BP trying to escape

Hello iv got a bp and he is about 12 inches long. It would seem iv got everything correct as far as the set up for the little guy but he trys to escape not sure if he does it every night but i know for a fact when i try to fed him he wont eat and then he is very proactive about getting out. He has only eaten once in a month and i leave the food in there for atleast an hour any suggestions. :banana::snake:

if the food is frozen thawed, leave in over night, if live, leave it in for 20 minutes, with supervision of your own, if doesnt take it, take out, and try next day and or week, my lil guy wouldnt eat f/t so we tried live nd took it like a champ :D

First double and triple check your humidity and temperatures. Make sure you have 2 hides, one on the hot side, the other on the cool side.

Aside from that you typically shouldn't worry about a finicky eater (which is normal for ball pythons) unless it's loosing weight. Also don't handle him aside from routine maintenance until he's eating better for you because it could be stress related. Depending on the age the roaming and lack of eating could be a breeding thing.

Can you describe your set up? Mine only really roam and try to escape when they are hungry, and since it hasn't eaten in a month it's probably the problem. He may not be eating due to stress, so a description would be most helpful :)

http://<a href="http://ball-pythons....3395_thumb.jpg[/IMG]

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Originally Posted by LGray23

Can you describe your set up? Mine only really roam and try to escape when they are hungry, and since it hasn't eaten in a month it's probably the problem. He may not be eating due to stress, so a description would be most helpful :)

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by LGray23

Can you describe your set up? Mine only really roam and try to escape when they are hungry, and since it hasn't eaten in a month it's probably the problem. He may not be eating due to stress, so a description would be most helpful :)

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click on my pic and i put a pic of my tank on there

If your feeding F/T make sure the food is properly thawed and warm enough (I believe the recommended temp for the food is about 90 degrees) I personally have been in a rush before, and have failed to let the food thaw enough, and my girl will strike and wrap but then stop, release and look at me. After reheating shell strike and eat like a champ. Just something i thought id share :P

if im not mistaken, you only have one hide on the side opposite from the lamp, and the lamp is your only heat source?

if so, your gonna want some kind of indoor/outdoor thermometer with a hygrometer built in, like this:
http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/SSPX0571.jpg

the number on the top right is outdoor temp, which is read by a probe you can place underneath the hot hide, the console itself reads the indoor temp (bottom left), and humidity (bottom right), so your use "outside" for the hot side, and "indoor" for the cool. the floor temp on the hot side should be 89-94, with the cool side being 79-84. the ambient (air) temp should be in the low-mid 80's. humidity should be between 50-60%, and upped to 70% while the snake is in shed. if your temps arent in these ranges, you may need to raise them with either an under-tank heater (uth), or another heat lamp, or some other heating element. note: a UTH will require some sort of thermostat to regulate the temperature.

there should also be two identical hides, one on the hot end and one on the cool. the reason they should be identical is so that the snake will feel equally secure at both ends, and wont have to sacrifice the ability to thermoregulate in order to feel safe.

my guess is that hes hungry, or he doesnt like his environment. either one can make a BP stressed out and try to escape to find proper temps/ hide space, or food.

make sure your husbandry is right first and foremost, start with temps and then humidity. if your feeding frozen/thawed (f/t), leave the mouse in the cage overnight with the snake, and if he doesnt eat it, remove the mouse and wait untill next week, dont offer the next day. being offered food too often can also cause more stress. if your feeding live, wait 15-20minutes WHILE KEEPING A CONSTANT EYE ON THEM, and if the snake doesnt take it, remove them from eachother, and try again next week. good luck and keep us posted

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cmack91

if im not mistaken, you only have one hide on the side opposite from the lamp, and the lamp is your only heat source?

if so, your gonna want some kind of indoor/outdoor thermometer with a hygrometer built in, like this:
http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/SSPX0571.jpg

the number on the top right is outdoor temp, which is read by a probe you can place underneath the hot hide, the console itself reads the indoor temp (bottom left), and humidity (bottom right), so your use "outside" for the hot side, and "indoor" for the cool. the floor temp on the hot side should be 89-94, with the cool side being 79-84. the ambient (air) temp should be in the low-mid 80's. humidity should be between 50-60%, and upped to 70% while the snake is in shed. if your temps arent in these ranges, you may need to raise them with either an under-tank heater (uth), or another heat lamp, or some other heating element. note: a UTH will require some sort of thermostat to regulate the temperature.

there should also be two identical hides, one on the hot end and one on the cool. the reason they should be identical is so that the snake will feel equally secure at both ends, and wont have to sacrifice the ability to thermoregulate in order to feel safe.

my guess is that hes hungry, or he doesnt like his environment. either one can make a BP stressed out and try to escape to find proper temps/ hide space, or food.

make sure your husbandry is right first and foremost, start with temps and then humidity. if your feeding frozen/thawed (f/t), leave the mouse in the cage overnight with the snake, and if he doesnt eat it, remove the mouse and wait untill next week, dont offer the next day. being offered food too often can also cause more stress. if your feeding live, wait 15-20minutes WHILE KEEPING A CONSTANT EYE ON THEM, and if the snake doesnt take it, remove them from eachother, and try again next week. good luck and keep us posted

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i have two therms and one hygro and i left the mouse in over night still nothing i think im going to try a smaller tank everythin else iv done