Are identical hides necessary?

[quercus]

I've read on other posts that two identical hides are necessary so the snake doesn't prefer one for security over another. I do have two identical hides in the tank, but my snake only prefers to use one of them, almost exclusively. The one hide the snake never uses is over an UTH. I checked the temps inside the hide and it read 88 degrees. The snake always stays under the cool hide, except for last week prior to shedding. It stayed in the warm hide for about a week. Over the cool hide I have a CHE to bring the overall ambient temps up. Temps on the cool side are about 77-80.

Do you think that the warm hide is too hot, or does the snake prefer obtaining heat from overhead? Tank is a 20 gal long, ambient temps around 77, with a UTH on one side and a CHE on the other. The snake shed perfectly 4 days ago, and been eating like a hog since last year.

[quercus]

P.S. The hides are cut down plastic flower pots, cut to about 2 inches high.

[snakesRkewl]

IMO ball pythons will use anything for a hide and having identical hides is fine but not necessary at all.
Make sure your temps are correct, my snakes use their hot spot frequently especially after eating.
I keep my hot spots at 92-95 and they love it.
Maybe the ambient temperature on the warm end is too cool even though the hot spot is fine and the snake is staying where the ambient temps are warmest?

[Adam Chandler]

If your BP is shedding and eating normally I would not change anything.

When a BP is bothered by something the first they do is stop eating. If yours is eating like a hog he is happy with his environment.