Tahri
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- Mar 26, 2020
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Hello! New snake owner, and I have questions about stressors for Stimson's pythons, and what I can do to reduce said stress.
The backstory: I recently aquired an adult Stimson's python + enclosure from a teen who had decided he didn't have time for said python any more. The python seems fairly healthy, if overweight, with glossy scales and a very friendly and inquisitive temperament.
When I got the enclosure and snake to my house I decided to not immediately deep-clean or change the enclosure too much, until he had time to settle, as I didn't want to stress him out too much, and the enclosure looked ok.
Changes I did make were removing the artificial 'vine' which had been wrapped around one of the un-guarded red heat lamps. It was slightly melted onto the lamp, so it seemed particularly unsafe. I also swapped out the small, algae coated water dish for a larger, clean, ceramic dish. Apart from the vine and dish, there was one large exo terra hide (seems much too big for him), one rock, and a large lump of driftwood. The substrate was aspen, and looked mostly clean, though didn't smell great. I immediately ordered fresh substrate, and am looking to replace the heat lamps with something better, like a heat mat/heat cord.
Today, while cleaning and refilling the water dish, I found a small poop nugget hidden in the substrate. I went looking for more, because that's gross. I found a few more tiny stale poop nuggets... and then I found something shiny. A shard of glass about 2cm by 1.5cm. That was worrying. I took the snake out of the enclosure, removed all the substrate, and found more broken glass and tiny poop fragments - looked like a shattered heat globe had been left in there, with substrate dumped over it to hide it. Underneath the substrate I discovered aged and caked on feces stuck to the melamine. The decorative rock was also coated with feces under the substrate line. The rock has since been discarded.
So, I've cleaned the entire enclosure from top to bottom. Scraped **** out of the nooks and crannies, and scrubbed everything. As I the substrate I ordered is due to arrive on tuesday, I put down paper towel. I'm hoping that's going to be ok for a few days. I know stimmies like to burrow.
So, now the poor lad isn't just in a new place with new sounds; his house doesn't smell familiar, his furniture has been moved, and the floor is weird paper.
I have seen recommendations to avoid handling a snake for a minimum of 2 successful feeds after it has been moved to a new home in order to reduce stress on the snake. Thus far we are at day 6 of relocation, day 1 of totally cleaned house, and about 19 days since last feed. In the past two days he seemed extra active (assumed it was a sign of hunger), so he has been offered both the same type of food as previously fed (medium rat), and smaller prey (adult mice), but has rejected both.
Now, I suspect he won't be terribly interested in eating for a few days because everything is weird, and he'll be stressed, though he has come out to explore and climb around the remaining decor.
Questions: If I put in smaller hides that are more suited to his body size... will that stress him more, or will it be better because he'll have hides better suited to him?
Should I put the new substrate in right away, or should I leave him on the paper until he has settled enough to feed?
Same question re. heat mat.
I want to put more stuff in this barren as heck enclosure for him to explore, but I'm not super sure when a good time is - I'm thinking I should wait until he's settled... so same question there too.
Are there signs of extreme stress I should be looking for?
Are there things I can do to help the lad feel better in the short term?
Lastly, I feel I need to confront the aforementioned teen for what amounts to animal cruelty. The artificial vine on the unprotected heat lamp is stupidity. Half-arsed cleaning is irresponsible... but this goes beyond just stupid or half-arsed. Leaving a shattered globe in the enclosure? It's a miracle the poor snake didn't cut himself open. I'm not sure how to confront the kid. I'm not close with the parents, or the kid. I worry the parents couldn't care less or they would have done something about the filthy water dish, and the teen is unlikely to listen to me if I tell him off. Any advice at all?
Cheers.
[doublepost=1585519068,1585219418][/doublepost]Thought I would update, so if people are struggling with similar questions, they at least have my limited experience to go on;
Re. The substrate - when on paper napkins he spent his time climbing the walls and glass looking for ways out, and trying to push himself through the air vents (which, obviously, he didn't fit through). As soon at the new substrate went in, he seemed a lot happier, though he would still sit with his face at the air vents. He just wasn't squishing his face into them and poking his tongue through the gaps. I used reptile safe cleaning stuff, so he shouldn't be trying to escape the air in the enclosure... I think he may just be getting used to new smells coming in through the vents from my house.
Heat mat - I put this in after testing it to make sure it wasn't faulty and didn't get too hot - I have it sandwiched between ceramic tiles to keep loose substrate out and keep my boy from coming into direct contact with it. It has its own thermostat separate from the lamps, and it definitely seems to help keep the substrate warm on the warm side of the tank. Better still, he happily travels back and forth between the warm and cool sides of the enclosure when he wants to cool or warm himself, and isn't desperately searching for escape routes.
From this, I think that installing improvements as soon as you can is likely to be better than waiting for a stressed snake to get used to his new but imperfect environment.
His new hides are almost ready to add (need that aquarium grade sealant to arrive), and I plan to put them in the second they're ready too, because it seems that he'll feel better sooner if I do that, and better sooner is the goal.
