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MariaTA74

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A few days ago I purchased Athena, a Spotted Python - Platinum A-Grade colour, is that colour correct? (I don't know what sex she is but I call her a she) born December 2020. I live in Brisbane, Qld. The glass enclosure and mesh top I purchased is 20cm wide, 30cm long, 13cm high. She has a heat mat 5W 14cm x 15cm. She has a corner water dish at her cool end. I have a hide with 3 entry points at the cool end, and a hide with one entry point at her warm end. And newspaper on her flooring. I have done so much research before I got her and after, but there is so much conflicting information out there I don't know what to do. I need someone to tell me this is the absolute must of what I need to provide her.

Should the water bowl be at the cool end or warm end and how big?
What humidity % should it be?
How do I provide the correct humidity?
What temp should the cool end be?
What temp should the warm end be?
Is the heat mat all I need?
Do I need a thermometer, hygrometer, thermostat, infra red temperature gun?

I haven't fed her yet because I was told to feed her every 7-10 days, and I've only had her 4 days. and she was fed 5 days ago. I was told she must poo her pinky mouse out before I feed her again. 1 poo per feed. If she doesn't poo and it has come up to her 7-10 days for her next feeding, do I still feed her? And if I offer her a pinky mouse and she doesn't take it, do I leave it in her enclosure overnight, or not?

Does she sleep during the day or night? When is best to handle her, how often and for how long?

And anything else you can help me with I would be most grateful.

Thank you so much.
 
Last edited:
Should the water bowl be at the cool end or warm end and how big?
Cool end, size doesnt matter too much if you want it big enough she can submerge herself in if shes too hot go for it, i use a 4$ kmart ceramic ramekin

What humidity % should it be?
again, doesnt matter, people swear by it being in the 80s+ but if you have a water bowl in the enclosure, chances are its going to be humid enough

How do I provide the correct humidity?
by Providing more/less water

What temp should the cool end be?
a decent bit lower than the hot end, around 25~

What temp should the warm end be?
32-34c

Is the heat mat all I need?
if it provides proper temps, yes otherwise a higher wattage heatcord/mat (don't run multiple heating elements)

Do I need a thermometer, hygrometer, thermostat, infra red temperature gun?
a thermostat + thermometer probe/temp gun is a MUST for a beginner - i use a thermostat + thermometer probe zip tied together where the snake will sit on the heat and use a temp gun to get readings of different areas of enclosure throughtout the year.

I haven't fed her yet because I was told to feed her every 7-10 days, and I've only had her 4 days. and she was fed 5 days ago. I was told she must poo her pinky mouse out before I feed her again. 1 poo per feed. If she doesn't poo and it has come up to her 7-10 days for her next feeding, do I still feed her? And if I offer her a pinky mouse and she doesn't take it, do I leave it in her enclosure overnight, or not?
Dont get too caught up on if ur snakes pooing or not, do you wait till you poo before eating again?
if she was born in december, she should be on something bigger than pinky mice, atleast hopper mice, pinkies offer bugger all nutritional value = slow rate of growth and a feisty snake
if she doesnt eat, sure you can leave it in the enclosure overnight, make sure you dont forget to take it out if she doesnt eat (not a problem if she doesnt, try again in a few weeks time, dont keep trying every day, you will just go through food like no tomorrow, chuck out any uneaten food)

Does she sleep during the day or night?
They're nocturnal.

When is best to handle her, how often and for how long?
there is no *best* time, they don't enjoy it nor hate it, they just wanna eat sleep procreate. If you must, I wouldn't recommend more than 10/15 minutes at a time but up to you

And anything else you can help me with I would be most grateful.
cover up that mesh top and stick styrofoam to the OUTSIDE 3 of the 4 sides of the tank itll save u headaches down the road

Heating should only take up 1/3rd of enclosure space, so maybe think about upsizing your enclosure in the near future, current one sounds like itll be too small in a couple months if not already - an adult spotted will do good in a 3ft long x2ft deepx 1.5ft high - this will be at around 2~ years old

KEEP TAPE OUTSIDE OF ENCLOSURE


Pictures??
 
