Baby not using hide.

[RamMac]

Hello, I recently purchased a baby ball python. It is my first python. I notice that he has not used his hides much. I have one on the warm end and one on the cool end next to the water bowl. He prefers to either stay between the hide and the side of the tub, or stretched over the top of the hide box or searching for a way out through the top. Temps seem fine, around 77-78 ambient and 91inside his warm hide. Humidity is 60-61%. Any idea as to why he's not using his hides?

[chrid16371]

Are you using a uth to heat? If so is the temp being taken under the substrate?

What king of hides are you using? Make sure they are secure , no wide openings, and snug. Reptile basics hide are really good. Have you shown the snake the hide? Just place the snakes head in the entrance and they usually slither right in. A couple of mine didn't use there hides at first but then they started all of a sudden.

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[RamMac]

I am using an UTH and the thermostat probe is under the paper towel making contact with the plastic tub (inside the tub).

I am using two reptile hide boxes, although one (warm side) is significantly large now that I think about it. The one in the cool side is small. I have placed the snake inside the hide several times. Ill try and post some pictures of the set up. Thank you.

[RamMac]

Seems as though the humidity has gone up some and the ambient temp has dropped to 75 since I last checked. Of course after I made this post he has decided to use his hide. last time I checked on him I had placed him inside his warm hide which is the larger one and when I went back to take these pictures he was snug inside the much smaller hide. I figured I would post these anyway.

[PythonBabes]

Hides should be the same on warm and cool sides. Baby BPs will definitely pick security over warmth.

[Coluber42]

For what it's worth, my BP doesn't ever actually use a new hide until it has been in there for a good couple of weeks. He usually has about four hides at a time, which change from time to time as they get outgrown or as they get soiled if they're made of boxes, etc. He'll go in and out, investigate them, etc, but won't actually hide in them until he's had plenty of time to get used to the idea.
He doesn't every use them all equally; he goes in the warm one when he needs to, and has a definite favorite of the cool ones, but he does use the other cool ones some. He just doesn't use them when they're new.

So maybe your new baby just needed a little more time to decide that the hides really are safe and don't contain hungry dragons or something.

[chrid16371]

Your hides are 2 different sizes, I would change so both are the smaller size. Also if you change the hide there will be more open space so I would put maybe a fake leaves on the floor. Another thing I would do for security is cover the back and 2 sides of the tub with construction paper or something for added security. Thermostat probe should be between the uth and bottom of tub and a digital thermometer with probe under paper towel over uth. Acurite 00891 is a good digital thermometer with probe. You can put probe under paper towel and run wire under paper towel toward the cool side, that will give you hot temp cool temp and humidity. The reason you don't want the thermostat probe inside is bc it can be urinated on, water spill, or moved which can cause inaccurate reading. Also I would put the thermostat temp so it is 88 under paper towel bc when your snake lays on uth it will actually be warmer from the snakes weight. For your humidity I would put more holes in tub to lower to 60%-65%.

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[RamMac]

Thanks. I made some small changes. Got a second, smaller hide. I also added more vents to lower humidity as well as using a smaller water bowl to lower humidity. So far seems to have done the trick. Humidity lowered from 71% to 59% at the moment and has remained so for the last 3hrs. My ambient temps were getting as low as 70 so I added a small heat mat to the side on the cool end in hopes of raising the ambient temp and has gone up to 77 on my digital thermometer, 78 with my thermometer gun. I haven't relocated the thermostat probe yet since I have it taped and he is currently in his hide were the probe is. I do not want to disturb him as I fed him today. Fed him a live fuzzy mouse which he was moving away from. Oddly enough when I used the tongs to wave it by his head he took the mouse immediately leading me to believe his breeder fed him F/T. Anyway thanks for the tips.

[chrid16371]

Do you have a thermostat on the heat mat for cool side? Also you never should have tape inside the enclosure, if your snake gets under paper towel and it gets stuck on him it won't be good at all.

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