Am I the only one?

I have never had a snake before & I'm really having a hard time accepting the fact that even though I never see him out n about, he's ok. I'm always lifting up his hide to make sure he's still alive. It's kind of stressful! :/

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If he's in his hide more likely he's fine

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Originally Posted by thejenius77

I have never had a snake before & I'm really having a hard time accepting the fact that even though I never see him out n about, he's ok. I'm always lifting up his hide to make sure he's still alive. It's kind of stressful! :/

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In high school, were you OK when you were in your room for a whole weekend writing papers?

If he's hiding, you're doing something right. A hiding ball python is a happy ball python. :)

And they are nocturnal, so he may be more active at night.
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Originally Posted by Physician&Snakes

In high school, were you OK when you were in your room for a whole weekend writing papers?

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Yep. I loved writing papers. Lol

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Originally Posted by thejenius77

Yep. I loved writing papers. Lol

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Then may your concerns be alleviated.

Thank you! :)

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Mine are in their hides all the time too, unless I'm thawing feeders, and then I see little noses at the ventilation holes at the front of the tubs. :D Seriously though, if you want a "display" snake then something like a rainbow boa or king is much more appropriate.

Mine are always in their hides, I have be known to check quickly if I haven't seen one for a few days though! :)

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Mine are in their hides all the time too, unless I'm thawing feeders, and then I see little noses at the ventilation holes at the front of the tubs. :D Seriously though, if you want a "display" snake then something like a rainbow boa or king is much more appropriate.

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I don't necessarily want a display snake. It's just not something that I'm used to. I'm used to cats & dogs & fish. I like that he's not always bothering me. Lol! But it makes me worry. I'll figure it out. :)

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Originally Posted by thejenius77

I have never had a snake before & I'm really having a hard time accepting the fact that even though I never see him out n about, he's ok. I'm always lifting up his hide to make sure he's still alive. It's kind of stressful! :/

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If you think that's stressful, imagine someone lifting the roof off your house and peeking in every time you get comfy cozy. :P

My girl will often sit in her hide with her little head visible. I work from home and her enclosure is right next to my desk, so I like to think we're hanging out together when I see her peeping out, haha~
Every morning I have to fix her thermometer unit - she apparently has a nightly routine that I never get to see in which she knocks it over. Every single night, without fail. They're nocturnal.

So in short, if your ball python is roaming around during the day and you actually get to see him, he's probably uncomfortable and looking for a nice place to settle down. There is the oddball here and there, but it's generally a good rule to follow. If he's in his hide during the day, he's comfy and probably sleeping, so you're in great shape! It can be pretty nerve-wracking when you aren't used to it, though, especially when he's a new pet and you want to look at him all of the time! I know that feel.

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Originally Posted by thejenius77

I have never had a snake before & I'm really having a hard time accepting the fact that even though I never see him out n about, he's ok. I'm always lifting up his hide to make sure he's still alive. It's kind of stressful! :/

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I have my first 2 ball pythons. Got my first 3 months ago and the other about 2 months ago...there always hiding,always eat and always shed. There happy,so I'm happy. I take them out for free roaming time3-4 times a week for about a half hour. But the days I don't take him out I do check on him. I check my guys every single day. Even if it's only for 10 seconds just to make sure there all good.

if you are looking for a display piece,ball pythons aren't for you. They always hide.

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

I have my first 2 ball pythons. Got my first 3 months ago and the other about 2 months ago...there always hiding,always eat and always shed. There happy,so I'm happy. I take them out for free roaming time3-4 times a week for about a half hour. But the days I don't take him out I do check on him. I check my guys every single day. Even if it's only for 10 seconds just to make sure there all good.

if you are looking for a display piece,ball pythons aren't for you. They always hide.

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I'm not looking for a display piece, like I stated. Just not used to something that is never seen. I couldnt care less if I see it, it's just easier on the nerves when you can see something, to know it's ok.