Should the water bowl be at the cool end or warm end and how big?
Cool end, size doesnt matter too much if you want it big enough she can submerge herself in if shes too hot go for it, i use a 4$ kmart ceramic ramekin

What humidity % should it be?
again, doesnt matter, people swear by it being in the 80s+ but if you have a water bowl in the enclosure, chances are its going to be humid enough

How do I provide the correct humidity?
by Providing more/less water

What temp should the cool end be?
a decent bit lower than the hot end, around 25~

What temp should the warm end be?
32-34c

Is the heat mat all I need?
if it provides proper temps, yes otherwise a higher wattage heatcord/mat (don't run multiple heating elements)

Do I need a thermometer, hygrometer, thermostat, infra red temperature gun?
a thermostat + thermometer probe/temp gun is a MUST for a beginner - i use a thermostat + thermometer probe zip tied together where the snake will sit on the heat and use a temp gun to get readings of different areas of enclosure throughtout the year.

I haven't fed her yet because I was told to feed her every 7-10 days, and I've only had her 4 days. and she was fed 5 days ago. I was told she must poo her pinky mouse out before I feed her again. 1 poo per feed. If she doesn't poo and it has come up to her 7-10 days for her next feeding, do I still feed her? And if I offer her a pinky mouse and she doesn't take it, do I leave it in her enclosure overnight, or not?
Dont get too caught up on if ur snakes pooing or not, do you wait till you poo before eating again?
if she was born in december, she should be on something bigger than pinky mice, atleast hopper mice, pinkies offer bugger all nutritional value = slow rate of growth and a feisty snake
if she doesnt eat, sure you can leave it in the enclosure overnight, make sure you dont forget to take it out if she doesnt eat (not a problem if she doesnt, try again in a few weeks time, dont keep trying every day, you will just go through food like no tomorrow, chuck out any uneaten food)

Does she sleep during the day or night?
They're nocturnal.

When is best to handle her, how often and for how long?
there is no *best* time, they don't enjoy it nor hate it, they just wanna eat sleep procreate. If you must, I wouldn't recommend more than 10/15 minutes at a time but up to you

And anything else you can help me with I would be most grateful.
cover up that mesh top and stick styrofoam to the OUTSIDE 3 of the 4 sides of the tank itll save u headaches down the road

Heating should only take up 1/3rd of enclosure space, so maybe think about upsizing your enclosure in the near future, current one sounds like itll be too small in a couple months if not already - an adult spotted will do good in a 3ft long x2ft deepx 1.5ft high - this will be at around 2~ years old

KEEP TAPE OUTSIDE OF ENCLOSURE


Pictures??
Great info agree with all and well written
 
Should the water bowl be at the cool end or warm end and how big?
Cool end, size doesnt matter too much if you want it big enough she can submerge herself in if shes too hot go for it, i use a 4$ kmart ceramic ramekin

What humidity % should it be?
again, doesnt matter, people swear by it being in the 80s+ but if you have a water bowl in the enclosure, chances are its going to be humid enough

How do I provide the correct humidity?
by Providing more/less water

What temp should the cool end be?
a decent bit lower than the hot end, around 25~

What temp should the warm end be?
32-34c

Is the heat mat all I need?
if it provides proper temps, yes otherwise a higher wattage heatcord/mat (don't run multiple heating elements)

Do I need a thermometer, hygrometer, thermostat, infra red temperature gun?
a thermostat + thermometer probe/temp gun is a MUST for a beginner - i use a thermostat + thermometer probe zip tied together where the snake will sit on the heat and use a temp gun to get readings of different areas of enclosure throughtout the year.

I haven't fed her yet because I was told to feed her every 7-10 days, and I've only had her 4 days. and she was fed 5 days ago. I was told she must poo her pinky mouse out before I feed her again. 1 poo per feed. If she doesn't poo and it has come up to her 7-10 days for her next feeding, do I still feed her? And if I offer her a pinky mouse and she doesn't take it, do I leave it in her enclosure overnight, or not?
Dont get too caught up on if ur snakes pooing or not, do you wait till you poo before eating again?
if she was born in december, she should be on something bigger than pinky mice, atleast hopper mice, pinkies offer bugger all nutritional value = slow rate of growth and a feisty snake
if she doesnt eat, sure you can leave it in the enclosure overnight, make sure you dont forget to take it out if she doesnt eat (not a problem if she doesnt, try again in a few weeks time, dont keep trying every day, you will just go through food like no tomorrow, chuck out any uneaten food)

Does she sleep during the day or night?
They're nocturnal.

