All the Wrong Ball Python Info on the Internet
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- There are many different ways to care for a ball python, and you'll find all those different ways described on the internet somewhere. But there is also a ton of just plain bad info all over the place and it's hard to determine what's what. I've gone through a bunch of snake Facebook and Reddit groups and found the top 6 most common bits of ball python misinformation. Let me know if you agree with me or not.
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This channel is all about the care of ball pythons (and some other snakes), health, breeding, genetics, handling, and behavior. We'll cover everything I can think of that has to do with keeping ball pythons. Lots of layman term science, and some laughs. Subscribe and click the notification bell and get notified when a new weekly video is posted:
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One misconception that I still see is that they’re essentially pet rocks that don’t move around and explore. Contrary to that, I’ve seen people in the groups like you mentioned give their snakes plenty of decor and things to explore and the snakes go everywhere. Including people who give them plenty of vertical climbing opportunities and they go right for it.
Agreed! That goes with #6 on the list
I agree. My dude is the most rambunctious and exploratory guy I've ever met lmao
Highly recommend Dav Kauffman’s new documentary about BPs in the wild, lots of great info
Mine loves to explore and is very curious about everything around her. I kinda wonder if this one might come from people who only try to interact with their BP during the day? I generally try to only interact with mine once she has woken up on her own and is cruising around her enclosure in the evening, but when I need to do something with her during the day, she just kinda lays there like a lump. :-)
@@davethefoxmage5797 I have some who do well interacting during the day and some who would just rather sleep :-)
When I got my first ball python this spring, I was aware that feeding them in a separate tub was bad and could lead to regurgitation. However, I ended up with a VERY picky eater, and I quickly exhausted my options, and someone suggested giving her a change of scenery. Knowing the risks, I tried to feed her in a separate bin, and she took it right away. She takes it every single time in a separate bin but won’t eat in her enclosure. In her enclosure, she seems terrified of the mouse and tries to hide from it (yes I feed f/t, not live), but if she’s in a different space, she’ll take it no problem. I also know there is nothing wrong with her enclosure, as she has had only absolutely perfect sheds with me and only ever shows stress in her enclosure at mealtime. I’m not sure why she’s like that, but some ball pythons are weird with their feeding habits.
Yes, this is a rare exception. Sometimes moving them will get them eating again. Glad you figured that one out!
You totally did the right thing, every snake is different and it's good that you were willing to try that to get your snake to eat. I just have a problem with people who say you HAVE to feed in a separate bin, these little danger noodles are in fact individuals.
I am so happy I came across your channel. I'm doing my research before I get my first baby BP and while somewhat helpful, the Facebook groups can be all over the place and extremely confusing. Not only that, they tend to bash people for asking questions or not knowing things. I've watched quite a few of your uploads and love the information as well as the entertainment. Thanks!❤ 🐍 ❤
Thank you so much, I'm glad you're enjoying the channel!
I've seen rumors all over the internet that Kent is dating a Kardashian. I've also heard all of this wrong ball python info. When I first got my big girl, I had a red light on at night and I was feeding her in a separate enclosure because the guy at the pet store told me to. That was the same guy who also told me I didn't need any sort of temp control on my undertank heat pad...
Wow, pet stores really need to start training their employees better. I'm glad you were able to get the right info. You've been a good snake mom for a long time :-)
I love your channel because you always come with the common sense I feel is missing from a lot of snake keepers that perpetuate "general" and misinformation.
Aw thanks, I appreciate the kind words!
This video has been out for about a year now but I just wanted to say I’m a new reptile parent, just getting into the hobby. You have taught me more than any one else on UA-cam about ball pythons. You answer all the questions I have and go into more detail about stuff than other people do. Thanks for the information!
Thanks so much, I'm glad the videos have been helpful!
I totally agree. I'm really having a hard time between corn and ball so I'm really glad I found this channel. Also I think that's awesome he responded even though the post is a year old. That's what's going to make me sub and come back for more advice
@@GreenRoomPythonsI hope you can reply. I'm absolutely torn between corn snake and ball python. I love the idea of the ball just hanging out around my neck,on couch, watching TV but at same time I don't want to feel guilty because they're in the enclosure most of the time. On other hand the corn is more likely to come out of enclosure...but from what I've seen they don't sit still. What do you recommend for 1st time snake owner?
Your videos have helped me sooooo much! I just got my first pastel pied ball python at a reptile expo this past weekend and I am trying to absorb all the information I can. He is my very first snake and i just want to do everything to the best of my ability for him to live a healthy and happy life.
Your videos are amazing to get info from and have helped me tremendously! Thank you and keep doing what your doing! And a big thanks to Kent for always helping 😉
Fingers crossed he eats his first meal with me this weekend 🤞🏼
Congrats on your new snake! I'm sure he'll do great with you. I'm glad you're enjoying the videos :-)
Love your content! I enjoy the combination of humor and knowledge. I first got into snakes back in the late 80s (Retics, Burmese, Kingsnakes). Back then, you couldn't pay me to keep a ball python. They didn't eat, my friend had to force feed his, they were extremely shy, on and on. Tons of problems. I believe those animals were all likely wild caught back then. I got back into the hobby and mainly keep/produce New Caledonian geckos. I was recently at NRBE Daytona was amazed at how far the balls have come. So much so that I'm going to one day get one for myself. They've come a LONG WAY since the late 80s. Liked, subscribed. 🤙
Yes, it took a while but eventually we figured out how to keep them, which I guess is what happens with all reptiles. Glad you're enjoying the channel!
