new rosy owner

whats up everybody? i just got my first snake, a 2 month old rosy boa. i was just looking for some guidance. i read all of the caresheats i could find on google, but i still had some questions. mine is a little snappy until i get him into my hand, than he is cool. if i keep holding him, will this change?

i also have him/her in a ten gallon tank, with a UTH on one side. i put a thermometer on the side of the tank, but it reads 70 degrees. the ground is a lot warmer than the air. should i still get a light too?

and i have been feeding him live pinkies, should i switch to dead ones? do i have to? i don't want to sound like a sick asshole, but i think its awesome watching the snake wrestle and choke out a baby mouse. its natural too. more natural than putting a live mouse in a freezer, than thawing it out and feeding it to a snake. anyways, any help is appreciated. i look forward to getting help from everybody. and this snake is awesome. im stoked.

Hey Brian,
As long as you keep handling him, he should calm down nicely.
It's belly heat that matters, not air temp, so I would not get a light...they just don't need it.
As for feeding, it's safer to feed f/t mice b/c freezing kills parasites. It's also safer b/c there are no kicking feet or snapping teeth to injure your rosy.
As far as your 'natural' comment goes, captivity, itself, is not a natural state. Why add the danger of putting a live mouse into it's enclosure.
As far as websites goes, www.localityrosys.com is by far the best out there. There is also a forum dedicated to rosies too.
Hope this helps!
Enjoy your rosy!
-JC

Congrats Brian! You need to throw a photo or two into this thread.

John has your questions covered, so I don't have much to add except to tell you that the novelty of watching them subdue live prey wears off quickly anyway, so you might as well try to go the safe route asap. In my experience, rosys start out as defensive nippers and slowly convert to feeding-response biters. I've never had an adult bite me defensively, but they CAN get "confused" when they're hungry, especially if you or the air smells like prey. But they're small, so it's hardly an issue...

Good luck!

i appreciate the help very much. i will switch to f/t in a week or two. he actually is mellowing out a lot already. it must've been a feeding thing, because i fed him, waited two days and started holding him for 20 min every day. he doesn't even snap at me now, hes just curious. once i get my hands on a digital camera il post some pics. right now hes about 8 inches, a little wider than a pen, and silver/steel and orange. hes really awesome. i like him a lot. thanks a lot for all the help.

cool. did everything so far, but i had a question about the substrate. i was using aspen bedding, but it looked like shit, and it wasn't very good at absorbing the snake's dropping. i went with some reptile calci sand i bought at the pet store. JP, the snake, seems to love it, as he is already burrowing in it. i feed him in a seperate container. is the sand going to be alright? it sure looks a lot better. thanks again.