Reddit mentions: The best reptiles & amphibian supplies

Thank you for being a caring individual who has wholehearted intentions for this turtle. However, I really want you to understand what you're getting yourself into.

I fully understand your desire to keep this super cool animal as a pet, but before you commit let me arm you with as much knowledge as I can. I was once in your shoes when I came across a hatchling in 1998 I named Georgie. Georgie is a Common musk AKA stinkpot and I started out woefully ignorant to the cost and maintenance involved in owning a turtle.

Now, for a slider the males tend to get around 7"-9" varying where the females can get a whopping 10"-12". Remember that every inch of turtle's SCL (length of shell from behind head to tail) requires about 10g water. If you've got a female there is the potential of needing a 120 gallon aquarium. This is not a terribly unreasonable price range for what you would need to house a larger full grown female slider. On top of that you will need to rig an out of water nesting box for your turtle to lay her eggs. If she does not have a place to lay her eggs it is extremely unlikely she will lay them in the water and she will possibly become "egg bound". This can absolutely be painfully fatal.

If you are lucky and working with a male he will be smaller, the cost of an appropriate enclosure will be reduced by a little, and you won't have to worry about nesting boxes. He will still need an area he can climb out of the water to dry completely while basking. For basking areas this is the ideal bulb for most any turtle. These need to be replaced every 9-12 months but no later than 12 months. They may still shine light but they will not function in a capacity acceptable for a reptile any longer.

As far as a filter you will be looking at a minimum of $150 upfront investment, but the filter replacement material can be managed at reasonable prices over time. Another option is creating your own. If you're interested in learning how let me know. I have some good resources. They may not be pretty but holy cow are they cost effective and efficient.

Now. The big thing here I really want to press is that this is an adult wild animal. You wouldn't bring a bear or a cougar home. You probably wouldn't bring an adult skunk or porcupine home. Unfortunately for turtles they are cool, cute, and appear weak/defenseless to many people and we end up in situations like this. A caring, wonderful individual trying to do right by an awesome animal but in the long run you're really not helping him/her.

You could set things up to be a decent home for this animal but you cannot replace the natural habitat it deserves to be in.

If you are interested in owning a turtle I have some awesome species suggestions that are much smaller and more manageable for indoor living. There is an amazing turtle subreddit called /r/turtle that is overflowing with advice and assistance to new turtle owners or those who are interested in becoming one.

I know how easy, better than many, it is to get attached and just want to keep the turtle. To this day I try to give my turtle the best life I can to make up for taking him from the beautiful and fantastic San Marcos river home he once had. Perhaps he wouldn't have survived and may have been eaten but as Americans I'm pretty sure our motto is to live free or die trying.

Your best option is to return him/her to EXACTLY the location (not with in a few miles but like a few yards if possible) they were at when you found it. It's best for the turtle, it's fair to the environment, and it gives you the opportunity to devote a bit of time and interest into looking into turtle care and finding a species that works for you!

Well, if he is starting to become lethargic, it is usually not due to the snake not having enough mental stimulation (though I do believe they require it to some extent, they don't need puzzles or toys like dogs, and people will keep and breed large snakes that are kept with no furnishings at all). It is wintertime and males especially are funky during this time- your boy looks like he has an adult's head shape and at 5 and 1/2 ft, I bet he's probably preoccupied wishing there were some ladies in there with him. Make sure your temps and humidity are proper as well- you can respond with them if you want- because winter temp drops sometimes cause lethargy in animals as well. Especially when most boa species do not require a cooling period to breed successfully, and you don't sound like you intend to breed him, making sure his ambient temperatures haven't dropped is important.

However, temp and breeding isn't the only possible cause of lethargy- if you haven't gotten him a checkup at the vet recently, and you continue to see decreased activity cycles, I would suggest seeing a vet. x5000 if your snake is also wheezing, blowing bubbles, or has anything else "out of the norm"- but it doesn't sound like it.

What I've found works best for larger snakes is to just give up on commercial reptile products. Most of those are directed at the overwhelming ball python/corn snake/other small pet snake buyers. A 5.5ft male boa will still enjoy the largest of their stuff, but it's not worth the money, imo, when you can build bigger better stuff for way cheaper. The vines and such are more for decoration- your snake really doesn't care if it has leaves everywhere or not, as long as he has a secure place to hide himself away. I personally tend not to decorate my enclosures with many green plastic plants because a) I'm cheap, and b) I could use that space in the enclosure for something more dynamic. I do however definitely love and suggest live planting an enclosure if you are interested in something like that, because it provides cover and interesting climbing opportunities.

What I do is buy a few pieces of cork bark for a new enclosure, or a big tube. These are pretty cheap on amazon. and look good, come with fake moss on top sometimes so it adds a more naturalistic element to the enclosure. Then I usually collect wood- sticks for the smaller snakes, and for yours, maybe saw several branches to size for him. Ones with large forks he can rest in are usually really nice. I usually then thoroughly wash the wood in a mixture of water and bleach (ratio as you would for your own toys/plates/whatever), let it soak for a few hours, then rinse and dry in the sun. Additionally I then bake the wood pieces on a low temp (~200-250F) for a little bit and watch them, so that anything else is killed off. You can then screw these together with a drill to create a cool climbing structure (would recommend screwing (haha) one or two for support so he can climb on them safely and not just have sticks braced against the wall), or just put them in there and arrange as you will. PLEASE be sure they are VERY secure- screwing in or adding little guides or rails on the wall they're leaning on would be good and is sometimes what i do so they can't shift. Your platform looks really precarious if it isn't all glued together, because snakes can and will knock shit over and more often than not, get stuck beneath them.

I'd definitely agree with getting rid of that platform, but you could definitely build a smaller one he would probably use more, especially with more sticks leading up to it and other things. You won't be able to find vines that will support him except perhaps several of these knotted/braided together.


Also, feel free to respond with other enclosure specifications- I don't mean to criticize and it isn't related to your original question, but oftentimes red bulbs are used constantly and as the only source of heat, and for a boa, not good. Do you have a source of belly heat as well, or another method of heating it? He also looks like he's getting too big for that enclosure, and if you're wanting to put in the effort to make him happy and healthy, a larger enclosure would benefit him greatly too. :)

First off, congrats on the tort!

Secondly, warning! Wall of text incoming!

Tank size:

That depends on how large she is. For the average female Russian's (I'm estimating about 7 or 8 inches in length), you should give her about a 3 by 4 feet tank. I have heard of people keeping their smaller torts (i.e. Russian, Hermann's, and Greeks) in the Zoo Med Tortoise House most of the time, but really, it's too small for the tort full time. These people take their torts out of the tank a bunch of the time to roam around the room.

If you have an aquarium tank right now, the caution is that tortoises sometimes will decide to go through the glass and not understand that that's a bad idea because they can see through it. In this scenario, you can wrap the outside of the tank in some paper. It doesn't need to be decorative as long as the tort can't see out.

My follow up question to you is: whereabouts do you live? This will determine if you will require an indoor habitat or if an outdoor one will be sufficient. Outdoor tanks should also be fairly large, as tortoises really like to wander around. If you choose to keep your tort outdoors, make sure that it's caged up really well so that predators cannot get in.

That being said, there are some great care sheets around. One of the ones I used when I first got started was this: http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Russian-Tortoise/ Be sure to play close attention to the temperature gradient that she needs. You'll need some thermometers. One of the temp guns would be highly recommended so you can spot check all over the tank. You could also go to your local hardware store and get a laser temp gun, which will probably be better than this for a bunch more money, but you don't need one better than this, really.

For a low budget tank, I've seen a lot of DIY tutortials around. One of the most common is to get an old Ikea bookshelf, lay it on its back, take the shelves out, and stick a solid tarp down in it so that it's waterproof. Then put soil, forest bark, moss, etc in for the flooring and put your tort in that. The trouble with this is that you really have to make sure that it's safe for your tort down on the floor. I have cats in the house, and while they're cute and loving, they're also assholes when it comes to other animals, so I have to have an actual table up higher with a lid so my cats can't get in.

