I am a new ball python owner and have learned a very important lesson, no matter how much your snake doesn't like you messing with its hides and even if you never see them in a particular hide you should always check it regularly. My ball is growing fantastically and has never missed a feed. Today he tried to bite me (he has been aggressive before but that was because I had him in an enclosure that was too big). I couldn't figure it out. He's a juvenile so I have him in a 20gl bin, he has a water bowl to soak in, his temps range from 70-89 (measured digitally) depending on where he is in the enclosure, he has two hides, branches to climb on, his humidity is at 52%, and he just finished shedding 8 days ago. I removed his worm hide (this is when he tried to bite me) and I left him alone hoping that he would move into his cool hide so I could clean the area where his worm hide was. After a half hour he didn't move so I lifted up his cool hide and realized he was using it as a toilet. I hadn't cleaned it in 3 feeds so it was full of feces. I had no idea he was using it as a toilet (actually I had no idea he was using it at all since I've only ever seen him in his worm hide)!! I cleaned it out and left him alone for a while and he eventually ventured into his cool hide. I went back in to clean his worm hide area and although his head was sticking out of his cool hide and he was still tracking me in an aggressive fashion, his body was not nearly as tense as it was before I cleaned the hide. So lesson learned no matter how much he doesn't like me messing with his hides and even if I never see him in a specific hide, I will from now on check them on a regular basis.
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