When is best to handle her, how often and for how long?
there is no *best* time, they don't enjoy it nor hate it, they just wanna eat sleep procreate. If you must, I wouldn't recommend more than 10/15 minutes at a time but up to you

And anything else you can help me with I would be most grateful.
cover up that mesh top and stick styrofoam to the OUTSIDE 3 of the 4 sides of the tank itll save u headaches down the road

Heating should only take up 1/3rd of enclosure space, so maybe think about upsizing your enclosure in the near future, current one sounds like itll be too small in a couple months if not already - an adult spotted will do good in a 3ft long x2ft deepx 1.5ft high - this will be at around 2~ years old

KEEP TAPE OUTSIDE OF ENCLOSURE


Pictures??
Herptology, thank you so so very much for your help, I am so very grateful. I am so in luv with her, and I am very mindful I need to provide her all she needs and want to get this right. She is stunning. What do you think of her? I hope you don't mind, if I have further questions or concerns if I contact you here again. Thanks again for your knowledge and advice. I will ensure to adhere to everything you've said. Have a nice day. Maria :)
 

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Should the water bowl be at the cool end or warm end and how big?
Cool end, size doesnt matter too much if you want it big enough she can submerge herself in if shes too hot go for it, i use a 4$ kmart ceramic ramekin

What humidity % should it be?
again, doesnt matter, people swear by it being in the 80s+ but if you have a water bowl in the enclosure, chances are its going to be humid enough

How do I provide the correct humidity?
by Providing more/less water

What temp should the cool end be?
a decent bit lower than the hot end, around 25~

What temp should the warm end be?
32-34c

Is the heat mat all I need?
if it provides proper temps, yes otherwise a higher wattage heatcord/mat (don't run multiple heating elements)

Do I need a thermometer, hygrometer, thermostat, infra red temperature gun?
a thermostat + thermometer probe/temp gun is a MUST for a beginner - i use a thermostat + thermometer probe zip tied together where the snake will sit on the heat and use a temp gun to get readings of different areas of enclosure throughtout the year.

I haven't fed her yet because I was told to feed her every 7-10 days, and I've only had her 4 days. and she was fed 5 days ago. I was told she must poo her pinky mouse out before I feed her again. 1 poo per feed. If she doesn't poo and it has come up to her 7-10 days for her next feeding, do I still feed her? And if I offer her a pinky mouse and she doesn't take it, do I leave it in her enclosure overnight, or not?
Dont get too caught up on if ur snakes pooing or not, do you wait till you poo before eating again?
if she was born in december, she should be on something bigger than pinky mice, atleast hopper mice, pinkies offer bugger all nutritional value = slow rate of growth and a feisty snake
if she doesnt eat, sure you can leave it in the enclosure overnight, make sure you dont forget to take it out if she doesnt eat (not a problem if she doesnt, try again in a few weeks time, dont keep trying every day, you will just go through food like no tomorrow, chuck out any uneaten food)

Does she sleep during the day or night?
They're nocturnal.

When is best to handle her, how often and for how long?
there is no *best* time, they don't enjoy it nor hate it, they just wanna eat sleep procreate. If you must, I wouldn't recommend more than 10/15 minutes at a time but up to you

And anything else you can help me with I would be most grateful.
cover up that mesh top and stick styrofoam to the OUTSIDE 3 of the 4 sides of the tank itll save u headaches down the road

Heating should only take up 1/3rd of enclosure space, so maybe think about upsizing your enclosure in the near future, current one sounds like itll be too small in a couple months if not already - an adult spotted will do good in a 3ft long x2ft deepx 1.5ft high - this will be at around 2~ years old

KEEP TAPE OUTSIDE OF ENCLOSURE


Pictures??

If you ask 10 people you'll get 10 different answers, and it sounds like this is confusing you. If I answered all these questions you'd get a slightly different story, but if you follow what's in this pretty solid response you'll do well, so I'll just +1 it.
 
If you ask 10 people you'll get 10 different answers, and it sounds like this is confusing you. If I answered all these questions you'd get a slightly different story, but if you follow what's in this pretty solid response you'll do well, so I'll just +1 it.
Thank you Sdaji. Yes I have been extremely confused. I will follow this advice exactly as it was explained. Thank you.
 
for handling, ive been told to start a week after i got her, so she can settle in. start with 2 minutes a day, twice a day, next day double the time and so on. Don't feed her util she has been in her enclosure for at least a week and don't handle her 24 hours before or after feeding her. hope this helps but once again, everyones ideas are different on this subject.
 
for handling, ive been told to start a week after i got her, so she can settle in. start with 2 minutes a day, twice a day, next day double the time and so on. Don't feed her util she has been in her enclosure for at least a week and don't handle her 24 hours before or after feeding her. hope this helps but once again, everyones ideas are different on this subject.
I agree Carlos, although I’m impatient and will handle my snakes as soon as I bring them home lol (certainly not a good example).
 
