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spotted python heating and temperament dilemasPLEASE HELP2007-11-24 2:03:06

I am a very new spotted python owner and need some advice. Im using a 75watt moonglobe during the day which is on most of the time except for when the thermostat turns it off, i wanted to know if it is nessesary to have it on all night? my Spotty python tends to stay in his hole at the cool end of the tank all day and only comes out after dark and basks for a short period and slithers around a while before returning to his hollow, is this normal behaviour and what should i do with the heating?

I also wanted to know if there was anything i can do to stop him from being so snappy as he is hard to handle when he is aggresive which is most of the time. PLEASE HELP.

Answers:

For most snakes, the temperature at night should be 10-15 degrees lower than the day. If you think he doesn't like the light, try buying a ceramic heat emitter, it works like a heat light but gives off no light, and is therefore more acceptable to dark-loving creatures.

If your python is a baby, it is snapping because it is small and scared. Handle it every day as best you can, and he will calm down. Buy yourself a small snake hook to pull him out of his cage, most snakes react badly to a large warm shape hovering over their heads. Gently scoop him up with the hook and lay him onto your palm, and he should be much calmer.

PS Way to go to the person who answered before me! And don't forget to mention that releasing non-native species into the wild is highly illegal and can result in the extermination of native wildlife that is not able to defend itself against an invasion of a foreign species.

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Look up spotted pythons on Google and it should tell you about the temps.