# Anyone have ball python experience?



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Well, I know what my first new pet will be once my friend & I have our own apartment...and it won't be a hedgie as I was hoping!

My friend's cousin said today that he has a snake for us, because he can't take care of her anymore. She's a 4.5 foot long ball python. He wasn't kidding about not being able to take care of her - he said she's currently in a pillowcase & has her in a 10-gallon aquarium otherwise.

I have to wait until we have our own place to get her, which will be a month & a half. It'll drive me nuts, but gives me time to prepare. Petco & Petsmart are both currently doing their $1/gallon sales, so I'm planning to get a 40 or 55 gallon tank this week. I'm going to see if he'll put her in it until she can move in with us.

Starting to do some research, but thought I'd ask - anyone have some good sites for information on ball python care? So far I'm checking out www.reptileforums.co.uk & www.anapsid.org.


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

Sheesh. You don't get the easy pets, do you? I have zero snake experience. The only thing that I know that I've been told about keeping them is that you feed them in a separate tank or container so that they don't go after you when you reach into their home. And that my friend is the extent of my knowledge. Good luck!


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

It's been a while since I've had a ball python. Hubby hates snakes, been with him for over 10 years now. Gosh that makes me feel old. But feeding in a different tank/cage is a good rule. Also it's generally better if they eat pre-killed food to avoid injuries.


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## eharwood2015 (May 30, 2015)

Where are you from? I have a 40 gallon tank you could have, free of charge


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I don't know how I keep ending up in these situations. :lol: I need someone to give me an animal I already know how to take care of! On the plus side, my friend & I did already plan on getting a snake at some point. I'd wanted it to be a corn snake, but I can't turn this girl away.

Yup, I knew of the different feeding enclosure rule to avoid bites. I know numerous people who haven't followed that & had their pythons bite them. :roll: And I'm 100% behind pre-killed food, I absolutely refuse to do live feeding of anything bigger than insects for any animal. Not safe for the predator & inhumane for the prey! I'm not sure what she's being fed now, but will hopefully be feeding her rats as I keep reading that's best nutritionally.

Mostly I'm trying to make sure I'm finding the right information for all of the care specifics. Heating, humidity, cage size, water availability & type of water, etc. I think I may have heating figured out - thinking of doing a Ultratherm heater the length of the tank on the back of the tank, similar to how I have it for the hermit crabs. That will keep the whole tank at around 78-80*. Then one end will have a CHE bulb to make a basking spot that's around 90*. I'm hoping a large water basin will keep her humidity up high enough since she doesn't need it as high as crabs & I can do a humid hide during shedding time. I'm just not sure what to use for a water bowl yet, that will be big enough for her to hang out in if she wants, but sturdy enough to avoid being tipped. If anyone has ideas, I'm listening!

And Eharwood, I'm located near Kansas City.  Not sure if that's anywhere near you, but I would not turn down a free tank! I was already planning to get a 30 or 40 gallon for my hermit crabs (their totes aren't working out as well as hoped ) & now I'm going to be buying two large tanks.


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## eharwood2015 (May 30, 2015)

Oh my goodness, im near Boston!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Heh, bit too far! :lol: Thank you for the offer though, I appreciate it. 

I texted my friend's cousin to clarify on the tank. He said that he's almost done with building one for her, which kind of explains...at least the 10 gallon is temporary. The enclosure he's building is a frame out of wood for right now, he sent pictures. He said it's 24" long, 16" wide, and 24" tall. There's a divider splitting in half for two floors, not sure how he's going to connect the two to give her access. It looks kind of neat, but I'm still considering getting her a 40-55 gallon tank anyway. I'll probably buy one & if I don't use it for her, I'll save it for something else. I'm sure I'll find something to put in it...I do want a bearded dragon too. :lol:


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## Storybrooke (Aug 21, 2014)

There are videos on YouTube all about caring for different kinds of snakes its some sorta of mini show I can't remember what its called oh Snake bites TV check them out, also I'm 100% with pre-killed feeding BUT some snakes will NOT eat pre-killed rats and you will have to feed live or else they will starve in the end what you want her to eat will mean nothing its about what she will eat sometimes we have to suck it up and do live feeding I had a ball python and he refused to eat pre-killed rats and I had to feed him live otherwise he wouldn't eat at all you need to ask what shes being fed now if she eats live ask how she does with pre-killed and go from there or if she already eats pre-killed then your good.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I'll check out the videos.  I'm generally not a fan of youtube for animal care information (I've been majorly soured on it with how many BAD hedgehog care videos there are), but will at least take a look!

