Help with temperature issues...

[Snowman]

I do understand from your point of view, but as it says I posted in the 'Herp Help' section, if people are getting fed up with answering the same questions why do they come on 'Herp Help'? I do really want the get 'Keeping and breeding Australian pythons' but after I get rid of the more important costs I shall invest in the book.

It's not People asking the same questions. It's people getting animals before they have run their enclosure for a few days to check temps etc. It's people who haven't done enough home work before they get a snake. People who don't bother to see which enclosure is best for a python. Which thermostat for which heat source. They dont bother to read a book or two. Just all the husbandry basics. I spent a good few months learning before I got my first snake. When I sell hatchies I also make sure the buyers have done enough research and are suitably set up and know how to care for them.

 

[shabbyy]

It's not People asking the same questions. It's people getting animals before they have run their enclosure for a few days to check temps etc. It's people who haven't done enough home work before they get a snake. People who don't bother to see which enclosure is best for a python. Which thermostat for which heat source. They dont bother to read a book or two. Just all the husbandry basics. I spent a good few months learning before I got my first snake. When I sell hatchies I also make sure the buyers have done enough research and are suitably set up and know how to care for them.

Well I have learnt my lesson, and I am trying my best to keep the snake healthy and happy.

So can we be happy rather than negative now?

Thanks.

 

[Snowman]

It's not negative. Correct husbandry is positive.

 

[Sleazy.P.Martini]

What a ridiculous comment. It's your responsibility as the owner to do the research, no one elses.

Pity to see another snake being mistreated due to a broke (or tight fisted) 'keeper'. If you cant afford the basics, do the right thing by the animal and give/ sell it to someone who can.

Easy tiger, the point I was making is unfortunately some people don't think like this. They get an animal on impulse without properly learning to care for it. However if licenses were harder to get it would stop at least some people doing this. Surely you can't disagree with that?

 

[JrFear]

i think the way your wording it snowman is negitive!
i do agree with you but your coming across as attacking!

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Easy tiger, the point I was making is unfortunately some people don't think like this. They get an animal on impulse without properly learning to care for it. However if licenses were harder to get it would stop at least some people doing this. Surely you can't disagree with that?

i wouldnt say its so much impulse! as u have to apply for the licence and pay for it! impulse is like walking into a petshop and buying a puppy because its cute and then giving it to the RSPCA a week later coz you live in a unit and is alot more work than u thought it would be!

 

[Snowman]

Well that's not my intention. My intention is for people reading this thread who are thinking of getting a first pet python not to make the same mistake.
If I was attacking I'd use insults and make it personal. Instead I think it's more positive to point out the lack of planning and poor husbandry. A mistake that I doubt he will make twice.

 

[Sleazy.P.Martini]

i wouldnt say its so much impulse! as u have to apply for the licence and pay for it! impulse is like walking into a petshop and buying a puppy because its cute and then giving it to the RSPCA a week later coz you live in a unit and is alot more work than u thought it would be!

I can't remember the rules in NSW but up here you can get your license on the net in about ten minutes, print it off, drive to the pet shop and walk out with a reptile. Within an hour I'd still label that impulsive.

 

[loungelizard]

In S.A. We can own one protected animal with no permit at all !

 

[andynic07]

Well that's not my intention. My intention is for people reading this thread who are thinking of getting a first pet python not to make the same mistake.
If I was attacking I'd use insults and make it personal. Instead I think it's more positive to point out the lack of planning and poor husbandry. A mistake that I doubt he will make twice.

I guess if someone is reading this post before getting their snake then they are doing research and would not make the same mistake. I think that a lot of people who do not own snakes think that they are an easy and low maintenance pet and do not think they need to research them first.

 

[Echiopsis]

A little while with insufficient heat is hardly "mistreatment". A few weeks isn't going to hurt it in the slightest.

@OP, consider getting a 40w or even 50w and see if that will raise the temperature high enough. As long as you're diligent with turning off the heating when it gets hot outside (or simply buy a cheap timer to keep it off during the hot hours of the day), they can be run without a thermostat. It's a little easier in a glass tank because the heat doesn't build up like it would in a wooden tank.

Who said anything about a few weeks? And yes, that is mistreatment, what would you consider it? Do you think it acceptable that an animal is being kept at temps that dont allow it to function as it should? At this time of year with the lower temps the hot basking period is often the difference between a healthy animal and one coughing up lung fulls of gunk.

