r/ballpython • u/Shot_Alternative_762 • 2h ago
Shout out your babies names
I'm so curious about your noodles names. Mine are Jax, Chibs and Juice. Can anyone guess the theme? 😆
r/ballpython • u/_ataraxia • Feb 18 '19
welcome to r/ballpython, a community for ball python enthusiasts of all experience levels, from the prospective first-time owner to the veteran keeper. this is a predominantly discussion-based subreddit with a focus on raising husbandry standards above the bare minimum. photos and videos are also encouraged, so show off your ball pythons!
our team of mods and helpers includes professional herpetologists, veterinary technicians, veterinary med students, geneticists, reptile rescuers and rehabilitators, ethical small-scale breeding experience, large-scale breeding experience, and multiple decades of combined experience with ball pythons as pets.
last updated: march 2024
we have collected a variety of information that we hope will be helpful for beginners and experienced keepers alike. if you are having a husbandry problem or have a general question about ball python care, you will probably find your answer in one of these links! if your question is NOT answered here, please read our posting guidelines in part two of this post and utilize our advice questionnaires so we can help you more easily.
if you have suggestions for articles or outside resources, please send a message to the .
guides by the r/ballpython mods & helpers:
The Shopping List - recommended brands, products, and online shops.
So you want to buy a reptile... - a general guide to deciding whether or not a reptile is right for you, and how to buy a healthy pet from a responsible breeder.
All About Shedding - what's normal, what isn't, and how to handle bad sheds and general dehydration.
Body Tone of Python Regius (Royal/Ball Pythons) - a guide to assessing the weight and overall body condition of your ball python.
also be sure to check out these community discussions!
[general PSAs and pro tips]
pro tip: easy way to monitor ambient temperatures inside a hide
discussion: what veteran keepers did right and wrong as beginners.
pro tip: reptile basics hides too lightweight? glue on some tiles!
[the FAQ megathreads]
veterinary care - finding a reptile vet, when to bring your ball python to the vet, and what to expect financially.
planning for emergencies - supplies and plans for non-medical emergencies.
keeping your snake cool in hot summer weather - how to make sure your snake doesn't overheat as the temperature rises outdoors and in your home.
clutter - what is "clutter" for the enclosure, why do snakes need it, and where to buy it.
enclosure inspiration - detailed photos and shopping lists for planning and budgeting.
cleaning - how and when to clean your ball python's enclosure and decor.
enrichment & exercise - mental stimulation and physical fitness, in and out of the enclosure.
handling - when and how to handle your ball python.
finding lost snakes & preventing future escapes - how to find an escaped snake, and how to secure the enclosure to prevent future escapes.
moving with a snake - moving your snake and their enclosure to a new home safely, securely, and with minimal stress.
snakes and social media - how social media impacts the reptile hobby.
snakes in public - is it a good idea to bring your snake to public parks and businesses?
other helpful resources:
MorphMarket - a popular online marketplace for ball pythons and other reptiles from breeders all over the US.
Reptile Vet Directory - reptifiles list of reputable reptile veterinarians in the US, canada, and UK.
Reptile Rescue Directory - reptifiles list of reputable rescue organizations in the US.
Dispelling Python Regius Myths - by Francis Cosquieri
UVB Benefits in Snakes - By Francis Cosquieri - debunking common misconceptions about snakes and UVB lighting.
Signs and Symptoms of Obesity in Python Regius - by Liam Wulfe - an illustrated guide to assessing the weight and overall body condition of your ball python.
thermal imaging comparing the heat produced by ceramic heat emitters, deep heat projectors, and halogen lights - images by Roman Muryn
Serpwidgets Snake Measurer - an online tool to get your snake's approximate length measurements using a photo.
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thank you all for making this community awesome!
r/ballpython • u/AutoModerator • Jan 22 '25
want to know what your ball python's morph is? this is the place to ask!
use an image hosting site, such as imgur, and post links to your photos in a comment here. we recommend posting a variety of photos showing your ball python's full body, including the head and belly, ideally in natural lighting. if you have any information about your ball python's possible morph and/or the pairing that produced your ball python, please include that in your comment.
some helpful morph-related links:
r/ballpython • u/Shot_Alternative_762 • 2h ago
I'm so curious about your noodles names. Mine are Jax, Chibs and Juice. Can anyone guess the theme? 😆
r/ballpython • u/Ekoneg • 3h ago
Got my bp around 6 weeks ago and haven’t been able to get him to eat ever since and he hasn’t shed yet. I didn’t want to take him out before he eats for the first couple times not to stress him out, and let him acclimate to his new life, but I started to get worried after seeing some flakes that looked like stuck shed and I wanted to see if he was losing weight. So I finally took him out to inspect today, and I am panicking even more now because I don’t know what to make of what I see.
