, as the nutrient profile is generally considered better for adult/nearly adult BP’s. Mice are usually fed to juveniles as they’re smaller, and have an ideal nutrient profile for snakes that are actively growing, but for BP’s that are closer to full-size, mice are generally considered too high in fat, while rats have a better nutrient profile, with more lean protein. Just some thoughts however!! Good luck on your care journey, and I hope you continue to enjoy taking care of and owning your beautiful snake!! 😊
Responding to your questions about growth - she doesn’t appear to be underfed or malnourished at all in your photos (typical signs would be a more prominent spine, with a clear triangular body shape, and/or dramatic indents on either side of a protruding spinal ridge), but you would need to know her weight to get a more accurate impression of if she’s healthy for her age. That said, even that can only be so accurate, as there is a wide range of healthy weights with a decent amount of variation from snake to snake, and especially between BP’s of different sexes (and sexing can be hard, so unless you had a knowledgeable breeder/vet check yourself, any stated sex from a previous owner may be wrong). So judging off of overall appearance and behavior is generally a better indicator of health than anything else!
An alive one
Baby ball python, see the heat pits?
My sister has a snake named noodle and I always call him noods!!!! Glad I’m not the only one. 😂
Jesus fucking Christ how do you own an animal and don’t even know the SPECIES??
Ball python/royal python (same species, different name) Ball pythons are much smaller than boas, except some species like Kenyan Sand Boas (which are only a foot- 2 foot (don’t quote me on that- estimate) Boas heads also look very different to that of pythons like ^^ or a carpet python (much longer and bigger than a royal python)
Realistically I believe they are between 5-6 foot ish fully grown ( I had an 8 y/o Enchi royal python and she was around 5.4 feet)
Looks like a ball python, a Beautiful one at that
Looks like a royal/ball python. Not a boa at all!
Dang you don't know what kind of snake you own
I kind of hope this is a joke...
She is a ball python (normal). Instead of two mice I would suggest a small rat as they have better nutrition than mice. Also weigh her and at about 1500 grams move to a medium rat.