A higher wattage globe will get the temps up without a problem, depending on enclosure size and wattage chosen a hotter globe could cook the snake. Do what you need to do, get a thermostat and do things properly. Many people have and do run enclosures with no thermostat but its not something id think wise for a person who obviously has so little experience.

 

[disintegratus]

It's not People asking the same questions. It's people getting animals before they have run their enclosure for a few days to check temps etc. It's people who haven't done enough home work before they get a snake. People who don't bother to see which enclosure is best for a python. Which thermostat for which heat source. They dont bother to read a book or two. Just all the husbandry basics. I spent a good few months learning before I got my first snake. When I sell hatchies I also make sure the buyers have done enough research and are suitably set up and know how to care for them.

I spent a long time researching before I got my first too. Turns out an actual live snake is a whole different experience to the ones in the books that do exactly what they're supposed to do, and the first thing I learned from my first snake is that I didn't know squat.

Personally, I do not have an issue with impulse buying of pets, I've been guilty of it many times, and I find reptiles (in general, not necessarily all of them) to be just as hardy and forgiving of newbie mistakes as most pets. However, my problem lies with those that impulse buy then are not willing to do what needs to be done to keep said animal. Impulse or not, pets should not be disposable.

 

[Snowman]

I'd have to question your research methods and ability to understand basic information then. The things I learnt about setting up for a python before actually getting one meant that my enclosure was perfect and I didnt have to change a thing by the time I actually got one. I've never had that many questions, simply because in this day and age ALL the information is there for us to learn from. By the time I got my first python everything just fell into place.
I've continued to learn yes, but getting the basics and setting up and running an enclosure for a week before getting a first python is not that hard. I found that I did need to tweak things to get it right, and not having a live snake in there meant I had all the time in the world to get it right without making a living animal pay for my lack of preperation.
I still try different methods of heating etc, and I do this without having a living animal in the enclosure. That is all I am saying. Get the set up right. Know how to do a basic set up and have all the requirements met before getting your first snake.

 

[disintegratus]

I'd have to question your research methods and ability to understand basic information then. The things I learnt about setting up for a python before actually getting one meant that my enclosure was perfect and I didnt have to change a thing by the time I actually got one. I've never had that many questions, simply because in this day and age ALL the information is there for us to learn from. By the time I got my first python everything just fell into place.
I've continued to learn yes, but getting the basics and setting up and running an enclosure for a week before getting a first python is not that hard. I found that I did need to tweak things to get it right, and not having a live snake in there meant I had all the time in the world to get it right without making a living animal pay for my lack of preperation.
I still try different methods of heating etc, and I do this without having a living animal in the enclosure. That is all I am saying. Get the set up right. Know how to do a basic set up and have all the requirements met before getting your first snake.

You come across as rather abrasive.
There is nothing questionable about my research methods and I am more than capable of understanding and processing information. My point is that all the books in the world may not necessarily prepare someone for the actuality of owning a snake. Not all situations are the same, not everyone does everything right the first time around. The snake in question in this scenario is not going to die if it does not get adequate heat for a short time. There is a humongous difference between what is happening here and the kind of bad husbandry you are implying.
It's far better for someone to admit their failings and ask for help than to be unwilling to seek that help because of the almost certainty of negative input.

 

[Snowman]

You come across as rather abrasive.
There is nothing questionable about my research methods and I am more than capable of understanding and processing information. My point is that all the books in the world may not necessarily prepare someone for the actuality of owning a snake. Not all situations are the same, not everyone does everything right the first time around. The snake in question in this scenario is not going to die if it does not get adequate heat for a short time. There is a humongous difference between what is happening here and the kind of bad husbandry you are implying.
It's far better for someone to admit their failings and ask for help than to be unwilling to seek that help because of the almost certainty of negative input.

Have to agree with most of what you have said. Each to their own. However all the information is available for someone to do the right thing. Python husbandry is basic and I still think a bit of knowledge is important before buying a pet. Rather than asking questions once you have it, which should be a last resort. I believe if you read a couple of relevant books you would in fact be prepared for actually owning a snake. You may even find that there are books specific for this purpose... I guess that is where we really differ. Many of the beginner questions could easily br answered from a bit of research on that persons behalf also. I think asking questions is a good way to learn. What I'm saying is the questions should be asked earlier.
I'm not implying bad husbandry as much as bad preparation. I'm not saying the animal is being neglected, I'm saying the OP wasn't ready to own a live snake, since the set up was not working accurately.
As for being abrasive it's not my intention. Blame it on autism I guess. Relating to people and understanding their emotions is not one of my stong suits...