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Originally Posted by thejenius77

I'm not looking for a display piece, like I stated. Just not used to something that is never seen. I couldnt care less if I see it, it's just easier on the nerves when you can see something, to know it's ok.

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Idk,I don't look at it like that..I'm not paranoid...I just check on them every day,lift there hide,pet um for a second and put the hide back

Mine spends about 60 % of the time in her hide and 40% on the tree limb basking under the lamp during the day. I see her pretty often :)

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

Idk,I don't look at it like that..I'm not paranoid...I just check on them every day,lift there hide,pet um for a second and put the hide back

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I wouldn't say I'm paranoid. I'm just used to kids, cats, dogs, fish, etc. Things that can let me know or that I can easily tell if there is something wrong. Until I got Monty a few weeks ago, I was afraid of snakes. I knew ZERO about them, so this is all new to me. I'm sure it'll become easier, but right now it's all new territory for me. I do have to admit though, I already want more!

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Originally Posted by thejenius77

I wouldn't say I'm paranoid. I'm just used to kids, cats, dogs, fish, etc. Things that can let me know or that I can easily tell if there is something wrong. Until I got Monty a few weeks ago, I was afraid of snakes. I knew ZERO about them, so this is all new to me. I'm sure it'll become easier, but right now it's all new territory for me. I do have to admit though, I already want more!

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If I had a kid that hid under a couch all day that would be pretty weird,lol..my cats are always out chillin playing n running and sleeping cause there nuts and super happy,cause they have a dad that loves them to death..but yeah I get ya point..I planned on getting on BP and wound up with two and that's enough. For me atleast

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Originally Posted by SKOOT3R

Mine spends about 60 % of the time in her hide and 40% on the tree limb basking under the lamp during the day. I see her pretty often :)

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Mine never basks,never..only time he will hang out outside his hide is if he pees and craps in his hide...like last week,he came out of his hide and was put for hours,I found it weird but figured maybe he just wanted to be nosey. I woke up in the morning to find him sleeping in the fake plants under the heat bulb...I figured something was wrong..I opened the hide found crap and piss. So it's now 540 and I'm about to leave for work and I start at 6am,so I couldn't leave him like that,so I spot cleaned the hit side of the tank cleaned the urine and crap,changed half the tank of aspen and got to work 20 mins late,my excuse was my alarm didn't go off :). The things we do for our pets...:D

Monty never basks either, unless I'm doing something that requires me moving his hide. Then he'll go climb around the fake plant & wrap himself around the tree branch for a lil while

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Little bit of advice which helped me when I was starting out; you probably know some of this:

A hiding BP is a happy BP, if you're worried you haven't seen your BP by all means do a quick check to make sure they're okay (I do this I just try to limit the time period I do it for)

You have the bug, the bug is something which afflicts many BP/snake owners and is highly contagious! The bug takes the form of a serious addiction and possible withdrawal symptoms of the python regius form and the only way to alleviate the symptoms temporarily is to purchase more of the said python regius. This should cure you for a short period of time but it is not a saving treatment.

Everybody feeds and houses their BP's differently and it can cause some debate so I won't get into that here. There are lots of threads if you're ever unsure of anything or you can specifically ask and someone will be sure to help you out!

WE ALL make mistakes! We all learn as we care for them so if you ever make a mistake don't ever beat yourself up! Ask for advice and learn from it, that's all that matters!

Feeding: hopefully your BP eats like a champ but they can go off food for a variety of reasons such as "hitting the wall" when they get to around 1000g, husbandry being off, food not sufficiently heated, stress from enclosure changes....the list goes on and on

Finally; and most importantly, enjoy yourself and your new pet. You sound happy and you're on the right forum for advice. Good luck :D

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

Mine never basks,never..only time he will hang out outside his hide is if he pees and craps in his hide...like last week,he came out of his hide and was put for hours,I found it weird but figured maybe he just wanted to be nosey. I woke up in the morning to find him sleeping in the fake plants under the heat bulb...I figured something was wrong..I opened the hide found crap and piss. So it's now 540 and I'm about to leave for work and I start at 6am,so I couldn't leave him like that,so I spot cleaned the hit side of the tank cleaned the urine and crap,changed half the tank of aspen and got to work 20 mins late,my excuse was my alarm didn't go off :). The things we do for our pets...:D

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Yea Mine seems to be a freak haha. The enclosure is spotless. I remove any poop / waste I see as i see it and mix up the bedding here and there as well. I have thermometers on both sides of the tank and i hold a constant acceptable temperature as well.

