New Albino BP from the RMRE!!

[Argentra]

Finally got one of my most wanted Ball python morphs today! Here is my new 07 618g male Albino!

In his show container:

In hand for size comp.:

And exploring his QT tank:

He's a sweetheart of a snake, and entering shed in those pictures, so he should be even brighter later on!
Whatcha all think?

 

[veiledchameleonyoshi]

Awesome! I really wanted to go to the expo today but I ended up having to do a bunch of other stuff. I definitely plan on going to the next one in August! Thanks for the comment on Yoshi, by the way

 

[Howdyco]

It was nice seeing you today Argentra.
She introduced me to that beauty today at the expo. Truely gorgeous with pink-ish highlights around the nostrils.
And BTW, Thank You for the update on the cage you are building for us.

We had a good time today. The youngest daughter held a few snakes and beautiful citrus beardie. I looked at some beautiful monitors.

Also introduced myself to Brad Ramsey and picked up some feeders from him.
He had some chams that made me wish I had more space.

 

[jojackson]

Actually im thinking 'tell me about the tank'. Beautiful little Snake, congrats!

 

[Argentra]

Thanks everyone for the comments!

I also met Brad, and he's an awesome guy! Got to hold one of his gorgeous chams and bought some feeders from him.

Oh, what about the tank? I'm known as the 'Tank Queen' over at BP.net, since tanks always work better for me than tubs. I adore helping folks set their tanks up to look great and be nice and stable temp and humidity wise.

 

[jojackson]

Was just wondering how you heat it, I dont see lights?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Pretty snake. Ive never owned a snake, I know nothing about them. I'm curious to know if that tank is a common size for a snake that size? Will that snake get bigger? I had assumed snakes take up quite a bit of space, and was thus thinking that tank seems like not much space. Fully admit I dont know what kind of space snakes need/want/use. Educate me?

 

[Argentra]

I will quite willingly educate you, since that's what I love to do!

As for heat, snakes don't need light like lizards do, so the best heat comes from below in the form of an UnderTank Heat pad or Flexwatt heat tape. Radient Heat Panels, which heat from above but with no light, are also popular in snake enclosures.

That tank shown is a 20gal Long and is a very good size tank for a young-small adult Ball Python. Ball pythons, unlike some other large bodied snakes like boas, prefer their enclosures on the small side since they naturally live in abandoned rodent burrows and in Termite mounds. Full grown adult BPs are regularly kept in 36x18x12 enclosures, and they can reach lengths of up to 5'.
Yes, this snake will get bigger (at least, I hope he will). But until he's out of quarantine three months from now he'll be just fine in that tank. I have the materials to build 4 stackable 40x18x12 cages for my ball pythons, and will be starting on them once I'm done building that chameleon cage for Howdyco.

 

[jojackson]

As for heat, snakes don't need light like lizards do

Actually they do benifit from having a seasonally changing photoperiod, like anything else. Especially if you intend to breed (you need to adjust the daylight period along with the temps for cooling, vice versa after. The question of Uv remains debated, except in one case (diamond pythons) but consideration of the natural habitat /seasonal changes experience by snakes in the wild, would strongly suggest a natural photoperiod, even for nocturnals, perhaps more so) couldnt hurt.

the best heat comes from below in the form of an UnderTank Heat pad or Flexwatt heat tape.

This depends on age, species, and local climatic requirements. Not all snakes live in caves nor are they all nocturnal. Young rely on heating from sun warmed rocks (and road surfaces all to often, unfortunately) and coil to retain heat overnight. Adults generally bask and therefore light is naturally present.
More arborial species wont appreciate or use undertank heating at all, at best its supplimentary. The type of heat source can be important to, and different for, different species of snake. For instance, UTH would be bad advice for the owner of a fossorial snake in most cases, unless he she lived in a really cold climate, even then ,all snakes need a gradient regardless.

 

[Argentra]

Oh undoubtedly they benefit from light cycles, but when it comes to heat the lamp shouldn't really be the main source for a BP. My other BPs have a lamp that shines on their enclosures (on a timer) to simulate the day more clearly for them.

Most of what I said was geared towards ball pythons, since they're so...different in terms of habitat and warmth from other snakes. I also have 5 corn snakes and they live in a cage system I built where each cage is 36x18x15 and each has a light in it (on timers of course) along with the UTH. Naturally, an arboreal snake wouldn't make use of a UTH, so you'd need to use lamps and radient heat panels for their heat.

Bottom line, as usual, is that each species (and indeed each individual) has their own specific needs and preferences for caging, heat and light, and cage decor. Research and questions of others are the best way to find out.