Ball Python Active and Trying to get out all Day

Hi .. what kind of thermometer are you using to take the two surface temps ??


Over the years I’ve have two that were incredibly restless and both times the it was down to the temps being far too high so they couldn’t thermoregulate - one time the stat had failed.


This type are very popular but totally useless ..

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Hard to say what that means (sleeping with head out of hide)? Are you sure he's sleeping?

BPs can be very fussy snakes- I've heard of some snakes preferring certain color rodents & refusing all others. It makes sense when you're talking about a snake that eats live rodents- sooner or later, whether or not you notice, your snake gets bit (or pinched- a bloodless bite that nonetheless hurts) when he's making a kill, & he learns to associate that color rodent with something to fear. White rats with brown spots are not common (I used to breed rats for years.) so that could be a real problem as far as availability. Another good reason to feed f/t rodents.

We don't advise removing snakes from their home turf to feed in a side container- mostly it adds stress for the snake (handling them distracts from their feeding instincts), & it serves NO purpose- it's actually MORE likely for you to get bit this way too. Hungry snakes are more likely to make a mistake with your hand, & once they eat, you have to put them back & snakes can stay pumped up (ie. ready to grab anything as prey, aka "feed mode") for hours or even a day+ after eating, so you're more likely to get bit after their meal too. That doesn't sound like a winner to me...how about you? But, it's hard to advise you- it's usually better to continue the same feeding routine at first, with a new snake- whatever was successful. The choice is yours, you might have to try it both ways, but personally, I'd try feeding where he lives first, a few times, before resorting to using a "feeding tub". He's 5 years old, so surely he knows how to eat, but at his age, fasting is pretty common, & especially combined with rehoming.

Do you know how long it's been since his last meal?

Is this your first snake, btw?

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

HOW you offer makes all the difference: Wait until evening, dim the lights- BPs are ambush predators, meaning they wait from a hiding place for clueless prey to walk near enough to grab. Never try to feed a snake that's roaming their enclosure, they instinctively avoid feeding in the open & likely to refuse. (In the wild, other predators may catch them while they're distracted with feeding.) Wait for them to be peeking out of their hide in the evening hours...that's usually your signal that they're thinking about prey.

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This is great info to have. I re-homed Shauri after the previous owner could no longer take care of her. She used to be taken out of her habitat to be fed. (The previous owner shared other things done to care for the danger noodle that are at odds with the information you and others have been sharing). I understand now this is incredibly stressful to my scaly sweetie.

Since acquiring her, I've been feeding her in her habitat, but wait for her TO be active (thinking she's hungry and looking for food).

.... and try the hairdryer method with a thawed Rat sometime ;)

I’ll send you the details ..


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

..........BPs are ambush predators, meaning they wait from a hiding place for clueless prey to walk near enough to grab. Never try to feed a snake that's roaming their enclosure, they instinctively avoid feeding in the open & likely to refuse......

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Not to go off track, But I think I have the 2 exceptions to that, Bean & Bitey are both in glass tanks with screen tops. When they figure out it's feeding day I have to have my daughter lift the lids off while I feed them, They literally go to the top of the tank to the screens and when daughter removes them and backs up they stretch up to the top of the tank to get their rat :O, None of my other snakes do that or have done that. Their really polite and calm otherwise.

I would also suggest dropping that hot spot a couple degrees. I always tried to keep my upper temperature no more then 86/88 degrees. I have one that’s constantly active and one that graces me with an occasional outing. And yes three of them have no problem sleeping either with their head just out, or pretty much out in the open (they like to “relax” and “spill” out the bottom of their hides. I’d definitely double check your high end temps if he is moving around excessively. ✌️

The preference for a certain color is something I have experienced with BPs but that seems incredibly specific. You probably could get away with any darker colored rat, regardless of pattern.

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Originally Posted by Gocntry

Not to go off track, But I think I have the 2 exceptions to that, Bean & Bitey are both in glass tanks with screen tops. When they figure out it's feeding day I have to have my daughter lift the lids off while I feed them, They literally go to the top of the tank to the screens and when daughter removes them and backs up they stretch up to the top of the tank to get their rat :O, None of my other snakes do that or have done that. Their really polite and calm otherwise.

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This goes without saying...our snakes never "read the manuals" so there's always some that just "do it their own way", lol. So keep the general advice in mind, but always try to read what your own snake's body language is telling you...and modify techniques accordingly. :snake: