hi new to site

[dixipixi]

Hi, I am new to the site, just got a juvenile ball python on Dec. 22 of 04 and it hasnt shed yet . i left him alone for the first couple weeks just so he could get his bearings and be comfy, since then i have fed him a fuzzy every other week. There are no problems with eating so far. Any helpful suggestions or advise would be greatly appreciated. thanks

[schmelkdog]

is it a fuzzy rat or mouse? A fuzzy mouse is probably a little small for him. Is it f/t?
oh yeah, before anything else welcome to the site!
Has it gone blue or anything or just hasn't shed yet? It probably will soon but if there is a problem with the shed not coming off let us know. My ball has a humid hide and loves the thing. Usually spends a decent amount of time in there and even sheds in there. What kind of setup do you have? temps and humidity?
Really it doesn't sound like something to worry about but if you run into problems there are alot of folks here that can and will give you advice. Enjoy your bp!

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

	Frozen/Thawed A rodent or other prey item that is frozen and then thawed to be fed to a reptile or other animal.

[schmelkdog]

oh yeah, I just read it again. especially if it's young feeding every 7 days is what I'd recommend instead of every other week.

[dixipixi]

Thanks for the quick reply! It is a fuzzy mouse, not a rat. I keep a hot side about 80-85 and then a cooler side. dont know the humidity should get a gauge for that just havent yet. I have him in a 20 gl tall with a shallow water dish and one of thoses rubbermaid bowls with the lid on and a hole cut out 1/2 full of water also. I have the fake leafy vines all around the top edges and a wooden stump thing in the center that he does like to climb on sometimes(only at night)oh and two lights, one for heat and one that in red so i can watch him at night. he also has a half log thing to hide under. and a heating pad under the tank. i usually mist the inside all over with water every few days or so. I think that's about it.

[schmelkdog]

I would up his feeding, I'd bet a small fuzzy rat would be good for him and every 7 days instead of 14. Hope you're feeding frozen/thawed also for as many reasons as you'll find on this site. I have one that came eating live and it was a struggle (probably more in my mind than for the snake) to get him switched over. a good humidity gauge and a temp gun (way better than those strips) is a great idea. I find my bp doesn't really soak, though he does love the humid hide. I made one out of an old magarine container and cut a small hole in it, fill it part way with moss, and mist the moss down. It's nice and snug which all of the hides should be and makes sure that he gets nice humidity. as long as you give em good temp gradient don't worry if yours doesn't stay in the heat most of the time. Mine stays on the cool hides mostly but usually comes out once or twice a night (that I see) to the warmer area's. good luck and have fun.

[dixipixi]

Ok well i am a beginner so the last two feedings were live so where in the world do i buy frozen/thawed mice? I live in North Ga. i will have to look around i guess

[schmelkdog]

I wouldn't worry about that. Lots of folks (um me) have made done that when starting out, the big thing is not continue it.
There might be a decent pet store in your area, or you can make a larger order from someone like rodentpro.com though the shipping is expensive for only one snake.

[CC]

Make sure you take the temps with a digital therm....the dial ones almost never have accurate readings.

[farmergirl]

Originally Posted by dixipixi

Ok well i am a beginner so the last two feedings were live so where in the world do i buy frozen/thawed mice? I live in North Ga. i will have to look around i guess

If you can't find anywhere to obtain f/t then just do it yourself. You can buy several rat pups at a time and save yourself trips to the store. Put them in a pillowcase and whack them hard and fast on the floor or cabinet. I know it sounds horrible but they don't see it coming and as long as you do it hard enough it kills them instantly. But don't do it so hard that things ooze out of the rat, I personally have never had that happen but have read others had. Then just bag them and pop them in the freezer. If that is just not your style then try Big Cheese Rodent Factory on the web they seem to be the cheapest.

Also, you need to get a humidity gauge. Walmart has a very good digital one for $15.00. It reads the temps and humidity. What I like about it is that it has a cord that detects the heat and you can move it from one side to the other. That way you don't have to buy two temp gauges. It also has a light up button so at night you can just push it and it lights up the display.

If you have any more ?s don't hesitate to ask. There are quite a few experts here and they are always willing to help.

By the way, welcome to the site!

[CC]

Also, there ae a bunch of places to buy f/t from on the net. Do a google search. Off the top of my head I can think of rodentpro, bigcheeserodents, gourmetrodents, frozenrodent, and cajunmice. Email them and ask for estimates(you can get an estimat on rodentpro website), and go with the cheapest.