When Your Snake Arrives
1. Soak The Snake
The first thing you will want to do when your snake arrives is to soak the snake. The shipping process can really dehydrate the snake so soaking the snake will give it a chance to re-hydrate and to clean the snake should it have urinated during the shipping process. Make sure the water is luke warm. By luke warm, we mean just barely above room temperature. We aren’t trying to cook ’em! Also, make sure the water comes about halfway up the snake. The snake shouldn’t have to swim.
2. Set It And Forget It
As exciting as getting a new ball python can be, try to resist the urge to take it out and show it off to all of your friends. Your snake is going to be very nervous about it’s new surroundings. Giving it a few days without handling will allow the snake to adjust to it’s surroundings and get comfortable. The sooner they get comfortable, the sooner they will eat and you can start showing it off to the world!
3. Feeding
Give your snake a few days to adjust before attempting to feed. We always recommend feeding in the evening time for the first time. Snakes are more active in the evening and a shy snake that is still unsure of it’s surroundings will feel more confident with the cover of nightfall.
4. Quarantine
No matter how reputable the breeder is you purchase a snake from, ALWAYS quarantine. If you don’t have any other snakes then you can skip this step, although you should still keep an eye on the snake. The purpose of a quarantine is to make certain any new additions to your collection are not sick or carrying any parasites that could infect the rest of your collection.
For the quarantine to be effective, the temporary housing should be in a different room from the rest of your collection. I would recommend AT LEAST a 30 day quarantine but 60 days would be ideal.