I'll definitely be asking what she's fed now. I know ball pythons can be very picky eaters, so fingers crossed. On the plus side, she's older & I've read adults can be less difficult than youngsters with food pickiness. If she's on live feeding, I'll be doing my absolute best to switch her to pre-killed, even if I have to kill the rats/mice myself directly before feeding or something. I won't risk her being injured or killed by a defensive rodent.


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## Storybrooke (Aug 21, 2014)

That could work as long as its still warm she may eat it like that I used to feed rats that had no nails I would trim them off and keep an eye on the feeding to make sure he was not attacked by the rat but he was fast once he saw the rat it was done he killed them fast so I didn't worry so much about the rat attacking him I haven't had a ball python since I started getting to hedgehogs  I have been thinking about it though but I would be to worried he/she would get out and hurt one of my babies and with just losing my girl I am putting it off.

Edit: Snake bits TV is a reliable source of info for snakes that's where I go but you can always double check the information they give you with other websites


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yeah, makes sense! I think we'll probably set the snake's enclosure up in our living room because I plan on having my bedroom be the small mammal room - hedgehog(s) and rats, not sure what else. We're setting it up that way because we'd also like a cat & I plan to keep the cat out of my bedroom to avoid stress/injury to the little guys. My friend's bedroom will be open to the kitty instead. Hopefully having the tank lid locked down tight & having my bedroom door shut will help avoid any issues with an escaped snake checking out the little ones too.


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## Storybrooke (Aug 21, 2014)

You have your own little zoo don't you?  that's sounds like a good way to go about things I just go a separate room my hedgehogs. Ball pythons are normally very sweet snakes and recommended as beginner snakes and if shes older she might not even care about anything but who holds her I hope everything works out well for you!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Well, not yet. But I'm hoping to! :lol: Right now I just have 3 hermit crabs & a ****er spaniel. The snake will be the first addition once we move out. I'm hoping for the hedgehog to be next, and then we'll see after that. It'll depend on money, space, etc. We'll be going slowly & making sure everyone is comfortable and has what they need! And thank you!  I'll be sure to post pictures and such once we're moved out & have the snake. I can't wait to go meet her!


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

Everybody else has already covered the information and websites I would suggest, but I wanted to add that balls are amazing first time snakes! Their care is a bit more complex than it is for corns, but they're typically quite calm and more likely to ball up (hence the name) than to strike you. I'd definitely say go for the biggest cage you can get. They love to go exploring. They also typically aren't big climbers so floor space is better than height.

If you have any issues with feeding her when the time comes I can help with that. My now 7 year old ball was a very picky eater when I got him. He was discounted because he hadn't ever eaten. He was 4 weeks old when I finally got him feeding. Turns out he was afraid of white mice. So be prepared for that hassle, but otherwise they're pretty easy snakes!

Keep us posted on how things are going with her!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Thank you!  I'll definitely keep you in mind if I have any food troubles with her. I've always heard a lot about how picky they can be, which was part of why I wanted a corn snake instead. But I'm getting really excited about having her, and I'm sure she'll be worth any hassle she might give me. I was reading a few threads on the UK reptile forum with people who had ball pythons who wouldn't touch mice unless they were completely white. :lol: Silly snakes.

I'll definitely keep you guys updated and post pictures as I get supplies gathered and get to meet her.  This is my list of supplies so far -

- 55 gallon tank
- screen tank lid
- lid clips
- temp gun http://www.reptilebasics.com/pe-2 oem
- Ultratherm mat http://www.reptilebasics.com/ultratherm-heat-pads/ultratherm-undertank-heater-uth-11-x47/ (planning on mounting this on the back of the tank to heat the whole thing to 80F or so, I already have a CHE bulb & lamp to set on top of the lid to make a 90F basking spot)
- thermostat http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats-ready-to-use/vivarium-electronics-ve-300x2/ (can plug both mat & bulb into it & program them separately)
- chlorhexidine (for tank & supplies cleaning)
- bedding (Zoo Med Aspen snake bedding)
- decor, dishes, hides

I already have some usable decor that's from my extra stuff for the hermit crabs, such as cork wood pieces, a piece of mopani wood, etc. I have a grass small animal hut that I might put in for one of her hides. I'll have to see what else I have that can be used for her too.

Oh, one question that you might be able to answer, Finnick - I want to have the heating mat mounted on the back of the tank like the set up for hermit crabs. However, for hermit crabs, generally the mats are insulated to help direct more heat into the tank rather than losing a lot out into the room. That does raise the temperature of the glass/area right next to the mat, which I plan to check with the tempgun. But what would be considered too high & likely to burn her if she comes in contact with it? Over 90F?