Water dish:

Anything that's large enough for her to sit in comfortably is good. Make sure that it's not too deep (the water should never be deeper that chin-level), and that it's not too small for her to bathe in. She will want to climb around in it and move around a bit as well. She will drink from it if she needs hydration, and also just sit there if she's too hot. Make sure that this water is clean daily so that she doesn't drink from her own urine/poop water. Also make sure that she's able to climb in and out of the dish by herself. They make special water dishes for this. BUT, as you're trying to budget down, you can actually just use whatever you have around that fits the requirements. I'm using a small terracotta plate for planting pots that I found at my local dollar store because my tortoise is still just a baby.

White discharge is called urates. All reptiles do this; it's nothing to worry about at all, unless it's grainy like sand (signs of dehydration), or solid. It should have the rough consistency of toothpaste. Mine's look more like egg-whites floating in water.

Food:

The spring mix should be fine. Tortoises will eat roughly their shell size in salad in a day. Having a good mix will make sure her internal flora is healthier. Absolutely no spinach should be fed. Where I live, I can't get a lot of good weeds, so I feed a lot of kale, parsley, romaine lettuce, dandelion leaves, etc. I keep a list of "staples", and a list of "occasional supplements" that I rotate through on a weekly basis. If you're lucky enough to live in an area where you can go for walks and pick up a bunch of greens from from wilds, it will be cheaper for you. This website has the best plant database that I've come across so far and will be able to help you in identifying what's safe and what's not.

I supplement every meal I give my tort with Repashy's Superveggie to make sure that she/he is getting all the nutrients that she/he needs. (I have no idea if my tort is male or female right now because she/he is still way too young; maybe in a year or two I'll be able to sex him/her.)

I also have a calcium bone for him/her to nom on whenever he/she wants on the side. It also helps them file down the beak. I have an Exo Terra Sepia Bone for him/her. I just cut off about 1/3rd of a piece to put in the tank (again, because my tort is just a baby).

For special treats, I like to give my tort a singular raspberry, or whatever fruit I have around. So far, she/he's shown a love for raspberries, and cherries, and not so much love for strawberries. To encourage my tort use the calcium bone, I sometimes rub the raspberry all over the calcium bone to make it tastier. Sometimes, I will break off a little piece and sprinkle it into the salad for the day as well.

How much to feed:

Tortoises are not stupid animals, and won't really overeat unless you're feeding all the wrong foods. Assuming you have a high fiber diet, your tort will stop eating when she's done. Again, generally you feed about their shell size amounts of salad in a day. If she eats more or less, that might tell you how she feels about what you're feeding her. Some people will say that the 15-20 minute limit is what you should do, but there's really not a lot of evidence that that's the rule. I've heard it about 50/50 depending on the keeper's style.

Finally, here are some signs that will tell you your tortoise isn't happy/general stress signs:

• some common diseases - http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/commondisease.html
  
• clawing at glass - wrap tank so the sides don’t freak the tortoise out
  
• not eating
  
• unclear eyes
  
• wet, unclear nostrils - look for runny nose syndrome and/or respiratory problems
  
• poop on the tail
  
• weird marking/ scratches on the shell
  
• poop is not solid/regular
  
• urates not runny (or toothpaste-like) - look for solids - sign of dehydration
  
• lethargy/over-active/agitation
  
• ramming into things
  
• muscle weakness
  
• reddish-brown spots around mouth, eyes, or ears (mites)
  
• vomit - If you see this, go to a vet!!
  
  If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask! This sub is sadly quieter than I'd like, so I thought I'd offer some help with what limited experience I currently have.
  
  Good luck!
  
  
  [Edit: formatting and such]
  
  

First, let me share with you my little/HUGE hiccup I put myself and my chams through the last month.

I had to leave Florida in a hurry, and I had time to take my two boys' enclosures apart, and in my rush, I forgot their lighting (at least $180, easily), their supplements (Pfft, the ones I had weren't the best, but that was at least another $15), their live plants (which I wouldn't have taken them in the car anyway, but there's another $25), and then their fake vines and bendable vines ($37), total? $257, and why I know that is because I had to pull from all of my resources to make sure they had this set up today, and here is another view. BTW, THE PLANTS THAT I GOT THEM ARE TOO SMALL! But, they have them, and it's better than nothing at all.

Mind you, I'm talking about two chameleons, but what I had to spend to make sure that they were set up for this winter (I moved to Washington state), I had to do it, otherwise, I'm s shitty cham owner. I'm lucky there was already a humidifier here because I'm going to need that as the air is dry here and my Panther chameleon has already proven to be susceptible to respiratory infection as we took a trip to the vet this past year to get him some Baytril (antibiotic/oral), cost to the vet? $76.

I'm going to do a break down of everything that you're going to need for your Male Jackson (which I recommend that you start with a male Veiled. The Veiled are so much more heartier, they can take more abuse from a new owner, more forgiving for a better word..., I DO NOT suggest a Jackson for a first cham, and for that matter, someone who has never owned a reptile in their life). Anyway, here I go...

Set up:

• Repti-Breeze 24 x 24 x 48" enclosure $115
  
• Zoo Med t5 UVB hood, and this is the cheapest I found $50
  
• Zoo Med 5.0 24" bulb $29
  
• Live safe plant, I'm just going with an Umbrella for now... $15
  
• Fake vines, just one set $5
  
• Plant like vine, one set $10
  
• Repashy supplements $10
  
  Your total there is at $234, and you haven't bought the chameleon yet, but that is everything that you should have BEFORE you get your cham... Also, you're going to need...
  
  
• Feeders
  
• Food for feeders (low acid fruits and veggies, apples, carrots, dark fruits/veggies, etc. High acid fruits and veggies will kill your feeders faster)
  
• Container for the feeders to live, basically, you have additional pets to take care of. You HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE FEEDERS!
  
• Clear water glass to provide water for your cham
  
  Because you are new to this, having a temp/humidity gauge is something you might want to get as an aid to getting use to what their living environment should be like... so that's another $8
  
  Prices my vary, depending on where you get all of your things. Getting stuff online can be cheaper, I randomly picked stuff on the internet and think I did pretty good for you, but you're looking at a nice little chunk of change just to make sure that you have the right set up to bring your cham home to, and I do hope that you'll take that and roll with it.
  
  If you've NEVER OWNED A REPTILE BEFORE, I actually suggest that you start with something else. Bearded Dragons are awesome, AWESOME, reps, THOUGH, they are totally different than the care for a cham, it's a great way to start, and Dragons are even more hearty than a Veiled chameleon.
  
  LASTLY, read through EVERYTHING on the sidebar -------------->
  
  I would also avoid a lot of information that you'll find on the internet, and YES!!! That includes that one web site that probably is the first choice for you to go to when you're looking for chameleon advice. That site is horrible, save yourself the heartache, I started there, and I quickly learned that the site is a hot mess. There is never a straight and same consistent answer, too many myths, just no...
  
  Hope all that helps, and thank all of the coffee I drank today. Lol! Good luck and welcome to the sub.

your BP isn't just thin, she's emaciated. you need to put some weight on her, but you need to do so gradually. you also really need to feed her f/t before she gets injured by live prey. if your enclosure is meeting her needs, and you're not causing her stress by handling her unnecessarily, she should eat f/t for you just fine. i guarantee she wasn't eating f/t at petsmart because she was stressed due to poor husbandry.

i'm going to dump a TON of information on you. some of it may be redundant, some of it may be useful. first, three detailed care sheets, a tub setup tutorial, and product recommendations to cover all types of enclosures. then i'll give you a breakdown of how i handled my emaciated BP, simultaneously putting weight on her safely and switching her from mice to rats. you'll fine more generalized feeding tips in the third care sheet. read everything thoroughly, then come back with any questions.

since i don't see any mention of what your enclosure is like, i'll start with this: glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.
  
  now for a suggested feeding regimen. if your BP will genuinely only eat live right now, you can safely start her on appropriately sized rat pinkies/fuzzies/pups. if their eyes haven't opened yet, they won't be able to bite her hard enough to cause injuries. once she fills out a little and can more comfortably skip a few meals, you should start working on switching her to f/t.
  
  at the time of rescue, my BP's weight was 140g, meals were one fuzzy mouse with an estimated weight of 5g, meal schedule was "once every few weeks". here's a breakdown of the meal sizes, schedule, and switch from mice to rats i used. this is all f/t, so dealing with live will be a little different.
  
