Very Active New BP

Good Morning/Evening all!

New BP Dad here, and i have some questions regarding how active my new family member is. ills tart with my set up/temps and the little guys age, etc. He is in a 20 gal long, the cold side is a constant 77 on the cool side, and his hot side ranges from 88 to 92.4 right now. I am using a fluker's 12 watt 11x11 inch heat mat as well as a 65 watt ceramic heat bulb in a wire lamp socket on a lamp stand. He has a hide on both sides and a water dish in the middle (if need be i can provide photos.) Three of the sides of the tank are covered using a forest background. I am also using cypress mulch for his bedding.

For the snake himself, he was hatched on 7/23/2020, so he is almost 2 months old. I am not sure about his weight, but I can definitely email/call the breeder in the morning and ask. He last fed on Thursday September 10th on a live rat pup, and I received him Tuesday September 15th.

My question is regarding his somewhat very active behavior at night. During the day he alternates hides for sleeping or just hiding and most nights he sits on the hide on his hot side partially under the ceramic heat bulb. However tonight he has been roaming and mostly trying to investigate the screen top of the cage. Is this normal for a new BP male hatchling? Should I offer a meal tomorrow and see if he is roaming because he is hungry? Is something about his setup causing him stress? Or am I just being paranoid as a new owner?

Any answers and advice are welcome to me.

Hi! It is normal for them to be more active at night as they are nocturnal and that's when they do their hunting. Generally a BP that sleeps in the day and is more active at night is a happy BP. I wouldn't worry unless he seems like he is repeatedly trying to 'escape'. He absolutely could be hungry too. I'd leave him to settle for a few days before an attempt at feeding though.

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So first I'll say my ball python has been with me for about 2weeks. He was born on 7/23/20. I bought him from BHB so I know he was taking care of beforehand well.

My Enclosure is a 20 gallon. Has a heat mat from Zoomed. Coconut block. You know the Norm. I felt it isn the enclosure so I'll leave that short.

I think it's me. I don't know how to feed it. No matter how much I researched before hand, it's nothing like you think.

They wrote on the bag he fed Live Adults. I want F/T so I got one. Thrawed in warm water. Warmed it with water than tried hanging it (tongs). He like looked interested but than I freaking dropped it. So I picked it up and tried again. He was didn't. I left it over night nothing...

Now to clear the air. I did hold him yhis week. But he wasn't balling up in his tank like he was scared. He was hanging outside the hide sometimes. Now he been sitting on top the rock hide. He was goin that before I tried the mouse so it's HIS normal ...I guess

So why won't he eat. He looks so little to me. I don't want him to die although they say ball pythons can go a long time without eating. Today I have the tank covered. When to try again and Tips Please .

PS . This is my first so don't come for me but I'll take advice always

Thats funny, I got mine from bhb as well! Same hatch date. :D I havent tried feeding mine yet. Thats going to be tomorrow, they fed him live rat pups, so ill be doing that until I've fed in atleast 3 times before I try to start switching to thawed. Havent held him yet but his favorite active time is between 2 am and 430 am.

From what I've been reading just wait another week to try feeding him again. If its your first feeding with him you may have to bite the bullet and feed him live to start with. He's probably only been fed live since he hatched.

As for mine I havent handled him yet, but I have been sitting near his tank where he can see me while he is out and active so that he is used to my presence and I no longer scare him when he comes out.

HaHaaa that's cool. They are soul siblings. But okay thanks I'll try that next week. I also have him next to my work desk. He was acting so comfortable so I just KNEW he would eat. But I'll definitely do Live next week. Thank you

Mine is very active at night as well. When she's hungry though, she'll come up to the glass and glare at me.

Update time as I just fed Leviathan earlier this evening. I ended up feeding him to fuzzy rats instead of a pup, because the pup i purchased was way too big. (I think bhbs version of pup and the store i went to is vastly different.) He coiled very nicely and both of them were quickly eaten. It reinforced my disdain for live feeding but ill be able to get him on thawed frozen overtime. No signs of regurgitation so far. After his next feeding I will possibly start infrequent handling after he digests.

My Severus ate last night also ! I actually got him to eat a F/T. I had one last one so i thought it wouldnt hurt to try. Too help i blow dried the mouse like i read on here. and BOOM he ate. Been chillin in his hide since than :snake:. i was so proud

My ball pythons are definitely more active at night, Tonks especially, she cruises around looking for escape routes, lol. I think it's normal - they're nocturnal, and curious critters especially when young. It was definitely more pronounced when they were first here, because their enclosures were new and needed exploring!

My older BP, Ana Gwyn, is pretty settled now, she rarely comes out from under her dog dish at all (don't judge me, it's the only thing she'll use as a hide!), but Tonks still spends about half of her time basking out of her hide even though BPs don't usually bask, and usually at night.