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

I doubt it'll get so hot against the wall that she could get hurt, but unless your house is very cold, I'd just get a square pad and heat only the "warm end". Snakes need a temperature gradient to be happy, and the wider the variance in temperatures from one end of the cage to the other, the better. If you put a che and a pad on one end, the heat should circulate just right so that the basking spot is just right and the ambient temp should be 90 at one end tapering to about 75 at the other end, if you use the 55gal.

But no, sticking the pad to the wall shouldn't hurt her. And if it is too warm, she should move. They usually like to lay on things rather than up against things.

I hope that helps!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Ahhh, that makes sense. I wasn't sure how low would be safe for the low end of the gradient & kept reading 78-80. I think I'll wait on the heating pad until we have a better idea of what we're getting in an apartment. One that we were looking at previously included heating & cooling with the rent, so we could keep the apartment the temperature we'd want, which would make it easy to keep the snake (and a hedgehog!) happy. Once I know what the environment will be like (more or less), I'll be able to figure out what size pad I want. I might be able to use one I already have for the crabs, they're 11" by 23" - would cover about half of the tank height & length.

But yes, that did help, thank you!


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Oh I love ball pythons. I had one growing up. My sister just got a gorgeous pied ball python. She is "rescue" of sorts. She was super skinny because she would not eat f/t from petsmart and they cannot feed live. She had only eaten once or twice in 6 months and was all skin and bones. We got her at a discounted price. She is eating live right now but we are going to switch her over to prekill once she gains a few more grams. She had a bad shed, probably because she was so malnourished for so long. But we were able to help her out. Her name is Fred. Picture below.

I can't wait to see pictures of your little one!


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## Soyala_Amaya (Aug 1, 2011)

Kelsey, this was on craigslist yesterday. When I clicked the $1 a gallon sale linke at petsmart, it only went up to 40 gallons https://kansascity.craigslist.org/for/5121040844.html


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

She's adorable, Desiree!  I'm so glad you guys were able to take her & get her eating again. I really can't wait to get this girl, I'm so impatient to get a good job now so I can get down to saving (and collecting snake supplies!) so we can get moved out! I'm sure I'll have pictures before we get her if I can go visit & meet her at some point.

Thank you for linking, Soyala! I ended up going to a Petco instead because the Petsmart I was at didn't have any big tanks left. I got a 40 breeder for the hermit crabs & a 55 gallon for the snake.  Unfortunately, Petco doesn't have lids big enough for the 55s, so I'll still have to get a lid. Wish I'd seen your link first! I'm going to check out Amazon's big sale tomorrow & see what kind of animal stuff might be on sale. Maybe I can get some good deals on stuff for this girl.


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

This is the lid I use on my skink's 55gal http://www.amazon.com/Zilla-11667-Screen-13-Inch-48-Inch/dp/B000QFMV2E unfortunately not all tanks are exactly the same measurement-wise so make sure you double check the exact perimeter before you pick a lid. Zilla also makes two types of lid clamp. I've used both and they're sturdy enough to keep a ball python secure. That lid also comes in a solid variety with no hinge. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000QFOGBI/ref=pd_aw_sbs_199_1?refRID=1BF6QQ9Y9QDJ2S20KS42 It's a bit easier to keep clamped shut but more awkward to open when you're just spot cleaning or filling water.

I can't wait to see pictures!

And Desiree, that ball is adorable! Pied is still my favorite morph for them! Breeders have started mixing piebald with other morphs and there are some crazy results. Have you seen the panda pieds? I need one! http://www.worldofballpythons.com/files/morphs/panda-pied/001.jpg


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I'll double check the measurements on the tank tomorrow night. The lid you linked is the same one I have in my Amazon cart now, so hopefully it works!  I'll probably go with the hinged one, I'd rather get a couple extra lid clips & have an easier time getting into the tank for small things. The lid I got from Petsmart for the crabs' new 40B is hinged too.

Holy crap, panda pieds are adorable! I need to show that picture to one of my friends, she already can't wait to come visit us & see the snake! :lol:


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## CoffeeKat (Jan 15, 2014)

I highly recommend www.laynelabs.com when you are ready to buy frozen mice/rats. I get LuLu's pinkie mice from this source, because I like their stated policy of humane treatment and dispatch of their feeders. I also have noticed that the pinkies I purchase all have full tummies and, I know this sounds weird, but they look peaceful, which would seem to validate the company's claim of humane dispatch.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I found out the python we're getting is currently fed live.  It's what she was getting fed when the cousin got her & he never bothered to try anything else. He said she gets small rats (which is one less thing to change, at least). I guess I better start reading up about best dispatch methods...Or see if I can find a provider in the area where they could dispatch the rat when I pick it up. I'll be happy if she'll even just agree to pre-killed-but-still-warm rats.