First of all, I usually keep the humidity between 50-60%, but I am now cranking it up to 70% and more since he looks like he trying to shed. He has 4 hides, 2 of them are dry, 2 of them are humid with damp sphagnum moss. He always uses his dry hide on the warm side and never really seen him chill anywhere else. I attached some pictures of the enclosure too.
So my questions are, just like in the title: - Is this what it looks like when a bp is in shedding or this is a stuck shed? - Is dark underbelly normal when they are shedding, could it be the substrate, or is it a bad scale rot? - I believe he is about 4-5 mo, and weighs 129g. Because I didn’t weight him before to give him some space, I don’t know if he lost any weight or not. Does he look underweight in the pics?
I am panicking, please help.
r/ballpython • u/SpacedOutTrashPanda • 4h ago
The measuring tape is set to 4ft in the photo
r/ballpython • u/estero5 • 20h ago
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He a silly dude
r/ballpython • u/rotskindred • 4h ago
(I'm aware half logs arent hides!! i have two proper hides in his enclosure , sometimes he just likes the logs)
r/ballpython • u/Spirited-Rip-203 • 1h ago
My best girl Melinoe showing off her new bright bold colors!! Nothing like a perfect shed!!
r/ballpython • u/kuootage • 1h ago
noticed my bp yawned, thought the mouth coloration was weird. first time bp owner. right side of tank where the basking spot is at 89F, humidity 68. left side on the cooler side where her humidity spots are is 84F, 77 humidity. anyone have an idea of what is going on or should i take them to the vet. ty! will appreciate any advice that is given.
r/ballpython • u/RootBeerBog • 8h ago
This is my boy Arthur.
Husbandry: Cool side 78, hot side 88. Humidity is kept consistently at 80+ He has three hides (buried except for the hole, one on cool side, two on hot side) Bio active, no signs of scale rot or mites, I don’t have any other reptiles, I just added the butterwort yesterday as there ARE little fungus gnats. I’m thinking he might be bothered by them and so that’s why he’s bathing, but it’s almost daily at this point, and I noticed him hanging out in the water a few days ago. He is fed f/t so no chance of injuries. The top mesh is blocked by HVAC except for lights.
Note, the hydrometers visible on the ground in his tank have no sticker/residue. He has one that is by a probe as well.
His water dish is about a gallon and a half deep. He moved from his starter 40 gal to this 4x2x2, a few weeks ago. He is 1.5 years old and ~625 grams. Fed 7% weight every three weeks, but I’ll be spacing out to 4 weeks because he is looking a smidge rotund. He’s about 32” long.
Yesterday I handled him, returned him to the sticks and he chilled out in the center back for a bit. The other day when he was in the water, I added more water to the corners of his tank and he then slithered out into his hide, so I thought maybe he wants it extra humid, but it’s already pretty damn moist in there!! When I reach my hand in, if I rub my fingers together they’ll feel wet after a moment.
His cool side was at 80 prior to yesterday, I thought maybe he was too warm so I brought it down— since the water feels cool to the touch. But he’s still hanging out in there. He doesn’t stay in there during the night.
Idk if I should aim for 90-100% humidity instead (I know humid spikes happen and would be fine for him to endure) or if he just really likes his deeper water dish? His older one was wide enough for him to lay in if he chose to, but it wasn’t deep like this one!
Or maybe I just need to buy the pet-safe gnat killer stuff today.
Thoughts?
r/ballpython • u/beard784 • 4h ago
Went to the exotic animals expo with the intention to get my first snake, had to come home with these two beauties, Villentretenmerth and Iocaste (yes shes molting)
r/ballpython • u/SanderNorway • 2h ago
Hope he approves it soon!
r/ballpython • u/HistoricalAd8439 • 5h ago
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REPOST with a new video. Someone commented on the other it may be blisters from a moist environment? she has no scale rot and her humidity is 73% ish on warm side and on cool side it’s 80/85%.
r/ballpython • u/Logical_Doctor8233 • 3h ago
Since last she'd I've noticed these areas of browned, slightly raised scales in these concentrated areas. I hope it isn't scale rot. I tried to gently scrape and I gave him a bath but they seem to be stuck. Is it aome sort of would or damage. There are no missing scales in those areas, and the skin seems fine.
