Concerns about my new friend

So i just got a spider bp today and she keeps doing this. Is there something wrong or should i pick up something so she can be more comfortable while trying to bask under the light?http://i.imgur.com/I6jyDd5.jpg

That is adorable.

Do you have a UTH with regulated thermostat for heat? What are your temps?

I don't know what type of substrate that is, but if you do have a UTH the heat may not be coming through. Your new friend could be chilly (and those dial thermometers are off most of the time. Digital is much more accurate! You'll want a read for both the warm and cool areas. Should be about 80F for the cool and NOT ducking below 75F, about 90F for the warm).

If all of those things are checked off - so you have a UTH which hovers around 90F with a thermostat, and the heat can get through the substrate alright - then your BP may just like to climb.
Mine loves to lay under his red light at night, even though he's got a UTH. I would just put a few things for her to climb on. She may still choose the thermometer though...

Snakes are funny. :)

some BPs, especially young ones, just love to climb around and hang out on branches, put some branches in, i guess she would love it and would start climbing around immediately.

oh, and, BPs normally dont bask. many other snakes like to bask, but BPs are quite nocturnal so they dont care for it.

i would be a little worried that the thermometer thing might come loose, because there is tape or something sticky underneath, and BPs can get stuck and can damage their skin quite badly. if its not rock solid, i would take it out, remove the tape or whatever it is, and glue it in with hot glue or silicone. hot glue or silicone are excellent because they become safe and stop being sticky as they solidify.

When I got my first she did the exact same thing! I did get a better thermometer a couple days later but every morning I would check on her and the thermometer was on the ground.

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Originally Posted by NH93

That is adorable.

Do you have a UTH with regulated thermostat for heat? What are your temps?

I don't know what type of substrate that is, but if you do have a UTH the heat may not be coming through. Your new friend could be chilly (and those dial thermometers are off most of the time. Digital is much more accurate! You'll want a read for both the warm and cool areas. Should be about 80F for the cool and NOT ducking below 75F, about 90F for the warm).

If all of those things are checked off - so you have a UTH which hovers around 90F with a thermostat, and the heat can get through the substrate alright - then your BP may just like to climb.
Mine loves to lay under his red light at night, even though he's got a UTH. I would just put a few things for her to climb on. She may still choose the thermometer though...

Snakes are funny. :)

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The substrate are bark woodchips. They came with the zilla deluxe desert kit. there are no UTH's only the dome lights 1 for day and 1 for night. I will definitely look into digital thermostats

Oh yes, they do climb. We caught this girl at mid-yawn, that's not a threat display.http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps120c916b.jpg

I had a BP last year that hung out on that same exact thermometer all.the.time. It passed away but was always hanging out there. I was worried the therm would come off, but yeah... dang thing is still stuck on the side of the tank. I don't think I could blast it off lol

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Originally Posted by Bugmom

I had a BP last year that hung out on that same exact thermometer all.the.time. It passed away but was always hanging out there. I was worried the therm would come off, but yeah... dang thing is still stuck on the side of the tank. I don't think I could blast it off lol

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Yeah i mean theres like 3 suction cups and 2 double sided sticky things so its not going anywhere any time soon. lol thats a great picture by the way.

That thermometer is horrible. I'm guessing you bought the kit that came with that the bowl,hide, and substrate. I bought that years ago when I first started.. Waste of money and not accurate!

Like I said, she could be chilly (or not, depends on the temps). Just a reminder that BPs are not desert snakes, but tropical from Africa. Keep an eye on the humidity with a hygrometer as well, just to make sure the bark doesn't dry out the tank :)

I just got a spider ball about the same size as yours about 2 days ago. He has been in hide for the most part. I have the same style gauge to and he hasn't been climbing on it. I'm mainly just using it for humidity til my digital one gets in the mail. I do however have a digital thermometer laying under his hide so I can monitor belly temp. If I had to guess I'd say its that substrate thats not letting him/her keep warm. As the saying on here goes a hiding ball python is a happy ball python. So somethings up.

Not necessarily, it could be exploring a bit. But knowing your temps and humidity could help to figure it out. Like I said mine did it at night, they don't hide all the time. Most of the time but not all of it :). I'd catch her when checking her before bed.
I don't like the substrate though. Knowing your temps could help

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I h by a3 month old ghost,he loves climbing.. He hangs out in all the fake plants I have ,even chills on the top of them or wraps himself through them.

anfor the pic,so funny cause I was in petco earlier with boy and he pointed out a ball python doing exactly what yours is doing.. Except this one was wrapped around the humidity gauge and the heat gauge. Looked pretty awesome

Good point! After I read through one of Op's other posts he said theres no UTH under the hide and with that substrate I'd still lean toward the snake being a little chilly though. But I do notice that mine wonders sometimes at night.

yeah i dont like how cool the bottom of the tank feels so first thing tomorrow is getting a UTH and better gauges.

I appreciate all the help and advice. :D

Have you checked its temp?

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Aww that's so cute! I would definitely make sure your temps are good just in case she's trying to find a better spot. It's definitely normal for them to hang, climb, and do other weird things.

Hey!

My BP does that all the time. I have my digital hydrometer and she coils around it a lot. She doesn't do it as often anymore since I threw in some decorations for her to climb on. Also once I checked my temps and fixed things up she didn't seem to be "reaching" for the heat lamp :)

Did you do any investigating before you bought this snake. That's what I wonder...I'd change substrate,like everyone said and on top of getting a UTH get a thermostat so u can regulate it. Them things get up to 130 degrees man. You don't wanna burn your snake.. I just feel bad and hope your snakes winds up with a happy home.

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Originally Posted by FauxReel

yeah i dont like how cool the bottom of the tank feels so first thing tomorrow is getting a UTH and better gauges.

I appreciate all the help and advice. :D

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