How do you know when it's time to up the size of the hides?

She's still capable of fitting completely under her current ones but it no longer lays flat against the substrate - it rides up enough that I can sometimes see her sides while she's in there and tends to drag it with her. Right now she's just got plastic bowls for hides. I have some that are bigger, they're the tip-proof dog bowl kind, with a space for her to slide through to curl up in.

I attached a picture of her current hide and the ones I have that are bigger. On the left (green) is the current hide size, the middle (black) is the bigger hide from the top and on the right (red) is the bigger hide from the bottom. The red and black bowls identical are in every way except color.

http://i48.tinypic.com/15p029u.jpg

I upgrade mine when the snakes can no longer cram themselves into the hides without turning into turtles.

If she's lifting up the green bowl, I don't see how she'll fit under the black bowl since much of that space it taken up by the water dish indention...

That's true, guess I didn't really think about that... Guess if I make the switch and she's still lifting it I'll know I should upgrade. I have even bigger dog bowls in the same style as the first two (they were on clearance for about a dollar each and I had to jump on that). But they seem like they'll be too big for her, she's still only about 180 grams.

The main issue I see with those types of dog bowls is that it forces the snake to curl around the bowl indention, instead of letting them curl up in a ball.

Go to a local nursery and buy/find broken clay flower pots. While likely more expensive than $1 plastic shown here, there are many advantages that payoff IMHO:

-They last forever
-They are easy to clean/durable
-The rough edges and weight help the snakes shed
-The height allows them to stack themselves (ball UP-literally), so a smaller diameter offers more space than a similar diameter bowl pictured here.
-The saucers that serve as bottoms for these pots are awesome for babies and juvies

Well while I was worrying about her other hides being too small... She's managed to cram herself under her water dish.

http://i48.tinypic.com/2evaoma.jpg

I've never caught her doing this before but she's definitely too big to fit. Stress? Or is she just being a ball python?

I'd just provide her with some larger hides. Try a few different kinds and see what she seems to prefer. She is clearly indicating that she wants some better/more hiding places!

Perhaps offer the bowl hide as an option, but also provide one or two other hides that have room for her to ball up underneath as well.

-Jen