What am I doing wrong?

I recently moved my female ball python from her first enclosure into her adult enclosure. She's about a year old, 42 inches, 950 grams. Her enclosure is 48 inches wide by 24 inches deep by 24 inches tall. Cool side stays around 80 degrees, warm side stays around 86 ambient temperature with the belly heat at the warm end around 92 degrees. Humidity is about 45% - 55% on the warm end and about 55% - 65% on the cool end. She fits perfectly fine in both her hides and mostly stays in her warm hide during the day and will occasionally sleep behind the leaves on the cool end. She has a good amount of cover in the enclosure with fake foliage. But ever since she has been in this new enclosure, she spends 4 - 5 hours every night trying to escape. At first I thought it was just because she needed to adjust to her new enclosure, but she's been doing it for over a month now. It wouldn't be much of a problem to me if she was just roaming around the enclosure, but she spends a lot of time ramming her face (like she's trying to dig a hole or push through the wall) into the corners where the glass doors meet the side walls. And she pushes really hard and I'm afraid she gonna hurt herself really bad. Any advice on what I can do? Is there anything I'm doing wrong? She's my first ball python so I'm not quite experienced with them yet.

How are you checking your temps. Do you have a temp gun. The first thing that comes to mind that it may be too warm for her.

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Originally Posted by L.West

How are you checking your temps. Do you have a temp gun. The first thing that comes to mind that it may be too warm for her.

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I was wondering about this too. OP do you think we can also see a picture of your set up?

I use the temperature probes from the Herpstat 2 and 2 AcuRite thermometers/hygrometers to check the temps.

https://m.imgur.com/a/sbdtb

You can't check surface temps like that. Please get a temp gun. They are invaluable. Worth every penny.

I don't see pushing the boundaries of a larger new enclosure itself a sign of distress but seeing 86 as the ambient temperature might be a sign. Ambient should be in the low 80s to upper 70s and it may indeed be a tad too warm.

Edit: seeing a CHE inside the enclosure terrifies me. Not sure why people in Europe and the UK think having a heat lamp or CHE surrounded by a wire cage that is also heated by the CHE is acceptable. Also, did you tape down the probe cords?! Are the thermostat probes for the UTH on the inside of the enclosure?

Edit 2: GET THAT INTERNAL CHE OUT OF THAT ENCLOSURE!

Seconding the temp gun, chances are her hot spot is too hot. Also remember you want to check the temp under the substrate with your temp gun to make sure cage surface does not exceed 92 F.

There seems to be a lot of dead open air space, so I'm wondering if it may be worth getting an extra plant or vine to hang down or drape over her hides so she has a bit more cover from above. Alternatively adding branches of driftwood could help too.

Why is there is light fixture inside of the enclosure. She can stretch up and really hurt herself by burning. Get it out of there. Also 86 is way to warm. Should be 80.

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Originally Posted by SDA

I don't see pushing the boundaries of a larger new enclosure itself a sign of distress but seeing 86 as the ambient temperature might be a sign. Ambient should be in the low 80s to upper 70s and it may indeed be a tad too warm.

Edit: seeing a CHE inside the enclosure terrifies me. Not sure why people in Europe and the UK think having a heat lamp or CHE surrounded by a wire cage that is also heated by the CHE is acceptable. Also, did you tape down the probe cords?! Are the thermostat probes for the UTH on the inside of the enclosure?

Edit 2: GET THAT INTERNAL CHE OUT OF THAT ENCLOSURE!

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Good call about the Che SDA! I'm so used to rhp's that I completely missed that! That and the tape, which I must be utterly blind because I can't see it?

I don't see any light bulb in the viv to be fair .. that white flash at the top middle of the viv looks like a reflection of the main room light bulb , I'd guess ?

Also why all the hate for ceramics in cages ??

Am I missing something here I thought most of the guys in the US used ceramics in guards ( regulated by a thermostat of course ) ..??

Oh and digital temp guns are a must for any reptile keeper in my opinion.
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