My Royal Python

[Bogwoodbruce]

Well i got this from a friend for free!
A Very nice well made 24x18x18 Viv, Ceramic bulb and UV, some great Decor some good wood and plants, and a pair of Cuban Curley tail lizards, which i think the female was full of eggs. The old owner says i could either keep the lizards for swap them for somthing else so i swapped them for a 12" Royal Python. He's great!

[Bogwoodbruce]

Here he is. He sits with me while i'm on the computer:
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r35/BogwoodBruce/Snake/RoyalandDovi032.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r35/BogwoodBruce/Snake/RoyalandDovi035.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r35/BogwoodBruce/Snake/RoyalandDovi033.jpg

[loconorc]

A few comments of your setup:
- Although newspaper is easy to clean, aspen is best for the well-being of the snake. They absolutely love burrowing in it, they will feel much more secure and confident around you when unstressed.
- Those exoterra caves arent great as a hide. Theyr'e decent, but you can do better. They love love love cork bark flats!
- Snakes absolutely DO NOT need UV. It doesnt hurt them, BUT the bright light that comes from it is VERY distressing. The ceramic heat emitter only needs to focus a spot of about 90 degrees in one spot, the rest should be room temp. (VERY IMPORTANT!).
- Dial thermometers are very innacurate an un-precise. Try a temp gun for about 15 bucks from proexotics.com or a reptile supplier online.

You got a nice tank though. I hope you take my suggestions into account, your snake will love you for it! :) A happy snake is a fun snake.

Are you in the UK? They usually only call them royals there. Good luck! :)

[Bogwoodbruce]

A few comments of your setup:
- Although newspaper is easy to clean, aspen is best for the well-being of the snake. They absolutely love burrowing in it, they will feel much more secure and confident around you when unstressed.
- Those exoterra caves arent great as a hide. Theyr'e decent, but you can do better. They love love love cork bark flats!
- Snakes absolutely DO NOT need UV. It doesnt hurt them, BUT the bright light that comes from it is VERY distressing. The ceramic heat emitter only needs to focus a spot of about 90 degrees in one spot, the rest should be room temp. (VERY IMPORTANT!).
- Dial thermometers are very innacurate an un-precise. Try a temp gun for about 15 bucks from proexotics.com or a reptile supplier online.

You got a nice tank though. I hope you take my suggestions into account, your snake will love you for it! :) A happy snake is a fun snake.

Are you in the UK? They usually only call them royals there. Good luck! :)
Well these are old pics, the tank has been changed, we've taken out the UV installed a red light as not to damage it's eyes, that hide was what came with the tank. And we've added a mess box around the bulb to stop him frlom burning himself and we are getting a thermostat.

[Bogwoodbruce]

Would he like a Piece of Branch? Across the viv for him to wrapp around???? I know that they aren't really climbers but he might like it. And would a thermostat be a good buy?

[loconorc]

You don't need a thermostat. Use your infrared bulb. Adjust the height from the basking spot to increase/decrease the disired temp. You probably want about 90 degrees. A temp gun (tempgun.com) should help you pinpoint the temp, and make sure the rest of the cage has a proper thermal gradient. So no, thermostats are only useful for massive reptile rooms and incubators.

Branch = waste of time. Less is more. Provide the essentials and leave it at that. When people start to overcomplicate, they forget the basics and the whole thing goes to crap. He won't use it anyway, they really couldn't care less. Something funny: People try to replicate 'arboreal' enviornments by adding a branch. If an animal is going to climb, it isnt going to be a foot off the ground, it'll be 20 feet up in a tree. You can find tree monitors in burrows and bearded dragons 40 feet up in trees. So unless you can provide a range of that magnitude, its not really necessary. He couldn't care less, so neither should you.

[Bogwoodbruce]

You don't need a thermostat. Use your infrared bulb. Adjust the height from the basking spot to increase/decrease the disired temp. You probably want about 90 degrees. A temp gun (tempgun.com) should help you pinpoint the temp, and make sure the rest of the cage has a proper thermal gradient. So no, thermostats are only useful for massive reptile rooms and incubators.

Branch = waste of time. Less is more. Provide the essentials and leave it at that. When people start to overcomplicate, they forget the basics and the whole thing goes to crap. He won't use it anyway, they really couldn't care less. Something funny: People try to replicate 'arboreal' enviornments by adding a branch. If an animal is going to climb, it isnt going to be a foot off the ground, it'll be 20 feet up in a tree. You can find tree monitors in burrows and bearded dragons 40 feet up in trees. So unless you can provide a range of that magnitude, its not really necessary. He couldn't care less, so neither should you.
Thanks!

[loconorc]

No problem. You know, once you really look at the hobbyists as a whole, you realize some of them are just plain stupid. Common sense prevails, even if you have to think a bit. :)

Any questions, just ask. If I can't answer it, someone else sure can.

