Why are heat rocks dangerous for ball pythons?
Pet stores still sell and promote these dangerous pieces of equipment, because they heard it somewhere and are just passing along misinformation. Heat rocks heat unevenly and can have spikes in temperature, they can cause serious burns and injury. A heat rock is way too small, and only heats a small area.
What kind of heater do ball pythons need?
First of all, these snakes should be getting belly heat FIRST. A ceramic infrared heater can be used to supplement, as long as your humidity is carefully monitored. Ball Pythons require 60% humidity, and up to 80% while in shed. Too high humidity can cause respiratory infection.
What should I do if I have a ball python?
If you use any sort of bulb (ceramic heater, not light bulb) at all, it should be the secondary heat source only, and if you do, be sure to watch your humidity, and sheds extra carefully. There are some newer studies that show that some UV lighting can be helpful, even if the wild ball doesn’t get it in the wild.
What should I do if my ball python is overfeeding?
If you have a tank with a screen top, cover part of the screen and monitor your humidity, changing the percent of the area covered until the desired percent is reached. You can cover your lid in part, a number of ways, such as bristol board, cardboard, towel, etc., to change your humidity level. 4. Underfeeding/Overfeeding.
Are there any health problems with ball pythons?
While they are usually a very healthy animal, they can have some health problems. These are some of the main health problems seen in Ball Pythons and what you can do to help your snake. Inclusion Body Disease is usually a fatal viral disease seen in ball pythons.
What are the signs of a ball python with IBD?
The most common signs seen with IBD are: Impaired righting reflex (the ability to orient the body back to an upright position), While this is a long list of signs often seen with IBD, these signs could also mean that your ball python has something else going wrong with them.
Pet stores still sell and promote these dangerous pieces of equipment, because they heard it somewhere and are just passing along misinformation. Heat rocks heat unevenly and can have spikes in temperature, they can cause serious burns and injury. A heat rock is way too small, and only heats a small area.
What should I do if my ball python is not shedding?
If you are having problems with your snake shedding, check the temperature and humidity of your ball python’s cage. Change the temperature and humidity until your snake’s habitat is back to normal. Also, you can give a warm shallow bath for your snake to get into to help them shed. Watch your snake in the water to make sure that they do not drown.
