Raising my first Ball Python! (Time Log in description!)

Owning my first reptile!

Type: Snake
Species: Ball Python
Age: around 6 months
Requirements for living: about a 20 gallon tank with one warm side and one cool side. 80-90° on the warm side and 70-80° on the cool side. A water bowl big enough for them to lay in and a hide for them to lay under at all times! I use aspen as my bedding and keep a humidity gauge and thermometer in the tank!

September 9th 2018
Pick up date! Brought him home

Most days when nothing important is going on he spends his time curled up under the heat lamp

September 13th 2018

First feeding! One small mouse

I was so afraid this day, when ball pythons become stressed they will refuse food and I was afraid that if he became stressed from the big move he wouldn’t eat! He sure did take it like a champ though!

Feeding is once every week, kujo can be picky at times and won’t take the mouse unless it’s soaking wet!

Then usually November - April is breeding season, and it’s not uncommon for Ball Pythons to go off feed for those months. Luckily, they can go months without food! This is also known as “Brumation”

Sept. 16th 2018

First handling (besides seeing him at the store)

Usually upon purchasing a new snake you want to give it about a week to settle into its new habitat before you handle it!

Sept. 24th 2018

First poop!

I know this might be a bit gross, but ball pythons actually only poop once every few months even though they eat every week! Lucky for me, but if the humidity in the tank isn’t where it needs to be (60%-70%) it can cause them to become constipated and bloated!

Oct. 9th 2018

First full tank cleaning!

It’s important to clean out your snakes tank about once every 30 days to ensure that their living environment is safe and healthy!

Oct. 21st 2018

First bath!

I had given kujo a bath for the first time and let me tell you, he is not a fan of the water. I saw signs of shedding and I wanted to make sure his shed was completely in one piece so I gave him a lukewarm bath to make sure he was hydrated and that there were no complications!

Oct. 23rd 2018

First shed!

I remember seeing his skin become dry and immediately panicking because it looked so similar to a disease called “Scale Rot” that snakes can obtain when their scales stay too wet. Luckily his shed was completely in one piece, which is a sign of good health for ball pythons!

Well, that’s pretty much been the cycle for the past three months! From sept. 9th all the way to now, it’s been a wild ride seeing what kujo has in store for me!