[Bogwoodbruce]

No problem. You know, once you really look at the hobbyists as a whole, you realize some of them are just plain stupid. Common sense prevails, even if you have to think a bit. :)

Any questions, just ask. If I can't answer it, someone else sure can.
Ok pal.:D

[loconorc]

:D

[Tylervsmith]

i actually dont agree with a few of loconrc's comments


If i was you, i would just put a bunch of hides in there.
Add the branch if you want to, im seriously saying, he WILL use it.
They will use the branch because just beeing a foot off the grond is enjoyable for them.
What is the temp on the hot side?
What is your current substrate?

[loconorc]

To them, 2 feet from the ground IS the ground. Arboreal and semi-arboreal herps are nearly always found hundreds of feet up in trees. People put them in 10 foot tall cages and say its 'arboreal'. Yeah, hell USE it, of course! Will he think hes up in a tree? No.

Did I say to put ONLY one hide? I thought I sugested cork flats. They also enjoy kitty litter pans, spaces under water bowls (they sell combo bowls/hides), very dense plants, etc. If you use aspen, that counts as shelter too. Terrestrial snakes love the stuff. About 6 inches of that, and its heaven.

[Tylervsmith]

[quote=loconorc;1140161;]To them, 2 feet from the ground IS the ground. Arboreal and semi-arboreal herps are nearly always found hundreds of feet up in trees. People put them in 10 foot tall cages and say its 'arboreal'. Yeah, hell USE it, of course! Will he think hes up in a tree? No.
quote]

I disagree with this...

[TheBloodyIrish]

Some Balls will use a branch, others won't. However what they need most are tight-fitting hides.

I have always used a lamp dimmer, thermometer/hydrometer and a human heating pad or heat cords. However this method was way before decent thermostats were being produced and old habits die hard. I have yet to have a problem though, and a lot of breeders also do it that way, however it is the responsibility of the person to check once or twice daily though. I don't adovocate people using this setup, unless they really know what they are doing. Nowaday, you can prevent bad stuff from happeing with a good $100+ thermostat, but they are not exactly perfect yet.

I know that I should be using heat tape, according ot some herpers, but insurance have a problem with this since Flexwatt is not certified by CSA or UL.

By the way, if you are going to use a bulb, please put a heat guard on it.

[Bogwoodbruce]

Some Balls will use a branch, others won't. However what they need most are tight-fitting hides.

I have always used a lamp dimmer, thermometer/hydrometer and a human heating pad or heat cords. However this method was way before decent thermostats were being produced and old habits die hard. I have yet to have a problem though, and a lot of breeders also do it that way, however it is the responsibility of the person to check once or twice daily though. I don't adovocate people using this setup, unless they really know what they are doing. Nowaday, you can prevent bad stuff from happeing with a good $100+ thermostat, but they are not exactly perfect yet.

I know that I should be using heat tape, according ot some herpers, but insurance have a problem with this since Flexwatt is not certified by CSA or UL.

By the way, if you are going to use a bulb, please put a heat guard on it.
Yep theres a guard on it.

[Bogwoodbruce]

I've also added a second hide too. And last night i gave him his first feed a Fussy mouse and he ate it straight away. This is a good sign as i know they are finicky feeders.

[Bogwoodbruce]

I'm gonna take some new pictures tonight.

[loconorc]

Good job bruce, sounds like you know what youre doing. Tyler, if youre going to disagree AGAIN, tell why please.

[davo]

Are you in the UK? They usually only call them royals there. Good luck! :)
Only because it sounds better than balls lol.

You don't need a thermostat. Use your infrared bulb. Adjust the height from the basking spot to increase/decrease the disired temp. You probably want about 90 degrees. A temp gun (tempgun.com) should help you pinpoint the temp, and make sure the rest of the cage has a proper thermal gradient. So no, thermostats are only useful for massive reptile rooms and incubators.


I'd go with 92F hotspot on the one side and try and get the gradient so its down to at least 82F on the other and you'll be fine. A thermostat IS a good idea, but get the one ideal for your needs (between pulse and dimming stats). I'd never have a cage without one, they maintain the temp. correctly, where you might not be able to have the control otherwise, and with the changes in winter/summer here... just do it lol!

Minimal, you want the water on the cool side, with a hide at either side in the hot area, and in the cool area, and these can be cork hides, the one you have an upside down tupaware box with a hole in, a cornflake box or a toilet roll tube it really doesn't matter so long as the snake can fit snugly inside, and it isn't too big for it, so it's up to you. If you want the branch, have the branch, it's not detrimental and if you like the way it looks in the viv, then great. Some will use it like they're a GTP, some will not/barely use it at all.

And yeah, invest in a temp gun, or even just a good digital display thermometer with a probe.

[loconorc]

Well said, Davo. :)

[Bogwoodbruce]

I'm looking into a temp gun, i haven't been able to post as my computer was sent away to get repaired.

[TheBloodyIrish]

I think you can find them at any auto stores.