  
• week 1: settling in.
  
• week 2: one fuzzy mouse, 5g, ~3% of BP's weight.
  
• week 3: two fuzzy mice, total 8g, ~5%.
  
• week 4: one fuzzy mouse, 5g. one rat pinky scented with the mouse, 5g. total 10g, ~7%.
  
• week 5: BP weight 155g. one hopper mouse, 10g. one scented rat pinky, 6g. total 17g, ~10%.
  
• week 6: one adult mouse, 14g. one scented rat pinky, 6g. total 19g, ~13%.
  
• week 7: one fuzzy mouse, 4g. one scented rat pup, 20g. total 24g, ~15%.
  
• week 8: BP weight 160g. one scented rat pup, 24g, ~15%.
  
  i continued scenting her rats for another couple of months, but that was more because it was easy [i have a corn who eats mice] than it being necessary. she was readily eating unscented rats within five months. a couple years later, i usually don't even have to warm up her rats beyond room temperature, though she does require some dangling with the tongs as she won't eat anything she hasn't "killed".

Still alive !!! lol

> Just don't really like the idea of having to rely on a bunch of substances/supplements to function.

Think of it like this: A drug you used made you anxious, so you might have to use a drug to become normal again.

All of the supplements I recommended are sustainable long-term, and will actually enhance your brain and cognition, along with destroying anxiety.

Right now your brain is in an abnormal state, brought on by drugs, so you might have to use drugs again to bring it back.

The supplements I recommend are mainly to help you escape the anxiety, give you a buffer so you can function, give you rest.

The supplements are merely a way for your anxious brain to escape it's nasty thought patterns. After you feel normal you can reduce and remove supplements as you like.

> Currently use dipping tobacco

It should be fine. However, you should quit tobacco to see if it helps relieve the anxiety. If you can't quit however, that's fine. Dipping tobacco is pretty harmless, so don't stress about it and keep on dipping.

I will list the supplements and explain why they can help you.

Memantine: Sent you an article about it

L-theanine: Weak anxiolytic, but a nootropic as well. Increase BDNF, NGF, GABA, Dopamine, Glycine, NMDA antagonist. If you didn't feel good effects, up your dose. If you still don't feel good, trash it. If it doesn't work don't use it.

Gotu Kola: Mitochondrial enhancer, potent antioxidant, nootropic, actually grows GABA receptors/neurons, so it's actually better long-term than short term. Really good herb, love it.

Magnesium: NMDA antagonist, good for sleep. Good to prevent deficiency. Magnesium is hugely important to health.

Glycine: Hits the Glycine receptor, which is inhibitory. Good for joints and general health as well. Good for sleep.

UV: Increases Vitamin D, which you are worried about. Vitamin D from UV light is different than supplemental Vitamin D3, they have different absorption properties.

Lions Mane: Nootropic, anecdotally known as an anxiolytic. Potent.

Lemon Balm: Increases GABA by inhibiting it's degradation, inhibits acetylcholinesterase. Increases superoxide-dismutase, glutathione. Potent nootropic, antioxidant, health panacea.

Broccoli sprouts/broccoli: Loads of benefits, amazing detoxification abilities, nootropic, strong antioxidant, HDAC inhibitor.

Eat fish too. Sardines and salmon are a good start. Add oysters if you can.

Also, imagine that you might be like this forever, that you might be anxious for the rest of your life. I don't think you actually will, but accepting your current state will help you so much in the long-run.

Meditate for as long as you need to. It might not help at first but give it a chance, it'll help more than anything I've recommended. I was able to cure myself of many anxieties and neuroses through meditation and acceptance.

This should help with your music career as well. Hope you succeed and hope you can heal yourself! Good luck and stop worrying, it's gonna be okay.

It's not unidentifiable. In fact, I already did it for you three months ago. It's almost certainly a Greek (aka spur-thighed) tortoise. If you see these spurs on his backside, it's a Greek tortoise.

I recommend you familiarize yourself with the care sheet from TortoiseForum. Here are the major points:

Substrate

The best possible substrates for housing Greek tortoises indoors are a 50/50 mix of top soil and play sand, cypress mulch and aspen wood shavings. (Personally I'd use cypress mulch instead of Aspen, since it's less likely to mold. NEVER use cedar.)

Food

Offer weeds such as Dandelion, clover, plantain, hawksbit, cat's ear, wild strawberry, and thistle. Store bought greens like collards, mustards, kale and turnip can be offered sparingly. Commercial diets such as Mazuri are excellent for helping the tortoises maintain good weight but again should be offered only in moderation. (I can buy dandelion greens in the grocery store here. Also, since your tortoise has metabolic bone disease, a SERIOUS condition, be diligent in dusting all food with calcium powder with D3. D3 is something that you'd supplement occasionally in a healthy tort that gets lots of UVB. Yours has been starved of UVB, and therefore needs more D3 for a while.)

Water

A shallow water dish should be available to them at all times for drinking and soaking and should be changed frequently. Tortoises defecate in water so keeping the supply clean is a must.
They also appreciate occasional misting of their environment and may see it as rain. This prompts them to empty their bowels and drink. (Animals need water. A bit of a no-brainer.)

Lighting

When housing them inside, proper lighting is essential for keeping them healthy. Mercury vapor bulbs which provide both UVA and UVB are a personal favorite of mine. A 100-150 watt vapor bulb is installed on one end only of the indoor unit and this makes for a perfect basking area. The opposite end should remain cool. You can also use a regular spot light for the basking area so long as it reaches a temperature of 95-100F. In this case, a fluorescent UVB emitting bulb will need to be installed as well. (You should ALWAYS have a UVB bulb in your enclosure. Replace it every six months, or yearly if you use a mercury vapor bulb. NEVER use a coil-shaped bulb. These bulbs are a suitable replacement for coil-shaped ones.)

Housing

Indoors, the construction of a "tortoise table" will suit the needs of these creatures well. A 3 by 6 foot unit made of plywood will suffice for a single adult and up to a pair of adults. Wood is always recommended over plastic or glass so that the tortoises cannot see out. This way they will learn their boundaries and it will lessen their attempts to escape. (Don't keep them in glass aquariums. The ability to see outside without being able to go outside can stress your tort. They don't understand transparent glass, and will never learn how to deal with it.)

In addition to the caresheet excerpts above, I recommend you give your tort a good 20-minute soak in warm (not hot) water once a week. Captive torts are almost always mildly dehydrated. Soaking encourages them to drink. It also allows them to absorb water through their cloaca.

Finally, although this tortoise is easy to care for, it is a serious responsibility. Just as you can't feed a dog nothing but table scraps, you can't provide inadequate food and UVB to your tortoise. A bit of daily sunshine just isn't enough. If you're here seeking help for your animal, I can only hope it's because you want to put in the effort to rehabilitate him.

If you want to keep your tort, do your own research and learn how to make him happy and healthy. If it seems like too much responsibility, put him up on craigslist. Mention the soft shell in the ad, and that he's free to anyone with tortoise experience. You can tell who's qualified by asking just a few questions about how they intend to house and care for the tortoise.

Red light isn't good, you'll want a heat mat (MAKE SURE you have a thermostat for it or it will get too hot) and possibly a ceramic heat emitter (also needs a thermostat) for air heat. What are the temps and humidity and how do you measure them? Glass tanks usually don't hold humidity well and often aren't good for bps. You need at least 2 good hides, one for each side. They should be snug and enclosed with only one opening, preferably identical, half logs don't work.

