Very active, and other questions. [noob help]

[Dragon Queen]

Hey. I have a few questions:

I got my first ball python about 2 weeks ago. For the past maybe 5 days he has been quite active, trying to climb to the top of the tank, exploring, sitting on top of his log on the cool side, etc. He will spend quite a long time in the mid to late evening, and I don't how long at night doing all that. When I wake up in the morning he is always in his hide on the warm side.

I was under the impression that ball pythons tended not to be so active, so I wanted to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong. My temps on the hot side are 90 to 93ish and on the cool side around 80, although sometimes as low as 75 (I got a heat lamp for the really cool days when it drops like that) His hot side is always hot enough.) One issue I do have is humidity. The person at the pet store said not to worry about it, some caresheets say do, some say around shedding, so I don't really know. Right now I have a good sized water bowl, and a damp rag in a corner (which will be a humid hide as soon as I have a hide to put over it.

He has eaten the 2 f/t mice I've given him right away, and seems to have a great appetite.


One other question, is that I've noticed that sometimes when he is lying there with some of his sides bent (like gentle curves) or just moving in general, he looks kind of lumpy. I don't notice it when he is straight, and certainly not when I hold him. I am not sure if it is the way BPs are, or not. My kingsnake and cornsnake were never like that but they are different. If it sounds like a concern, I can try and get some pictures


Thanks!

Draba

[Dragon Queen]

Well, it is way past midnight here so I have to make a decision. I was browsing the forum and in another thread about an active snake they suggested feeding again. I fed him almost 3 days ago, but I'm going to offer him another mouse as soon as it has warmed up enough

I'd still love help/suggestions!

Thanks

[thedarkwolf25]

Well BPs are naturally nocturnal so they become more active at night. Unless he is doing it in excess or alot during the day I wouldn't worry about it. You did mention a problem with humidity though. What is your setup like and how big is it? What heating elements do you have? And what substrate do you use?

As for the "lumpy look " a pic would be necessary, and keep in mind that I am far from an expert.

[thedarkwolf25]

/facepalm I also forgot that increased activity could mean he is hungry, when was the last time he was fed?

[SlitherinSisters]

Roaming is usually not a great sign. My first thought is that your hides are small enough or there is too much open space in this tank. Those are two things that will cause roaming. Since they are nocturnal they shouldn't be roaming during the day, if they were looking for food in the wild they would be looking for it at night, same for in a tank. Make sure he has to squish himself a bit to lay inside of his hides. They need to be snug when he is balled up inside of them. I like to use flower pots turned upside down with a 'doorway' cut out of them. If there is a lot of open space you can fill it with crumpled newspaper or fake plants.

As for his skin being wrinkly, that can be caused by a few things, he's in process of shedding, he's dehydrated-which can be caused by low humidity, or he's thin. It would also be a mixture of those things.

Humidity is fairly important in a bp enclosure, though much more so when the bp is in the process of shedding. I would spray his tank a couple times a day to help with humidity. You can also move the water dish to the warm side and/or cover the top of the tank with plastic wrap-but not under the heat lamp!

Good luck!

Also, as for your question about feeding him again tonight. He looks thin, if your avatar pic is of him, so feeding him every three days will definitely not hurt him. I like to power feed my babies until they get to a weight I'm more comfortable with.

[Dragon Queen]

Thanks I fed him last night and tonight he is much quieter, exploring a bit, but nothing like before. I think he was really hungry which would explain his weird behavior and why it's stopped. I'm going to feed him about every 4 days and see how he does.

[Crazy4Herps]

Everything sounds fine. As has been said, humidity is definitely important and you should figure that out. I understand how tricky it can be to keep humidity up (it's usually around 10% where I live), and it may take a while of experimenting. Low humidity is probably not causing any immediate problems.

I'm not sure I buy the "my snake looks hungry" idea. In the wild, snakes are programmed to eat whether they are hungry or not, as they never know when their next meal is going to be. I've got snakes (/pigs) that are perpetually on the lookout for food. I'll give them a large meal, they'll gulp it down, and a few hours later are looking for more. Obviously they are not actually "hungry" or in need of food, they simply have a 'must eat' mentality.

Anyways, everything sounds pretty good. Roaming during the day isn't normal, but he might just be figuring out his new home. As long as he's eating well and stays on the warm side for at least 12 hours after feeding, I don't think you have any cause to worry.