A great video with some solid funny bits. I wholeheartedly agree that they can learn new behaviours that are not simply instinctual. For example, Ambassador Noodle and Raymond Irwin seem to have figured out that rats come from the freezer, so when they are on free roam and are feeling peckish, they slither over to the freezer and boop it with their snoots. I don't know if they can smell the rats inside, or have seen me take them out of there often enough to realise that is where they are, or have simply learned that if they boop the big white box, their humans give them food - effectively target training with the freezer as the target. Whatever it is, it certainly isn't behaviour found in nature!
That's funny! I have several who definitely know when I'm working on a meal for them - before the scent is in the air
I’m so glad you brought up the “heat mats are the devil” thing. I was made to feel like a heat mat wasn’t good enough for my ball python, even though I made sure the substrate wasn’t too thick or thin over top of it and I put his water bowl over part of it to help with humidity in his enclosure. I’ve since started using a che and it’s drying out the air in the enclosure to the point that I am struggling to keep it above 40% more often than not. It’s frustrating because when I was using the heat mat the only trouble I had was getting the temperature on the warm side over 83-85 degrees Fahrenheit but it seems like if I get the warm side to 88-89 degrees, he immediately goes to the cool side and won’t go back to the other side until the temp drops back down to 85 again.
It’s a struggle sometimes trying to figure out the best thing to do for each individual snake, but if you can observe them enough, you start seeing patterns and preferences that differ a little or a lot from others of the same species. I’m fortunate enough to be home all day so I have more time to observe things like that, but there’s ways to do it if you have a busier schedule, like pet cameras that sync to your phone for example.
I’m one of those crazy people who talk to my animals like they understand every word I say, so I’ve always thought reptiles were smarter than people give them credit for. Sure, there are some more driven by instinct than intelligence, but if all they we’re doing was following their instincts, we wouldn’t be able to train them the way we have.
Thank you for bringing up these subjects and thank you to those who helped by suggesting things or asking questions about these topics. Now let’s go plaster this video all over the internet so maybe we can kill some of these ridiculous “rules” people are trying to claim as stone-cold facts. ☺️💕
Thanks so much, glad you liked this! I'm working on a video right now about how to solve heating problems in different enclosures ;-)
@@GreenRoomPythons Are you a mind reader?! Lol. That’s awesome Bob. Thank you for all your help. I really appreciate all your hard work and research that you share with us. ☺️💕
@@kerseykrewzoo Thanks Darlene!
The part about learning your own individuals seasonal patterns is so true, my first two females are very instinctual with their feeding patterns, and like to either fast or eat very little November to February every year, it used to drive me up the wall when they were younger and still growing, I was thinking I was doing something wrong with them (especially given that they were only my 2nd and 3rd snakes)
Then I did some digging and discovered our Winter is when the dry season happens in West africa, and Ball Pythons naturally eat very little to sometimes nothing during that period, so to them it probably feels natural to slow down then.
So I'm much more relaxed when they start onto it every year now (they're about 4 and 5 respectively), and just my luck the next two females I've gotten are absolute monsters who have never missed a meal unless they were in shed lol
Yep, they all tend to have their own cycles as they get into adulthood
So after wanting a snake since being 15 (just turned 30) but having little knowledge in set up and how to care for these animals, i alway put it off until 2 weeks ago i took my nearly 4 years old son to a fun fair and 1 couple had a reticulated python out, id say it waas a super dwarf i just got told it was a reticulated python, the snake was not bothered about all the adults and the kids stroking him and grabbing him he was 6 years old, so since that day ive been doing alot of research and watching loads of videos which confused me more, i finally went to a few reptile shops bought a set up friday got sent a list of ball python morphes i picked a cinnamon fire ghost 3 gene morph shes lovely she arrived yesterday, when am more confident ans and experience i do also want a super dwarf retic but thats going to be a few years down the line,all your videos are helping me out more than anybody else's, great work
Great video Bob. So many misconceptions and bad advice with Ball pythons. I also appreciate you addressing a few issues. I’ve never experienced snake mites (thank goodness) but I never handle the snakes at my local reptile store where I buy feeders and supplies other than their huge Argentine Tegu and Nile Monitor who are ambassadors for the store. I was actually looking at acquiring a Tegu from them last year and was educated as to why I should not have one (a lot of non-specific pet stores will not do that).
As far as heat mats/tape are concerned, my BP’s love them but a thermostat is required. I set mine to 91 degrees. My rascals will move all substrate out of the way just to snooze on them.
Yeah tegus are awesome and I want one - but I will probably never get one :-)
@@GreenRoomPythons The biggest part of my education with Tegu’s was the scar on the right calf of the reptile store assistant manager who has a tame, adult male of his own and he is a lot larger of a human than me. He was in the hospital overnight with that bite. I have two large dogs and a cat (in addition to my snakes, parrots, ‘house’ squirrel and chameleon) and would be mortified if the dogs or cat sustained an injury like that as it would be way worse than what a human could handle. I think tegus are great pets but not so much if you have other animals that could interact with them off chance and get severely if not morbidly injured.
@@lisagordon7979 agreed! They're so cool, but really powerful too... I love that you have a "house squirrel" 😄
Thank you for doing the Lord 's work. You have made my second time attempt to make a python thrive (and be genuinely happy!) successful. I can't bring back the boy who was killed by a garbage heat system but I'm grateful that you have helped me understand my rescued tiny princess. I'd love to tell you about her (and the condition I found her in after I swore never to risk that heart break again) and how lucky I feel once the vet gave her a clean bill of respiratory health! I'll look to your Patreon for more.
