Kind of curious / a tad worried!

[flatsix02]

So, I'm up a lot later than usual tonight, and I noticed my girl out roaming her tank. This being the first time I've ever witnessed this in the 6 months of owning her (she'll be 1 yr old next month), I was a bit excited as she's always under her rock when I'm around. The only thing I'm a bit worried about, is her body temp. The h/c sides of the tank are pretty standard, 90/80-ish with a uth on the hot side, and my room temp is in the low 70's (a bit chilly for her, I know, but I have a heat lamp on the screen over the cool side to keep the temps in her tank up near 80), and the humidity is good.

I decided to pull her out a bit ago being she was offly active, and found her tummy to be very cool. It scared me to be 100% honest, yet it doesn't seem like it effected her the least bit. She was all over the place before I pulled her out! When I pull her out in the mornings before work, she's always sprawled out, warm and cozy in her rock. Assuming this is a nightly routine that I don't normally witness, is this something I need to worry about? She knows where her rock is, but was roaming and checking out the screen like she wanted to break out of the tank, get a drink, etc. She ate just a few days ago also.

Mind you, shes VERYYYYYY calm. Never hissed, snapped, or showed any signs of anger/aggression, and shes been handled by a TON of my friends. She's always shed 100% without an issue, and never had any eating or drinking problems. Hope I'm not being a bad parent / doing something wrong.

[zina10]

She is probably completely fine. People always think that Ball Pythons are such shy/sedate snakes that ONLY sit in one spot. In my years of keeping them, I've found they are actually more active then one would think, and its not always due to hunger/stress.
During those years I've observed them daily (display cages with correct heat, humidity, hides, etc) and got to know their routine very well. Mine always ate great (f/t rats) and despite lots of handling, even taking them to presentations, they were very chill, not stressed at all. When you have them for years you really get to know them, get to be able to read their "moods".
Mine were a lot more active then I thought BP's would be. Quite curious too. When I would start cleaning cages or changing water, they would slowly come out of their hides to investigate. Not stressed, quick or aggressive. They would slither right up to the door of the cage and come on out. But they were used to lots of handling and activity from the getgo.
They also don't need to be "warm" to the touch at all times, they will regulate their temps as needed. Remember, we operate at around 98 degrees, so for a snake to feel "warm" to the touch to us, they are really a lot warmer then they need to be, unless we have ice cold hands.
She is fine, she is just exploring and stretching and moving around. Perfectly normal.
If she would be appearing stressed or stop eating, or act aggressive, then I would worry. If everything is as normal, no worries

[charlie.g]

i have had my bp for about 6 weeks now and when i got her i thought that they just lived in their hides and only came out for water and eat, but what flick (my bp) does is stays in the hide for most of the day and then in the evening once the temp has cooled down a bit she will come out of the hide and then rome about the entire hide, do a little bit of climbing up the logs i have sitting under her little waterfall thats in there and just genrally nosing the glass and just chilling out in the open.....in my opinion much more active and inquisitive than what i thought :-)

[Evenstar]

I appreciate that zina10 mentioned that a roaming bp isn't always stressed or hungry. Ella is extremely active and always curious. When I clean her tank each afternoon, she's holed up in a hide but will come out every time I open the lid. She'll climb around and "taste" my hand and watch while I pick up after her - almost like she needs to give her approval on how I clean up! It is remarkable just how curious they are.

[pixie6710]

my guess would be just the simple fact that its night time. they tend to be a lil more active or she just wants attention. my black pastel boy is very layed back but isnt handels much by anyone but me. when im in the snake room checking out the other snakes he starts roaming alot and trys to get out weither or not it's day or night. but other that that he roams when he want food/water or attention. some just love to be loved