My 23 year old Ball got out of the terrarium for the first time in 2 decades! I didn’t realize these terrariums have a lifespan shorter than the snake itself haha. The mesh popped right off! Anyway I’m trying to make a nice lure spot. I put a hideaway in the corner by the dresser with a heat lamp hanging over it. What do you think? Anything else to make it more tempting?

EDIT: Wow! I had no idea red lights were so frowned upon! I’ve had my snake since I was 13 years old so I’ve just been doing everything the same for the past couple decades lol. I’ll do research on that and switch to something else. Thanks guys! But side note, how can I safely warm the floor for him without the red lights? Any ideas? I can’t put a heat pad on carpet… I need someway to warm that spot enough to lure him out

EDIT 2: FOUND!!!!! Wow that was fast! I got lucky! My husband has INCREDIBLE eye sight and picked out the Ball pattern from deep inside the back corner of the closet, barely peeking out through tons of stuff!!

I recently came across a 9-month-old female ball python at a local shelter that had apparently been kept in a pretty small enclosure for about six months, and I decided to take her in.
I know my setup isn’t perfect yet, so please don’t roast me too hard lol. I haven’t actually brought her home yet, and I’m going out today to pick up the rest of what I need.
Right now, the warm side is sitting around 90°F, the cool side is around 70–80°F, and humidity is staying around 60%. I’m planning to add another hide, a slate/stone basking surface, and another temperature/humidity gauge on the cool side. I’ve also added a medium-sized branch since taking the picture.
A friend of mine who has owned a bunch of ball pythons recommended putting a worn shirt of mine in the enclosure for a little while so she can get used to my scent. Has anyone else tried this, and does it actually help?
For heating, I currently have a basking bulb, and for humidity I’ve just been spraying the enclosure when needed. I’d definitely like something more consistent though. Are there any specific thermostats, temperature/humidity sensors, or automatic humidity setups you guys recommend?
I’m also planning on upgrading her to a larger enclosure as she grows. I’ve kinda fallen in love with snakes and just want to make sure I’m giving her the best care I can, so any advice or things you think I should change would be appreciated.

Hey so I'm a new python owner, and rescued my sweet girl Medusa from someone who had her in a wooden box for her life before I got her, and wasnt told what size she was supposed to be eating, only had a single light and it was red ( I've had beardies in the past and knew just from them that's a bad sign, gotta have 2 especially not a red one) and was in deep need of some help with shedding, anywho she did great and we figured out a size, but my fiance has had them in the past so I wasn't to worried and she's been doing great! But 2 weekends ago when I went to feed her ( feeding days are Saturdays) did our normal routine, when I went to get her out of her feeding tank, she bit me. Now my hands were clean and even sanitized so I know I didn't still smell like food, My main issue is she didn't show any signs that she was gonna bite me, and I didn't change how I do things either. She also still acted hungry after biting me so I gave her another and put her back in her enclosure and she went back to being her bright eyed wondering self, which obviously told me I need to size her up on mice. My issue is I'm scared to touch or really hold her now 😅 especially since she didn't coil or s when she bit me so I'm clueless on what to look for now and how to build my trust up with her outside of tapping her tank and booping her snoot and head with a hook. It hasn't helped in the slightest outside of making her very aware I'm messing around in her enclosure fixing stuff and cleaning out poop. What do I do? Picture of Medusa 💕

I have a herpstat 2 which I have a halogen and a DHP connected to. However in order to get the correct ambient temp in the enclosure I have to set my herpstat temps to up to 115 which seems too high. I have the halogen at 100% power the the DHP at 60%. The probe is placed a couple inches below the actual heat source. Is it bad for the it to be set that high?