r/ballpython • u/universepiglet • 4h ago
Hello! I've had my ball python for 3 months and I know he's a juvenile. He shed when I first got home Jan. 10th was the last of it and then I was able to feed him. From the pictures you can see his feeding.He does look bigger, but he hasn't shed since and when I weighed him I think i did it wrong because it said he was 1300 grams. His take sits 90 F on hot side and 78-81 F, on the cool side with constant humidity at 70%. The pic of him in my hand is when i first got him, the video is the most recent video. Attached is also his tank. He's pooped and I have springtails in there to decompose it.
r/ballpython • u/masters_mind • 3h ago
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Hello! I am at a large chain retail pet store and really love how active this guy is. He is breathing like this - this would be my first snake I am just wondering if he is sniffing around or if that is a bad thing? He’s so cute I love him otherwise and if that is normal I want to purchase him! (Of course I have done my research on general care, etc otherwise)
r/ballpython • u/HistoricalAd8439 • 7h ago
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I have never seen this and after her shed this appeared. She is only 5mo old and she just had her first shed with us a few weeks ago. Could this be anything? Planning on taking her to vet to check anyways but took her for a wellness visit when we first got her.
r/ballpython • u/motherofcats94 • 2h ago
Hello!
I just added the plants and cleanup crew that I received from the bio dude last night! While they get settled in I am planning to add more plants and decor before moving my ball python into his new enclosure.
I was hoping to get input from you all about more unique plants and bugs that can cohabitate in this environment. I was gifted an orchid I am considering adding, but am hesitant because I don't know if it's a good environment for them?
Any tips or suggested are appreciated! Feel free to critique what I have set up so far!
r/ballpython • u/Playful-Dog-4225 • 4h ago
I'm a new BP owner and I need some advice. I'm having trouble maintaining high enough humidity (I think in part because the heat in my apartment, which I cannot control, is fairly high.) In addition to her water bowl, and a spray bottle, I've been wetting and mixing the substrate to increase the humidity and that helps, but generally getting up to 60% seems impossible. Similarly, I'm struggling to keep the temperature at the right point. I have tried two different thermostats, neither of which were cutting the temperature at the set point, which really scared me. I've ordered a herpestat 2, with the plan to connect a red light for daytime and a CHE for night. I've learned the CHE gets super hot and I'm really fortunate nothing happened to my girl in the process. I suspect that leaving the lamps on top of the enclosure's mesh top may also be a cause of overheating, so I'm thinking to get a stand from which to hang the lamps so they're a bit further away. Wondering who has dealt with these issues and what you did to resolve them? I fear putting a humidifier may be dangerous with all the electricity for the lights/thermomostat around the enclosure. Lowkey wish the folks at the reptile store had explained a little more this type of challenge, as I would have saved time and money if I knew to buy the right things from the start. Your advice is appreciated 🙏
r/ballpython • u/Nadruojj • 7h ago
33gs and 2inches in a month, not worried just wanna know how quickly juvies normally grow
r/ballpython • u/tattooed_pariah • 7h ago
Hello Slither Fans,
So my daughter bought a ball python when she was a teenager, she's 25 now and has since joined the Air Force. Mom and I have been doing our best to keep him healthy and whatnot, but are having some humidity problems right now.
He for some reason LOVES climbing on anything inside his enclosure, so we can't just suction cup the sprinklers high up on the wall like they are advertised because he will climb on them, and knock them off then we get a puddle wherever they are newly pointed. A few years ago, I instead poked the sprinklers through the tubing gaps on top of the enclosure so he couldn't climb on them and they stay in place, but we're using coconut husk and it seems to never be moist enough.
I'm thinking about getting some misters like you would use in a garden (they use the same size tubing) and installing them in the top mesh of the enclosure similar to how a fire suppression sprinkler system would be in a building. just a row of like 3 sprinklers down the center (it's a 60 gallon tank, approx. 3 feet wide and 18 inches deep)
would this work? has anyone done something similar and have pictures? is there a better option for a snake that refuses to let anything stay attached to the walls? I also like the look of the systems with the 1 inch tubes that appear to create a fog, instead of sprinklers, do those work better?
Thanks in advance!
r/ballpython • u/Zestyclose_House_474 • 1d ago
please excuse the dirty glass, her yawn was too cute to not share