My BP is always out

lately my ball Python does not hide at all. He is always out rubbing the tank or roaming around. He eats like a monster. But , he always comes out a day after eating and for hours he is roaming around. Is something wrong or is this normal?

What are your surface temps in his hide?

My snake just started doing this 2 days ago and I think it has to do with the temps because of the weather change ,so I upped the heat mat and adjusted the day time bulb...I also just got myself a thermostat in the mail which I will use to regulate his hot spot,especially since the winter is coming

Hot spot should not be over 95ish degrees and heat tape/mat should never be used without proper regulation device.

How much does he weigh and what are you feeding him?

Temps and hide are my first thoughts too. If the hide isn't snug he's going to try and find somewhere he feels safe hiding. If the temps are too high or too low he's going to look for better temps.

I have a hide on the hot and cold side. Tgw temp on the hot side is about 90°. Not really sure what the temp is in the cold side. But, it feels cooler. He has 2 hides on one side and 1 on the other. Is it possible that he just likes being out and looking around?

I have one that seems to always be out during the day or if i go in the room. He is very nosy and curious. He eats like a champ and seems happy all of the time. his temps are good and he has plenty of hides. i think that some of them are just more active than others. if everything is fine and he is eating normally i would think he is ok.

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Originally Posted by 200xth

How much does he weigh and what are you feeding him?

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Not sure how much he weighs gonna get a weigher soon. I am feeding him hoppers. Gonna move him up to rats as soon as he is big enough.

He could probably eat something larger than a hopper - once ball pythons have had their first couple meals, actually, they are ready for adult mice. It may be that he is still hungry and is out looking for more food.

-Jen

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Originally Posted by Doggey75

Not sure how much he weighs gonna get a weigher soon. I am feeding him hoppers. Gonna move him up to rats as soon as he is big enough.

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How often you feeding him?

Mouse hoppers are pretty small. It sounds like he might be digesting a small meal very quickly (1 day) then heading out to look for more food.

Just something to keep in mind.

I'm gonna see if I can go to pet smart soon and see what rats he can eat.(The one I got to breeds and prekills rats and mice) I have pics of him from like a week or two ago. He is 4 months old in a few days. What do you think he should be able to eat? Gonna add the pics after I get out of school because internet is slow.

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Originally Posted by Doggey75

I'm gonna see if I can go to pet smart soon and see what rats he can eat. I have pics of him from like a week or two ago. He is 4 months old in a few days. What do you think he should be able to eat? Gonna add the pics after I get out of school because internet is slow.

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If he's 4 months old he almost definitely needs something bigger than mice hoppers.

Best thing to do is weigh him, feed him something around 10% to 15% of his bodyweight.

If you can't weigh him (no scale), eyeball him and get him something about the same size as the widest part of his body.

Depending on how big/small he is for his age, I would imagine he could be on rat pups easily enough by now. If they don't have rat pups you can substitute adult mice.

How often are you feeding him?

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Originally Posted by Doggey75

He is 4 months old in a few days.

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:O:O:O:O:O should be on small rats by now unless he is a runt

Just took these pics 20 mins ago

http://i.imgur.com/QMP48Xv.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/oABA0Xg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dvlbEph.jpg

This is his setup just in case your wondering
http://i.imgur.com/SuyGwIY.jpg

At 4 months old mine is taking 2 adult mice.

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Rat pups or small weaned would do that guy some good.

Alright thanks for the help. I can't get them now because I'm busy this week. But, I'll get them next Saturday when I go to the reptile expo or maybe after it.
I think he will be fine till then. He still looks big and healthy.

My guy is 108 grams and is eating large adult mice...also I adjusted the heat mat to 94 degrees. And keeping airtemp on hot side around 85/86 and I woke up this morning to him back in his hide like usual...:)

Check ya temps

Also,IMO,I'd get a separate humidity gauge and temp gauge... I'd leave the humidity gauge center of tank about 4" from bottom of the tank..and I'd put the heat temp strip n the hot side about 4" up from the bottom as well and about 6" inches from the hot end of the tank over..get a probe,place it under the bedding inside the tank right above the heat mat,hold it down with a piece of aluminum tape..and regulate your heat mat..

