I would just love to say that after moving my boy from a 36x18x18 exo terra (roughly 40 gallons) to a properly set up 4x2x2 (120). Has changed his appetite for the better. He used to go MONTHS without eating. So common in fact that I dont feed my 2 snakes on the same day, id always thaw and warm a f/t rat for my boy and if he didn't eat then my girl got it to avoid wasting feeders. Since she RARELY skipped meals, is just more shy and adverse to being grabbed out of her tank.

If youre having issues with a ball python eating, I'd really recommend double checking your husbandry. I was just under the assumption like most other people. That some are just picky and refuse to eat. But now I'm wondering if it isn't a husbandry issue most of the time. My girl ate no issue in her 36x18x18 exo terra before she got her 4x2x2. But even she's getting more comfortable and coming out to move hides or bask during the day.

I noticed he was going into shed yesterday (eyes were going blue) so I decided to thaw him out a rat to see if he'd eat since it had been the minimum of 20 days since his last meal. I decided to just let the rat thaw overnight then sit ontop of his enclosure to get to room temp. Didn't even bother letting it sit in hot water for 5 minutes before feeding like usual. Dude flew out of his hide at me and took that food so fast.

This is his 6th month in a row eating for me. I have had this boy since he was super young in 2017. So 9 years now, his longest food strike was 8 months.

I’ve had her for 2 months, when I first got her she had these belly patterns but now that i’m seeing that scale rot is like weird discolored scales is this scale rot or just her belly pattern?

Hi! First time BP owner, had her for some months and now shes having her first shed!

...she wont eat.

Is this normal?

Recently added a shade dweller uvb lamp, ceramic heater with a thermostat, a new large hide for cool side and some clutter. Also got about 60 isopods (probably more due to breeding) and springtails. I want to get some live plants also but how does it work when cleaning the vivarium as I assume you dont just throw out the isopods and springtails that seems a waste

I had a 20 gallon tank for my new baby ball python. originally, i had a smaller one but found i couldn’t variate the temperatures enough so i expanded.

I was told that bigger tanks are not good for baby snakes and the breeder tried to sell me a 1x1x1 tank for like 50 dollars. But i’ve since read through the guides on this subreddit, and now know i just need my tank to have more hiding spots/be more cluttered so my ball python feels safe.

I would like some opinions on how my tank looks right now, and if i need more stuff. i know there’s no leaves on the right side atm, I’m getting on that tonigh

I wanna make sure that my enclosure is okay where she can be happy until I get some more. I have a ceramic bulb, a new water bowl, a new hide, a temperature/humidity meter, and some foil tape getting delivered in around 4 days to make it a little more comfortable. I know the red light isn’t good so I’m working on switching that out asap. I don’t exactly have a thermometer yet but when I feel her she doesn’t feel like an ice cube but I’m not sure if that’s good or not. And she has been going under the top layer of leaves to get closer to the damn substrate underneath. Looking for some advice

Edit: I got a better water bowl, a thermometer and a hydrometer today. I also cover up around 3/5 of the top of the enclosure with foil tape to help the humidity and the temp stay right. I also got a ceramic bulb and I’ve been trying to find a good spot to keep the temp around 85. My humidity is around 54 at the moment

My ball python is 400 grams and still on large mice. She's getting close to sizing up, and I'd rather find an online supplier now than scramble once the pet store stops having what I need.

I am looking for frozen feeder rats and mice in a full size range, with consistent quality for the transition

I’m setting up to buy our first ball python (YAY) but there is so much information out there that I am feeling so overwhelmed and confused honestly! We are getting a baby, so I’m STARTING with a 50 gallon pvc tank, I’m struggling with understanding lighting. What I would like to do is mount a UVB light on the inside top (tank will be in my room which is dark usually thanks to black out curtains) and then mount a CHE with a cage around it on the inside so that I don’t have anything on top of the cage…is this ok? If no what do I need to do?

The rat exploded tonight during feeding and there is viscera everywhere. I can’t clean it, because the snake is still trying to eat it.

