Cleaned substrate and now wont use hide

[erik0130]

Monday night I cleaned my ball python's substrate and now she wont use her hide. Normally she always spends the day in her hide and is very active at night. Now she is just laying on the warm side of the tank but not using the hide. She is still active at night. She ate the night that I changed the tank so besides not hiding she is acting normal. I have had her for a year and she has never done this so Im just wondering if this is normal. She has two hides and the temp on the warm side is 91

[Artemille]

What chemicals did you use to clean? Did you change cleaning chemicals or substrate?

[erik0130]

I didnt use any chemicals. Just changed the substrate and cleaned everything with water

[erik0130]

Using the same substrate I always do. Aspen

[Diamond Serpents]

When is the last time the snake has eaten?

Do you happen to have a old shed from that snake? If so I would rub the shed on the hide inside/outside then place it in the hide.

Also if you didn't throw away all the old aspen, try taking a little bit of that and place in the hide or rub on the hide.

[Neal]

Sometimes redoing something like substrate can make a snake act weird. Who knows how keen their ability is to recognize changes and with all new substrate it's like putting them in a new enclosure sometimes. I've seen it affect some snakes and not others, and not that snake at a later time. I wouldn't worry about it, as long as you're monitoring your temps, and have your humidity right.

[LLLReptile]

If she doesn't eat next week, you can try using an old shed or dirty bedding to re-scent her hide so that she starts using it.

Basically, one theory for why is that she may not think it smells enough like her to be her usual hide. If she eats next time, I wouldn't worry about it. She's a snake, she has her snakey reasons for doing things. If she doesn't eat, you might want to check things out a bit more.

-Jen

[erik0130]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I will try putting some old substrate in there with her and will save the next shed for the next time I clean her substrate. She has been eating fine. She eats one rat a week and last ate monday night. Thanks again for the advice

[kitedemon]

Nothing to worry about if she is eating. They do odd things sometimes I have one who will use his hides for months and then stop for a few weeks inexplicably, and feed the whole time. I used to stress about it but now as long as the husbandry is correct and he is eating I am not bothered, he clearly isn't.