This is my first bioactive set up and it has been going for about a month and i just recently spotted a really small jumping spider in there, note i’ve also noticed a small flying gnat that i can’t identify, are these bad for my enclosure should i clean it out?

Would a FLIR camera be better for a snake enclosure? Just curious if anyone is using one or any other type of thermal imaging camera vs an infrared heat gun?

My thought is, with a FLIR I could see and monitor the entire enclosures temps at once vs testing every little spot with the heat gun?

Obviously the thermal cam is more expensive, but aside from cost is there any downside to using one vs the other?

This is Milk and I was cleaning her tank when I noticed she had a lot of black spots on her back and was hoping someone knows what is going on?

hi!! so i got a 12 week old ball python on the 2nd of august this year shes on rat pups at the moment, she had eaten the week before that on the 26th of july but hasnt eaten since then, i offered her food on the 13th so a 11 days after i got her which she did not take, and then ive offered about 5/6 times? is this too much? its like every 3/4 days. Ive done the warming it up method, pin in the brain method and ive been weight her, im quite worried because from the 15th of august to the 26th of august she lost 12 grams, unfortunately i wasn't very smart and forgot yo weight her as soon as i got her but apparently she had eaten 6 meals and striked at them. i offer her a pup today and she striked at it, i closed the door and turned the light off, 5 minutes later i checked again and she had dropped it, i picked it up with tweezers to try again and she seemed interested but shaky and didn't take it, should i be worried? Is there anything i can do?

is this scale rot on her tail??!!! please i’ve bought a snake and i can’t tell if this is or not

I have a new terrarium after adopting my boyfriends families somewhat neglected 11yo ballpython. So while I did a lot of research I am still very much a newbie.

She is now in a 120x45x60cm terrarium and I have established a warm and cold side with temperatures between 30/31°C on the warm side in a basking spot and 25/26°C on the cold side in a hide. But I am struggling to keep the humidity above 60%. I covered the top aluminium mesh with aluminium foil (it does have a dome with a heating light and I cut a hole for that). There is a mesh on the right side of the terrarium. And the humidity keeps dropping to 45-55%. I am afraid of making the enclosure too wet though. Spraying water does cool it significantly and I also don’t know how fast mould can start growing… plus I don’t want to keep everything constantly wet since I don’t want her to be at risk for scale rotting or any infections… any advice would be appreciated.

Any „must do“ or „must not do“ is also appreciate!

And just one more thing: she isn’t showing any obvious signs of dehydration (eyes caps aren’t cracked, scales are smooth, no excessive drinking or soaking and she shed in one piece a few weeks ago)

How do you go about finding a reliable snake sitter who can come into your home and check in on your pet while you’re out of town? I previously had someone who was able to but don’t anymore and will be out of town for the holidays in December and want to find someone for that time frame. Not sure how to go about it since it’s both someone coming into my home and for a snake.

Hi all! I just got my first bp about 2-3 weeks ago, I gave him some extra time to let him settle before offering food since he is a bit of a shy guy, he gets stressed over some small things and will begin breathing hard, but I try not to bother him. But tonight he took his first meal with ease and was super excited to do so! What should I do with handling after letting him digest for 48 hours? He’s hissed at me once only because I scared him moving a log he knocked over once, and seems to get stressed when I come into his vicinity. He hasn’t tried striking but mostly just is shy and a bit scared, how do I work on trust and making sure he knows I won’t hurt him?

Photo of my sweet boy! His name is Vermax :)

I recently found out that I need to seal the corners of my ball python's tank before winter when the air gets extremely dry (I struggled with humidity last winter and now I know why). But the terrarium sealant I bought says to let it de-gas for 1 week before having an animal in the tank. I have a big tote for the temp enclosure and will put his favorite hides in there as well, but I'm concerned about the temperatures as my regular tank uses CHE and I think that would melt the plastic tote. I worry about heat burns from heating pads though. Will he be ok at 20-25 degrees celcius for just 1 week or is there another way I can heat the temporarily enclosure safely?

