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Millsey007

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Hi all . I would love to own a python but work away 2 weeks at a time and no one else is home to look after snakey.

What's your thoughts of owning a snake and then being away for two weeks? Possible? Not advisable?

Thanks in advance .
 
Not advisable, especially for hatchlings needing food more than adults(even adults generally will eat every 1 1/2 weeks i'm pretty sure, depending on what the food is)
 
It is possible.

Young snakes do grow the best when fed weekly, fortnightly feeds wouldn't be too much of an issue though. You would need to feed a larger than usual prey item or two at a time of an appropriate size prey, the only downside is the snake will just grow a little slower and possibly not attain the size of one fed weekly.

Water would be a problem unless you are able to setup an auto fill system with an overflow drain in the water bowl, so that the tank doesn't flood, which would be fairly simple to do.

In case of a failure, so you don't overheat the enclosure, you would need to have at least two quality thermostats, three would be better, hooked up in series and all set to the required temperature. Combine that with the appropriate wattage heating bulb/mat and you shouldn't have an issue with it getting to hot.

So yes it can be done, you just need to spend a little more on the enclosure set-up (thermostats and watering system).

I would advise though, if you were going to do it, wait until these ridiculously high summer temperatures are gone and it should be fine.
 
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A lot of military people keep snakes because of how easy they are to care for even when having to go away.

I'd think you'd be fine if you can sort out a safe heat source and a good water source.
 
Well its lucky I'm a super handy guy . Thanks so much for your advice .I will definitely look had building an enclosure that will last the test of time while i am away.

So now I guess I just need to find out what type of Python I want to get . Something friendly, size is not an issue. Hmmmm
 
Definitely doable. Feeding fortnightly would still be far in excess of what a young snake in the wild would get, and is more than adequate for any snake, and you don't need to do anything except change the water when you're home (and scrub the bowl - they get a slime covering over time...). It's true that snakes which are fed less grow a bit slower, but the notion that hatchies and younger snakes NEED to be fed very frequently is just an artefact of the captive breeding mentality. Breeders like their animals to get a bit of size on them asap, and most keepers enjoy seeing their animals feed (it's often the easiest way to stimulate movement in what are otherwise very sedentary animals). My own animals, hatchies up to adults, might be fed at most fortnightly, and may go 5-6 weeks between feeds sometimes without ill effects.

As far as watering goes, once again, snakes in the wild will often go for months without access to drinking water. I see pythons around my house here, near Port Macquarie, pretty regularly, and I know they don't have access to drinking water for weeks on end. Most people are used to cats, dogs and birds as pets, and extrapolate that a snake's need for water is similar. Of course it does no harm to have FRESH water available daily, but it is not necessary. Most snakes will drink when fresh water is placed in the enclosure, but most will not drink from that bowl again until the water is changed. Place the bowl at the cool end of the enclosure, and only half fill it, in case the critter decides to take a bath and it overflows in your absence.

As far as heating is concerned, make sure you supply just enough heat to reach the temps you want, and not a massive heat source that will cook your animal in the case of thermostat failure. The safest way to go is to use a 25-50W heat cord under the floor at one end of your enclosure. Pythons do very well with belly heat alone, (I only use an overhead heat source for my GTPs, and haven't used anything but belly heat for my other species for 40 years), so a section of floor heated to the appropriate temperature, with a hide or three on both the warm and cool sections will give the snake a choice of where it wants to be. Strong heat sources are very dangerous during periods of absence or heatwaves, so a source supplying just enough and maybe a little more than needed is the safest way to go.

Go for it and good luck!

Jamie
 
Heat cord is a better option for limiting heat failure, bulbs and ceramic heat emitters, though rarely, can fail expectantly. Depending on where you live, the time of year and how long you were away. That could be a problem.
 
Absolutely achievable.
Helps if you have someone you can trust to do water but outside that it's no big issue so long as you are not in a hot region with a temperate animal such as a Diamond. (They may struggle if left alone during a hot spell without some cooling)

Good advice above on reliable heat sources but would like to add it makes sense to feed them as soon as you return so they start digesting and you know temps are good. If you feed on your last day off then the heat fails you could be in trouble at the wrong time of year.
 
I was a FIFO worker for years and had no issues even keeping GTP'S.. yes it was risky but I had great timers thermostats etc good equipment and also back ups of freinds to check on the all .. it's all about proper preparing [emoji869]



PS FIFO work is not worth it if you have a family/wife etc it will destroy it
Instagram: murph_BTK
 
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