Few tips for happy healthy Ball Pythons

1- make sure they have not one but TWO hide areas. One on cooler side (80-82f), and one on hot side(88-92f)

2- always provide water!

3- a day or two before feeding do not handle them!

4- when feeding day comes, do not disturb the snake! Just place food item in cage by the hide area he or she is in. Best is late afternoon or night as they are nocturnal. 

5- DO NOT FEED PINKIES. They eat large fuzzies to start, but by the time we ship them they are on hoppers(Just weaned mice)

6- DO NOT FEED OUTSIDE OF ITS HABITAT. FEED IN ITS CAGE until you see a feeding response (usually after 6-8 feedings) then they are not shy and usually will eat anywhere you put them. But PLEASE FEED IN CAGE , especialy if you just got it. It is still adjusting and moving it only stresses it and puts the ball pythons into "flight/scared" mode, sometimes even defensive mode. This will not help in getting your snake to eat the mouse. 

7- Do try to feed live for first few times, you can switch to frozen later. Do not be one of those people who FORCE the snake to eat frozen when it doesnt want to, and in exchange starves the snake for your personal preference. Think of what the animal wants first!

8- When switching to frozen thawed, dangling, bumping its head with the mouse is not gonna help. We put the frozen thawed rodent on a paper plate by its hide and leave it be. If it doesnt eat overnight we try again in a few days. If ist still doesnt eat the f/t , GET A LIVE MOUSE!

9- IF your ball python is in blue (going into shed where the eyes can be milky looking), it will not usually eat. Wait till after the shed. 

10- If your snake sheds in pieces , your humidity is to low and you will have to soak the ball python you bought in lukewarm water that is shallow, for an hour a day till you can gently help the pieces come off. Make sure to take of their nostrils as will impede breathing. Correct the humidity issue by making the substrate a little more humid under the hides, as well as possibly covering parts off the enclosure to prevent humidity loss. Some ball python keepers keep a container of spagnum moss that is moist in enclosure so the snake can choose to get more humid if it likes. 

11- ENJOY and make sure to do extensive research.