# Spotted Python care/temperatures



## NickN (11 mo ago)

I'd like if possible to check that I'm doing things correctly for my Spotted Python, as he's not at all currently a reliable feeder and if that's just the way they are then fine, I can live with that, but wanted to check husbandry setup with those of you much more knowledgeable, so as not to be unwittingly causing longer-term issues.

He's in a 4x2x2 wooden vivarium, lots of hides, cover, branches - he's fairly active at night climbing all over the place, tends to rest during the day in a rock cave I built from slate, at the warm end. Substrate mixture of orchid bark and Rain Forest, humidity varying between 40-65%. Heat lamp for daytime and ceramic element for night time. Digital thermostat.

Thermostat set to avoid night temps dropping below 22-24 degrees C as that seems to be common advice for this species (and appears to be right by looking at the weather data for places like Weipa on the Cape York Peninsula).
Day temps I measure with a laser gun and, at the moment, as it's fairly warm inside, am getting 30-31 degrees C ambient at the warm end, 33-34 degrees C surface on rocks in the heat lamp area, 28 degrees C at the cooler end. On cooler days the basking surface is a little higher and the cooler end a little lower. If I set temperatures any higher, the snake disappears off to the cool end pronto and doesn't seem comfortable. As things are he spends the day at the warm end but underneath the highest rock surface so not basking as such.

So: feeding. Even when I first had him in a tub, he only ever struck once, every other time where he did eat it was very gentle sort of mouthing first, and after a minute or two of testing and letting go again, he would take the item. Couple of times he lost interest, and didn't consume the item even if left overnight. At the moment he's approaching a month without anything more than a fair bit of initial interest in the prey item (hopper mouse) and then slithers off. Just the way they are sometimes? Or might I be doing something wrong? I don't handle him generally, just leave him in peace.
What's odd is that if I do take him out (i.e to weigh him) he quite happily sticks his mouth around any of my fingers while trying his best to kill my hand, bless him. Perhaps just fussy, prefers humans to mice?  Have tried Rat Pups (same size as Mice Hoppers) but same result.

His weight is 54g, 13 months old.

Thanks and excuse the rambling post but wanted to give as much info as possible from the start.


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Hi NickN,

Perhaps there is an issue to investigate.

Well firstly, well done for such a thorough account of the setup 👍 You’ve obviously read around and laid out as much info a possible.

In my limited experience, Ants are not lazy or picky feeders. Not to say yours couldn’t be, but just what you describe is not typical of my experience of the genus.

He does look lean in the photo (though I can’t see his full profile). Weight wise, I have no idea.

Your stat temp probe is suspended mid height rather than below the basking spot, but your temp gun readings sound like you have checked and configured.

How long have you had him?
Do you feed daytime or nighttime? Latter would be recommended.
Check how you are prepping the meal before offering.


Keep us posted

Andy


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

It looks as if you have the probe very close to the water bowl. I'm assuming this is the cool end? If so, the probe is in the wrong place, it should be at the warm end, not the cool end. This may be a possible cause, as it is not accurately measuring the heat output from the lamp.


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## NickN (11 mo ago)

Thank you both for the replies. The main stat probes are at the warm end and behind the lamps so as not to receive direct heat but ambient air - I'll attach a wider view photo of the setup here. I do have a single probe for training and monitoring purposes only at the cool end, that just feeds a simple display of humidity and temperature. The two water bowls are to keep humidity in the 40s-low 50s without spraying. Guidance seems VERY mixed with the Spotteds as to humidity requirements, but his last shed was clean.

I've had him for a little over two months, he spent the first six weeks in a RUB on a mat and was even then not a keen feeder (took ages to take a firm grip with his mouth after several half-hearted mouthings), but as mats don't heat the air I tried to boost ambient temperatures somewhat with a room heater and actually it did somewhat work: the mat actually reached proper temperature and he did have a couple of fuzzy mice then a hopper. He moved to his proper home three weeks ago and while I know they need a settling in period, seems to me by now he should be eating - and the signs are that he is hungry. 
Which makes me wonder if, and I will try this next, dry mice would work better than damp ones (using a hairdryer to heat rather than warm water).

I usually attempt it in the late evening after dusk, when he becomes active. And I wait a week between any attempts so as not to cause stress.

My other reptiles act as if I'd starved them for years when they see food, wet or dry, so I suppose this is just one that might need a bit more work to dial in properly.

Cheers, any other thoughts welcome and I will keep you updated.


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## LiasisUK (Sep 30, 2019)

From my experience it's very very unusual for Spotted pythons to not eat.