The backstory: I recently aquired an adult Stimson's python + enclosure from a teen who had decided he didn't have time for said python any more. The python seems fairly healthy, if overweight, with glossy scales and a very friendly and inquisitive temperament.
When I got the enclosure and snake to my house I decided to not immediately deep-clean or change the enclosure too much, until he had time to settle, as I didn't want to stress him out too much, and the enclosure looked ok.
Changes I did make were removing the artificial 'vine' which had been wrapped around one of the un-guarded red heat lamps. It was slightly melted onto the lamp, so it seemed particularly unsafe. I also swapped out the small, algae coated water dish for a larger, clean, ceramic dish. Apart from the vine and dish, there was one large exo terra hide (seems much too big for him), one rock, and a large lump of driftwood. The substrate was aspen, and looked mostly clean, though didn't smell great. I immediately ordered fresh substrate, and am looking to replace the heat lamps with something better, like a heat mat/heat cord.
Today, while cleaning and refilling the water dish, I found a small poop nugget hidden in the substrate. I went looking for more, because that's gross. I found a few more tiny stale poop nuggets... and then I found something shiny. A shard of glass about 2cm by 1.5cm. That was worrying. I took the snake out of the enclosure, removed all the substrate, and found more broken glass and tiny poop fragments - looked like a shattered heat globe had been left in there, with substrate dumped over it to hide it. Underneath the substrate I discovered aged and caked on feces stuck to the melamine. The decorative rock was also coated with feces under the substrate line. The rock has since been discarded.
So, I've cleaned the entire enclosure from top to bottom. Scraped **** out of the nooks and crannies, and scrubbed everything. As I the substrate I ordered is due to arrive on tuesday, I put down paper towel. I'm hoping that's going to be ok for a few days. I know stimmies like to burrow.
So, now the poor lad isn't just in a new place with new sounds; his house doesn't smell familiar, his furniture has been moved, and the floor is weird paper.
I have seen recommendations to avoid handling a snake for a minimum of 2 successful feeds after it has been moved to a new home in order to reduce stress on the snake. Thus far we are at day 6 of relocation, day 1 of totally cleaned house, and about 19 days since last feed. In the past two days he seemed extra active (assumed it was a sign of hunger), so he has been offered both the same type of food as previously fed (medium rat), and smaller prey (adult mice), but has rejected both.
Now, I suspect he won't be terribly interested in eating for a few days because everything is weird, and he'll be stressed, though he has come out to explore and climb around the remaining decor.
Questions: If I put in smaller hides that are more suited to his body size... will that stress him more, or will it be better because he'll have hides better suited to him?
Should I put the new substrate in right away, or should I leave him on the paper until he has settled enough to feed?
Same question re. heat mat.
I want to put more stuff in this barren as heck enclosure for him to explore, but I'm not super sure when a good time is - I'm thinking I should wait until he's settled... so same question there too.
Are there signs of extreme stress I should be looking for?
Are there things I can do to help the lad feel better in the short term?
Lastly, I feel I need to confront the aforementioned teen for what amounts to animal cruelty. The artificial vine on the unprotected heat lamp is stupidity. Half-arsed cleaning is irresponsible... but this goes beyond just stupid or half-arsed. Leaving a shattered globe in the enclosure? It's a miracle the poor snake didn't cut himself open. I'm not sure how to confront the kid. I'm not close with the parents, or the kid. I worry the parents couldn't care less or they would have done something about the filthy water dish, and the teen is unlikely to listen to me if I tell him off. Any advice at all?
Cheers.
[doublepost=1585519068,1585219418][/doublepost]Thought I would update, so if people are struggling with similar questions, they at least have my limited experience to go on;
Re. The substrate - when on paper napkins he spent his time climbing the walls and glass looking for ways out, and trying to push himself through the air vents (which, obviously, he didn't fit through). As soon at the new substrate went in, he seemed a lot happier, though he would still sit with his face at the air vents. He just wasn't squishing his face into them and poking his tongue through the gaps. I used reptile safe cleaning stuff, so he shouldn't be trying to escape the air in the enclosure... I think he may just be getting used to new smells coming in through the vents from my house.
Heat mat - I put this in after testing it to make sure it wasn't faulty and didn't get too hot - I have it sandwiched between ceramic tiles to keep loose substrate out and keep my boy from coming into direct contact with it. It has its own thermostat separate from the lamps, and it definitely seems to help keep the substrate warm on the warm side of the tank. Better still, he happily travels back and forth between the warm and cool sides of the enclosure when he wants to cool or warm himself, and isn't desperately searching for escape routes.
From this, I think that installing improvements as soon as you can is likely to be better than waiting for a stressed snake to get used to his new but imperfect environment.
His new hides are almost ready to add (need that aquarium grade sealant to arrive), and I plan to put them in the second they're ready too, because it seems that he'll feel better sooner if I do that, and better sooner is the goal.