I believe where u have your gauges set you will be getting false readings.

I don't use heat mats. I prefer the heating lights.

id also think u should adjust your lightining ( bring it more to the hot side )and cover more the top of the tank and with a damp rag to keep humidity up and keep heat in the tank,also maybe get some sphagnum and place that in a cup or container in the tank to keep humidity up..also place your water bowl in more center of the tank.this is my opinion and what's working for me

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U have a tank and should have a heat mat..you need a "hot spot " and a "hot side",you don't look to have any of that and that is why you are probably having problems in my opinion

I have a 200g royal and she is on small weaner rats at the moment if that is any help, I estimated her age at around 4 months (all the information I got was cb13)

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

id also think u should adjust your lightining ( bring it more to the hot side )and cover more the top of the tank and with a damp rag to keep humidity up and keep heat in the tank,also maybe get some sphagnum and place that in a cup or container in the tank to keep humidity up..also place your water bowl in more center of the tank.this is my opinion and what's working for me

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U have a tank and should have a heat mat..you need a "hot spot " and a "hot side",you don't look to have any of that and that is why you are probably having problems in my opinion

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A heat mat is not necessary as long as there is a hot spot of 88-92

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

A heat mat is not necessary as long as there is a hot spot of 88-92

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Well my hot spot was around 88 and my heat mat was super low,barely hot and well first chilly day he was out and sleeping under the night light in the vines,I put the heat mat up the next day and he was right back in his hide..I don't think the heat lamp is going to heat through the hide and heat the bottom of the tank,especially through the chillier seasons..summer I can understand,unless u have an a.c around

It is possible depending on your house temp or the temp of the room
I'm using a lamp for my hognose and its fine.

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If he wasn't getting proper temperature he would most likely not be eating well. But, I've had him for almost 2 months now. I feed him once a week every sunday and he has not missed a meal. My house temp is usually 73. I don't believe he is cold because during the day he goes into his hide to sleep.

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Originally Posted by Doggey75

If he wasn't getting proper temperature he would most likely not be eating well. But, I've had him for almost 2 months now. I feed him once a week every sunday and he has not missed a meal. My house temp is usually 73. I don't believe he is cold because during the day he goes into his hide to sleep.

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What is the wattage of your heat bulb? And do you use a black or red bulb at night so it doesn't bother him?

Just a reminder that the tank temp shouldn't go below 75F :) with a constant heat source that shouldn't happen (I would think). I have both a lamp with 50W red bulb (to up the ambient temp) and a UTH with thermostat, which works well for me. The ambient stays at 80F, and the heat mat is set to 89F (so it goes up or down about 2 degrees). Although my BP never burrows to the heat mat, and is in a different hide every day :P

As everyone said, I definitely think he could use some more food ;) he's not starving, but kinda small, to be honest. But every snake is different. You've already said you'll get that sorted, so that's good!

I definitely think your snake could just be curious and roaming; mine does that too. Especially if he's still out and about after you've given him more food and done a few other suggestions.

Good luck!

I use a 100w during the day. Keeps the temp at 87-90 and a 75w at night. Keeps it 85-87.

He is very curious and gentle and doesnt mind being touched by anyone

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Originally Posted by Doggey75

I use a 100w during the day. Keeps the temp at 87-90 and a 75w at night. Keeps it 85-87.

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For the whole tank, or just on the one side? A heat gradient is needed so that the BP can choose where it would like to go. Heat drops are also not necessary at night (in general, but I would hope the whole tank is not constantly at 90F!)

So, for example, if you have a 100W red bulb on the one side constantly, and maybe a 50W on the other side constantly, then you would have one side at ~90F and one side closer to ~80F (where they are normally suggested to be), giving you that gradient BPs require. I think that would be your best option if you are against using a UTH.
If I misunderstood and you already DO have a graident, I apologize.

