BP burrowing after feeding? Insight needed!

I was wondering if it is normal for a ball python to start burrowing around the tank right after feeding? I have my BP in a 40 gallon breeder with a hide on each side and a 150 wt ceramic on the hot side which gets to 88 and a 100 wt red light on the cool side which is 80. Upon finishing off his small mouse which he took from the tongs pretty quickly, I noticed that he began burrowing himself around in the aspen substrate, and I was wondering if this is normal? Humidity levels hover around 50% (I’m working on maintaining 55-60%). He is just ending a shed that wasn't the best, but wasn't terrible. Could he be burrowing to get the last parts of the shed off?

Also, I havent seen my BP Stryker use his water bowl since I got him a week ago.

Any thoughts or comments are greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!!!

How big is he? If he's a baby, a 40 gallon is WAY too big. Even a 20 gallon would be too big for him.

Also, have you provided hides for him? A hiding ball python is a happy ball python.

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Originally Posted by SilverDemon

How big is he? If he's a baby, a 40 gallon is WAY too big. Even a 20 gallon would be too big for him.

Also, have you provided hides for him? A hiding ball python is a happy ball python.

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He has two hides, one on each side. and he is almost a year and 2 ft long. It's probably too big of a tank and he is probably stressed since I got him last week...

How are you measuring your temps? a 150 Watt CHE should be absolutely baking your tank I can't see it only being 88 unless it is being regulated by something (I have a 75Watt that will get my 4'x2' PVC enclosure to 95 if I'm not careful)

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

How are you measuring your temps? a 150 Watt CHE should be absolutely baking your tank I can't see it only being 88 unless it is being regulated by something (I have a 75Watt that will get my 4'x2' PVC enclosure to 95 if I'm not careful)

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I am using a pretty basic thermometer. It has a screen top that lets out a lot of heat and the tank is in a pretty cool room (I live in seattle, WA). Would you recommend I get a better thermometer and turn my lamps down until I do?

I notice that if I turn the heater on in my room that the tank gets significantly hotter, so I leave my heater off so that the tank doesn't get roasting

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Originally Posted by rgalanti21

He has two hides, one on each side. and he is almost a year and 2 ft long. It's probably too big of a tank and he is probably stressed since I got him last week...

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I keep mine in a 4'x2' PVC enclosure so I think that you are fine as far as cage size goes.

I would get this thermometer at Wall*Mart. It costs $12 and measures 2 temperatures and humidity.

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...nt/photo-3.jpg

I'll go pick one of them up tomorrow. The 150 watt ceramic bulb I have says that it heats up the air 18 inches from the bulb to 89 degrees, so my temp of 88 doesnt surprise me too much, which is why I dont think it is 90+ degrees as in your case. Maybe I am wrong tho... But I think my thermometers are working because as my ambient temp in my room increases when I turn the heater on, so does the tanks. And it lowers when it cools off. But ill go get that thermo tomorrow.

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Originally Posted by rgalanti21

I'll go pick one of them up tomorrow. The 150 watt ceramic bulb I have says that it heats up the air 18 inches from the bulb to 89 degrees, so my temp of 88 doesnt surprise me too much, which is why I dont think it is 90+ degrees as in your case. Maybe I am wrong tho... But I think my thermometers are working because as my ambient temp in my room increases when I turn the heater on, so does the tanks. And it lowers when it cools off. But ill go get that thermo tomorrow.

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Even the cheapest thermometers seem to track temperature change pretty well. The question is are they reading the correct temperature?

Very true... Do you think he could be burrowing to get rid of the remaining shed? Could he be just getting use to his environment? He literally JUST started burrowing today and had been in his hot side hide the rest of the time ive had him for the week.