 

[Kraft]

I am a newbie when it comes to owning snakes I received a phone early one morning from a friend asking if I wanted his snake which was a 4.5ft bredli python who was very aggressive he called me because I love to help people an animals after agreeing to accept the reptile I then went on to get my reptile lic. Which sadly only took about 20mins an there were more questions about payment then caring for the reptile but anyway the next day I went an bought a urs terrium a mid sized peice of wood an a heat mat because they couldn't fit a light in until they received more fixtures I set the tank with the heat mat underneath the terrium an lined the inside of it with newspaper an because it was rushed I didn't consider An all glass enclosure would loose heat rapidly but he has always been in one with all glass but for peace of mind I taped cardboard to the back an sides to not only insulate but to make him feel more secure until I could get the light fitted which took 48 hours I've only had
Him for a week now an he's gone from attacking anything that moves to letting me handle him with minimal strikes an in that week I have done research almost every hour of everyday to learn the best care for my python who is now pretty happy an thriving although the tank he is now is slighty smaller then the one he was previosly in as the one I bought is 3x2x2 now in telling you gentleman all this can you say what I've done is right or wrong? Oh an the mat is a 25watt which I leave on during the day an I use a 60 watt purple oz globe at night an have lined the bottom with turf(plastic grass) because that's what was used in his previous owners enclosure. I look forward to your respones positive an negitive!.

 

[shabbyy]

I am a newbie when it comes to owning snakes I received a phone early one morning from a friend asking if I wanted his snake which was a 4.5ft bredli python who was very aggressive he called me because I love to help people an animals after agreeing to accept the reptile I then went on to get my reptile lic. Which sadly only took about 20mins an there were more questions about payment then caring for the reptile but anyway the next day I went an bought a urs terrium a mid sized peice of wood an a heat mat because they couldn't fit a light in until they received more fixtures I set the tank with the heat mat underneath the terrium an lined the inside of it with newspaper an because it was rushed I didn't consider An all glass enclosure would loose heat rapidly but he has always been in one with all glass but for peace of mind I taped cardboard to the back an sides to not only insulate but to make him feel more secure until I could get the light fitted which took 48 hours I've only had
Him for a week now an he's gone from attacking anything that moves to letting me handle him with minimal strikes an in that week I have done research almost every hour of everyday to learn the best care for my python who is now pretty happy an thriving although the tank he is now is slighty smaller then the one he was previosly in as the one I bought is 3x2x2 now in telling you gentleman all this can you say what I've done is right or wrong? Oh an the mat is a 25watt which I leave on during the day an I use a 60 watt purple oz globe at night an have lined the bottom with turf(plastic grass) because that's what was used in his previous owners enclosure. I look forward to your respones positive an negitive!.

Well done! Just a question...When you switch it out for a 60w globe at night, what temperatures are you getting and is it hooked up to a thermostat?


I have a 25w running all the time, he hasn't explored his enclosure much, just spending all his time in the same position at the warm end, even when it is 33c...I haven't even seen him touch his water or go in his house...

 

[Snowman]

You may find he's active at night. Most carpets like to cruise around when its dark. You won't see him drink very often. I've only caught some of mine drinking a few times.

 

[Kraft]

Oh I left out that I had went an picked up the snake within an hour of having my terrium set up so he would beAs comfortable as possible until I got the light installed

 

[shabbyy]

You may find he's active at night. Most carpets like to cruise around when its dark. You won't see him drink very often. I've only caught some of mine drinking a few times.

At night, will he still be active with an infrared light on?

 

[Kraft]

The warm end stays around 27-30 degrees celcious with the light on an about 25-23 in the cooler end an the heat mat is thrmo regulated. I have a ventilation strip running along the top of the enclosure from end to end about 8cm in width an another along the front of the encloser below the sliding doors again from end to end but roughly 3-4 cm in width but that's how it was designed by who ever makes themI did have concerns tho with it being to much but I guess I have to put my faith in the manufactures. Any thoughts on that?