definition of stress

Casual cruising around the enclosure in the evenings is "normal". Cruising constantly, stretching to the top of the enclosure, constantly testing the top for ways to escape, even during the daytime, and never settling down is considered to be a stress indicator. On top of that - young ball pythons that refuse to eat week after week is a pretty good indicator that they are stressed. Combine the two - and some re-evaluations of the enclosure set-up need to be done to figure out why the animal is not settling into their hides and eating.

As to high humidity in tubs - add additional ventilation holes, and use a smaller water dish.

Stress is a physiological response to stimuli. Stress comes in negative and positive forms, but either way, the result is a strain on an animal's biological system. That strain can cause problems if it is extreme--some of the problems that can result are reduced appetite, reduced immune function, exhaustion, and tension.

Examples of stressors in snakes, both postive and negative: Feeding, breeding, being handled or exposed to new stimuli, lacking a basic need (as in temperature, hiding places, water), and immune system challenges (such as parasites, bacteria, viruses).

We often think of stress as being purely negative, but there are many cases of 'positive stress' in our own lives--a really fun party is an example of a positive stress. One must recover from the party afterward--it's exhausting. But, the party is a temporary stress--once the party is over, we go back to a normal and more comfortable routine, and are able to recover. The party has other postive psychological effects and releases endorphins and such, but it still represents a noticeable temporary stress.

Temporary stresses are not particularly dangerous, so long as they aren't extreme. The real danger to an animal is long-term stress. When something is not right over a long period of time, the animal has no chance to recover--the stress continues to build, and its ill effects become more and more apparent. Generally, the animal will eventually become ill. This is why ball pythons will sometimes develop illnesses towards the end of the breeding season, and why snakes may seem fine for months, or even years in an adverse environment before they finally develop real problems.

Minimizing long-term stress for captive reptiles is a key part of keeping them healthy. It enables them to withstand short-term stresses such as being moved, and being handled. The more 'relaxing' their environment is, the better chance they have of staying healthy and behaving normally.

Signs of stress in ball pythons may include excessive cruising, particularly if it occurs during the daytime--excessive hiding, particularly if it does not emerge at night--disinterest in food, and defensive behavior. Since some of these signs may be subtle (it's hard to guess if a snake is hiding just a BIT more than it should), we have to go by the body of knowledge about ball python husbandry, and adjust it if we do detect anything noticeable to us.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bamf64

lol XD!

i want to switch my bps over to tubs SOOOOO BADDDLY!!!

the only thing is the humidity is too high in the tubs so i had to switch with tanks. do you think that matters tho? i live in california and ive seen ppl in cali using tubs... do u think i could use a rack system for my bps?

---

oh im OCD about my temps and humidity. just start off poking like 10 nicely spaced holes, and go from there. making more holes decreases teh humidity =D.
i hav a rack of 4 tubs that i got from reptile basics. another thing, im using aspen for one of my tubs, and i have to mist it a lot... the spider would cruise a lot when he was on paper towels.. when i put him on aspen, he burrows to get to the warmth, and he doesn't cruise o_O.

to keep the humidity up, i just spray the bottom of the tub b4 i put the paper towels in, and spray it once after its all done just to make it a little softer. works like a charm ;D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Stress is a physiological response to stimuli. Stress comes in negative and positive forms, but either way, the result is a strain on an animal's biological system. That strain can cause problems if it is extreme--some of the problems that can result are reduced appetite, reduced immune function, exhaustion, and tension.

Examples of stressors in snakes, both postive and negative: Feeding, breeding, being handled or exposed to new stimuli, lacking a basic need (as in temperature, hiding places, water), and immune system challenges (such as parasites, bacteria, viruses).

---

mind if i save this in notepad? or tell me where u got it from? good definition

College.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mrshawt

College.

---

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Er, I wrote it off the top of my head...but sure. *hides geek hat*.

You have a good point, you really never know FOR SURE a snake is stressed until you really get down to the bottom of the problem. A snake refusing food could be many different indicators of something, or also could be nothing at all.

Bps not eating is mostly stress related! I think the snake wondering alot is stress and insecurity in my option. Great question! How else can you know something if you don't ask! There is never a stupid question!