I've had a Ball Python that just decided that she wanted to dig in her substrate for a week or two, then she stopped. Their might not be anything wrong at all, your snake might just be having fun lol. If your temperatures and humidity levels are in the proper ranges, you have proper hides, and the room that your snake is in doesn't have a party going on in it constantly I'd say your fine. I don't think a snake would dig down to try to get off stuck shed, there are far more efficient methods for that. The nay thing I can think of is that you snake might be digging down to try to find a cooler spot. I wouldn't change anything until you can verify the cage temperatures, then go from there.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

I've had a Ball Python that just decided that she wanted to dig in her substrate for a week or two, then she stopped. Their might not be anything wrong at all, your snake might just be having fun lol. If your temperatures and humidity levels are in the proper ranges, you have proper hides, and the room that your snake is in doesn't have a party going on in it constantly I'd say your fine. I don't think a snake would dig down to try to get off stuck shed, there are far more efficient methods for that. The nay thing I can think of is that you snake might be digging down to try to find a cooler spot. I wouldn't change anything until you can verify the cage temperatures, then go from there.

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Cool cool, ill get the temp accurately measured tomorrow and go from there. Thanks! Also, would you recommend using the ceramic heat emitter or trading it out for a UTH?

I prefer my UTH's but they require a thermostat (I use and highly recommend "herpstats" by spider robotics), and you really can't have a thick layer of substrate. I switched from shredded aspen to corrugated wrap when i switched to a UTH.

here is a link if you are interested in corrugated wrap:

http://www.papermart.com/Product%20P...x?GroupID=4608

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

I prefer my UTH's but they require a thermostat (I use and highly recommend "herpstats" by spider robotics), and you really can't have a thick layer of substrate. I switched from shredded aspen to corrugated wrap when i switched to a UTH.

here is a link if you are interested in corrugated wrap:

http://www.papermart.com/Product%20P...x?GroupID=4608

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what would you think of using a UTH with zilla green reptile carpet and then 2 inches of aspen?

No, to get the top of the substrate up to the proper temperatures, you would have to run the UTH so hot that if your snake decided to dig down, he/she would burn him/herself. You also need to consider your ambient temperatures, because UTH's do not really effect air temperatures so if the room gets below 75 degrees you might need a heat lamp as well to maintain your ambient tempertures.

You could use a UTH with just the reptile carpet, or 1/4 inch , maybe a 1/2 inch of aspen

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

No, to get the top of the substrate up to the proper temperatures, you would have to run the UTH so hot that if your snake decided to dig down, he/she would burn him/herself. You also need to consider your ambient temperatures, because UTH's do not really effect air temperatures so if the room gets below 75 degrees you might need a heat lamp as well to maintain your ambient tempertures.

You could use a UTH with just the reptile carpet, or 1/4 inch , maybe a 1/2 inch of aspen

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Thanks for all of the help. Sorry to ask so many questions lol. One last one... How exactly do you hook up a UTH to a thermostat so it will turn off the UTH if it gets too hot?

The snake ate so clearly what you are doing is basically correct stressed snakes don't eat and cold snakes don't eat and hot snakes don't eat. Changing a system that is working for an unknown is tricky because what ever you did you have a balanced system not messing with it will only stress the animal and cause issues I'd advise WAITING. Give the snake a chance to settle in to new home new keeper and new situation before you change its substrate and heating systems.

UTH do nothing for ambient temps so you might want to think about that before changing if you room is too cool you will have to still use an over head system. I'd look at CHEs but I'd also wait at least a few months before I did anything unless there is a problem between now and then.

Eating snakes are happy.

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Originally Posted by rgalanti21

Thanks for all of the help. Sorry to ask so many questions lol. One last one... How exactly do you hook up a UTH to a thermostat so it will turn off the UTH if it gets too hot?

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The thermostat plugs into the wall the thermostat has at least 1 outlet on it. The UTH plugs into the thermostat. The thermostat has a probe. You will place this probe on the UTH directly. You need to secure it there. I use hot glue, but there are other ways just don't use aluminum tape as it can mess with the probes readings.