Someone should come by with a really good care sheet, read it, it has some great info. I know this might be a lot of information, but having a good setup is important and will save you headaches in the future.

Edit: I found the care sheet. Credit to u/_ataraxia.

Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• the basics and then some
  
• common problems
  
• feeding problems
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. They have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

i definitely feel you; they caught my heart when i got my first frog at age 10 🌝 (she was an african clawed frog though. RIP Lily, i miss her)

so white’s need an enclosure with more vertical space than horizontal, since they’re arboreal. like i said i’ve got my adults in an 18x18x24 but i’ve been planning for a while to upgrade them to an 18x18x36, which i might get at the next expo.

they’re not super demanding as far as humidity and temperature goes, which makes them a great beginner frog. even so, i have a ZooMed HygroTherm hooked up to a fogger and heat mat so their humidity doesn’t drop below 50% and so their temp doesn’t drop below 75F. i got the fogger on amazon... and the HygroTherm too. together they’re pretty expensive but it really is worth it to get these frogs set up correctly. plus my HygroTherm has worked consistently and without fail for almost 8 continuous years now. really is among the best $70 i’ve spent. and for the fogger i should mention i’ve had to sort of cut a small hole in the top mesh of the cage to avoid the metal mesh of the lid rusting. i can take a picture to show you what i mean if you’d like. the frogs don’t mind; they can’t even climb onto the mesh and they never try to either. their safety and comfort is #1 so i found a way that works, lol.

as far as substrate goes, most people use Eco Earth coconut fiber. that’s what i used for years until i found josh’s frogs, and i switched to a piece of their frog foam. that shizz is a game changer. no more messy frogs, no more dumping coconut fiber out every cleaning, no more searching for frog poop. the stuff is great, and is reusable for a long time as long as you keep it clean. so that’s what i recommend for substrate.

for lighting, my guys have a dual light fixture on a timer that switches from a 23-watt UVB bulb during the day to one of these at night. the UVB turns on at 9am and it switches to the night light at 9pm.

beyond that, they just need things to climb on and hide in, and a water bowl to soak in clean (bottled) spring water that isn’t so deep that they risk drowning. it’s inevitable that they’ll often use the water bowl as a toilet, so be prepared to clean it every time you see poop in it. in addition to the water bowl my guys have a magnetic ledge, some fake bamboo, a fake vine with suction cups, a piece of driftwood, a reptile hammock, and a small hollow log in their cage. i can take a picture of the entire setup if you’d like. my female spends most of her time in the big piece of bamboo and my smaller male spends most of his time inside the log. my big male Burp is the one who’s all over the place and often sleeps on the magnetic ledge, lol.

when it comes to feeding, they eat every other day, 3 dubia roaches each. and every other feeding, one of their roaches gets dusted with a vitamin supplement, and one gets dusted with a calcium + d3 supplement. roaches that are 1/2” to 5/8” in size are best; any larger may be a choking hazard. if you’re not sure, the general rule is to not give them an insect that’s wider than the space between the eyes of the animal. sub-adult and adult roaches are an absolute no-no for these frogs as they’re wayyyy too big.

i’ll also occasionally give them a wax worm or a couple of phoenix worms to change things up. wax worms should not be given more than a couple of times a month, though, since they’re pretty high in fat and low in nutritious value. like froggy junk food, lol. i tong-feed all of my animals (except my dwarf frogs haha) so there’s never any loose insects in the cage and i always know exactly how much they’ve eaten. white’s take to tong-feeding quite well.

and that’s their basic care! like i said, they’re kinda expensive to set up properly but it’s so worth doing. once you have that out of the way they are pretty dang easy to care for. they don’t really require UVB lighting during the day since they’re a nocturnal species that hides and sleeps during the day; i just have that kind of light for them because they have a live pothos plant in their cage. as long as they’re on a consistent 12-hour day/night cycle, that’s what matters. they do soooo well on a consistent routine.

if you have any questions about their care or if i’ve missed anything, don’t ever hesitate to ask. i love these frogs dearly and am quite happy to help anyone out who’s thinking of getting some of their own. 🌝

If you have a glass tank already, I would not get a ball python. They don't do so well in glass tanks as they have high humidity needs, and the screen tops don't hold in humidity and the glass walls don't hold heat it. It would be an uphill battle with constant stress on you and potential health issues for your snake.

Corn sakes and sand boas and hognoses do pretty well in glass tanks though, and a 40g long tank would be a good home for them.

I would suggest picking a species first, and then start researching. Some basics that you will need regardless:

1.) Hides, more than 1. Half logs can be pretty decoration but they aren't that great for a snake feeling safe in. A good cheap hide are these, which you can order online. These are well made, sturdy, dishwasher safe, and are enclosed spaces with only 1 entrance - my ball python and rainbow boa are both very happy with theirs. If you like aesthestics you can use foam and paint to make them look pretty cool using this tutorial or you can purchase some of these

2.) Heat Sources: You will need either ceramic heat emitters, under tank heaters, or both. I would recommend staying away from heat lights as you need to turn lights off at night and most snakes can see even red light. Ceramic heat emitters give off heat but not light. I don't have recommendations for these as I don't use them. I do have recommendations for under tank heaters, which are these, from the same place as the hides. You can also get heat tape from Reptile Basics and they are super helpful in making sure you have everything you need to set up with it. ZooMed or Zilla stick on pads are not that great and can break super easily. If you do end up with one of these, I suggest sticking aluminum foil to the adhesive and then attaching it with foil tape, this will make it re-usable. STAY AWAY FROM HEAT ROCKS.

3.) Thermostats. You will need 1 thermostat per heat source. This is NECESSARY. This is not something you can skip out on. Heat pads and CHE's can easily get hot enough to fry your reptiles. This is the model I am currently using for my heat sources, and other people here use them too. They don't have a lot of crucial safety features, though. I am saving up for one of these Herpstat's. You can get one with multiple probes for multiple heat sources, and it has a ton of good safety features. Tons of people here use these, so if you have questions about which one to get, someone here can answer you.

4.) Security: All snakes are escape artists. All of them. Even the one you don't see ever leave their hides. A stack of books or some rocks on the lid are not security measures. You will want to look into lid clamps, or a system that slides in and has a means of locking. I had my baby boa in an Iris Weathertight box which had 6 locking lid clamps while he was in quarantine. Now he is in an Animal Plastics t8 w sliding doors and I have a lock on them. If you have questions about if your set up will be secure enough, please post pics here and we can helpyou spot potential escape routes. Or you can just search "lost snake" or "escape" on this sub and see some of the ways snakes have escaped. But rocks and books are a guarantee to end with an escaped snake.

5.) Temp and Humidity Guages: These stick on ones are no good. They are dangerous and sometimes deadly - I don't care how cheap they are, or how much of a budget you are on, they are inaccurate and the adhesive WILL give way and your snake could get stuck to it. This is the one I use. I have the "outdoor" probe sitting on the floor of the enclosure on the hot side (under the substrate) and the unit itself sitting on the cool side. This lets me quickly see the temperature gradient and humidity.

6.) Substrate: This is going to be highly individual to what kind of snake you get and what its humidity needs are. Sand boas will need a ton more than a corn snake, for example. But pine is toxic, so avoid that. Figure out what kind of snake you are getting and plan for a substrate for them.

7.) What to Feed: you're gonna have to feed whole prey items. It is highly recommended that you feed either frozen/thawed or pre-killed. I order mine frozen thawed from either Layne Labs or Perfect Prey. I keep them in my freezer and I have a pair of feeding tongs I use to feed with. I usually take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge the night before feeding day. When I get home from work I take them out of the fridge and set them on the counter (in a plastic bag) to get them to warm temp. Then I get some boiling water, put it in a bowl, put a plate on top of the bowl, and put the prey items on top of the plate. I do this until they reach approx 100F (use a IR temp gun if you have one), and then I run the heads under a hot water until they reach about 110F. I do this for both prey items for my ball python and my rainbow boa, even though my rainbow boa doesn't have heat pits, it's just easier cause I keep them in the same ziplock bag. I then use the tongs to dangle the prey and move it around to make it look like it's "live". Some snakes aren't picky and won't mind a room temp rodent, others will want a dance. My boa is a champ and will knock back food no problem. My ball python will want me to dance the rat around for twenty minutes while she gets into striking position and contemplates the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. Ball pythons are usually picky. Pre-killed means you buy the rodent live, and then kill it yourself, and immediately present it to the snake. You can achieve this with a euthanasia chamber or twisting the neck. Feeding live isn't really the greatest, as there is a chance the prey item will attack and hurt your snake. This is especially true of adult rats, which have sharp teeth and claws. In the wild, a snake could see a prey item and if it's not hungry, it could run away. In captivity, neither the rat nor the snake can run away, and this can lead to snakes being defensive and just trying to hide while a rat bites it fearing attack.

8.) How to Feed: In addition to this, you will probably hear about "cage agression" and needing a seperate tank to feed in. This is a lie. Your snake will not associate your hand / opening of the cage as "feeding time" unless it is the only time your hand is in there. And it won't be, you will be changing water, cleaning poop and urates, changing substrate, and more! After a snake has eating, they need at least 48 hours to digest their food. If they don't have this time, they may regurgitate the food. Regurgitation is an emergency medical event. In order to avoid this, after your snake has been feed, they should be left completely alone for 48 hours, no handling. If you feed in a seperate enclosure, this means that you will be moving your snake post-feeding. This also increases your chances of being bitten. Your hand may smell like rodent still, and your snake will still be in hunting mode, and may think your hand is seconds. So feed in your enclosure. It's less stressful for your snake, less stressful for you, and you have a much lower risk of being bitten.

That's a general overview, I may have left something out there, but I think you can get the general basics. Next you should pick a species and start asking here for more specific advise!!

I wish you and your future scale-child the best of luck!

Here's u/ataraxia's classic link dump I found on a other post. Although the informstion is written for bps (most common snake people have trouble with it seems- mostly due to the humedity) but the suggestions could definitely help you for the humedity aspect needed for your boa.


You should definitely read it through.

i'm going to dump a bunch of helpful links on you. the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

I highly recommend you read the below information. Guaranteed that you'll be completely redoing your set up after reading all of this.

Credit: u/_ataraxia

The first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. Read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry, due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. Wood enclosures can also be suitable, if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. I'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.
  
  If you set up a good enclosure, and the temperatures and humidity are correct with no special treatment, the most work you need to do is feed every 1-2 weeks, spot clean the substrate and clean the water dish as needed [once or twice a week], and do a full enclosure cleaning every 1-6 months.

I am a bot programmed to automatically provide the following content by /u/_Ataraxia when summoned. Link to the most recent version of this content here

The first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions. Let /u/_Ataraxia know if any of the links don't work.

Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

Ball Python Care Guides

• the basics and then some
  
• common problems
  
• feeding problems
  
  Set-up Recommendations
  
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. some popular brands include animal plastics [most recommended], boaphile plastics [i personally have these and like them], reptile basics, and vision cages, though you'll find many more with a quick google search. many people will use a tub at first and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter[CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as pro products [most recommended] or reptile basics.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.
  
  Copypasta version 7/24/2018 (c) /u/_Ataraxia
  
  I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

Most people recommend ball pythons, cornsnakes and kingsnakes (and those all are good choices), however it's ultimately up to you! For example, I got a red tail boa constrictor as my first snake and I've only seen one person recommend them as beginner snakes. And honestly, I was glad I got my boa, he's such a sweetheart and his care is very similar to a ball pythons, just on a bigger scale! Plus he's a reptilian garbage disposal, so I don't have to worry about him skipping meals.

I've also seen breeders recommend ratsnakes and gopher/bullsnakes because their husbandry is very easy and they're typically very good eaters. While they're known to be a little temperamental, regular handling will calm them down pretty quickly. I've also seen Kenyan sand boas and children's pythons reccomended, plus they usually don't get too big, and all the snakes I've mentioned come in various morphs so it would be fairly easy to find one thats to your liking!

Snake Discovery, Clint's Reptiles and Josser's Jungle are a very good start! They upload educational videos and they're extremely helpful with information and helping you decide what snake is good for you.

As for getting the actual snake, never buy from large chain pet stores. Always try to get them from a reliable breeder, and the best way to do that is reptile expos! You'll be able to find a bunch of different morphs of various species and you can get supplies and food for pretty cheap.

Another thing to keep in mind is the lifespan and the supplies they need. Bigger snakes need bigger terrariums which cost more, need bigger meals, etc. You will also need a heat mat or heat tape that's connected to a thermostat regardless of species. snakes are kinda dumb and will continue to sit on a warm spot even if it burns them, so thermostats are a must! I use this thermostat for all 3 of my snakes and it works great!

And don't forget to do lot's of research! Look into the snake species itself, it's temperature and humidity requirements, the tank/tub size, and whether or not there are any breeders or expos nearby! Anyway, I hope this helped in some way, and good luck!!

First of all. It's very good you recognize that you need help in learning how to care for the snake.

Second, here is a big link dump created by another regular user u/_ataraxia all credit for this goes to her.

the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

It sounds like 73F is your AIR temp, which is indeed too low for the hot side. We should address the FLOOR temp too but I'll get to that.
If you'd like something to provide heat but not visible light you could get a ceramic bulb. They JUST make heat, but you'll want to get something dimmable because you won't want your cage actually getting too hot. When I was doing my research before I bought my leo I remember 85F being the maximum air temp you want your hot side to be, so I keep mine at or under that. I personally keep my red heat bulb on at all times at the same level, so it naturally dips at night and during the day reaches peak air temps around 83 or so.
This is a ceramic heat bulb that might work: http://www.joshsfrogs.com/zilla-ceramic-heat-emitter-50-watt.html
Pair it with a dimmable fixture like flukers, here: http://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Clamp-8-5-Inch-Ceramic-Dimmable/dp/B003H200QC
It's extremely convenient to be able to control the temperatures with that dimmer :) So you can use a bulb like that (ceramic) to heat your leo without the light. If you'd like a light for studying you can just use a lamp of any kind (a house lamp). It won't mess up your leos schedule, I don't believe. Especially since you'll turn it off and go to sleep for 5+ hours (sometimes less, I'm in college too) and let the room be in total darkness. I talked to someone who owned multiple crested geckos (which are nocturnal, not crepsecular, but still applies) and had them all in his dining room where he did work from home, sometimes until 1 or 2AM, and had his room lights on. it didn't bother them and he's been doing that for a long time. So based off of that I don't think you should worry. From my own experience with my leo, Noodles really loves when the room light is OFF (and it's completely dark in here excluding our computer screens and his incandescent heat bulb's red glow) but only when it's mealtime or playtime. He's not always in the mood. We keep our room lights on most nights and it's not that different from when we keep them off, which is nice.
Anyway tldr for your air heating problem I suggest a ceramic heat emitter bulb paired with some kind of dimmable lamp fixture like the Flukers I linked to provide the correct hot-side air temps while also not letting off any light.
For your lighting problem I think using a lamp in the room over your study area will be fine, or even just keeping the room light on. I don't think it's a huge deal based on others experiences as well as my own.
 
