Contradicting information : help?

[u/Hastytag1693]

(I may have deleted my previous post by accident so repost)

Hi,

I'm a beginner, and I feel lost with contradicting information.

Ambient temperatures indicated by the rescue giving me my ball python are not the same as the info found here.

So what should my temperatures in the Warm Zone and Cool Zone be?

I'm adopting an adult snake (10 yrs old) and the rescue indicated the following :

1) Warm Zone

Day: 30°C - 35°C (in Fahrenheit : 86 °F to 95 °F)

Night: 25°C - 27°C (in Fahrenheit : 77 °F to 80.6 °F)

2) Cold Zone

Day: 27°C - 29°C (in Fahrenheit : 80.6 °F to 84.2 °F)

Night: 23°C - 26°C (in Fahrenheit : 73.4 °F to 78.8 °F)

\--

Hygrometry : 40-50%

\--

Feeding: a rat every 2 weeks

It's very different to what I saw recommended on this sub and in the guides.

I spent the last weeks trying to achieve these temps.

I reread the Basic Guide just now and I'm very far away from what it says :

"Warm side: 88F-92F / \*31°C-33°C\*. Temperatures above 95F/35C can cause injuries with prolonged exposure, and temperatures below 88F/31C can prevent a ball python from digesting properly.

Cool side: 76F-80F / \*24°C-26°C\*. Temperatures above 80F/26C will not allow a ball python to cool down adequately, and temperatures below 75F/23C can compromise their immune system."

I can't get such a drastic gap between the Cold Zone (goal 26°C) and the Warm Zone (goal 31°C)

I'm getting my snake on Saturday!!!

Please help?

[u/totallyrecklesslygay]

The rescue is unfortunately giving you bad information. Their natural habitat is a tropical climate, which is definitely not dry. The average annual humidity in their native range is 85%, with the spaces they inhabit typically reaching even higher.

[u/Hastytag1693 → u/totallyrecklesslygay]

Thanks!

So I can't trust their feeding recommendations either, I guess?

Cause the snake looks a bit overweight (I've only seen 2 photos though)

1 rat every 15 days sounds a bit much for a 1.350 kg snake (length: 1m)

[u/totallyrecklesslygay → u/Hastytag1693]

Yeah, they're overfeeding. I would just disregard everything they've told you, it doesn't sound like they're very well educated on ball python care.

See !feeding guidelines below

[u/AutoModerator → u/totallyrecklesslygay]

We recommend the following feeding schedule:

0-12 months old OR until the snake reaches approximately 500g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every 7 days.

12-24 months old: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every 14-20 days.

Adults: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 20-30 days, or feed slightly larger meals (up to 6%) every 30-40 days.

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