Your enclosure looks fine, and the temps sound fine. Though the hides you are using do look a bit big, that may seem like an odd thing to say but snakes always prefer hides where their back touches the inside roof of the hide, this makes them feel the most secure. A load of flat cork bark works well.

Humidity doesn't matter at all for them, I wouldn't bother with the 2 waterbowls.

Spotteds respond best to very hot food, if the food is cold they usually just ignore it. With stubborn feeders I run the hot tap until its at maximum heat, put some in a small container and then put the mouse in here for a couple minutes, then offer. They usually strike straight away, even fresh hatchlings.

You do get the occasional one that doesn't want to feed in front of someone, it may be that yours is one of these. Feed in the evening, again make the food very very hot, leave it with the snake overnight and check it in the morning, don't disturb the snake in any way in the process, just place the food in the enclosure and walk away (I normally place it in their most often used hide). To me, from your description, it doesn't sound like you are giving it long enough to feed.


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## NickN (11 mo ago)

Well, an update - and thanks @LiasisUK for the reply earlier. Snake was quite active this afternoon so I thought I'd put some of the above advice into action: used a dry, very warm mouse, about half an hour ago. He came immediately towards it, very interested, but after a minute or so slithered off. So, again, following advice, I placed the mouse into the slate hide, the top one which he virtually lives in, with the idea of leaving it overnight. I have tried leaving them before but out in the open, didn't think about putting actually into the hide, an excellent idea.
In the short time I took to close the glass, turn round and get the lock and put the tongs away, when I looked again while placing the lock on, he had got into the hide and was devouring the mouse!

So perhaps he's just a bit nervous about taking/eating in the open or while being watched - I'll keep my fingers crossed and if the only way to get him to feed is to place the mouse into his hide area, so be it.


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

NickN said:


> Well, an update - and thanks @LiasisUK for the reply earlier. Snake was quite active this afternoon so I thought I'd put some of the above advice into action: used a dry, very warm mouse, about half an hour ago. He came immediately towards it, very interested, but after a minute or so slithered off. So, again, following advice, I placed the mouse into the slate hide, the top one which he virtually lives in, with the idea of leaving it overnight. I have tried leaving them before but out in the open, didn't think about putting actually into the hide, an excellent idea.
> In the short time I took to close the glass, turn round and get the lock and put the tongs away, when I looked again while placing the lock on, he had got into the hide and was devouring the mouse!
> 
> So perhaps he's just a bit nervous about taking/eating in the open or while being watched - I'll keep my fingers crossed and if the only way to get him to feed is to place the mouse into his hide area, so be it.


Great news NickN!

So you have a shy Ant, pretty special. My bet is it won’t last, now he’s settling in and soon he’ll be coming up to the glass demanding to be hand fed via tongs 🤣😂🤣😂🤣


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## LiasisUK (Sep 30, 2019)

NickN said:


> Well, an update - and thanks @LiasisUK for the reply earlier. Snake was quite active this afternoon so I thought I'd put some of the above advice into action: used a dry, very warm mouse, about half an hour ago. He came immediately towards it, very interested, but after a minute or so slithered off. So, again, following advice, I placed the mouse into the slate hide, the top one which he virtually lives in, with the idea of leaving it overnight. I have tried leaving them before but out in the open, didn't think about putting actually into the hide, an excellent idea.
> In the short time I took to close the glass, turn round and get the lock and put the tongs away, when I looked again while placing the lock on, he had got into the hide and was devouring the mouse!
> 
> So perhaps he's just a bit nervous about taking/eating in the open or while being watched - I'll keep my fingers crossed and if the only way to get him to feed is to place the mouse into his hide area, so be it.


Good to hear! You're very welcome, glad it worked. Now you have found a manner in which he will eat best to repeat it going forward, he is likely to get more confident with age so it may not be like this forever.


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## NickN (11 mo ago)

Thought I would post a follow-up to this.

A week after my success feeding posted above, I did exactly the same thing again and it worked.
However I also noticed that he was spending almost 24/7 on top of the slate hides at the warm end, and given that he had moved out of a RUB and initially only used the vivarium's cool end, probably getting used to the increased ambient temperatures after a heat mat environment, I slightly bumped up the temps to 32 (ambient) under the lamp. 
He hasn't disappeared off to the cool end so that's a good sign, but also, this morning, as I changed his water, I noticed him being very attentive and apparently in food mode. Quickly defrosted a hopper to see, and, to my surprise, he took it with a small but noticeable strike, from the tongs. Only four days after his last one.
So: good progress I hope! And in no small part due to some good comments from more experienced people here, thank you.


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