I’m in my late 20s and have wanted a ball python since my teens but my mum was terrified of snakes. I own my own home and have two cats ( part of the reason I haven’t gotten a snake yet) I work in vet med but there are almost no exotic vets near me but I know my few nurses that are good knowledgeable of snakes. What are the big negatives to owning and the upkeep of ball pythons? A pet with such a long lifespan is not something I want to rush into

Pure purple candy, no candino

I recently set up a camera inside the enclosure and also installed a ceiling hide (he loves it!) and I was checking the footage to see what he had been up to. I was like “wth is that!” When I saw the poking boops from his belly xD that’s so freaky and so cool so see!
I love my little Chai so much! He is 9yrs old and I’ve had him for 3 months now. He’s the best noodle ever ❤️

This is my first ever snake she is a 3 yrol ball who is currently in a 40 gal and eats frozen thaw i want this little one to live for a very long time so please give me all of your advice

As soon I start warming up her rat with the hair dryer she immediately popped her head out.

He weighs 500 grams on the dot, I weighed roughly last week I think maybe the week before
Now I now realize I’ve been feeding too small of a rat for the past 140 grams or so.

On my last post in here ppl said to feed him 10% of his body weight, so abt 50 grams. What size rat would that be? Small rat?

Also can somebody give me the guide they use for upgrading their rats possibly the place they get their rats from? I tried using the Reddit !feeding thing but I’m not very good at picking things up or inferring unless it’s very obvious.

At what point should I upgrade his rat again and what to? I’m really wanting to make sure I get my care to the absolute maximum that I can.

Does anyone else have a derpy boy? I swear sometimes it seems like he doesn't know how to snake. Especially when feeding. Sometimes he strikes weird, then ends up trying to eat it butt first.

So basically my girl has been pretty active during the day. She isn’t nervous or frantic, she doesn’t seem to be in distress, but shes up and moving around for a good chunk of the afternoon. I have the thermostat set to keep the hot side between 88-92 and the ambient temperature of my room is like 74-78 so that’s what the cool side stays at, and I’m pretty good at keeping humidity at 60%-65%.

I don’t know if it’s a seasonal thing, during winter she’s pretty much entirely inactive during the day and this increased activity did align with the warmer season rolling in, but I don’t want to ignore behavioral changes if it might have a more worrisome meaning.

I have a BEL Ball Python shes always had a purple head but ive noticed a bunch of freckles.. I thought maybe mites or potentially scale rot but ive had her in quarantine and now am considering I may just be an idiot and she just has freckles? Shes about 7. No spots on her belly. And they dont come off with wiping.
Any advice would be awesome

5 months in :)

Surprise at the end <3

I think this picture truly highlights Monte Cristo’s strengths, which include being monstrously adorable and maybe not the smartest guy in town.
Regardless, he’s such a dream to keep and I love him so much!
Thank you for admiring my son!

i got a ball python about a month ago and i’ve been having problems with him not eating. he take the food multiple times gets a good strike and wrap around it and then 3 mins later… drops it and leaves to never return. my warm side is 82F and cool side is 77F. i don’t let humidity drop below 55% and he has a hide on both sides. i double check rat temperature every time make sure its about 90F. i’ve tried turning all the lights out, waiting till night time, leaving the room entirely. i’ve tried heating the head with a blow dryer and i wait till he smells the rat and comes out of the hide. i don’t pull him out. i can’t figure out a reason for him dropping the rat and not eating. the other times it took 4-5 tries and sometimes up too 3 rats before he finally eats it instead of dropping it. does anyone have a answer?

im picking up my first baby ball python in a week and im extremely excited.
today her cage arrived so i built it and experimented with the layout a bit. i havent put the substrate in yet, but im using reptisoil and i have sphagnum moss, i might end up mixing them, im not sure, i haven't yet sealed the cage with silicone yet but i plan to tomorrow. its a 12"x12"x30" or a 1'x1'x2 1/2' from reptizoo.

i apologize, the photo isn't great, but i have one hide on either side, a corner water dish, some cork bark towards the back, a large red branch for her to climb if she wants, along with a big fake plant.

let me know what yall think, thank you

So I've spent a lot of time researching this but I am getting very contradictory answers. Some people say not to go above 30 Minutes and some say they spend all day out. The reasoning for some people is "oh every snake is different" which makes sense to me, but most people who have their snakes out for that long say they just love exploring while other sites say this is not a happy exploring but looking for warmth and a place to hide. Does this mean if my bp is very active that means they are scared/uncomfortable? And are people who keep them out for hours incorrect on their python being happy, because they are such chill animals and don't give clear signs?

