Aussie Pythons and Snakes

shedevil · Original Poster #1 04-Sep-06, 04:28 PM

I need help. first of all hello.
I have not long brought a stimpsons python. NOW the first week it was fine it ate well got settled in its new home!
Just brilliant. But this week it hasnt eaten i get it out and it curls up into a tiny ball. i really dont know what to do i thought maybe its to cold so i moved the tank under the window. i have a heat mat for it and temp seems to be 25-27 degrees is that to low???The pet shop i got it from said to put the heat mat on the side of tank because they feel heat in the air or something is that right??
its my second snake i have had but my first snake was a long time ago so ive mostly forgotten what to do! i had a cornsnake in England so a bit different..
Please help any information will do!! need care sheet!! please!!
xx

mitchyj · #2 04-Sep-06, 04:38 PM

the heatmat should be on the bottom imo dont listen to the shops i rekon if theres something u need 2 know just ask it on here the people actually know wat they're talkn about

josho · #3 04-Sep-06, 04:42 PM

if your going to use a heat mat yeah put it to one side of the enclousure but must be on the bottom not on the side. how old is the snake?

josho · #4 04-Sep-06, 04:42 PM

if your going to use a heat mat yeah put it to one side of the enclousure but must be on the bottom not on the side. how old is the snake?

shedevil · Original Poster #5 04-Sep-06, 04:45 PM

im not sure how old its still quite young about 20-30cm long! i really dont know whats wrong do you think its to cold? how do i know when its shedding will it not eat?

craig.a.c · #6 04-Sep-06, 04:46 PM

Put the heat mat under the tank, not the side. For the warmth, heat it to 28 - 32 for the warm end, cool end around 22 - 24. Don't place the tank where sunlight will hit the tank, it will get very hot inside the tank. As for it curling up into a ball, it may just be feeling a little threatened and stressed. How old is the stiimie?

pythoness · #7 04-Sep-06, 04:47 PM

it is curling into a ball because it is scared out of it's little brain, it is a defence pose.
let him settle in for about 3 weeks, don't handle him and keep him away from high traffic areas in the home. and no need to fret over feeding, just throw a (dead) rat or mouse in once a week and if it's still there in the morning, throw it out( the food, not the snake

) and try again next week. he wont starve and can go for a few months before you need to be too worried.
good luck

craig.a.c · #8 04-Sep-06, 04:48 PM

When they are coming up to shed, their colour will become dull and their eyes will be cloudy. About a week later they will lose the milky colour and shed anything from a few days to a week later. Don't feed it when it is going to shed.

serpenttongue · #9 04-Sep-06, 04:52 PM

Shedevil, the heat mat should be underneath half of the snakes enclosure so it can move from a warm surface to a cold one and vice versa. I would have the heat mat set at 29'c.

Stimsons will curl into a ball when they are stressed or as a defensive posture. As your snake is a new captive i'd imagine it is still hasn't settled in. You will need to give it a lot more time to itself (which means no handling). It will start feeding for you when it's satisfied with the way it's being kept.

shedevil · Original Poster #10 04-Sep-06, 04:54 PM

[quote="pythoness"]it is curling into a ball because it is scared out of it's little brain, it is a defence pose.

but it didnt do this the first two weeks only this week!
i will let it settle down!
Its always asleep, is it the cold weather?
I just need some information! the pet shop wasnt very helpful!

serpenttongue · #11 04-Sep-06, 04:55 PM

Also, are you keeping it in an enclosure or a small container?

shedevil · Original Poster #12 04-Sep-06, 04:56 PM

The heat mat doesnt have a set temp! the pet shop just gave me a mat~! do i need a light in the tank?

shedevil · Original Poster #13 04-Sep-06, 04:57 PM

its a small container about the length of the snake about 30cm

craig.a.c · #14 04-Sep-06, 05:14 PM

Run the heat mat through a thermostat and only have it under 1/3 or 1/2 of the container. Make sure sure it has some hides, one in the warm end and one in the cool end.

pythoness · #15 04-Sep-06, 05:18 PM

put the container on the heat mat, so it covers about 1/3 the bottom. give plenty of hides, and time to calm down.
he might have been fine for the first couple of weeks but the stress can take a few weeks to calm down. no light, the heat mat is fine. he will only curl in defence, not from the cold, if he's cold he will be slow and sleepy.
i know it's hard, but you need to leave him alone for a few weeks. he will settle down with time.
hth