Now onto the floor temp/air temp problem. It sounds like you don't have anything to actually monitor the floor temp, which is more important than advertised on care sheets. You really need a temperature gun. You can get one easily for $20 on amazon, like where we got ours. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiTemp-Infrared-Thermometer/dp/B0053Y6IPE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459399701&sr=8-1&keywords=temperature+gun+reptile
The temperature gun will probably tell you that your hot side's floor temperatures are WAY higher than they need to be. This is what happened to us. Somehow I didn't know that the heat mat would reach temps higher than I wanted, why would it right (??)? Got the radar gun just because, (not believing I'd actually need it) and woopdeedoo 105+F floor temps on the hot side. 13F higher than what it was supposed to be! So we rushed and bought a thermostat immediately (on amazon they're half the price than at petco). If I were in your position I'd buy a thermostat as soon as I could, paired with a temp gun. http://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-ETL-Certified-Thermostat-Germination-Reptiles/dp/B000NZZG3S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1459399998&sr=8-2&keywords=thermostat+reptile
That's a really highly rated thermostat on there :) What you do with it is this: you'll plug the thermostat into your heat mat (or the heat mat into the thermostat, I can't remember which), then place the probe that comes with it (a long cable with a little doodad at the end) in the cage as close as you can to the dry hide. Here's a pic of how I did mine: http://i.imgur.com/o1vyB0g.jpg Set the temperature on your thermostat to maybe 85F or something and in an hour or so measure the floor temperature with your radar gun. 92F is the optimal floor temperature right underneath the dry hide, so aim for that. Play around with it and get it just right. Be sure to check on the floor temps every once in a while to make sure everything's still working.

My apologies for this coming out as such a novel, and all the links (some don't like getting spammed but I like them for reference). If you already know all about the thermostat/temp gun stuff then I'm sorry haha! it's an easy fix, probably easier than replacing that heat mat (if it really is only producing 73F floor temps). P.S. regarding your gecko's eating situation- they're probably stressed and won't eat for a little bit. It's okay! They'll get hungry soon and will eat normally. My leo has been doing this stupid thing where he'll eat half of his normal dinner and then act like he's not interested anymore (just licking the worms and turning away), so I wait a halfhour and try again. Usually he'll eat some more after that, but then again he hasn't just changed locations and such. :) Good luck!

u/ataraxia has amazing information for ball pythons. You should definitely read it through. Glass tanks are not ideal for Bps, so this should help. Here is her normal dump of information I took from another post.

i'm going to dump a bunch of helpful links on you. the first three links are detailed care sheets, then a tub tutorial, and the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly, come back with any questions.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

I use this terrarium once they're larger but I invested because I raise mantids as pets quite often.

For a twig, I use this

And for foliage I use this with the suction cup plonked near the top and the leaves hanging down that I found in the reptile section.

The fish and reptile sections at your local pet store are going to be your favorite aisles from now on.

For substrate a lot of people here prefer dirt (NEVER from outside, there are all kinds of parasites and mites in outside dirt!) But I prefer coconut fiber as my substrate because it's naturally antibiotic and will hinder fungal and bacterial growth, and smell nicer too.

You'll really come to love these little guys, and here's why. Mantids, unlike most "bugs" hunt via sight, not vibration. This means they move and act much more mammalian than other insects. They don't skitter, they don't make sudden scary movements or bite or attack on sight (well some do, they all have their own distinct personalities), and they're VERY smart.

Mantids have been known to be receptive to operant conditioning, AKA they can be trained like a dog would. You should try to handle them (gently and with clean hands) as they grow up, every couple of days, and by the time they're adults they'll readily calmly hang out with you whenever you want. You can plop them on your arm as you do computer stuff or whatever. They're very docile creatures most of the time and make great pets. Just be careful because they're fragile.

As others said, keep humidity around 50% and if they're Tenodera Sinesis then temperature should hover around 70F at night and 80F during the day, which means you'll want a dome reptile lamp and you'll need to figure our the appropriate distance from the top of the cage to place it. Don't place it right on top, the mantids love to hang out on top upside down and a lamp right there would fry them. Make sure there's at least 1 cool spot for them to cool off.

As for food and water, once they're a little bigger the crickets at the pet store should work fine. If they're super picky there are lots of online mantis stores that sell larger flies. and whet a sponge or paper towel in there to help with the humidity.

Reposting the famous u/ _ataraxia info:

Glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. It's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• the basics and then some
  
• common problems
  
• feeding problems
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. They have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

Sounds like you were getting outdated or flat-out incorrect information and those 'experienced snake owners' are likewise misinformed. There are very few snakes that legitimately have evolved to thrive on sand-based substrate (irony being the Sand Boa is not one of them; they live in sandy soil which is very different composition than straight sand). The Ball Python is native to the svannah/jungles of Sub-Saharan Africa. Its dirt, soil, and burrows. Not a majority or even significant amount of sand.

Additionally, if I extrapolate correctly from this singular picture, your BP is also in a glass enclosure and has a log-style hide. The former makes keeping humidity in the 55~80% range a difficult exercise, and the latter, is a stressor as BPs do best with a hide that has a single-entrance or is cave-like; the more points of contact, the better, and a single entrance means they can feel safer.

I'm going to steal _ataraxia's ball python dump and toss it below:

i'm going to dump a bunch of links to get you on the right track. the first three links are detailed care sheets, the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

Such a cutie!

Don't stress getting it from petco, mine both are and are super healthy. The reality is that not everyone is close to an expo or can afford the online ones. No one here judges like that, in my experience! We all just love leos :)

We waited months to name ours and its now based on their personalities. I advise the same. Its easier to remember and seems more personal than a generic name. Ours are "Serenity" (who is very calm and loves being held) and "Serendipity" (who randomly decides she likes us or hates us depending on how she woke up haha). These are shortened to Renity and Dipity. We played around with Hunter, and Buster, and even Jerry!

For set up I HIGHLY recommend a point-temperature gauge. This is the one I have but any with good reviews will do. There are ways to test it when you get it (point at ice-water, point at boiling water, ect) to make sure yours isn't a dud. These are so helpful to make sure you have a nice gradient and just way more reliable than the stick on one I have. I also now have three tanks, so it ended up being cheaper than buying the stick on one three times!

We have an automatic shipment of crickets from Flunker's Farms but its been spotty and inconsistent size and quality wise. We had one that was all bottom-feeder insects.

Invest in some calcium spray right now! It's the easiest thing to use. Just spray some dried mealworms and throw them in. It's like six bucks at petco or online and well worth not having to take a sick baby to the vet.

Last, we noticed that short and sweet interactions have gone a long way in improving our relationship with them. Take out, hold for a while, be calm, put back in. I then instantly feed them so they associate me with food hehe.

Enjoy your new family member!!!

Another male? Aspen is ok though carefresh or better yet (and certainly cheaper in the long run) fleece. You can just go to a Joann's or walmart or any hobby/sewing store and buy some fleece. Toss it in the wash as needed with an extra set in reserve. Cat food is what you should transition him to, high quality. I do blue buffalo cat food personally. It will last you a VERY long time. Hedgehog food is never as good for them as it should be. I will provide some amazon links for things you should probably get, the main one that you should but not quite have to if you have a room in the proper temp range is 72-80 degrees. Please come over to Hedgehogs Anonymous on Facebook request to join, then once you are in simply go to the files and take a look at them. I am a college student myself so I do my best to keep costs low though obviously start up costs will be high but after that its really quite cheap mostly (aside from possible vet visits).

Modular shelving can be the cage and gives him plenty of open room to roam and play around. This is the shelving I personally use and can vouch for. I have a 3x3 grid so 9 sq ft. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LGZOR6A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here is the food I get for my Sophie. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KU55KD2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Heating set up, again this is only if you need it and can keep the temp in the right range naturally. I dont know where you live so I do not know what your winters are like but if you get temps in the 50s or lower I do recommend it. Another preventative measure is to put the cage a foot or so off the ground, will actually keep your temps a few degrees higher than on the ground.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DHO6S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Ceramic Heat Emitter - Use this and NOT a heat light or something for reptiles, they need to have a period of darkness to be naturally awake 12/12 light on/off schedule All that the CHE does is emit heat, no light.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002CZ0J3E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Thermostat with a temp probe. Plug the CHE lamp into this and it automatically turns the CHE on and off to keep the temp in the right range.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003H200QC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The lamp part to plug the CHE bulb into.

Hide - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068K132/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Mint Stick (it seems all hedgies love these things lol)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O8Q5JTO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

food dishes
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0040B9NOY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These are all the bare essentials aside from a wheel. I and most other people will recommend the Volcano View Hedgehogs bucket wheel or Carolina Storm bucket wheel.

