Once your ball python learns you can be trusted, they are usually very tolerant of handling and may even learn to enjoy it! Ball pythons are hardy snakes and usually stay pretty healthy. The best way to keep them healthy is to make sure their cage is clean, safe, and the right temperature and humidity and that you are feeding the right diet. A few common health concerns of ball pythons are:. If you are worried your ball python might have one of these health issues, consult a veterinarian experienced with reptile health care.
As we learned, your ball python will be a part of your life for an average of at least years. Before you get a ball python , make sure you are prepared for a long-term commitment to your new pet. Owning any pet is a big responsibility and the ball python is no exception.
Your snake deserves quality care and in return, you will get to enjoy your ball python for many years! She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe.
Skip to content. Oct 28 Respiratory infections Parasites Burns from cage heating tools Shedding issues Mouth infection. Nicole Cosgrove. How Long Do They Get? What Is Their Temperament Like? For more information about how to have the right humidity to help your ball python be healthy, read our article found here. In captivity, Ball Pythons will typically eat one frozen or thawed rodent, such as a rat, a week.
Occasionally, your Ball Python will only eat again once two weeks have passed. It is okay to feed your Ball Python a live mouse or rat, but if you do this, you also put your snake at risk of getting injured by the rodent while it is trying to feed.
It is not uncommon for your Ball Python to refuse food, especially during the winter months and before it sheds, but you should keep on eye on its weight to make sure that it is not experiencing significant weight loss. This could be a sign that something is wrong with your Ball Python. Your Ball Python may want to be fed twice a week when it is going through a growth spurt.
We recently wrote and article all about how to feed your ball python , where we discuss the schedule you should follow, how much it will cost, and other tips! Find the article here. In the headings below, I will show you a few tips I learned on how to help your pet live longer and enjoy its time with you and you with it. If you are raising a baby Ball Python from an egg, you will need to know a few basic things upon hatching time. Often, interfering with the hatching process can damage the baby snake.
Once your snake has broken through its shell and you are sure that they are free of their former egg home, take the baby snake and gently rise it off.
Then, place it in a box lined with a moist paper towel. Moistening your paper towel lining will ensure that there is good humidity for your new Ball Pythons. Depending on how many hatchlings you are working with, this can be a long process that will require a lot of patience.
Ball Pythons typically abandon their young once they have hatched. You may now have a ton of little hatchlings on your hands, or you may have gone to your local pet store or breeder and found a little hatchling to raise. Either way, you should start off by letting your little hatchling s adjust to their new habitat. It is recommended that you give your new snake at least one to three days to adjust.
This first shed can take place anywhere between 5 to 14 days after birth. However, if it has been more than 14 days, there may be something wrong with the baby snake. You should keep a close eye on this. If you get your Ball Python from a breeder, typically you will not have to deal with the first shed because the breeder will have already ensured the baby snakes are healthy.
Once they have shed, your baby Ball Pythons will be ready to eat. For their first meal, you will want to feel your baby Ball Pythons rat pups or pinkie mice. These are small meals that will be easier for your snake to digest.
In fact, there may be unique circumstances that cause them to not eat. Fortunately, there are workarounds for hunger strikes. Snakes require freshwater changed regularly both to drink and to soak in. Cleaning and swapping out water sources regularly can reduce the risk of infection and contribute to a healthy, happy reptile.
In the zoo world, a word is passed around that encompasses an aspect of captivity that many forget — enrichment. Stuck inside their enclosure or habitat all day without stimulation can cause them to feel bored and uncomfortable. These long stretches without activity or interesting things can lead to health risking stress in highly active creatures such as mammals.
While engineering an escape for your snake to have a personal walkabout slitherabout? Naturally curious, they love to explore their surroundings. Swapping out items in the enclosure or rearranging the set up can be the first step. Changing the texture of the bedding and providing novel new smells can be an exciting way to bring out the exploring behavior in your python. Not all veterinarians are created equal , and many are uncomfortable with handling reptiles.
The Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians is a collection of vets with a special interest in reptiles, has a directory of all practicing members. Knowing where your closest experienced vet is before disaster strikes will save you and your scaled friend a lot of heartache. With time, understanding, and dedication the life of your current or future ball python can be a long, happy one that spans decades.
In fact, a problem with corn snakes is that they will overeat. This can lead to:. Their length rarely exceeds 5 feet, and their bodies are quite slender. Because they have no venom with which to protect themselves, they are hunted and eaten by wild animals such as:.
Humans also kill corn snakes, mistaking them for venomous snakes. California kingsnakes are common in the western states. Kingsnakes are famed for their diet: they hunt other snakes, including rattlesnakes. In captivity, they can thrive on a diet of rodents.
California kingsnakes can live for years in captivity. They have similar care requirements in terms of temperature and humidity. They also subsist on the same rodent-based diet.
Health risks include:. In the wild, California kingsnakes tend to fare better than corn snakes. On average, they survive for years. They risk being predated on by American wild animals birds of prey, wild cats and canids, etc. Boa constrictors , native to South American countries such as Brazil, are some of the best-known snakes.
Though they are happiest in tropical rainforests and grow to quite considerable lengths up to 13 feet , they have become a popular pet for experienced snake keepers. In captivity, boa constrictors do extremely well. The oldest reported boa constrictor was 40 years old when he died in again, at the Philadelphia Zoo. However, this is an extreme example. With correct care, most pet boas can reach 20 to 30 years old.
0コメント