I've handled her pretty much every day since she was a baby as well so maybe she is just used to being in the open and enjoys some sun :)

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Originally Posted by SKOOT3R

Yea Mine seems to be a freak haha. The enclosure is spotless. I remove any poop / waste I see as i see it and mix up the bedding here and there as well. I have thermometers on both sides of the tank and i hold a constant acceptable temperature as well.

I've handled her pretty much every day since she was a baby as well so maybe she is just used to being in the open and enjoys some sun :)

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Yeah,I'd say so....they all have there things..crazy how diff all there personalities are...I can't wait til the summer to bring my guy in my back yard and let him soak in the rays..I think he will love it..when I take him out of the tank,he almost seems at times like he don't wanna go back in...

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

Yeah,I'd say so....they all have there things..crazy how diff all there personalities are...I can't wait til the summer to bring my guy in my back yard and let him soak in the rays..I think he will love it..when I take him out of the tank,he almost seems at times like he don't wanna go back in...

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haha i agree. Mine scurries up my arm as fast as she can most times to avoid the tank ha

Mine also doesn't want to go back in the tank after adventuring outside. He either wraps around my hand trying to put him and doesn't let go, or if I manage somehow to put him in he's right at the opening before I can close the lid ;)

It's like hard to get out and even harder to get him in :D

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Originally Posted by jxl

Mine also doesn't want to go back in the tank after adventuring outside. He either wraps around my hand trying to put him and doesn't let go, or if I manage somehow to put him in he's right at the opening before I can close the lid ;)

It's like hard to get out and even harder to get him in :D

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As I put my guy in,he raises his head and starts to crawl up my armor well just go the opposite direction of in,lol..I usually set his head,when I get him in towards his hide and he goes right in anyway. He's a good little guy

So now i am seeing some odd behavior as well. Nothing i'm worried about, but just strange to me. My Ball has been burrowing under the substrate for the past few months rather tan going to her hide box. i'd say about 15 percent of the time she is hiding, she is under the pine. rather her box. Anyone else see this? First time she did it i was freaking out thinking she had somehow gotten out because i couldn't find her but after lifting up her basking poo / large water dish…there she was as comfy as can be.

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/a...s1047bf4d.jpeg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/a...s351eb8b6.jpeg[/IMG]

Don't worry about them burrowing. They are burrowers in the wild living under termite mounds and underground small animal dens. It's natural. Also remember they will want to move between the hot side and cool side. I have hides on both sides for them Four of my six have been staying on the cool side for the past week or so since the weather got cooler. Even my rainbow boas are doing the same thing right now. All is good!

Isn't pine harmful to snakes??

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Originally Posted by thejenius77

Isn't pine harmful to snakes??

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Not if its kiln dried. Only untreated raw pine can be harmful.

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http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-Pine-shavings

Get your BP off the pine bedding. It contains toxins which, whilst lower than cedar, are not safe for your BP! Aspen, eco-earth, lignocel..(etc, etc)..even paper towels are suitable.


Just saw a post from Satomi saying if it is kiln dried it is fine; I don't think I'd risk it personally but Satomi has much more experience than me.

The pine in the photo looks OK to use. It actually kind of looks like Native Earth Aspen.


Anyway. I personally wouldn't put my snakes on pine regardless if treated or not because my rack gets such little air flow in comparison to probably a tank or display enclosure. Its the phenols in pine and cedar that are toxic and if there was some left over remnants in the kiln dried, it wouldn't be able to air out very well in my rack, in my opinion. I'm just a little more weary about that.