Can my tank (4x1x1) have one consistent humid side where as the other is lower in humidity? My warm side temp (panel heat) stays consistent in temp 87-91 and my cool side temp stays around 80-81. NOW…. The warm side drops in humidity as the heat dries it out a lot. The humidity when I spray on warm side reaches 80-90 then drops in the hour to anywhere from 60-75%. BUT my cold side stays at 80-90% humidity after I spray for nearly the whole day. Do I need both sides identical in proper humidity? (Sorry if dumb question)

Just recently got this lil guy here last week & sometime lastnight between 10PM & 7AM he started shedding & its currently 12:15PM. How long does the actual shed take to complete? He doesnt come out of his hide much so im curious if hes completed the shed and is just laying on top of it or if hes still in the process? Should i lift the hidE a bit to check & see, i dont want to physically move him just in case hes still actively shedding. Any adive is greatly appreciated!

So this past Friday I got my first ball python and I had one of the guys at the store help me on what to get and he only gave me a heat pad and everything I’ve read has said that bp’s need warm air and not just the heat pad and with only the heat pad the cage is staying between 68-70 degrees so I’m trying to figure out how big of a bulb I need for the tank if anyone could help it would be much appreciated and if anyone has any questions that could help lead to figuring out just what he needs it feel free to ask

Took my ball python out before it starts cooling off.

It’s a 3-year-old female ball python. I’m learning how to care for her, but I’m overwhelmed by how inadequate the equipment is that I’ve been given.

It includes a glass tank that’s only 36x18x18 inches, and it’s being heated by a single 100 watt ceramic bulb. The screen is divided into four narrow sections which means the dome for any bulb that I use must be tiny.
Theres also a humidifier, which isn’t ideal, according to what I’ve read. And I’m having a hard time figuring out how to create a temperature gradient. Is it even possible in a tank this small?

I want to upgrade the tank, but I’m currently staying 100s of miles away from home in order to attend school and I can’t realistically acquire a new enclosure until I return home next spring.

Any suggestions? I am very eager to provide a better life for this sweet girl after years of mistreatment.

Hi everyone! I recently got this little guy/girl from someone who was looking to rehome them and give them a better life. I’m a first-time snake owner, so I’m still learning!
Today was actually my first time handling them since I got them. I had been giving them some space because of shedding and feeding. Overall, handling went pretty well, but I definitely realized I’m not as confident as I’d like to be yet

At one point they started getting pretty close to my face, and it freaked me out enough that I decided to put them back in their enclosure. I’m assuming they were probably just curious/exploring, but since I don’t really know how to read snake body language yet, I got nervous.

Does anyone have recommendations for good YouTubers, creators, or other resources that teach snake body language and handling? I’d especially like to learn how to tell the difference between curiosity/exploring, stress, defensiveness, feeding responses, etc.

I am preparing for my maternity leave in january. In my country I can stay home for three years, which sounds great but also the government financial compensation is ridiculous, so I will have almost no money for three years.

Therefore, I would like to stock up on rats for my boy for the longest time possible, but idk if they are safe to be fed if frozen for three years, so what is the ideal time there?

Just changed out my substrate and added some clutter all to help regulate the humidity. Got a Lemon Blast Banana Ball Python a little over a month ago. Was 4 months old 228g when it came home with us. Now he/she is 288 grams after weekly successful feeding and good poop. Hopefully this will fix the humidity issue and Butters Cornelius Scotch will be happier. He was happy before and looks happy still with the new set up. No questions at the moment I just wanted to post the new set up

I have a very active and exploratory BP, who outside of digestion and shedding times spends large amounts of the day climbing and subsequently falling (quite hard sometimes) off of things in his tank. (5x2x2 bioactive tank with lots of climbables for enrichment - cork bark, driftwood and pvc pipe etc) and just wanted to get opinions on if the cracking and scratching here seems typical/corresponding to his active behaviour, and that it's not indicative of a larger issue. I will say I do have some trouble maintaining consistent humidity in his tank, despite near-daily watering and misting, and wonder if that may be the cause, or playing a role? His sheds are usually quite intact and healthy-looking. He has occasional cracks and scratches on his back and sides, but the vast majority of it is just on his belly scales. Thanks so much!