RCReptiles.com

[zee-man]

So I've been doing quite a decent amount of reading both on these forums, in my manual, and across the internet on bp health problems and it seems like there's quite a list. I guess in comparison there aren't as many as with humans or dogs, but at a first glance it seems to be quite daunting and bp's rather susceptible to almost anything. I'd imagine however that if one purchases a CB ball python and maintains proper heating and humidity all of these issues can be avoided, correct? Mites and ticks shouldn't happen so long as its a CB and hasn't been exposed before being brought into your home. From that point on, just avoid pet stores and other situations where mites are prevalent and ensure you wash your hands before returning home. Burns are minimized by controlling the heat source via a thermostat, and humidity with the water dish and outside sources of moisture, ie a damp towel. Belly rot is avoided by keeping the tank tidy and not allowing feces to remain in the tank for prolonged periods of time. I have to admit I am still not that knowledgable in RI, I just know its like the boogey monster for snakes. Even people on these forums who seem to take very good care of their bp's and know far more than I are suffering RI problems. How can this be avoided? I haven't read that section in my manual yet, was planning on it tonight when I return from work. Basically, what I'm asking is, is it truly as difficult as it currently seems to keep your ball healthy, or are they truly as easy to care for as people claim? Are these people just very experienced herp-enthusiasts, or do they just pay attention and follow the guidelines. I'm sure its a bit of both, just looking for some, it will be ok notions to calm my jitters before getting my little girl. Sheesh, if I'm fussing this much over a snake what am I gonna do when I start having kids??? Thankfully, I won't be doing that for a few more years, heh. Thanks for the input and responses, I'm hoping to get my ball by this weekend Can't wait, everything is all ready for her, just waiting to hear back from the pro breeder himself (Ron).
Sincerely,
Josh

[deborahbroadus]

[ryancbj22]

I wouldn't stress over the possibility's of diseases. What I would stress over is the enviornment your keeping your ball in. The temps the humidity etc...

The main thing to understand is anytime an animal is brought in to be around other animals it should be quarintined. This means keep it in a separate room from any of your other animals. This is your first snake so it's not a concern for you.

The only thing you can do to prevent disease's and or problems is keep the enviornment (temps, humidity etc.) in order. This means having a t-stat on the heat source. Making sure the humidity stays in the correct ranges, and cleaning the items in the tank on a fairly regular basis. Spot clean when necassary, add clean water etc.

Unfortunetly sometimes animals will come down with diseases or problems, but that is where having a local vet that can care for these species comes in. If conditions are kept accordingly and care is taken then you should be in the clear with major problems. Keep in mind i'm not an expert nor a vet. So theres never a guarantee that nothing will happen, but taking these steps will definitely help.

There are people on here who are very experienced at what they do. There not vets, but a lot of us have been through the trial and error phase so it helps when deciding on what to do in certain situations.....

[zee-man]

I literally just bought a 20 gallon tank, so they aren't the best choice? Well its a terrarium but glass sides with screen top, you get the picture, heh. I was looking at the all screen enclosures, but that just seems like a poor idea, so much airflow, would hurt for both temperature and humidity retention. I'm fortunate that in my room at the moment I have about 60-65% humidity, don't quite know why its that high, but it works for me. Maybe living in western PA actually has its plusses :P. I have the thermostat, the reptitherm 500 an the UTH for my tank's size. I'm more concerned with the thermostat being a fire hazard, but I'd assume since it's still on the market and people here recommend it, it's a solid piece of electronics. Being an Electrical Engineer I know how finicky electronics are, heh, but that's another story all itself. The conditions of living (humidity, temperature) at home shouldn't be too hard to handle to make it positive on the ball, school however will be a different story, and I won't know until I get there what the conditions are in my apartment. That's why I'm keeping some cash saved for the whoops factor. So RI is more a humidity/temperature issue, otherwise it's unavoidable? Should I set my humidity at about 70-80%, I'd imagine that's ideal since most people seem to have the best results from sheds at that level. As far as cleaning the items in the tank, how often should I do that? I was reading the cleaning document on Ron's set of recommended links and cleaning utilized dishsoap or other mild detergent rather than bleach which is far more potent and caustic, its basic (not acidic) as I recall, heh. Once a month cleaning of the accessories in the tank, bimonthly? What do the more experienced recommend? One unfortunate side of being in western PA is the only specialized herp vets are in a hub in Pittsburgh, so there won't be any easy access for advice if my bp comes down with RI. Also as a college student I'm concerned with affording to pay for the meds, it seems anymore that meds for pets are more than for people. Not to say I won't pay it, don't get me wrong, when you accept the responsibility you accept all that comes with it, just stating that if I can find any/all ways to keep it from happening you best believe I'm gonna find it and do it. Thanks again

[a_green]

I may be wrong here but isn't RI like a cold, and needs to be transmitted by a virus? Based on that you could avoid RI largely by getting your BP from a breeder who can give you a disease-free guarantee. Either way you'll vastly reduce your chances of illness if you buy from a good breeder.

When it comes to cleaning you really only need to do spot cleaning on a regular basis--when your BP leaves you a 'present', get rid of it ASAP and clean whatever it might have touched. Otherwise you shouldn't need to do a full tank cleanout more than a couple times a year, if that. (Of course there are those who disagree purely by virtue of it 'seeming icky' or whatever... Looking at you, Harald...... )