planing on getting two ball pythons, pls help got a few Q's

[Vladimer]

hey all, bran new to these forums, im plaing to add to my collection of "friends" [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] i got 2 RES turtles and a bearded dragon, oh and sisters got 2 hamsters, lol, oh the joy,

well im planing to invest in 2 ball pythons and i have a few questions that i hope u guys/gals can answer for me,

1.do they need a uvb/uva lights??
2.would they need both a under tank heater and a heat lamp?? or will the heat lamp for fine.
3. how big should the tank be for 2 ball pythons (oh 4got to mention, ones gona be female, other male, there gona be about 2 or 3 months old when i get them)
4. what do them mean when ppl say quarintine the snake, since im getting 2 of them, and there gona be in the same tank, should i "quarintine" them both??

that should do it for now, ill add to it later [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

oh, and does anyone know how good http://www.ballpython.com is for service, im planing to get them off of there, they look pretty decent and all, i just dont want to pick up a pair of sick snakes,

thanx soo much

.[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]eter:.

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[ChrisRezendes]

1. No, BP's don't really need UVA/UVB. Most snakes don't benefit much from that.
2. The heat lamp will be fine. Personally, it would be better to use an under tank heater, but a heat lamp will suffice.
3. Well, right now a 10/15 gallon will be fine, but at adult size they are going to be 4-5' each and will require around 30 gallon.
4. And, finally, quarantine means to seperate the snakes and keep them in seperate quarters. Keeping snakes together is often frowned upon in amongst the herping society at large, but personally, keeping two healthy snakes of the same species and similar size is no problem. Just make sure they ARE of similar size and SAME species.

Finally, you HAVE to study some care sheets before getting these animals. You probably have a general idea of keeping snakes, and coming here and asking for advice shows that you care enough to get information beforehand. Here is a good caresheet- http://www.reptilia.org/Care_Sheets/...ballpython.htm

Personally, the "space requirements" are kind of exaggerated... A ball python really doesn't need THAT much space.

Eventually some more people from this forum will come along with more refined and better info. But this should do for now [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

_________________
Bears and sharks always travel together. Just look at them, walking through the wooded forest, paw in fin. It's on account of their teeth that makes them "Nature's Best Friends"

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[Vladimer]

ya, there both ball pythons and one of them will probably be a few weeks older/younger,

if i get 2 b.p would i need like 2 warm sides and a cooler side?? like a hot spot on each side of the tank and a cool spot in the middle?? or will they do fine if i get a big enough hide spot for them on the hotter side, and yes they will be fed in sepreate inclosures if your gona ask [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

.: Peter :.


EDIT: one more thing... on that caresheet it says t ostay away from captive born and wild caught.... whats left then?? lol, and the ones at http://www.ballpython.com would they be ok?? cause they breed them for queit a while [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img] thanx again

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[ChrisRezendes]

I really don't think you'd need TWO warm sides, and I think one hide (make sure it's large enough for both) should suffice. Make sure to ask somebody else too... It's always better to get several opinions than one.

_________________
Bears and sharks always travel together. Just look at them, walking through the wooded forest, paw in fin. It's on account of their teeth that makes them "Nature's Best Friends"

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[Boaguy]

the Sutherlands (ballpython.com) are some some of the most respected ball python breeders out there... buy with confedence.
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[LdyDrgn]

Ball pythons do well in a 30 gal alone. At night they do a LOT of roaming, so more room would be good for them. Plus stuff to climb on. If you will be keeping them together, get a 55 gal or bigger for keeping the adults. One side warm the other cool. Enough room in the hides for both to fit, or multiple hides (more than one on each side). Need UTH and an overhead heat, or a single radiant heat panel.

Captive born means they have been farmed. Eggs collected in the wild, hatched in a hatchery, then the babies are shipped. Wild caught is collected after hatching. What you want is captive bred and born. Meaning the adults were in captivity before breeding.

Hope that helps!
[addsig]

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	Under Tank Heater Under Tank Heater

[XzyluM]

No UV lightening is required. People have their on opinion on using UV lightening though. Some will say it helps, others will say they have seen no benefits that without using it. As far as using a heat pad and a heat lamp, it's best to experiment with them both and use them with a thermostat or rheostat. Remember, temperatures should be around 86-88 on the warm side. Like Michelle said, a 30 gallon or a 20 gallon long will be fine for an adult ball. I would house them seperately, but if you decide to house them together a 55 gallon or larger would be a must. As for the quarantine period, yes, seperate them for 60-90 days. This will be to make sure they do not transfer ailments if they have any. And I've heard nothing but good news about the Sutherlands.
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[Vladimer]

alright, well its good to hear that about the sutherlands, oh, just a question that came across my mind, how often to they go... like bathrooom go, like once a week??

.: Peter :.
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[LdyDrgn]

They will leave urates (white, chalky substance) every few days to once a week, sometimes longer. Defecation will occur normally every 3-5 weeks.

Any more questions? [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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[Vladimer]

sadly...... i have one more question lol, its about feeding, i was watching sum videos around here and i saw the size of rats/mice u guys r feeding, do petstores carry them that big?? and how expensive r they ussaly?? thanx again [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

.: Peter :.
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[LdyDrgn]

Hey! Ask as many as you need to! That is why we are here.

Some petstores do carry them that big, but they also have problems with them being 'feeders'. Try buying from a place that sells reptiles, too.

Feed 1 prey item the same size thickness as the snake's thickest part. Stretch the prey out to get the right size. 1 prey item, once a week, until about a year old, then up to every 10-14 days. Or you can feed 2 prey items a little smaller than the snake.

Good luck with your eventual little ones!
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[Dr.Oviparous]

Also, while we're on the feeding issue...
I'm sure you already came across this info snooping around the i-net, but you need to make every effort to get your pythons eating frozen thawed rats regularly.

*Note: very graphic pics in the following link, most regular RTBers will know what link this is*
Please always feed F/T!

-Juggalo
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