But there are tons of breeders who do use pine with their snakes and racks with no ill effect.

And my rat colony is on kiln dried pine with no ill effect either. But I feel more comfortable using it when them since their enclosures have good ventilation.

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Also, how deep is your pine? Is it possible that it's not warm enough on top of the substrate? So he's burrowing down to get warmer?

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For the OP...

I feel yah. We have our first bp and prior to her we had a cat. It is taking some getting used to. She may not move for a day or two...all curled up and happy in one of her hides. Instead of messing with her to appease only me I simply moved the hides a bit so I could see in. I've got a little red lense light that I can shine in there and take a peek. Works for me and I don't have to "unhouse" her just to make sure she is still breating. However...we take her out almost daily unless we are feeding or in shed so she gets out and about plenty.

I have Aspen, apologies.

The bedding is not to deep. maybe 2 inches or so average across the enclosure which is a 40 gal breeder. I don't think the temperature is an issue, and i know she isn't sick or acting in a negative manner per say. I have thermometers on both the hot and cool sides which i eye ball often. I just never had a ball that would burrow like this, nor one that basks as frequently.

Hey I'm all for individualism =]

:P

- Skoots

I think you're only supposed to use a 1/2" or so. I could be wrong. I'm very new to this as well.

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Do you have something that will tell you what the temp is ON TOP of the substrate?

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Originally Posted by SKOOT3R

I have Aspen, apologies.

The bedding is not to deep. maybe 2 inches or so average across the enclosure which is a 40 gal breeder. I don't think the temperature is an issue, and i know she isn't sick or acting in a negative manner per say. I have thermometers on both the hot and cool sides which i eye ball often. I just never had a ball that would burrow like this, nor one that basks as frequently.

Hey I'm all for individualism =]

:P

- Skoots

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Do you have a UTH or a ceramic bulb (or the like) if you have a UTH the substrate should only be around half an inch :)

Also another thing, are your hides small and snug for your BP, as in so small they barely look like they'll fit in? They may feel insecure if the hides are too big.

Alternatively, you may just have a quirky, burrowing BP :)

BPs enjoy burrowing since it allows them to hide. They're very secretive creatures, so let them hide!

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Originally Posted by ViperSRT3g

BPs enjoy burrowing since it allows them to hide. They're very secretive creatures, so let them hide!

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Yes, let them hide, AFTER you make sure that all parameters are correct.

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Originally Posted by thejenius77

Do you have something that will tell you what the temp is ON TOP of the substrate?

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The probes are about an inch off the top of the substrate. Day temp on the hot side sits generally between 84 -87 degrees based on the temperature of my place in general. I think she is just a freak hahaha. She is however healthy as can be. and pretty active from the others I've had.

Do you use a UTH as well?

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Originally Posted by thejenius77

Do you use a UTH as well?

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Nope only top lighting. and i lied, the probes are about 3 inches from the substrate ha. not that makes a fantastic dif in reading but still. Someone inquired about her hide box as well. The box she has isn't to big for her (in fact i downgraded the size from from last snake which was much larger). Its a good size, plenty of room for her to move around in but still small enough that she is touching many of the sides.

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Originally Posted by SKOOT3R

Nope only top lighting. and i lied, the probes are about 3 inches from the substrate ha. not that makes a fantastic dif in reading but still. Someone inquired about her hide box as well. The box she has isn't to big for her (in fact i downgraded the size from from last snake which was much larger). Its a good size, plenty of room for her to move around in but still small enough that she is touching many of the sides.

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Yeah hide box was me :) Just crossing some t's and dotting some i's. I can't see anything wrong there then. Perhaps she just feels comfortable there? BP's have different personalities so it's possible.

She seems to be very special for sure hahaha.

I have one who stacks her hides (I have plastic bowls in the rubs) and I came through one day to be baffled as she only had one hide in with her. She had perfectly pushed one on top of the other. It was quite hilarious!

Sooooo weird lol