new girl not staying in hide box on warm spot

i just picked up my female mojave last night. we got back from our trip at 2am this morning and i went straight to setting her up in her new home. oddly she prefers to be stuck to the top of the front glass sliding doors instead of inside her hide box on the warm side. when i went to try to put her underneath the hide to let her know its there she felt a little cold. i know she's still new but i really thought she'd explore a little (which she did for the better part of the early morning hours) then find the warm spot and hide there for awhile.
what the heck is she doin'? my bf thinks that due to the fact that warm air rises, maybe she found a warm spot...i dont agree cuz the warmth on the warm spot is provided by a U.T.H.
i'm confused. why wont she hide?

I've had mine not use their hides, and just cruise around because my ambient temps were too low.

hm well, i really have no way of checking the ambient temps right now...i use a temp gun to check the temperature of the mulch at the bottom of the terrarium. will low ambient temps make a bp sick? the temp in the house will effect the ambient temps inside the terrarium right? we run our heater as much as we can afford to to keep the house at a reasonably comfortable level.

I had a girl do this in a Vision cage. I didn't have small enough hides and it was too open. When i filled it up with hides a larger water bowl and driftwood, she was always in the hides.

Something is wrong with either temps or the cage setup, revert to the basics and so will the snake!

Do you have a hide on the cool side too? They need to be able to regulate their temperature, and she might be smushing herself up against something to try and feel secure. If you do have another hide in there though, then I'd just say she's still getting used to the whole place. Or, like steve said, the hides could be too big for her.

And yes, low ambient temps can lead to respiratory infections. It shouldn't go any lower than 75F, and even that's pretty cold. Around 80 is the best. If you don't have any supplemental heat on the cool side (ie heat bulb or another heat mat), then it will be whatever temp the surrounding air in the house is.

well the temp gun is telling me the warm side is 90-ish and the cool side is 77-ish...i say "ish" cuz the exact degree changes every time i check the temp at those spots but it doesnt fluctuate more then 1 degree.
the set up is exactly this...
U.T.H- underneath the back left corner of terrarium (it is hooked up to a thermostat set to its highest temp setting)
1 hide box directly over that warm spot at back left corner.
1 hide box at back right corner, this is the cool side.
1 water dish next to each hide box near middle of terrarium against the back.
there really isn't much open space.
i know pictures would make this so much easier but my camera is down at the moment.

blushingball419- the hide boxes just barely cover her entire body, they do if she's coiled up the right way. would running a single small space heater near the terrarium fix the low ambient temps inside the terrarium?

Yup, a small space heater near the tank would definitely help :) You might just have to mist more often to keep the humidity up. Actually 77ish isn't too bad, but it could be raised a few degrees. Just be sure to monitor the temp while the space heater is running to make sure it doesn't get too hot at first.

Well it sounds like your hides and the rest of your setup is great, so she's probably just still settling in. Since she knows where the warm spot is, I'm sure she'll use it when she feels like it.

ok i just decided to just leave everything alone for the rest of the night and see if that helps the temps and humidity build up a little. i'll check everything again in the morning and run the space heater if nothing changes.
thx

It can take several days (sometimes up to a couple weeks) for a snake to settle into its new home and behave as we would expect them to. Just give her some time.

Just give her a week or so to settle in. My new male spider has been doing the same thing since i got him. At first he hid in his hide then the past couple of days he has just been exploring his home and now sitting in his water bowl lol. Its nothing to worry about if the temps are right and everything else is correct.

My snake prefers the cold side. It is quite weird actually....

ok its 4:30am and i'm awake cuz the space heater i set up is trying to kill me lol. Nyx is now curled up inside the hide box on the cool side but that is the side that the space heater is on so...
i just realized too, forewarning, things come to me slowly sometimes so bear with me, lol...
it IS winter and ambient temps are understandably low this time of year but with the space heater going it kinda feels like summer lol. does the room really NEED to feel like summer? i mean we try to keep the house around 74 (thats as warm as i can handle right now) and with that the house is not cold unless the ceiling fans are on creating a breeze.
i guess the question i'm getting at is this...
will the snake be ok with the house being at 74 or do i really need to run the space heater in the room with her?

My house is kept at 74 degrees year round. Your snake/snakes are perfectly fine without a space heater. These original ball python care sheets saying balls need to be kept 85-90 degrees and can't go below 80 degrees are ancient. Balls are fine in sub 80 degree temperature. As a matter of fact, they enjoy and thrive in it. If the ball python has gradient temps it will monitor his/her temps accordingly with a heat spot being available. Obviously if they are kept at low temps permanently, they would develop problems with their digestion and immune system. Pythons are not retarded, and people's obsession with temps on this forum is sort of nuts. People need to go to Ghana, average year round temps are 75-82 degrees. If your house is 74, your snake would be fine for the night even without a heat source to put this in perspective. In 20 years I've never even seen a respiratory infection in any of my snakes.

i just worry is all. she's new and i'm just fussin' over her a little. i really am glad to see her inside a hide box lol.

Yeah I need to be more understanding. Your caring and dedication speaks for itself. I remember when I was a little kid and I got my first GTP like the size of a pencil. I swear I didn't get sleep for a month worrying about the perfect temps. After housing snakes for so long, I've learned to relax with the temps, especially with central heat/ac. Currently it is basically Summertime in central-west africa and temps are 75 at night and 90 is the high. Even then 90 degree highs, you'll find ball pythons in shade hides at a comfortable 84-85 degrees. Then the nighttime drops in summertime of 80-75 degrees, ball pythons will become most active. Then in July/August you'll see nighttime temps drop below 70 in Africa. Doesn't mean they will be ok permanently chilled. In your situation you have nothing to worry about with temps if they have a heating spot available.

majorleaguereptiles i think you just made my day.. i was gonna ask the same questions but you just answered them for me perfectly.. The whole temps cant drop below 80 seemed alittle weird to me and im glad i found your post.. Thanks!

My baby albino ball hangs out on the cool side most of the time too. Its about 75/77 there and about 91 on the warm side. But he really never goes over there that I see. Eating fine.

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Mine also seems to prefer her cool side (although this is the side with the log on it). She has a hide on the hot side but only seems to go over there after being fed.

i was thinkin' last night...what about when i finally feed her next week? if she stays on the cool side how will she be able to digest properly? i mean i know snakes know when they need to thermoregulate but i've heard that they will sacrifice heat for security...i'm worried that she may think she's found the securest spot in the cage but...i dunno.
am i overthinking this situation? i tend to do that sometimes...:oops:

I think you may be a little over worried....not a bad thing, but it will only maked you more stressed. It shows that you really care for your snake!

Like I mentioned earlier, my snake is on the cold side 90% of the time. He is always cool to the touch when I pick him up but that's what he likes. Some snakes are just weird like mine and like being cold :D

yeah your right...i probably am just over worrying, i tend to do that. isnt it bad for reptiles to be cold though? like, dont they get sick and lethargic if they dont warm up?

i was thinkin that too i was at a bp breeders house and his snake room was about 80 degrees and i was sweating just being in there, i couldnt have my room at 80 degrees all the time it wouldnt be comfortable. but my room is usually around 73-75

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Originally Posted by mommanessy247

yeah your right...i probably am just over worrying, i tend to do that. isnt it bad for reptiles to be cold though? like, dont they get sick and lethargic if they dont warm up?

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He has actually 100% healthy....No matter what I try doing with the heatpads/lamps, he will find the coolest area in the tank. I'm not very concerned because the temps and humidity are in check, it's just his decision to be on the cooler side :confused: