Originally Posted by Snowberry
So.. I went into the petshop for breeding mice, and I came out with a very clingy little friend.
I'm going to kick myself for this later, but I got a baby ball python from my favorite petshop. I'm unsure of his/her gender, but I've named my snake Patch. Patch was beginning to shed when I bought him yesterday, and today he has all of it gone except his head and part of his neck.
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That's called a bad shed and is typical of pet shop ball pythons. The husbandry of ball pythons in most pet shops is rather poor.
If you have not done so already, buy a book called "Ball Python Manual" - you can get it used cheap on Amazon. Never read it myself but I've heard it is excellent.
Since you bought a ball python there are two things you must do -
1) Make sure it eats. If the BP is an import, it might be difficult to get feeding. Many pet store BPs are imports, and while a BP is an excellent beginner snake, one that is difficult to feed is not good for beginners.
2) Make an appointment with your vet. You need to have a fecal float done to make sure it doesn't have a parasite load.
With respect to the bad shed - don't try to peel it off yourself. Soak the snake in luke warm water for about 20 minutes every few days once it starts its next shed cycle, and it should come off by itself. Make sure you provide adequate humidity. A spray bottle that is only used for water can be used to help raise humidity if it is too low.
Good luck with your new pet!