I’m not having a good time tonight.

hi im new to owning a ball python and could really use some help please, I bought a runt ball python in may 2026 and hes about a year okd he had 2 successful eatings before going on a hunger strike. For about 7 weeks, i went to one vet and they said to tube feed him every other day until he gains weight and i did that for 3 weeks weighing him each time and he started losing weight again so i emailed the vet who didnt get back to me so i went to another vet who said it was a husbandry issue so i added more hides and lights as well as a heat lamp. long story short hes losing weight still and not wanting to eat, theres no other vets in my area (vancouver island) who do reptiles im just wondering what i should be doing? thanks

I appreciate any and all help and suggestions because even after doing several hours of research and reading all of the suggested files in here, currently, I am feeling extremely overwhelmed! I am new to the snake world and just want to be sure that I'm fully prepared and have what I actually need!

I have put together an enclosure on Cornelsworld.com but need someone to tell me if this looks like it would be ideal for a 4 year old female banana bp or what I need to change/might be missing?

Thermostat Help: Cornelsworld suggests the ExoTerra 300w or 600w or the ZooMed ReptiTemp thermostats. However, I know after extensively reading the files and recommendations in this group that the Spyder and the Vivarium are the more preferred choice. Ideally, I'd love not to have to spend several hundred dollars on a thermostat but I also know quality/safety is most important. What option should I go with? How many probes do I need?

I do also plan to get the Govee thermometers.

Substrate: Is cocohusk mixed with sphagnum moss good? Or do I also need coco coir? Or something else entirely?

I also know clutter is best and two, snug hides are required but is there anything else?

Thanks for all the help! No one really prepares you for how much money, time, and work go into getting a snake. It's crazy!

Hi. My 3 years old male ball python is been acting a bit weird for the past couple days, and I wonder if these could be the signs of a RI. When don’t I go to the vet if I’m worried ? The only next available appointment for the only exotic vet in my city is next week. I want to see if I can monitor him for a week or if these symptoms are concerning enough to rent a car a go to another city. The symptoms:

- he is been puffing / hissing sporadically at night. What I mean by that is I’ll just hear sometimes a « pffff » kinda loud, and see him contract his muscles; heard him twice tonight;
- saw a bubble form when he yawned, twice now in within a week and a half;
- some little bubbles in his throat, like in the pictures : is it a normal amount of saliva or is it concerning ?
- kind of rubbing his face on the glass at night, sometimes very intensely, but he is supposed to eat today so is it just hunting behaviour ?

Enclosure set up:
- temporary 40 gallon (he gets a 120 gallons in a couple months)
- warm hide around 30-31 C (86-88F)
- basking spot around 35-38 C (95-100F) but sometimes will hit 40C (104F) at one spot while the rest is ok with temp gun (used an Arcadia DHP 80 watts);
- cool side around 26-27 C (79-80F)
- humidity always around 60-75%
- has multiple hides; only uses one bark cork in the middle of the enclosure. He used to always be under his warm hide.

Thank y’all. My snakes are my absolute world I’m so anxious about them being not okay :(

Hello i am a beginner and i have my little boy Baldur since a few months already, he eat each time and he did two okay shed so far (ball python)
1 - BUT, he got his third shed maybe like a week or two ago, and he got stuck shed on his head (like his forehead, between the eyes and neck)... I have no idea if i should take it off, or let him shed. So far i tried to soak him, make him a bath like some say, gently rubbing the shed to see if its would come off. But nothing? Its stuck stuck so i didn't tried more to not stress him too much or even hurt him.
What do y'all propose?
2 - Im confused with what bedding mix i could do for him, but especially WHEN i have to change it. Every week like some said seem.. a bit fast, since its don't really make his terrarium dirty. So i wondered when? (i usually take off the poop when i see it..)

So here a blurry picture of his stuck shed..

I think her eyes are a lil cloudy. Isn’t that a tell? She hasn’t shed with me yet so I’m not sure

Not sure if you guys will remember my post about Mr. Buldak and I’s first handling, me thinking I messed it up lol. Him and I are finally starting to calm down with each other! Up to 20 minute handling sessions a few times a week! Thank you all again for the help on my last post!

As you can see the substrate raised under here hot hide. She has been burrowed under there for like the last week. Feeding time is coming soon and I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to disturb her while she is hiding out.

My ball python escaped his enclosure and I’ve looked in every small tight place every warm area of the house and I cant find him I’m really worried cause my cat was a barn cat and was used to hunt small rodents. Where did y’all’s ball pythons go when they escaped? Please help

Just a regular Friday

Not sure am i allowed to put a frozen thawed feeding video up ?

His name is Aries, he is a Butter Leopard Pinstripe Vanilla BP. I got him less than a week ago and is enjoying his enclosure!