Should the water bowl be at the cool end or warm end and how big?
Cool end, size doesnt matter too much if you want it big enough she can submerge herself in if shes too hot go for it, i use a 4$ kmart ceramic ramekin

What humidity % should it be?
again, doesnt matter, people swear by it being in the 80s+ but if you have a water bowl in the enclosure, chances are its going to be humid enough

How do I provide the correct humidity?
by Providing more/less water

What temp should the cool end be?
a decent bit lower than the hot end, around 25~

What temp should the warm end be?
32-34c

Is the heat mat all I need?
if it provides proper temps, yes otherwise a higher wattage heatcord/mat (don't run multiple heating elements)

Do I need a thermometer, hygrometer, thermostat, infra red temperature gun?
a thermostat + thermometer probe/temp gun is a MUST for a beginner - i use a thermostat + thermometer probe zip tied together where the snake will sit on the heat and use a temp gun to get readings of different areas of enclosure throughtout the year.

I haven't fed her yet because I was told to feed her every 7-10 days, and I've only had her 4 days. and she was fed 5 days ago. I was told she must poo her pinky mouse out before I feed her again. 1 poo per feed. If she doesn't poo and it has come up to her 7-10 days for her next feeding, do I still feed her? And if I offer her a pinky mouse and she doesn't take it, do I leave it in her enclosure overnight, or not?
Dont get too caught up on if ur snakes pooing or not, do you wait till you poo before eating again?
if she was born in december, she should be on something bigger than pinky mice, atleast hopper mice, pinkies offer bugger all nutritional value = slow rate of growth and a feisty snake
if she doesnt eat, sure you can leave it in the enclosure overnight, make sure you dont forget to take it out if she doesnt eat (not a problem if she doesnt, try again in a few weeks time, dont keep trying every day, you will just go through food like no tomorrow, chuck out any uneaten food)

Does she sleep during the day or night?
They're nocturnal.

When is best to handle her, how often and for how long?
there is no *best* time, they don't enjoy it nor hate it, they just wanna eat sleep procreate. If you must, I wouldn't recommend more than 10/15 minutes at a time but up to you

And anything else you can help me with I would be most grateful.
cover up that mesh top and stick styrofoam to the OUTSIDE 3 of the 4 sides of the tank itll save u headaches down the road

Heating should only take up 1/3rd of enclosure space, so maybe think about upsizing your enclosure in the near future, current one sounds like itll be too small in a couple months if not already - an adult spotted will do good in a 3ft long x2ft deepx 1.5ft high - this will be at around 2~ years old

KEEP TAPE OUTSIDE OF ENCLOSURE


Pictures??
Hello Herptology, can you also recommend a certain brand/type for the, there are so many on the market and I want to get the correct one's -

Thermostat
Thermometer with Probe
Temp Gun

Thank you.
 
Hi @MariaTA74 , as you are a beginner, i will be recommending a Top brand thermostat that come with the price to match, some may argue it will be overkill, but i think peace of mind on your animals safety is more important


Thermostat - Habistat is a leading brand around the world, there is also microclimate and inkbird, however i have never used inkbird personally (althought have heard good reviews)
https://www.amazingamazon.com.au/habistat-mat-stat-thermostat-white.html

Thermometer with Probe - this one might sound weird but its actually amazing, even though its for fridge and freezers ( i use it for my incubator)! a little pricey though
https://www.jaycar.com.au/digital-thermometer-for-fridge-or-freezer/p/QM7209
Temp Gun - cheap and simple!
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/284323481958?

Edit: yes shes beautiful!
 
Hi @MariaTA74 , as you are a beginner, i will be recommending a Top brand thermostat that come with the price to match, some may argue it will be overkill, but i think peace of mind on your animals safety is more important


Thermostat - Habistat is a leading brand around the world, there is also microclimate and inkbird, however i have never used inkbird personally (althought have heard good reviews)
https://www.amazingamazon.com.au/habistat-mat-stat-thermostat-white.html

Thermometer with Probe - this one might sound weird but its actually amazing, even though its for fridge and freezers ( i use it for my incubator)! a little pricey though
https://www.jaycar.com.au/digital-thermometer-for-fridge-or-freezer/p/QM7209
Temp Gun - cheap and simple!
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/284323481958?

Edit: yes shes beautiful!
Heh Herptology, thank you so much for these recommendations. I will go with these exact one's, I really appreciate you getting me the details on each. I have found soooooo many online and have just had no idea which one's to go with. I don't care for the price, I need to provide Athena exactly what she needs and the best I can get her. Thanks so much again for your help. Maria :)
 
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