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  • 03-05-2007, 12:02 PM
    minotaur
    Re: New Owner - Friendly or Freaked Out
    Fishmoney,

    It is a good theory. I have a temp probe right above where he sleeps and it is 80 degrees. He really couldnt get any farther away from the lamp during the day. The log itself tends to build up heat inside but it is never above 94-95. When he wakes up a night, the first thing he does is sit as close as possible to the heat lamp for a bit, before roaming. He just never goes into his hides.
  • 03-05-2007, 12:04 PM
    minotaur
    Re: New Owner - Friendly or Freaked Out
    Sorry, that pic in the first post was from day one, to show my family my new snake. Since then I have made several modifications after reading some of the suggestions on this forum. I will have a new picture when my girlfriend gets home from work and I can use her camera. The second hide looks a lot like what you have described, yet my BP still likes to lay next to the hide instead of inside it.
  • 03-05-2007, 12:18 PM
    fishmommy
    Re: New Owner - Friendly or Freaked Out
    it could be that he hasn't decided it's safe yet :)
    did he have a hide at the store you bought him from? maybe he doesn't know yet how awesome a hide is :D

    what I do when trying to understand my snake's behavior is think about what his experience is and what his priorities are.

    1) temperature (where the snake actually is, not just anywhere)
    2) security (they like tight places and must establish over time that it's safe)
    3) humidity
    4) smells!
    5) light levels
    6) noise/vibration
    etc...
  • 03-05-2007, 12:21 PM
    minotaur
    Re: New Owner - Friendly or Freaked Out
    There was a single hide in the enclosure at the store, but it was guarded and claimed by a REALLY aggressive BP. There is actually a small scab on my BP near the head, quite possibly from a bite by the mean BP at the store. Maybe he thinks hides are dangerous?
  • 03-05-2007, 12:36 PM
    fishmommy
    Re: New Owner - Friendly or Freaked Out
    that's a good thought!


    I would say check your temps & humitidy, and give him time to figure out that those hides are unoccupied and safe :)
  • 03-05-2007, 01:37 PM
    AzureN1ght
    Re: New Owner - Friendly or Freaked Out
    The first week my BP was home, he slept next to his waterbowl, wedged between it and the tub. Then he discovered that he could crawl underneath the KRAFT paper (what I use for Substrate), and he used that exclusively for another week. When I changed the paper out, I trimmed the edges, so it layed completely flat to the bottom of the tub--and THEN he decided to use his hides. The last paper-change, I left the ends long again and lo! He's hiding under the paper again :)

    I think he now knows that (when he can't get under the paper), that his hides are a good place to be. But it did take him a week to hide anywhere else but next to his water bowl.

    Just my experience so far!
  • 03-05-2007, 02:00 PM
    Ginevive
    Re: New Owner - Friendly or Freaked Out
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by fishmommy
    the reason I am asking about heat sources is I was trying to picture the temperature profile inside the tank.


    With a thick layer of substrate, the snake may get more penetrating feel-good heat from the lamp than from the UTH. A thick hide like the wood one pictured may insulate against the lamp. Do you have a way of measuring the temps inside the hides? It would be worth checking to see if it's too cold inside them.
    The fact that your snake is sleeping is encouraging, since roaming would be a sign of stress for sure. He might be sleeping out in the open because the lamp feels good compared to the temp inside the hide.

    that's my hairbrained theory anyway :)

    Good thinking!

    Welcome to the forum by the way.. I too think that if you thinned your substrate out a bit, it would improve his hidey-ness.. that, or maybe buy a round-inside hide (like the plastic "igloos" sold for rats/hamsters; I use those..) Maybe a little more secure and form-fitting?
  • 03-05-2007, 02:07 PM
    minotaur
    Re: New Owner - Friendly or Freaked Out
    I just got back from class. But where is my BP!? Then I see his head poke out of the cool hide. He has been in there ever since. I guess he just needed a week to get adjusted. Thanks for all the help! I hope feeding goes well tomorrow night.
  • 03-05-2007, 03:08 PM
    fishmommy
    Re: New Owner - Friendly or Freaked Out
    he heard us talking about him :D

    good luck and welcome to the board!
  • 03-05-2007, 07:09 PM
    minotaur
    Re: New Owner - Friendly or Freaked Out
    In case anyone is still interested, even though the problem has been solved. Here is my setup, after misting. To head off any comments. I know the two hides arent identical. I am working on it. The black tupperware works way better than the half-log. Yes, the enclosure is sitting very securely on top of tin foil feet, it is to allow ventilation of the UTH so it doesnt burn the desk. My BP is safely in his black hide.

    http://img11.imagepile.net/img11/60187img_0123.png
    http://img11.imagepile.net/img11/5221img_0127.png
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