Congrats on that new rescue snake!
Thanks so much for this video 💜
I‘ve been a pet owner for a long time (dogs, cats, fish, geckos) but just got my first ball python two weeks ago. I did a lot of research and stepped over all these things you just mentioned. My intuition told me that most of them are bullshit. But actually this thing about the feeding in a seperate container made me confused. What you said was just what my feelings told me and now i‘m sure about keeping on to feed him in his enclosure!
Also i loved how you trained your girl! I studied biology and had some lessons in animal cognition but sadly there was nothing about reptiles! So i actually find this pretty amazing! I didn‘t expect them to learn things like that! Especially because you can‘t give them any treats! You know… as a dog owner i know lots about reinforcement etc. It also works with my geckos… they love fruits so for being good guys they get fruity treats. Now with the snake i was wondering how to train him. 😂
Maybe you‘ll read my comment till the end. I have a question and i just can‘t find an answer. Actually i tried to find some scientific papers about this topic bit i couldn‘t find anything useful. I‘m wondering if reptiles really need all that artificial light for their day/night rythm. I mean… my dogs also know when it‘s day or night even though they‘re in a flat 😂
I just think that all these led lights must be more disturbing for our reptiles. Especially when it comes to nocturnal species! I recently removed all the lights from my crested geckos enclosures. When the lights were on during the day they just hid at the darkest corner of the enclosure. Now without the lights they use more different spaces for sleeping during the day. Still they keep their rythm and wake up at about 8 pm!
As you seem very clever and interested in topics like this i‘d really love to hear your opinion on this topic 😍
Congrats on your new snake! It's nice to give them a day night cycle but they definitely do not need lights in their enclosure.
I’ve been on your channel none stop for several weeks now. I love Kent! Your channel is the most informative and entertaining channel about snake care I have found. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Aw thanks Robert! I appreciate the kind words!
Ooo sounds like Kent might have some tea to spill. ☕ Great video! As someone who is still in the researching step of snake keeping, it's very helpful to have this info in one video. Especially from a keeper I trust!
Glad you liked it! It's tough to sift through all this when in the research phase :-)
Awesome video. The belly heat bad advice I see some places is so weird. The reasoning I keep hearing is that it's not natural. But .... We want to give them a better life than what they find in nature right? Also heat is heat does it really matter where it comes from as long as your snake is comfortable and digesting normally?
Agreed, I see people giving the reason "it's not natural" for a lot of things (including feeding frozen thawed), but we're keeping a snake in a box. It's all about giving them what they need, not trying to replicate exactly what their life would be like in the wild :-)
We just LOVE your videos! Could watch you 24 hours a day! 😉 We have learned soooo much from you. Thanks for everything!
Aw thanks so much Cammy! That's such a nice compliment :-)
My juvenile BP has had no issues with aspen or belly heat from the mat. I have heard something about aspen maybe being irritating to a snake's scales, but I don't know if that's true or not. I also live in a very humid environment, so even with aspen he has had no problems shedding (I also have a humidity box). Anyway, great video and thanks for being an awesome snake keeper!
Glad you liked the video! Sounds like you're in a good environment for Aspen. That stuff is used all over the world for thousands of snakes - I think it would be quickly canceled if it was causing snakes to have scale irritation :-)
Look at those subs! Glad to see the channel gaining traction. I plug regularly :)
Thanks so much, I appreciate the plugs!
Another thing about heat mats: (this might be wrong but this is what I got from a lot of research) some reptiles you can’t use a heat mat because they cannot feel heat from their belly, and they will burn themselves (like bearded dragons) so that might be part of the reason so many people are against heat mats. I was too because I had only researched bearded dragons but now I know it works for other reptiles just not beardies.
All reptiles can feel heat on their belly, they just don't feel the pain of burning like we do and they often won't move off a spot that's too hot. That's why you always have to regulate a heat source with a thermostat to make sure nothing gets too hot to burn them.
I think the anti heat mat brigade mainly come from a position of the quantity of people who use them incorrectly and then snake burning itself.
Yeah thermostats are important, for any kind of heat.
i have a non snake related joke question for you. if you could snap your fingers and kent would magically become a real person with the exact same personality and life circumstances you portray him as as a fictional character, would it be inhumane to make him exist
Honestly one of the best videos about BPs I've seen.
Thanks so much!
I haven’t read all the comments so this might have already been said, but for the lights as a heat source I’ve learned all about it recently and have completely changed my setups accordingly. So basically the reason why heat mats aren’t ideal as heat sources is they only provide infrared C which only heats up the surface. In order to properly heat you need to provide infrared A and B, which will actually penetrate through the skin and heat up from the inside, super ideal for digestion. Arcadia seems to have done a good job at getting the wavelengths correct, a halogen bulb will do the trick, but you can achieve better results when you couple it to a deep heater projector. Add to that a uvb light (with the right amount, too much can be harmful, so let’s say about 7% for snakes) and a grow light or LED, and you have yourself a setup that generates roughly about the same wavelengths as the sun, give or take. What‘s nice about the heat lights is you get to see your snakes come out and bask every now and then. I‘ve also heard providing the right wavelengths give them better colours over time, but I‘ve only had snakes for two years now so I can‘t testify to that. Now of course that’s if you want to go the extra mile, because those lights aren’t cheap, it might benefit the snake‘s health but just like you said in the video, most snakes will do great just on heat mats.
On that note I must say I really enjoy how well you explain things, the more I watch your videos the more I want a ball python, but first I need to upgrade my boas to bigger enclosures and then I can think of a new snake.
Are you saying ball pythons CAN have heat lamps that actually put out light? I’ve read so many things saying that they do not like lights & want a dark enclosure. So idk if i should get one that actually emits light …
@@hannahcampbell8511 I can assure you they do completely fine with lights, I have mine with all the lights cited above and he basically comes out every day to bask, he’d even sometimes spend the whole day out in the open in his basking spot. It’s actually beneficial to give them some form of light to at least have a day and night cycle, so they know when to wake up and when to sleep. In the wild they will occasionally come out during the day to bask or sometimes even hunt food. The misconception is that because they spend a lot of their time hiding in a place they feel safe, some thought that keeping them in a small dark place would be the best option, unfortunately discarding the fact that they do also come out and explore. So don’t worry about giving a heat lamp that emits light, you might actually be surprised to see your ball python come out and bask from time to time. I would go for a halogen light and not one of those red light bulbs, not only is the red colour ugly to look at but it’s also not very effective. I would definitely at least put the halogen on a thermostat, with the probe where the light hits, just to keep the temperatures right. If you want to go the extra mile you can also go for a dimmer, but they are more expensive, it’s just that instead of the light turning on and off it will gently dim to have the right temperature.
My only issue with heat mats that we found out through trial and error is we had an adequate amount of substrate, the heat mat was on a thermostat and our overhead was on a dimmer as well. Temps were perfect but our baby was getting too close to the glass and lightly burned his belly. He is fully healed but we are too scared to use the heat mat again, as of now his overhead heat keeps the temps perfect and his belly looks impeccable. It was frustrating because we checked the temps constantly, especially on top of the heat mat, it seemed like we did everything by the book and our baby still got burned.
I don't hate racks. I hate any snake living a huge part of it's life on/in one. At least in a plastic box not much bigger than the snake for the sole purpose of convenience for commercial breeders. I HATE that!
this was a great video, your channel is by far my favourite!! i’m going to get my first snake (a ball python) soo and you’ve been so helpful with advice so thank you so much :D i was wondering if you sold any green room python t-shirts and if so where i could buy them? i’m unfortunately not allowed to join any discord groups so i’m not sure if that means i can’t access them! very cute snakes :)
Hey Eva, thanks so much! I'm glad you like the videos. GRP t-shirts are only available through Patreon right now as perks. I'll let everyone know once I have merch available for sale to the general public though :-)
Excellant information Bob. Enjoyed seeing Lydia Deets too.
Thanks Mom!
Finally watched your video after having it sit in my recommended for a couple days. I love you. Immediately I love you. Immediately like and subscribe and watch the rest of your videos.
Aw thanks so much! I really appreciate the kind words :-)
Cool! I was reading about snakes and their reptile brain. Someone commented that it was outdated but couldn't provide a source. It's awesome to know its actually based on new science! This makes me even more excited about owning a ball python ❤
Jesus Chris
t your beard is Gawd tier
😅 thanks!
Your videos are awesome. I watch them all day lol. Now I like them even more knowing we share the same favorite Scotch. 🤘
I'm glad you enjoy the videos! Islay Scotch is delicious :-)
Kent activated my Google home, she didn't have an answer though 😂
Kent activates a lot of stuff accidentally
Having to do with the light question. Interestingly snakes have a circadian cycle just like humans, but their systems are very much based on light. Yes they are Crepuscular, or most active at dawn and dusk but they know it’s dawn and dusk because of the light, I use LED as well, but I have my snake in an area in my house were she gets mornings light and evening light naturally. Then the LED is on during the day.
That's how I try to work it too. Any cage lighting follows a day/night pattern
Thank you for addressing the Kent/Pete Davidson similarities. This was long overdue.
Yeah, Kent felt it was time to publically address this important issue.
always great videos watch n rewatch we bracing for a major winter_storm here Bob. happy holidays to you once again
Best of luck with that storm!
I gave my new baby ball python a five by three by two enclosure with tons of stuff to climb on and hide under and I have pictures of him using every single piece of decor in that tank and even during the day I have seen him doing this. He's a ferocious eater too! I think hunger strikes have to do with husbandry. I think you know of her, another UA-cam Lori Torrini uses Aspen fiber for her snakes and provides a super large moist hide for all her snakes and they are all thriving and I have followed the same technique and my snake is super happy. I also provide two water bowls which helps with humidity a bit. I think that misting the whole tank takes away the opportunity for the snake to regulate its own humidity. We should be letting them choose to get moisture or not the same way we let them choose to go the warm or hot side. I used a different substrate in the moist hide. I tried coco fiber and it molded after like one day so I switched to spagnum moss in the moist hide and that's working great.
Yes humid hides are great! I use them regularly for a few of my snakes
Thank you! Facebook and Reddit are awful echo chambers. God forbid you do something different.
😄😆
I had never heard of the Black Headed Python, until 20 minutes ago, when Tyler Nolan introduced his. Your video, was the very next one, and BOOM there's #2! 😂😍
Aw cool! They are an amazing snake. Highly recommend for those up for a bit of a challenge ;-)
Well, being that my first ever, showed up yesterday, I don't think I'm quite the one.
I am a brand new owner, of a Pastel Enchi Sugar Ball, and am going to have to take your previous advice, and build her a PVC jungle gym. She flat destroyed her fake flora and "jungle vine", last night. 😂
@@AmericansWillRise Congrats on your new snake!
Thank you, for all your advice, sir!!
Need a video like this on other snakes like corn and king snakes
All my Noodles get more active when the red light is turned on
That's cool, it could be triggered by time of day or the heat that comes from it as well
I love the handwritten pattern boards. It’s so personalized!
Thanks, I'm glad you like it! It takes a bit of extra time :-)
Great video, where did you get that green ball hanging & the purple one in the enclosure and what is it called?
Thanks! That's called a Hollee Roller ball and there's an affiliate link to it in the description of this video :-)
One of mine is light sensitive but the others are fine with it. At first, I thought he was just very happy with his head tucked in the back of his hide during the day. Then I started bringing my snakes outside for enrichment. He flipped out as soon as we got into the sunlight and tried to bury his head in my hand and then worked his way into my shirt. As soon as I brought him on the porch, he started relaxing a bit. I took him in the house and he calmed right down, and brought his head back out. I take him outside in the evenings now (in warmer months) and he's totally fine.
The rest are seemingly indifferent to sunlight. No tension, no hiding.
Good thing you noticed that
This helped lots! But I do have a question, since you were talking about how lights for the most part don't harm the ball python as long as they have a day and night cycle, does that mean black lights wouldn't harm them either? Just curious because I have blacklights in my room and considering that I may be getting a ball python soon, I just want to verify that it will not damage their eyes as long as it's not on 24/7. Thanks Bob!
I'm not sure on that one. I know black lights aren't good for human eyes because of the type of UV they produce. I'm not sure of the effect they would have on reptile eyes though
@@GreenRoomPythons Good to know! I'll do some more digging, thank you.
I heard black lights can permanently damage their eyes. We got a black light flash light a while ago, and my son was shining everything he could with it to see if it would light up. When he flashed Mr. Noodles, the snake flinched hard and immediately hid in his nearest hide, which wasn't the hide he normally uses. That's when we did a bunch of research on it.
@@tinaruberto9731 good to know, thanks for sharing that!
I actually just had this conversation with a co-worker about taking a BP out of its enclosure to feed. He gave me a 10 minute lecture because I was going to feed my new BP tomorrow in it's enclosure lol.
Good thing you already know how to do it :-)
@@GreenRoomPythons all thanks to your content. You're the best 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
@@jonahhurst5687 aw thanks Jonah!
In my honest opinion I feel that Ball Pythons need UTH and over head heating. The belly heat is good since they are on the ground most of the time and over head heating keeps the air warm so when they want to explore they will be warm. The UTH is basically like a heated blanket, it keeps you pretty warm but your head is still cold which is why you need to turn the heater on and in this scenario the heater is the lightbulb. It's best to have both so you know your snake is staying warm at all times. Make sure you have a thermometer and hygrometer on the heated side and don't place the bulb over the heat mat unless you want to eat roasted snake for dinner. Also make sure you have a thermostat and a small fire extinguisher just in case! If you have a lot of money then you really should buy a nanny cam just incase there's a fire when you aren't home, some nanny cams are around 20-40 dollars and some cam be over 200 dollars but if you have a friend or family member with a toddler then ask if you can have their nanny cam when they don't need it any more.
Many setups require both but most dont. Overhead heaters heat the ground perfectly in most cases so as long as the surface temp is warm enough you don't need the heat mat. And if your warm side is warm enough with just belly heat (like a tub setup), you don't need overhead heating.
The training was interesting! I pretty much agree with all of what you said. I will point out though that they sometimes go off food throughout what would normally be there brumation time. Even without lowering temps, they still know due to air pressure etc.
I'd also point out that heat bulbs that create light are fine as long as they have adequate heating at night. If your room temp stays in the mid 70's then they should be fine, or I've known some people to supply a CHE specifically just for night time, but obviously that comes at extra cost.
LIGHTS 💡 I see people getting attacked for red bulbs all the time. They get told to replace them immediately! Like you said, there's no issue with having a coloured bulb providing it's not on 24/7.
HEAT MATS 🔥 I'd never attack anyone for using them. I have used them myself in the past and as you say they work just fine. I do sometimes wonder if it's worth using them under hides though. I know you do it and I've seen a lot of other people do it to, but personally I just think, they go in burrows in the wild to escape the daytime heat. Also the burrows are more humid because they're cooler. But of course it depends on the setup. Like you're using glass which will be cold to the touch unlike wood for instance
As far as going off food, I'm only talking about ball pythons - and pythons don't brumate. Since there's no winter at the equator there isn't a brumation period for animals that are from those regions. Ball pythons should be eating all year round except for breeding situations when they're off food because of that.
There are so many different enclosure configurations and so many different ways to make them work. A lot of people have to have a heat mat under their hide because there just isn't enough heat in that hide for the snake to properly digest. In the wild a ball python is getting out of the heat of the day but the heat of the day might be 100° and they're going into their 90° borough. So they just need to have enough heat in there to be able to properly digest their food and generally anything between about 87° and 90° is fine.
@@GreenRoomPythons True! They don't brumate no but it is considered "normal" for them to eat/move less during the "colder" months. I can't say that's true because I've not been to Africa and spyed on them though lol. But I don't think anyone really fully understands why bp's go off food tbh. Obviously there can be plenty of different reasons why they can. But once they've all been exhausted we're all just left scratching our heads. I have a female who after 4 or 5 years of eating every time just went off feed for 7 months then just decided to start eating again. No obvious reason. Nothing changed before or after. She was fine. Hardly lost any weight. My local reptile store has a resident female who's a big girl and only ever eats once or twice a year! But I whole heartedly agree that you should check there isn't a reason why they're off food and not just think "ah it's normal, they'll be fine". And you should definitely keep an eye on their weight.