Does anyone have suggestions for how quickly and how to switch from live to frozen/thawed? I know some snakes won't do it, but I'd like to give my best shot at having her switch. I just don't feel at all comfortable feeding live unless I absolutely have to.

And thanks for the link, Kat!  I've been recommended them before, I don't recall what for. I'll definitely check them out, though I may have to wait to start ordering until we have a freezer dedicated to animal food.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Star off with pre-killed vs frozen/thawed, if you can handle it. You would have to dispatch it yourself first, that way the body is still warm. You will need long tongs or something. Then hold the prey with the tongs by the tail in the feeding tank and you can make it move slowly. This will hopefully entice her to eat. Hope that makes sense. You need to be prepared to drop the tongs though which is the part I always worry about. Not sure how much damage they could do if they were to wrap around the tongs too.


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

My main suggestion for switching a ball python from live to f/t is to take it slow. For the first two feedings after you move her, you'll probably want to just give her live. After that, see if you can find someone who will kill one for you and offer that right away. If she takes a fresh-killed one you have a pretty good chance of making it to frozen. The first time you try frozen, make sure you get the whole rat nice and toasty. Balls will go off their food really easily and I know mine is temperature picky. If you're able, rub a freshly killed one on the frozen one and then offer the frozen one. If that doesn't work, you can try opening the f/t rat's mouth. Snakes love rat breath. If she still won't eat, you can try exposing the brain of the rat. And if all else fails, go to a pet store that carries gerbils and ask for a handful of bedding. Rub that on your thawed rat. I honestly skipped to that last step with my snake and it worked. Balls love gerbil!

If she's definitely a female she shouldn't be too tough to switch. They're much less likely to go off their food than males. At absolute worst, don't feed her for three weeks and then offer a f/t rat. That alone *should* do it.

Just a side note: some balls are really wimpy. When you try frozen, don't hit her with it because it might scare her. Just hold it by the tail and make it dance around a little. You can also try putting her in a dark box with the rat and she might eat it that way.

Oh the joys of snake ownership!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I forgot to mention, my concern is that she's apparently already thin right now due to not eating & her URI. I talked to the cousin a bit more about her health & history. He said she's never had mites, never been sick before this URI, and has not been harmed by a rat (yet). She has some scars due to wrapping around a light bulb they didn't cover up several years ago & getting burned. I'm not sure how skinny she is right now, but I'll have to see whether she's healthier & at a better weight once I get her. I'm assuming that her weight & general health when I get her will determine how quickly we can move to pre-killed.

Thank you both for all of the tips!! I'll definitely be consulting these suggestions once we get going with the switch attempts. I really appreciate the help, I trust the people on this forum a lot, and it's nice to be able to get answers from people I already know.


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

I'm just glad I can help! I don't know much about hedgies (I'm getting there!) But reptiles I can do.

Post a picture when you can. If she's already skinny then feeding her is probably going to be a hassle. Do you have anyone close by who can help force feed her if it comes to that? If a snake has been off food for a while sometimes you have to ram snacks down their throat to remind them that they're hungry.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I doubt my friend would be up for helping with that. :lol: But maybe I could get Jackie (Soyala) to come help (no pressure if you don't want to either :lol! My vet would be an option too, especially since we'll be going in for a visit regardless once I get her. 

I'm going to be meeting the cousin tomorrow to take care of car stuff, so I'll see if I can go over to his place to see her tomorrow or sometime soon so I can see what she looks like & maybe get some pictures to post!


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

I'm so excited for you!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Hehe, thanks!  I'm excited & also terrified. :lol: I know I'll have time to prepare, and that I'll be in a more stable situation before I get her, but I'm still worried something will go wrong or I'll mess things up. I'm having troubles with the hermit crabs right now, which is not helping my confidence about being able to handle another new animal. But I'm sure things will go better than I'm expecting. And I have awesome people on here to help me!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I got to meet our future snake today. She seems to be in rather rough shape to me, even though I'm pretty inexperienced.  She's quite skinny, which he had mentioned previously, due to not eating/not being fed. He also commented when he took her out, "Oh, she's shedding". It's definitely not a complete shed like I've read it's supposed to be. She has flaking skin stuck around her head & neck, and she's got a spectacle over one of her eyes (her right one, I think), which the current owner says she's always had trouble with. I know the shedding issues are due to too-low humidity.