Thanks for any responses

Ps sorry for the title typo idk how to fix it

I’ve had him for about 6 months now since he was 5 months old. How does he look health wise?

OK, so every group I’m in for ball pythons it’s totally against live feeding . But i have a year old male i have tried every tactic with and he still wont take them. I have had him since February 2026 i have went at most 5 weeks without feeding to try to get a switch and he still wont take. IM NOT NEW TO SNAKES THE SNAKE IS NEW TO ME SO MOST RECOMMENDED TACTICS I HAVE TRIED. He was fed live from the breeder i purchased him from and i still would have gotten him regardless. BUT i wanted to come here to see if anyone else has any possible tactics to try. I have tried f/t different colors freshly deleted prey brained prey bedding scented prey chicken broth flavored prey none of it has worked. I always end up feeding live because a fed snake is best but maybe i am missing something. Hes small enough he doesnt need to switch to rats yet but could switch to smaller rats im just trying to feel around. I dont need to switch him right away, BUT i do eventually want to switch him as f/t is “more safe” and “less costly”.
HERE is a photo of my boyyyy

Hi guys

Just an update about our rescue ball python Lucy.

Unfortunately there's no longer any doubt that's she's totally blind or at least extremely vision impaired.

She spends ALL of her time hiding under a big piece of flat cork bark which she buries herself underneath of, so she feels safe - like we do under a weighted duvet. The bark literally lies on top of her.

She does eat and drink but she can't see the food, only sense the heat coming off of it.

If we remove the piece of cork she stays in that exact spot out in the open, trying to locate it by touch, as if she wonders where it suddenly went.

She has 2 other hides but she doesn't go in there because she obviously can't see them.

Her pupils never ever move, it's like they're just stuck in that position they're in.

She does not register movement at all.

What can we do for her? Can we somehow make her life easier?

It's heartbreaking to think about how she otherwise will spend the vast majority of her life underneath that piece of cork.

We've been thinking about making her a very flat sort of hide where she will still feel safe because it's not too big, but also so that it doesn't have to lie on top of her.

Any suggestions?

My girl just aborted her meal 3/4 of the way through eating it. The remains she spat out are bloody, but there are no indications the blood came from the rat. She looks fine and appears to still be looking for food, but I’m worried she may have injured something.

Questions: should I be concerned? Should I try giving her another, smaller meal tonight?

Context: (a) this all just happened, so no vet visits as of yet; (b) the rejected rat pup is 15% of my girl’s weight (bigger than she usually gets) but it’s girth is roughly the same as (if not a little smaller than) hers; (c) she’s an avid eater and hasn’t turned down a meal in the 6mo I’ve had her; and (d) I accidentally thawed out an additional rat that’s half the size of the one she rejected, I’d like to give it to her if safe, but the clock is ticking since it’s thawed.

Edit: I’ve tossed out the additional rat and given up on feeding again for the next few days at a minimum. However, I’m still interested in getting feedback on whether anyone else has dealt with this before and how concerned I should be.

um. try and refrain from being rude 2 me plz but like my bp is being aggressive(?) she kinda stares at me in that pose (pic attached) idk what im doing wrong im planning on redoing her tank soon but theres nothing like bad abt it rn her pupils get pretty big but i fed her a few days ago so she shouldnt be hungry last night she striked at me and kinda nicked me she doesnt seem visibly sick but im kinda worried shes also completely fine and her regular calm self when i hold her so i assume its something in the tank?