As for heat, like you said when they escape the day time heat it is still warm in their burrow but that can work the same with over head heating. It's warmer under a lamp than it is in a hide but it can still be warm in the hide. But I agree with what you say about providing the heat mat to bump up the heat in the hide sometimes as like you said, everyones setup is different. Like wooden enclosures hold in more heat and aren't cold to the touch like glass etc. It's the same as how some people have a lamp or mat on their cool end just to bump up them cool end temps or how some people have to try and increase their humidity while others don't have any problems. I really liked how you pointed that out btw! People don't take in to account climates when they're telling people aspen is bad etc. You made a very good point. I don't use aspen but I have used it in the past and it caused no problems because I live in a humid place
If you only have one male snake will it still go into a breeding season? There are no other snakes in the house.
No, breeding season just means that you start pairing the snake with another snake anytime during the year
Great video! I always thought that Aspen is a nono because of how dry it is but I think I might give it shot considering that I'm living in Malaysia, so the humidity is a bit high here. I'm currently using coco husks now and the humidity is around 79-85.
Also, many of my friends think theyre scary pet rocks after I told them I got a snake 2 weeks ago. If anything, she's really loves exploring when I handle her, and when she's in the tub on my desk, I could sometimes see her looking out of her cave to say hello before she hides away again.
Also a question, is it possible to train them to be less head shy?
I think Aspen would probably work well for you... You can definitely desensitize their head shyness.
oh cool! I’ll switch once I use up my supply of coco husks. And that’s great! I’ll start looking up how to do it.
My ball pythons are far from pet rocks. One has learned to bang on the lid of the tub when he wants out. Never have my snakes confused my actions for food, tho for convenience I feed them Sunday night. Speaking with my breeder he mentioned that you don't need over head light they are active at night and sleep during the day, so they are in darkness all the time. He also mentioned that albino snakes are sensitive to light as their eyes take in more light.
It is true that Albino animals have light-sensitive eyes. I wouldn't say ball pythons dwell in darkness all the time though - that would be a cave-dwelling animal. There is some light that will get down into those burrows during the day and they may occasionally pop out for some reason during the day. That being said, there is no need for overhead light just for the snake. The room light is plenty.
I'm doing research for a snake, and had a question about heat lamps. You say that they should be on a 12 hour on and 12 hour off schedule, but how would I navigate that with using a heat lamp and possible UVB lighting? What do you do for your ball pythons to make sure they get the darkness that they need but also keep them warm?
I don't recommend using lighting as a heat source ever. You need 24 hours of heat and the animal needs a light cycle for their circadian rhythm. Any UV light, plant light or LED that you have in the cage should be on an automatic timer. Heat sources should be non-lighted and on a thermostat 24/7.
I'm starting to believe this brother actually exists 😅
Loved this🖤🖤🖤
Hope you’re trip was great and fun!
I think since I’m researching more and more one thing I’m finding hard to get a straight answer on is lighting.
Like UV for example is what I’m having a harder time finding a straight answer on
I’m getting a PVC enclosure and will have a heating panel, but for light is UV ok? Or LED, CHE
I’m just not finding the answer
But this was truly helpful
Thank you so much
And Kent, think you need a poster of Pete D. Haha
Glad you liked this! As for UVB, that's up to you but it's not necessary for the snake to live - probably beneficial though :-)
@@GreenRoomPythons thank you so much. Glad got that off my chest!
Aspen works for me because I include a humid box in with my snake's enclosure
wait why do i feel deja vu
My snake knows (I kid you not) what a cord is and not to wrap up in it and he has a “I’m going to be bad because you’re telling me I can’t do this” mode and it’s hilarious because it’s like having a child in the room.
Snakes have a high capacity for learning
Aspen tends to pick up mold up here in Humboldt county.
Interesting. Good to know!
@@GreenRoomPythons the only reason I know is there's a mold species I'm highly allergic to that really likes to take residence in Aspen.
About the heat mat deal, I think that as long as telhe heat lamp creata enough warmth on warm sides that heat mats are okay. My newest ball python has been using cold side alot, normal heat lamp 50 watt, low profile 30 gallon for a baby ball python. My last one did not do this in that exact same enclosure as a baby. Im confident the enclosure stays warm enough.
You definitely need to measure the temperature with a temp gun, though. There are very specific temps that these snakes need to stay at. I would use a non lighted heat source like a CHE and make sure the warm side is between 88 and 90 degrees. If it's hotter than that, the snake will stay on the cold side because it's uncomfortable to be on the warm side
I'm gonna chime in as an old school keeper, & i'm not a keyboard warrior, that being said. I kept my 1st snake on fake grass, with a heat rock (some 30 years ago). I currently have a 5 yr old BP & I'm doing a cage overhaul, so i figured i'd see what new info was out there, what new products where helping keep our reptiles happy. I love that you don't discredit all the old ways (they worked, they may not be the most up to date but they're tested & proven effective)
Hi there! I'm having trouble finding a lamp socket. I bought a JBL tempset kit that comes with a protective plastic cage and a plastic lamp socket. I tested the enclosure before adding my snake but the lamp cage got really, really hot, to a point where it could burn my snake (ceramic DHP Reptilus bulb, or is it a CHE? Maybe you can tell, I'm a bit confused with them lol) . I was told by a mod on reddit that I'd need a wire guard cage (which I believe in since it was the only part of my plastic cage that wasn't hot like the sun), and a ceramic lamp socket. But my problem is, I can't find one. I'm scared to get one and it doesn't work, I'm more interested in one sold by a reptile company than making my own from scratch, but some have bad reviews, others won't fit in the guard cage with the bulb screwed in. I found a decent cage I'm willing to try, but the ceramic socket, no clue. Any chance you could help me out or any good recommandations? I'm not from the US so there are a few brands I can't access. Thanks in advance!
