BP not using hides...

New owners, new snake. We've got a 1.5ish foot BP in a 20 gal tank. We finally got the cool and hot sides figured out and we're working on getting the humidity taken care of.


Hot side:
Uncovered screen
Ceramic heater on a rheostat
Thermometer at the top on the glass: 90-93 degrees
UTH under glass on same rheostat as CHE
Thermometer on the bottom above UTH and in the middle of the substrate: 88-90 degrees
Hollowed out fake tree for snake to climb on and large enough to be a hide
Small bowl of water


In between:
Temps vary from 76-82 in this section. I've got a probe under the substrate.
Covered with foil/ cardboard.
Hygrometer at the top part of the glass in the middle of the tank: 45-50% when I get home from work. A small spritz really brings it up to 60-65%


Cool side:
Half-a-log-hide sitting on substrate
UTH heater under log hide on rheostat: 81-84
Small part of same UTH heater under a large plastic water bowl
The rheostat for this UTH won't actually go any lower, so my temps are usually 82-83
Covered with foil/ cardboard.




Snake loves to hang out at the top of the tree a fair amount.

Usually hangs out under the tree (outside of the hide/ cutout) and in the open near the front of the tank. He's been there for the past 7 hours and hasn't really even moved other than to acknowledge me briefly.

This morning he was stretched out mostly in the cool side.


Yesterday we didn't really have the temp. sections figured out quite as well as today. He spent most of his time up in the tree and on the ground area in the hot side.

Previous day (first day) the UTH under his supposed-to-be cool side shorted and was up at about 110. Obviously he never went in there. Removed the UTH as soon as I saw it, got another one and placed it in the same place.


I have since learned you should have 2 identical hides. I have 2 hides, but not identical. I figured he would have at least used one of them in the combined 24 +/- hours I've been able to watch him.

Any ideas why he might not be using the hides or is this normal?

how may days have you had your BP? for the first few days they will cruise around the cage, checking every nook and cranny just to kinda know where things are, looking for escapes, things like that. He should be settled down within the week once everything's corrected

Also, if he hasn't been in the hides at all yet, he may have yet to figure out that they are safe.

He doesn't know that they are there for him to hide in - he sees a dark place that could have a predator in it so until he really settles in he will be a little more active.

i have 2 that never go in the hides but i keep them in there just incase they want to. i wouldn't worry about it. he'll figure it out. give him time.

Ok cool, thanks. Didn't know if it was a big deal or not. On the other hand, it appears I still can't get the damn heating right. Hot side is now at 94-ish both top and bottom and the cool side under the hide was 95! when I got home today. Didn't change anything between then and now. Crap.