New owner with concerns! Looking for straightforward answers

Thanks for all the advice and recommendations, I really appreciate it! I have ordered a thermostat and digital thermometer, should be here next week :)

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Any decent one will suffice just avoid those cheap ones from China and similar , off eBay ...

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I actually use the stc-1000 off of ebay. It cost me $13 shipped and i have had no issues at all with it. My temps are excellent and it never has more than 1 degree variation. The only thing is that you have to wire it yourself. Mine came from a US seller and is the Fahrenheit model but could have been manufactured in China lol.

I actually ended up going with a Vivarium Thermostat, a digital thermometer, and temp gun, and ordered a couple extra goodies to go with it. Hopefully it will help evening out temps and humidity so that she can be a bit more comfortable. She still never comes out of her hide, ever. She does change positions in it, nothing unusual though. Just the normal flat coils. Sometimes I will catch her a bit closer to the hole, so I think she is getting more brave. I'm assuming as long as I see no strange signs, and she continues eating, the whole "I'm not coming out EVER" attitude isn't a problem and there is nothing to worry about?

I think it will come around... These critters are nocturnal, and I've been pleasantly surprised to catch my albino out and about after 10 PM. All day she stays in her hide though, you would never know about her nightly escapades looking at her during the day ;)

Also based on the pictures, you were right--she has retained shed around her head and neck. There is a great thread on here about soaking to assist stuck sheds. Essentially you put the snake in a container with lukewarm-warm water and a towel sitting at the bottom. You want to only fill the container so that your snake can easily keep its head above the water. While it's soaking, keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't get exhausted or have difficulty keeping its head above water, then after about 45 minutes, gently rub the skin with the wet towel. I did this the other day for a small chunk that was stuck to a newly-adopted BCI and it came off no problem. Other folks have tried soaks for 20 minutes with less success, so I'm posting the 45 minute timeline because that's what worked for me. :)

First of all, congratulations on your new little buddy! I bet that in your charge, and with some advice from the experienced people here at the forum, she will be curious and exploring the world outside her hide soon enough.

One thing I am thinking is that her enclosure is too open for a shy little one like her to feel comfortable exploring. She can see the room all around her, which may be intimidating. I've found that rooting down some fake flowers is an effective and not too unpleasant-looking way to clutter up a hatchling's tub. My BP likes to climb on them, weave herself through them, and sleep under them occasionally. I would recommend getting about 6 or so. You can do a mix of flowers and leaf bunches for a more natural look. I got mine at a dollar store because I had found that the flowers from craft stores were either way too big or had stuff like glitter on them.

Anyway that's just my advice, if you don't want to do fake plants though then I suggest putting in some other kind of canopy-like decor in there for her to feel safe, and spaced plentifully enough through her enclosure that she doesn't have to leave parts of her body exposed to get to it. That may be part of the reason she favors one hide over the other. Also, you could go much smaller than the cocoa mix box. My BP is very fond of the Saltine 4 oz. boxes.

Good luck and keep us updated!

We got her all set up now, heating pad is keepimg her temp in her rock up and her humidity is higher in there thanks to moss! Fed again today and other than a half sideways swallow, she did eat successfully and is now curled up and sleeping. As long as she is eating Im not super concerned, she is lookimg a little more plump too! Thanks for all the advice! She has been peeking out of her rock a bit more. She has been super shy the entire time we have had her, so she could just have a timid personality! I think she is looking a bit fatter, so thats a plus! Thanks again for being so friendly and helpful guys! [emoji1]

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I had to add this picture because she is just too cute!

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