I was just trying to be a thorough as possible without really leaving out anything. Again please join us over at Hedgehogs Anonymous on facebook. Everyone in the group absolutely loves helping everyone with a hedge. Any question that you may have can and will be answered fairly quickly. Most if not all members would recommend getting from a USDA certified breeder just so you know the full medical history of your baby and his parents. Its also generally cheaper as the cost from a breeder is generally around $200 though that depends on the coloring. I am by no means saying do not get him from your pet store you played with him at. I dont like pet stores having hedgehogs just because they are a more sensitive exotic animal that doesnt do well in a retail setting when you have to take care of hundreds of animals at once with high overhead. But if he is behaves well with you now then absolutely get him from there. He looks on the smaller side so hes pretty young.

Again please join us over at Hedgehogs Anonymous. Cant wait to see you and your baby on there. You could potentially take him home today with a cheap bin, simple fleece bolts and food and water dishs from what you have in your house and thatll last until the rest of your supplies are acquired.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/382631271838164/

It is possible. Reading through the comments in this post, I see that you just got your noodle. Congrats!

But that as well will play a huge factor. Little friend is stressed out. Just give it a solid week of no touching and no feeding attempts. After that give it another go.

As for the temp. I’ll give you some basic:

-Coconut shedding substrate (replace after a week so that your snake gets comfortable to its surroundings first)
-Thermometers/hygrometer at the bottom of the tank
-Plug the headpad into a thermostat

After your new friend has eaten;

-moisten the new coconut substrate by mixing water into it and mixing it all up with your hands. Leaving dry substrate under its hides. This will be great to help with humidity, which you will see if your house humidity isn’t high, will be a struggle.

My house has an average of about 44, so I have to mix my substrate about every 2 days. I’m going to be looking into other options down the road, as I have done all the home remedies and mixing is my best option.

Hope all of this helps!

Short answer: yes temp and humidity will affect your snakes feeding 🐍 🐁 lol


Edit: replace substrate after a week from today I meant. Not once a week.

Edit two: a chill mod in here once told me to cover the top screen with tin foil while mixing the substrate. Best tip ever. Plus if you do it right, it looks nifty. Just make holes for your heat lamp and ventilation. It’ll take some time to perfect. But not long. Kay I’m done now

If you have the money for it, getting each of you a mic like the Samson Q2U or Audio-Technica ATR2100 will go a long way in making the sound better. Another thing is to do some basic acoustic treatment. If you string up a heavy blanket behind each of you, and another on the wall that's in frame, it will cut out a lot of the echos and make you sound a lot better (no matter what mic you're using).

For video, I'm not sure there is much that can be done to the recording quality without spending a bunch of money on a camera, but there are a couple of things you can still do to make it look nicer. First of all, improve your lighting. Everything is well lit, but if you focus the lights more on your faces and have less light in the background, it will add a nice contrast to the scene (clamp style work lights are a cheap solution if you need more lights). The other thing is more audio based, but record the video and audio separately. Audacity is a free software for audio recording/editing, and if you can record it there as well as in OBS, you can have the audio only for a more 'traditional' podcast.

​

I know it sounded like a lot of critique there, but overall what you have isn't bad. There's room for improvement, but the only thing I would consider as needed would be some acoustic treatment. I hope this all helped!

My experience comes from a YBS. Map turtles appear to be a bit smaller, but in general look like they need the same kind of care (aquatic environment with room/heat to sun, UVB, etc.).

You can start with a small tank and upgrade, but I wouldn't recommend too many steps in here. In other words, it's a waste of money to start with a 10 gallon, upgrade to a 20, then a 50, then a 75, etc. The general rule of thumb seems to be 10 gallons per inch of shell. So a two inch turtle needs a 20 gallon tank, a fully grown female will need a 100 gallon tank. Petco has regular $1/gallon sales, up to X gallons. You could find a good deal on a 40 gallon breeder tank this way that would last you a good amount of time, and upgrade to a larger tank once you determined male/female and saved up some money. Or go smaller, but then you'll need to upgrade sooner. Don't forget, when you upgrade the tank, you'll likely need to upgrade the filter, lighting, etc.

Shopping List Not shopping around at all, so some prices may be high, but if I were setting things up like new for a 20 gallon long tank:

• Ceramic heat bulb, $20
  
• Heat Lamp Dome, $20
  
• T5 Terrarium Hood, $50
  
• T5 UVB Bulb, $25
  
• Canister Filter, $50
  
• Tank, $20
  
• Ramp, $15
  
  Add to this any aquarium decorations you might want, timers really help out for controlling lights. I also have an air pump on timers ($15, plus tubing and stones), mostly to help agitate the surface of the water. You'll probably want something like this or a surface skimmer to help keep the surface clear. Most of that stuff can wait, it's just extras, but hopefully it helps give you an idea. All total, you're looking at $200, rounded out on the high end. You can shave a lot off by shopping around though. When looking at filters, remember that turtles are dirtier than fish. I'd aim for one that's rated at 3x the size of the tank you have. So if you have a 20 gallon tank, even if it's only filled up half way, look at filters rated for 60 gallons or more. Edit: IIRC local pet stores sell starter kits with most of this included that would probably cut down on the price as well.
  
  Honestly never had a problem with my turtle that would rate a vet visit.
  
  Mine has nibbled at me before, but he's too small to do any damage. The only reason he has is when I'm feeding him treats or something, he's never bitten me to be aggressive. With the exception of snappers, I wouldn't call them an aggressive species, but like any animal, they'll each have a different personality.
  
  
  
  

Turtles generally won't crawl out onto a basking area unless it's nice and sunny and warm. I use this $40 lamp for my turtle because it emits both UVB and heat, but it might be cheaper in the long run if you get separate UVB and heat lamps. I think the UVB-only lamp is ~$20.

This shell issue most likely started while he was in the store and not getting any UVB or heat, btw. :( It sucks, but it's awesome that you are asking for help and putting in the research time.

I highly recommend reading this sticky from /r/turtle, if you haven't already done so, and the section about shell rot on Austin's Turtle Page. My first turtle was a rescue with shell rot, and already had bone showing. She ended up losing some bits of shell, but was otherwise healthy after weeks of dry docking (forced basking), good diet, and iodine/silvadene.

Definitely get your little herp to a vet asap, and make sure you get everything a good turtle habitat needs. I hope he'll be okay!

>It gets direct sun from like 3-6pm, so it has some natural light.

I notice it's developing a lemon rather nicely, so if you've had that plant in the location for half a year or more, then it seems pretty happy. However, if it's a new plant (or was newly moved to that location), additional supplemental lighting could be beneficial.


>I was looking at like 150-300 W bulbs because I had no clue. I was also looking at the blurple ones because I also had no clue

150W Bulbs are definitely overkill unless they're incandescent, and most of the energy from those bulbs radiates out as heat. I personally prefer full spectrum LEDs because I don't want the inside of my house to look like a nightclub (blurple is hard on the eyes) and LEDs are more energy efficient, outputting more light and less heat.

>Does the housing you put the bulb in matter? Do you just use one of those cheap metal ones from Home Depot?

Keep in mind that since you already have a red/blue spectrum grow lamp in that picture in addition to the window, so if you want more supplemental lighting, you probably don't need to go the full 36W that I linked earlier. The 24W version is probably sufficient. It's a pretty big bulb, so just make sure you find a housing that is big enough to fit it and is compatible both with its E26 Socket and its Wattage. I know some folks who use this sort of thing with it, and home depot probably offers something similar.

This is the problem hedgie I posted about a few days ago. I bought a new, larger enclosure for him and moved him into today. He was a bit grumpy during the move as I had to wake him up for it, but he's loving the cage so far it seems. The blue "ball" at the bottom of the cage is his hide...which he sleeps under. Underneath it is a pet safe Heating Pad to help regulate temperature in that hiding spot. It's designed for small animals so it only gets up to about 100 F or so (just over human body temp) and is under his bedding to keep him directly off of it. It's been enough to keep him warm in his previous enclosure which is nice. The cage is an Amazon Basics Small Animal Cage, Large which is a bit bigger than the previous enclosure. I've got to clean up his wheel and get it mounted for him, but after that he should be more comfortable than he was before. Hopefully this helps his attitude.