However, she seems quite calm & friendly, which I'm not sure if that'd be due to not feeling great, or just her personality. Apparently she's always had this kind of temperament. Despite her health issues, she's adorable and beautiful, and I'm already in love. I hope she doesn't get worse before I can get her home with us. I wanted to offer my friend's cousin some money if he needs it to take care of her more (more bedding, food, etc.), but I just don't have the cash right now either. I still owe him more money for my car at the moment. Hopefully if I can get a job soon, I can give him some money then if he needs anything for her. He's still working on building her new enclosure, I plan on poking at him periodically to try & have him get it done more quickly. 

Side note, we were chatting about animals while we were at the DMV, and he said that aspen & other woods aren't good for bedding. I had been considering using shredded aspen & hadn't seen anything against it yet. Can anyone confirm that & suggest something better? Would Eco Earth be better for her?


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

I've seen snakes that are worse off than she is, and they survived, so that's a good sign. With the shed, if he has time, all he has to do is soak a pillowcase, ring it out fairly well, and plop her in it for a while. Usually the humidity plus the friction of wet fabric will remove the rest of what's stuck. With the stuck eyecap, you can try wrapping a piece of tape around your finger sticky side out and touching it to the eye. The cap should peel away. If it doesn't, she's gong to need a long soak and potentially a vet. Most ball pythons are a little head shy so getting her to hold still while you remove the eyecap could be a bit difficult.

Since she doesn't look too bad, her personality should be more testy than calm right now. If it's just not enough food, a slight infection, and a stuck shed, I'd be cranky too, so she's probably just naturally friendly. If the infection is really bad or something else is wrong, she'll be unwilling to move and she won't put her head up and look around. Did you ask when the last time she ate was?

I won't use any woods on my reptiles except aspen. A lot of the chipped wood is sharp and if it gets eaten during feeding it can cause a very painful impaction. I love the shredded aspen, because it holds humidity decently, and my snake can make burrows in it that will hold their shape. He's never gotten more than a small piece in his mouth while eating, and as long as the snake is well hydrated, it should just pass through with the food.

That being said, all snakes are different. My ball likes to eat his food on top of his hut, so he's not usually near the bedding when he's eating. My kingsnake has to come out of his cage to eat or he'd latch onto me every time I open the lid to give him water. He eats in a cardboard box. I keep him on crushed walnut shells, because it mimics sand and it's digestible, just in case. 

I kept my beautiful abherrent anerythristic honduran milksnake on a mix of eco earth and crushed walnut. He burrowed into the bedding one night and somehow ate several mouthfuls of it while he was hiding. The necropsy showed that it was caked in his mouth so tightly that he couldn't breathe and he died from asphyxiation. 

So it really depends on the snake and their habits. I would say start with aspen, and if she burrows just watch for any protruding bits from her mouth or nose. If she eats on it, she shouldn't have a problem with live or freshly killed, but if the thawed rat is wet, the aspen will stick to it, so if you get to that point keep an eye on her food as she's swallowing it. If she's ingesting a lot of aspen, I'd switch to forest moss. It comes either big and fluffy in a bag or in dehydrated bricks. The bricks are awesome. They're super cheap and they expand to about 5x their original size. Since it's moss it's excellent for humidity, and it will also hold a burrow. I only switched to aspen because when I was still living with my parents they didn't like the musky rainforest smell.

I'm glad she doesn't look too rough. Hopefully it doesn't take too much to get her bulked back up and shedding nicely!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yeah, someone on another forum corrected me on her weight! I'm glad to hear that she's not as skinny as I was afraid of. 

I'll ask him tomorrow if he's soaked her or anything to help with the stuck shed. He'll be coming over to work on car repairs, so I'll have a chance. And she acted perfectly fine, as far as I could tell! She was very interested in exploring on me and checking me out, and didn't seem to be very shy at all, even with the stuck eye cap.

I'm so sorry about your honduran milksnake!  I like the idea of the shredded aspen too, so I'll probably stick with it anyway & see how she does on it. If she seems to be getting it stuck in/on her mouth & such a lot, I'll switch to the moss! I don't like the idea of using chipped wood either. Also I'm not planning to feed her in her tank regardless - I know striking is not an issue for every snake, and her current owner does feed her in her tank with no issues, but I'd rather not risk it or worry about unnecessary bedding ingestion. 

I didn't ask when she last ate, but I think he mentioned it's been a couple of months? I'll ask him tomorrow & then offer to try picking up a rat from the pet store while I'm there, either live or frozen. I'm kind of curious to try a thawed frozen rat with her now since it's been a while since she's eaten & see if she's more willing to take it while hungry.


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