Also, this way you wouldn't need to worry about turning on and off switches in the day and at night! The red bulbs also don't bother the BP's eyes, which daylight/yellow light from regular bulbs do. If you don't like the colour of the red bulbs there are also black bulbs, and cermaic heat emitting bulbs as well!

:)

It is 85-90 on only one side. The other side I leave unlighted. I use a red bulb at night and a blue light during the day.

The only place that sell rat pups were out. So, I got adult mice for 2 weeks for now.

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Originally Posted by Doggey75

Not sure how much he weighs gonna get a weigher soon. I am feeding him hoppers. Gonna move him up to rats as soon as he is big enough.

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My baby pin is 3 months old and 97 grams. I'm feeding her fuzzy rats with no problem.

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I've heard that blue light is bad for them

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

I've heard that blue light is bad for them

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I've never heard of that. I use the blue light during the day. I've been using it since I've gotten him two months ago

Why would blue light hurt them???

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

Why would blue light hurt them???

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I was talking to some dude who breeds ball pythons..he said something about the blue light affecting there vision..idk,I'm just saying what I heard or was told. I went to buy and he stopped me and said go with the black or red,it's safer the told me what I said above..

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

I was talking to some dude who breeds ball pythons..he said something about the blue light affecting there vision..idk,I'm just saying what I heard or was told. I went to buy and he stopped me and said go with the black or red,it's safer the told me what I said above..

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Never heard that... I don't use them myself but it got me curious.

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Yeah,I mean I was buying it and he said your not buying that for your reptile are you..I said yeah and then he told me what he did. I never googled it,but going to now.

I think your talking about if they are out when the blue light is on. But, I only have it on in the day when he is sleeping.

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Originally Posted by Doggey75

I think your talking about if they are out when the blue light is on. But, I only have it on in the day when he is sleeping.

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Idk man,but I passed on buying it and will,just being told that is enough not to chance it...it's not like a blue bulb is so needed

Going off the picture you provided...

I see a thermometer/hygrometer (least that's what it looks like) mounted high in the tank, and it looks like one of those petstore ones that are notoriously inaccurate and unreliable.

Unless you're taking your temperatures another way closer to the ground, I would question your temperatures.

Since you're using a heat lamp and an open-topped setup I would also anticipate humidity problems, which would go unnoticed if you were getting bad readings from your device.

Of course this is just speculation based on what's most common and what would make sense given the information available and the picture you provided. If you are 100% certain that your temps and humidity are good, and are being reported accurately by reliable equipment, then I wouldn't worry as long as he's feeding and having clean sheds.

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Originally Posted by NH93

What is the wattage of your heat bulb? And do you use a black or red bulb at night so it doesn't bother him?

Just a reminder that the tank temp shouldn't go below 75F :) with a constant heat source that shouldn't happen (I would think). I have both a lamp with 50W red bulb (to up the ambient temp) and a UTH with thermostat, which works well for me. The ambient stays at 80F, and the heat mat is set to 89F (so it goes up or down about 2 degrees). Although my BP never burrows to the heat mat, and is in a different hide every day :P

As everyone said, I definitely think he could use some more food ;) he's not starving, but kinda small, to be honest. But every snake is different. You've already said you'll get that sorted, so that's good!

I definitely think your snake could just be curious and roaming; mine does that too. Especially if he's still out and about after you've given him more food and done a few other suggestions.

Good luck!

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you can't just say what size watt bulb you have with out giving specifics on tank size and set up...it can be misleading to people who don't and can't figure out things somewhat on there own...
My 20 gallon long I use 75 watt heat bulbs reg day heat bulb during day and red heat bulb a night,both are 75 watts.. My 29 gallon high I use 100 watt bulbs same ones as I use for the 20 gallon color wise that is.

The gauge are working well. I bought a temp gun at the white plains expo and the temps are the same and his last shed was 9/28 and it was a full shed. It can sometimes be a challenge to get this humidity right. But, I've been doing well.