So like the title says, i took home my teachers hall python for winter break and i might be keeping it!
She got it working at the local animal shelter and it was in a bad way when she first got it. It’s pretty stunted and I think it’s likely a male because it’s quite small. According to her it was found in an apartment super dehydrated and emaciated but she’s had it a WHILE and it’s pretty chunky now
My teachers enclosures are not great… she had let mealworms like fester in the tank with the BP and had left feces/urates stay in the tank and it was awful. So I took it home on Friday! I got a nice big plastic tub and set up a heat lamp and everything so it’s in quarantine rn but is there anything I should know?
It’s a pretty good eater (according to the teacher) and has been active since I’ve got it home. It’s also feeding on SMALL mice which I thought was kind of a small meal but I’m not sure if that’s right because it’s a bit stunted in growth/is a male? (It’s not been sexed)
Mealworms?? Was she trying to feed them to the snake? Small mice are definitely too small for an adult ball python, unless her sizes are weirdly labeled. If you provide a better picture of the full body people here will be able to tell you if he looks underweight. Be careful with a heat lamp in a plastic tub, they can get hot enough to melt plastic or cause it to release fumes. I would use a heat mat in the tub then switch to the lamp when he moves into his permanent enclosure.
Congratulations on the new pet! I hope he has a better life with you
Hi, I would say until you know 100% that your in full ownership of the animal don’t go changing too much since the BP might end up going through extra stress. Keep to the previous feeding schedule until they’re settled and maybe increase by a size. Keep temps and humidity at the standard recommended levels too. Pictures will definitely help .
Yes, sorry, under is what I meant to say. I’ve never used a mat on the side though, I also cover my tubs (top and 2 sides) with a blanket for privacy and to keep heat in. As heat mats only really warm the surface and not the air, I can’t imagine putting one on the side would help at all.
It should go on one side to give the snake a hot and a cold side choice. That’s a common practice with any enclosure and I think others will agree. The tub should have a tight fitting lid and no artificial lighting or extra head should be necessary.
Even breeder racks have the heat tape strips in the back of the tubs.
I have no idea what the mealworms we’re doing in there. The snake seems pretty chunky and not at all underweight atm (I’m weighing soon to be sure). I’m being super careful about the heat lamp (and there’s a thermostat on it) and I’ve retrofitted a screen lid and it’s at a good height where the heat shouldn’t be too hot to melt the plastic. I’ll try to get more pictures but he tends to just ball up in his hide. I ordered some small mice just to be consistent with what was already being fed and idk if a heat map is good because the tub is on carpet and I’ve nowhere else to put it lol
A picture would be good anyway. It would be best to get a second opinion in case he is underweight and you don’t realise. You want the mouse to be about as wide as the widest part of the snake’s body, a small mouse will be much smaller than that so I would recommend you move up a size or two. Otherwise everything sounds fine, good luck with him
After you post a better picture it will be easier to actually see his size but just looking at the photo you provided he could probably take a rat fuzzy or a rat pup at this point. Rats are actually better for ball pythons. But as you have already ordered mice and if that’s what he is eating at the moment then you can gradually switch him later on.
If he is on carpet does that mean his enclosure is on the floor? It may be a bit drafty if that’s the case. A heat mat stays on 24/7. Do you have the enclosure set up to where there is heat provided during the night as well? Snakes need a source of heat to thermoregulate as they are coldblooded……
I mean small mice, that’s what my teacher was feeding him. I think it’s quite small but I don’t wanna change too much all at the same time you know. I did already order small mice just to be consistent but I think once I weigh them I’ll be more sure about what they need
I thought that because my house is like mid 70s throughout the day and night that it would be alright without a heat source at night. But if that’s not the case then I have a heat pad I can use
Would you be able to weigh him? Could you also weigh him food? A small mouse is like you only eating 4 chicken nuggets for the whole day, if that. My 130ish gram rat snake is feeding on small mice for reference. That is 100% something i would change as quickly as possible. From the pictures it seems that a small rat every other week should work well
I plan to weigh him tomorrow. I already ordered small mice because that’s what my teacher had fed him and she says she fed him every week. I will weigh his food once it comes in but I think he should be on rats already (cause that’s what adult BPs eat) but Ik BPs can picky too so I think if I keep the snake after break that I will switch it to rats.
I don’t wanna force too much change all at once because i don’t want it to just refuse to eat all together
Yes It’s best not to change anything at this point other than getting him into a clean environment and eating his usual small mice consistently for a few weeks before upgrading him to rats fuzzies or pups first…….
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I agree with all of this, I just misunderstood
. I forget we are in way different time zones! Ya just gotta love this forum! 
1:46 pm here right now……