I use Aspen thin and thick styles they do good for both of mine and they actually love it.
That's great, Aspen works really well in certain climates
"Im basically as cool as pete davidson" 😂
I have everything ready to get a snake but do I need to turn off the lights when it’s night time because that’s their heat source so how does that work?
Lights should not be a heat source because your snake needs darkness at night. You can replace the light bulb with a CHE which will provide non-lighted heat 24hrs
@@GreenRoomPythons okay thank you!
amazing training lydia! I love the shirt you are wearing in this video too! I started trying out target training with my BP I watched videos from Lori Torrini that you recommended from another video. I love all of her content and have been watching a lot on her channel! Also what did you feed your BHP in this video?
I don't know what I fed her in this video but she usually gets chicks or quail or mice
Oh this should be juicey....its very hard to weed through it all
Question! At 3:05 what tells you that the snake doesn't have a feeding response and is not going to think that your hand is food? I have a young ball python and she seems to think frequently that my hand is food if I change her water in the evening and she looks much like that.
It's just body language. That particular snake always comes up to my hand, but if he thought he was getting fed, he would be on high-alert in a stiff, strike position and I would have known as soon as I opened his tub.
I have heard that red light is bad for their eyes.
Yeah that's a common myth.
This has been very helpful.
I have a question, would you have to have a basking lamp and a heat pad because don’t you have to turn off the lights at night?
Most keepers use a non-lighted heat source so it can be on 24hrs. I have a vivarium with plant lights that are on during the day but the heat source for the snake is a 24hr CHE overhead as well as belly heat.
I use aspen, ((I am close to Mississippi lmao)) works fine, never had a bad shed :) Ofc humidity is like 80-90 almost year round here haha
That's great!
Always love your helpful honts & tips Bo b
Good 2 watch b4i got Dominic, & great 2 watch now i have him because i can see the points you are making, i see those things in him, hes now adjusted, hope im not moving things 2 fast 4 him, he WILL have a new cage shortly, its been 4 months now, he has ALWAYS been great 2 handle, i let him roam
(While watching), but bigger spaces is better more exciting places
Yeah i definitely heard a lot of different things about substrate. I'm building a bioactive enclosure and ended up buying expensive substrate intended for snakes from the biodude. When i got it home and looked closely at it the texture led me to believe there was some sand in the mix, which i also heard is bad for snakes. I'm going to stick with it because the biodude seems very into making quality products and i think he probably knows more about this stuff than i do.
That mix is great for snakes. You just don't want pure sand as substrate
@@GreenRoomPythons got it! Thanks for the reassurance.
Great video. Thank you!
Thanks Gerald!
I suspect albino ball pythons "may" be a bit more light sensitive - not the same thing - my albino leopard gecko constricts her pupil's in brighter light so i keep her in a dark spot.
Yes, albino animals are definitely more light-sensitive.
I've seen people that had substrate delivered with mites most likely wood mites though so that may be the mites they are referring to.
That's a good point! There could be other bugs in substrate, but likely harmless to snakes.
My ball python like to coming out of the cage and exploring all my room most of the times and it like to go hide in cold place about (64-72 f 18-22 c) who I don't think is normal but his like it, can I have your advice about that
That is pretty normal. Ball pythons will go to whatever temperature they feel like sitting at and they're not always drawn to warm areas. My snakes often like to curl up on a cold floor.
I only use a heatmat for snakes as a night temp as its under there hid and keeps them at around 80 at the lowest but i have heat lamps for the day but at night when they are off i still want heat for them at night especially in winter when it can go well below 0 here
My ball python went off food for a few months, and I tried a live mouse, and he ate it I was also trying rats before and I know mice are more of like a sweet treat because they don’t have all the fat and nutrients of a rat so maybe that was it but I’m happy that he ate.
There's a myth that is usually perpetuated on the Facebook groups that nutritionally mice are like "fast food" for snakes. This isn't really true. Mice have slightly more fat and slightly less protein but not enough to make much of a difference. They are nutritionally very similar to rats and many snakes live long healthy lives on just mice... Rats are more convenient to feed to adult ball pythons because they can get an entire meal with one prey item. If your adult snake will only eat mice you'll have to feed them two or three to get a full meal.
yeah I feel as if heat mats can work alone depending on the sized enclosure, 9/10 tho they wont radiate enough heat for a grown ball python in a 120 gallon enclosure alone, and will just heat up one spot. plus they can burn your snake if you dont have something controlling its temperature.
I love the little hanging rack your snake is hanging out on
Thanks! $3 at Target :-)
You're in LA? You going to be at the Pomona show?
I wish I could be at the August show, but I'll be out of town. Next one though!
Nice shirt Bob!
Thank you!
I thought the issue with Aspen was dust getting in the respiratory system. I used to have a rabbit and people were very outspoken about aspen due to the amount of airborne particles
That's not really an issue. Many species of snake are commonly kept on Aspen. I have one snake that I keep on Aspen at all times because she needs lower humidity. The dust is not problem.
I live in South MS! As much as you really don't want to live here as a human,ball pythons do great here without a lot of help, humidity wise,for most of the year.
My BP's enclosure has no issues with aspen shavings.
Very rarely have to mist in the warmer months to stay around 70-85%+ humidity.
