Burrowing?

[BrianB801]

I woke up this morning and found Clyde burrowed under his water bowl, is this normal? Also I have a uth under his hide and on the other side of the cage where the water bowl is at I have a heat lamp could that be why? I have the heat lamp on the other side because my house gets chilly an I don't want him to get cold when he's not in his hide, could he have done that cause it might be too hot on both sides?

[BHReptiles]

So are you saying that you have two UTHs? One on each side? And did you say you only have one hide?

It could be that his tank is too warm or he wants to feel secure on the other side of the tank. Could you snap a picture of your enclosure and tell us what the temps are on the hot side, cold side, and ambient temps? Can you tell us what you keep your house at? This way we can give you some advice on how to best set up your enclosure to make him feel more secure and comfortable.

Also, does your UTH (s) have a thermostat to regulate them? If not, they can get upwards of 130* if you let them and that can cook your snake...literally. You might want to purchase one if you don't have one already.

[BrianB801]

No just one uth on the side with his hide, then on the other side a heat lamp above his cage. I keep my house at 75 but in between the heater coming on it drops to low 70's which is why I have the heat lamp on the side that doesn't have the uth. And the uth surface temp on the substrate is 90 degrees. He stays in his hide most of the time this is the first time I have seen him do this, also he just finished a shed two days ago.

[BHReptiles]

No just one uth on the side with his hide, then on the other side a heat lamp above his cage. I keep my house at 75 but in between the heater coming on it drops to low 70's which is why I have the heat lamp on the side that doesn't have the uth. And the uth surface temp on the substrate is 90 degrees. He stays in his hide most of the time this is the first time I have seen him do this, also he just finished a shed two days ago.

Here are a couple of pieces of advice that I sincerely hope you take to heart. Some of them don't have anything to do with your initial post, but I think you might find them all helpful. As a nurse, educating is my passion. I want you and your snake to be happy and healthy! I promise you this will make your life easier down the road and it will make your ball python as happy as a clam.

1. Put another hide on the "cool" side. Ball pythons like to feel secure and they will often times choose security over regulating their temperature. So, if you only have one hide on the "hot" side, then they will sit under that hide and get too warn and it could kill them.

2. Please get a thermostat for your UTH. Even though the surface temp is 90*, you ball python can/will burry and potentially rest on the bottom of the tank and burn it's belly. Most people here recoment a herpstat. It runs about $100, but if that isn't in your budget, please invest in something like a Hydrofarm (around $30 from Amazon.com) or even a lamp dimmer. Anything is better than nothing at all. I would also make sure that your bedding is only about 1/2 in thick or less. The more bedding you have, the harder it is for your UTH to heat the surface.

3. Purchase a dimmer for your lamp. I commend you for choosing to use a lamp to keep your ambient temperatures up. Some people don't know to do this, so kudos to you! I don't know what size tank or what whattage bulb you're using, but it could be too hot. A dimmer will help to regulate how much power is going to the lamp so you can manually regulate how much heat the lamp is putting off. Home Depot has tabletop lamp dimmer for $10. I purchased one last week for one of my corn snake terrariums.

4. Make sure that your tank isn't too big for your snake. Since I don't know what size you're using, it could be anywhere from a 10gal to a 50gal. You want your tanks to be small so it makes your snakes feel very secure. If it's a larger tank, make sure you clutter the tank with plants, crumbled newspaper, extra hides, etc. You want your snake to be able to move from one side to the other with some cover to make them feel secure.

5. I don't know what kind of thermometers you're using, but if you're using an analog/stick on thermometer, consider purchasing a digital thermometer with a probe. The stick on/analog thermometers are horribly inaccurate so it could be warmer or cooler than what it reads. You can purchase these at Walmart for about $12. The brand is called Acuright. This particular model also has hte ability to monitor humidity, which is important for what I say in #6. I know Radio Shack sells something similar. I own both.

6. I don't know what your humidity is like, but I bet it's pretty low with a heat lamp since heat lamps suck out humidity. You want to cover up most of the top of your tank with a damp towel, plexiglas, foil, foil tape, something like that. This will help to keep your temps and humidity better. When your snake goes into shed, try to keep the humidity around 70% to make sure they are able to shed perfectly.

I know this is a lot of info to take in, but I think it will help solve the problem you're having now as well as any that might arise in the future (like a stuck shed issue). As long as you can maintain this, your ball python should feel secure and should continue to eat for you. Ball pythons are prone to stress easily and when they are stressed, they stop eating. Hopefully with a little guidance and your love for your pet, you can spend a lot of years with a happy ball python.

Also, I forgot to mention this earlier, but welcome to the forums! There is a multitude of knowledge here. Take a look around and ask questions. Many of us are very happy to give you information! I've learned a lot since I got my first ball python...all from browsing other people's questions here. Use this resource for your own advantage.

Welcome to the ball python addiction.

[BrianB801]

Cool thanks for the detailed info, ill have to get that stuff done this week! And he is in a 10 gal tank! But thanks again for the help!

[BHReptiles]

Cool thanks for the detailed info, ill have to get that stuff done this week! And he is in a 10 gal tank! But thanks again for the help!

10 gal sounds perfect for a new baby! Some people have new hatchlings in 40 gal tanks, which is too big. But a 10 gal is perfect for a little one until they hit about 500g or so...then bump them up to a 20 gal.