Hide question

[RyanPierce]

I'm a new first time BP owner, having acquired a 6yo male about a month and a half ago. I keep him in a 40 gal glass tank, screen top, 18"x36". Heat: UTH, and on cooler days I add a 50w IR bulb on a timer. Cool side air temp is between 75-80F, hot side is anywhere between 85-95 daytime, depending on day. Bedding is shaved aspen.

I was having humidity problems. My apartment is normally pretty dry due to central AC. Even with a large water dish, I was seeing 40% humidity. And he was about to go into shed. It had been suggested that I construct a humid hide for him. So I set up a small plastic box with wet sphagnum moss, and cut two holes in the side so he could get in and out. Now the humidity on the cool side gets up to 60% (and probably is higher inside the box), and humidity is a little better on the warm side.

My concern:

Before I added the third humid hide, I had two half log hides, one on the cold side and one on the hot side. He seemed to camp out in them during the day, and switched between them. So I figured he's self-regulating his temperature. Now, during the day, he spends 100% of his time in the new humid hide. I've never seen him leave it during the day, just maybe stick his head and neck out. When I take him out of the tank to handle him, and he ultimately goes back to the humid hide. I do see him come out some time at night, though.

So I'm worried. When he's been in there, he feels really cold and moist. Does he really just like humidity? Or have I just created the world's coolest hide, and he loves it so much he stays there and forgets to self-regulate? I'd like to think that if he needed more warmth, he'd camp out under the log I moved to the middle of the tank, or the log on the hot side. But even after he eats, when I'd think he'd want heat, he still stays there. I'm worried the temp/humidity is going to give him a respiratory infection or belly rot.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Ryan

[KMG]

The half logs do not make a snake feel secure being they are open on each end. Your snake probably feels more secure in the new hide. I Would remove the log hides and space your the humid hides out in the tank. The logs are really not good for ball pythons.

During shed humidity of 70% is good so don't worry about being in the 60.s, its find. Your right it is probably higher in the hide. After shed let the moss dry out a bit but continue to use them since your snake likes then. I keep misted moss in both of my hides at all times. I mist it and let it dry out and then mist it again a few days later.

- - - Updated - - -

A hiding ball python is a happy ball python. Just make sure it has a hide on either side and let him choose.

Is the uth on a tstat? If not, it really should be. They get really hot and can burn your snake.

[RyanPierce]

This makes sense. I can see how the humidity hide, even though it's a quasi-clear plastic storage box, is a lot more secure and enclosed than the logs could be. In fact, they seem on the small side; when coiling up in them, he'd have some coils sticking out.

Now for the second box I need to add on the hot side, you're suggesting I keep sphagnum in there as well? Wet? I'd heard that moist bedding causes belly rot, which was a major concern given that he's constantly in the humidity hide, so shouldn't I give him a more dry option?

Also, about the UTH, that's weird. No, it's not on a thermostat. It's the largest one ReptiTherm makes, the 50-60 gal. version, which I'm using in a 40 gal tank. And it still doesn't seem sufficient. If the AC is actually working to keeping the room cool, that side (measured using an air temp probe sitting on the bedding by the warm hide) generally doesn't get much above 85. So for such days I've added a 50w IR lamp to push it into the high 80s/low 90s. Of course there's probably almost 2" of aspen on the tank bottom.