Perfect! Thanks for confirming :-)
Aspen In Mississippi
Works great for my hognoses, sand boas and my corn snake. Aspen does not hold enough humidity for good ball python sheds at my house. Coco does much better for ball pythons in my opinion, and I have 200 ball pythons right now. I feed all my snakes in their own home. I don’t have time to take them all out and feed in separate containers!
That's a lota snakes!... Yeah, it's got to be really high ambient humidity for aspen to work for ball pythons. I spent a summer in Ocean Springs a few years back. Ridiculous humidity in south Mississippi 😄
For the Karen Pryor Professional Dog Training program we have to have a second species. There's been all sorts of snakes, fish, lizards, as well as pretty much every domesticated mammal possible. All animals can learn. Behaviour is lawful across all species.
Agreed! An animal that couldn't learn would quickly become extinct ;-)
I have a question the reason i move my snake into a new cage is because the rat poops alot in the cage and their smaller rats so the poops can be harder to see in the mulch are the poops dangerous?
Not if you have a regular cleaning schedule fo the cage
@@GreenRoomPythons ok thanks i change the mulch every month or so and spot clean when he poops
Can you use the black/purple heat lights at night tho? And how long does the digestion process last? Not the full week until next feeding right?
Black lights still put off light. It's better to use a CHE. Depending on what the snake eats it could take up to about 10 days
soo sorta wondering.then is it alright just to use a heat mat? .know a friend has 2 bp n uses only heat mats .no overhead heat lamp, .bp just fine with mat only...wyt ?
It just depends on the enclosure and how warm the room is. Every heating situation is different, but a lot of times you can use just a heat mat.
So I recently got my new BP and it's been wrapping round my basking light cage at night, but I've touched the bottom in the day and it's hot to the touch, just worried because if it tries wrapping round in the day he'll easily get a burn...
A CHE bulb would be better than a light since snakes need the darkness at night but still need the heat. It would also be safer if the snake decided to wrap the cage. But generally, if the cage is too hot the snake won't choose to spend much time there.
@Green Room Pythons Thanks, I was thinking of getting a ceramic emitter but the shop I bought my snake from said that the heat mat will be enough, the surface temp is around 27°c at night but ambient air temperature usually about 19°c, UK winters are great for humidity but it sure gets chilly especially at night and I want to do the best thing. So would you recommend keeping on the ceramic on all day and night or light in the day, ceramic in the night?
@@citizenofthebikinibottom5617 no need for a light at all. The heat sources should remain constant 24hrs
My ball python Hand Banana stops eating in the winter months and resumes eating in the spring. He bulks up in the summer and then slows down in the fall and stops during December- March and then starts eating again. He even eats off of a rock called “ dragon stone” that has fossils in it. First time he did it I freaked out then it happened again same time as the previous year and I realized that it was a pattern.
😂😂😂"I'm asking Jeeves!"
You watched til the end! (I knew you would)
@@GreenRoomPythons What can I say? You know your audience and I'm a fan.🐍
@@traceypenkal 😉🙂
The thing I see with belly heat is that it does work (I have used it before) but only in a specific setup. If someone is looking to create a large naturalistic enclosure that belly heat will not do anything for the ambient temperatures in that enclosure. So essentially you are creating a massive space that is just room temperature with a small usable heat spot. With the overhead heat it gives a gradient of temperatures for the snake to choose from in the large enclosure (provided it is given enough hides in each zone). This will encourage the snake to choose its own ideal spot to sit in rather than just supplying it with the two options. Sometimes well intentioned people will give the snake a nice big, well-decorated enclosure but end up using a heat mat or even vice versa where someone with a tiny enclosure supplies overhead heat because this gives no temperature gradient either as it's too small for heat to dissipate over a distance. I liked how you discussed some of the differences between these two options but I think it would be cool to delve into the overhead option a little bit more as well, but I also understand if you're more comfortable with belly heat discussion.
Also the cage aggression thing is so annoying 😭 such a big misconception I wish more people would explain in these kinds of videos. Normalize tap training and/or target training 😤
(I fed my special needs ball python in a seperate bin due to his history of missing his meals and getting glass instead. Spider ball python pain 😢 but my current non-spider eats completely in her enclosure and is just an absolute sweetheart)
I'm working on a video right now that will go deeper into all the heating options as well as talk about how heat mats do nothing for the ambient temperatures of an enclosure :-)
Fun to watch Bob. Why don't you build a craggy rock with boxes and spray foam for Maya to climb? And fun to have you here for a few days too!
I'm glad I got to sit across the room and watch you watch a video mom!... And that's a great idea!
Aspen works great in UK, new keeper young ball python keeper, before we went to large bio active enclosure. We can monitor poos and wees, regulate humidity with hides and moss, easily replace any wet aspen. As long as research it’s absolutely fine, actually great our youngest ball python liked to borrow in it.
That's great!
Is there any reason it works in the UK and not the US?
Cool to see brother working together
In this video I saw that you didnt have any substrate inside of the hide where the heat mat is, should I be doing this aswell?
Heat mats don't heed through substrate well so I always pull the substrate off the heat mat so that the snake can sit right on the surface at 90°
With the temporary tub enclosure setup im currently using till my diy wooden enclosure is finished heated with a RHP..currently im using a heat mat on the watm side however juat the heat mat alone isent enough to keep the ambient temperature up around where it should so in also using a CHE..i have the che on the cool side at the back with the cool end hide being towards the frount snd the temperature under the cool side hide is constant around 81...im also using thr che for a basking spot directly under the che with temps staying 86 under that...do i have this all wrong? Its confusing with all the different info on the net...i jist don't want to be doing it all wrong..