Burrowing?

[Ohlacey]

My little yellow belly male is relatively new and I've never seen a bp burrow this much. My first gal would do it every so often, but not to this extent...

He shed just before I got him and his temps and humidity are good. He's in a 20 gallon black-backed with a branch, water bowl and hide. He's about four months old I don't have an exact weight on him, but I'll get it later today. He has been pounding rat pups of a decent size and seems pretty content... Hiding during the day, calm and friendly to handle.

At night, however, he pushes around his substrate and burrows a lot. At first I thought it was a temperature thing, but he digs motes around his water bowls and around the rock above his heating pad. (for this reason I've got the thing timed now. I was a little worried he'd burn himself.) Sometimes he pushes a ton of mulch up against the opening to his hide, and just sticks his little head out in the middle of it to look out.

I did try a bigger hide, and the behavior didn't change. I tried to raise the humidity a bit to see if that's what he was after, but he still dug away.

I don't mind it a bit, I just wanted to know if I should be concerned at all.
He doesn't seem stressed, and to be completely honest he is one of the sweetest, most personable animals I've ever met.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[Skittles1101]

There shouldn't be a concern of burning if you have a thermostat, which you should always have for a UTH. Burrowing is normal, some just do it more than others...

[Ohlacey]

I do, I was just worried that if he was resting on the heater on only glass it might be a little much. If it's not I'll take out the timer, though.

I figured it was nothing. Thanks for responding!

[ballpythonluvr]

There shouldn't be a concern of burning if you have a thermostat, which you should always have for a UTH. Burrowing is normal, some just do it more than others...

This is very true. Two of my ball pythons love to burrow under the unprinted newspaper that I have in their tubs. They will not even use the hides anymore so I have taken them out of the tubs.

[Mike41793]

Instead of a bigger hide have you tried a smaller one? They like them tight.
It could also just be something your snake does, not really a big deal.

[Ohlacey]

Instead of a bigger hide have you tried a smaller one? They like them tight.
It could also just be something your snake does, not really a big deal.

His small one is pretty little... I wound up putting it back in anyhow. He definitely seems to prefer it!

I imagine it really is just a quirk. Glad to set my mind at ease.

Thanks, all.

[warlord]

I got those hides from reptile basics and he's become to big for them since I got them 3 weeks ago and now he goes under the newspaper under the hides...his bigger hides r on the way lol