Welcome to the reptile community!

Personally for me if you aren't gonna use a heatpad/thermostat combo I would go with say a 60-75 watt ceramic heat emitter/thermostat combo. The ceramic heat emitter will push out heat but no light so you can use it in conjunction with a thermostat and it never has to be turned off.

You're gonna want your temps near your heat source to be around 83-86 F or so (if it's off a 1 or 2 degrees don't worry about it) the rest of the tank can hover in the low to mid 70's.

You are gonna want some more stuff going on in the tank. Probably another hide on the other side of the tank. I prefer to provide as many hides as possible, however in a tank this size you're probably gonna be limited to 2 which will work. However a way to sort of clutter it up and make the snake more comfortable is to get some fake vines that you can either suction cup around the edges or just leave in a loose pile in the terrarium.

https://www.amazon.com/Flukers-Repta-Vines-Pothos-Reptiles-Amphibians/dp/B0009YEB70/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496131286&sr=8-2&keywords=reptile+vines

Something like this, it's 6 ft long so you can have some hanging, some laying on the ground of the terrarium. It's just extra clutter to make the snake feel more secure.

Unlike some of the other users I think that size of hide is fine. The way it's constructed allows the snake to get tight in it under the lip of the opening, you can stuff it with some sphagnum moss or bedding to make it a little more secure if you want to.

Other than that, with corn snakes just make sure your lid is secure and you make sure your humidity is alright, usually ambient house humidity (40-65%) is fine for these guys but when it get ready to shed (eyes will turn blue) you're gonna want to mist it with water to up the humidity a little bit until the shed is over.

You're gonna have fun with your snake and once again welcome to the community.

Your ball python is nocturnal, you don't need to light it up. Light will not only stress your snake out but eat away at your humidity. There is ZERO reason to add lights to your enclosure. Check out Ceramic Heat Emitters. They produce heat, but do not produce humidity eating stress inducing light. I have CHE's on both my enclosures. The day light that fills my office is enough "day and night cycle" as some people seem to think it's needed.

Check out CHEs. They produce heat, but no light. http://www.amazon.com/BYB-Ceramic-Infrared-Emitter-Brooder/dp/B00IOBZT80/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1462043496&sr=1-4&keywords=ceramic+heat+emitter
You'll want to plug this into a lamp dimmer, cheap but very important. The dimmer will allow you to control the temp of your CHE. http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-TT-300H-WH-Electronics-Plug--Dimmer/dp/B0000BYEF6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462043561&sr=8-1&keywords=lamp+dimmer
This is a much much better alternative to a heat bulb, the red and the black lights are also not needed. Your CHE can stay on all the time, just make sure you have accurate digital humidity and temp gauges so you can keep things steady.


Your humidity should be at 55-65%, cool side 80-82, ambient 84-86, and warm side 88-90. If you're using a tank, blocking out three sides with black poster board or anything like that will help make your snake feel more secure and help insulate it a little. If you have a screen lid, using aluminum tape on top of the lid spare where the CHE in it's hood sits will help insulate heat and humidity inside the tank a bit.

Fluorescent tubes sure have the ideal shape. It's sad they don't have the ideal light output.
I can't really say what intensity is achieved at X distance, but it will be all your plants care about.
The best way to find out is to measure the light intensity with a LUX meter and regulate height of pots and distance to lamp, based on what values you are getting. Peppers will probably like 2-4x intensity compared to what your micros will prefer and that can be regulated by distance. If it's difficult to reach the intensity your pepper(s) will need to thrive, you can always boost with a 9-14w LED household bulb wherever a little extra light is needed. For example, a cheap and simple clamp light, together with a 1500lm LED bulb will provide a good intensity over a 1'x1' area. Those two examples were picked randomly. You can choose whatever brand and kelvin you like.

They require 88f minimum on the cool side, ideally 90f for proper digestion. Since they're cold blooded they rely on the temperatures in their environment to do basic metabolic functions such as digest. So I'd recommend grabbing an under tank heater, a thermostat to control it, and maybe a decent little thermometer, sounds like you're using a wall dial that can be tough to read and are always inaccurate. Getting the temperatures right is really important for keeping reptiles, otherwise they can get sick or worse quickly, but luckily once you have those temps set they're easy to maintain. Woudl recommend just double checking the link under "basic care" down on our side bar, it can fill you in on a bit more like the calcium supplements they need as well. If you have any questions let me know! I'm going to add a few links to the items I'm mentioning

https://www.reddit.com/r/leopardgeckos/comments/9qig1m/gecko_belly_ive_had_my_gecko_about_two_weeks_and/

https://www.amazon.com/Century-T7-FBA_BNQ-T7H-Thermostat-Germination/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1540265142&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=reptile+thermostat&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Digital-Terrarium-Thermometer/dp/B000MD3MFA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1540265132&sr=8-6&keywords=reptile+thermometer

Are the green plants real or fake? If they're real, make sure it's something safe for them to eat in case he's been nibbling on it. Otherwise that's not a bad looking setup. The water dish is probably unnecessary but not likely to hurt anything. You probably want to move the UVB bulb over closer to the basking bulb so he's getting the UVB while basking, at least until you have a chance to replace it with the longer UVB bulb. As for the CHE at night, you really only need that if it's getting below 65 in the room at night.

What's his hotspot temps? It looks like you've provided him a basking area pretty close to the basking lamp so 150 watt might be a bit high. If you don't have one, I recommend getting a gun-style IR thermometer that you can use to take direct readings of his basking spot. If it's too hot or too cold it could also be impacting his appetite.

As for the UVB, you can't go wrong with a Reptisun 10.0. For that size tank you want to get the 22" long tube and an appropriate lamp for it. If you get the T5 instead of the T8 (this refers to the width of the tube) it will be strong enough that you can set it on top of the mesh like you've got the other lights, a T8 you'll have to mount inside the tank. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-26061-Reptisun-Fluorescent/dp/B00AQU8HAO/ on Amazon or you can usually find at local shops.

How old is the beardie? It's quite possible that relocation stress is to blame for his lack of appetite, though 7 days seems a little excessive. Good that you aren't handling him yet. Keep on offering him food, hopefully he'll come around and start eating! If you've verified temps are where they should be, may want to consider a vet visit soon to rule out health issues if he doesn't start eating soon.

Go with the PVC set up. As some one who has used glass set ups and tried to find ways to alter them to make them better for BPs: don't bother. It costs more to make the set up 'right' and then to maintain it, because you will have to maintain it constantly. When I began, I thought I could engineer my way through and turned the tank on it's side, built a door, all kinds of things...and yeah, it worked, made a beautiful glass enclosure and I could see my snake, but it was never consistent enough to not have to check daily, like a PVC should be.

Stay away from glass. It's just not worth it.

Good choices on the reptile basics stuff.

This is the thermometer I use: Acu-Rite Indoor/Outdoor - it also keeps track of humidity.

Stay away from the Zoomed coconut husk stuff and go for ReptiChip - it's less dusty and slightly bigger chunks so it's safer for your BP. Plus that package is big and perfect for several full substrate change outs.

The water dish is not big enough - it's only 3 inches wide. Definitely won't help with humidity, unless you get 2-3 of them and put them around the set up. Get a ceramic dog bowl like this instead. It's big, won't run out quickly, and will let your BP soak if it wants to.

Use the reptibasic hides. They're sturdy and easy to clean. 'Decorative' hides are usually a pain to clean.

I've tried the decorative vine and it's no good; when your BP poops on it, the poop stays stuck and unless you're going to pull it out and sanitize it every time (the leaves are fiber, not plastic), it's just a pain to have.

Lastly, don't even bother with mice for your BP. Just start straight from rats. The sooner your BP is on rats, the easier life will be.