So, I guess this is normal behavior?

My girl is such a creature of habit. She spends all day in her hide. Within about an hour of her day lights shutting off and her red lights cycling on, She is out and about to settle on her log basking under the radiant heat panel. She stays they're for a few hours then back to her hide. She even does this on days I feed her. She is getting a nice size rat every 7 days. She sheds perfect each time and goes to the bathroom regularly. Is it fair to say that I am doing a good job and she is doing very well? http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14...55fe64ec42.jpg
The flash went off when I took this picture that's why it looks like day time. It was really 10 at night with just the red light on. Thanks guys!

Bps prefer to stay in their hide pretty much all the time. That's partly why it's recommended to give them a UTH as a heat source. They do better with belly heat and with the UTH they can get their heat without having to leave their hide. Yours needs to leave the hide to get to his heat source which is why he would be out more often then regular. Plus reptiles are nocturnal which would why he would do it once the lights are out.

Now you also might be lucky and have a bp that just prefers to be out more often. It's not really normal but also not impossible. I would be really interested to see how it would act if a UTH was added to the tank. If it would still prefer the heat emitted from the panel or from the UTH

I agree but if she I'd healthy and thriving, why change things up? I get to enjoy her at night as well!

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Originally Posted by supamyk

I agree but if she I'd healthy and thriving, why change things up? I get to enjoy her at night as well!

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I never said you needed to change it I just said I would be interested to see what it would prefer. I didn't think you would actually do it. It's behavior isn't normal but that doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong. That's why I think it would be interesting to see what would happen if given the choice of heat.

It might be doing well with the current setup and it is more enjoyable for you if it has this behavior. That doesn't mean there isn't a chance the snake would feel more comfortable with a UTH instead. But it could also prefer things just how they are too. Like I said before you could just be lucky and have a bp that likes to be out more often then normal. You just wouldn't really know if it isn't given an option between the two.

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Originally Posted by supamyk

I agree but if she I'd healthy and thriving, why change things up? I get to enjoy her at night as well!

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Making your bp act abnormal to reach the heat is desires is not correct keeping. Thats like me giving my gtp a uth with no rhp. It may work but doesnt make it right. Plus making your ball lay out when it would prefer to be hiding could add stress that is just not needed.

I would add another rock or rearrange them to make the door smaller. The way it is now is not offering much to a feeling of security. I know you want to be able to see it but I promise it has no desire to see you.

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Originally Posted by vangarret2000

Plus reptiles are nocturnal which would why he would do it once the lights are out.

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Not all reptiles are nocturnal.

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Originally Posted by KMG

Not all reptiles are nocturnal.

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I knew that. I should have phrased what I said better.

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Originally Posted by supamyk

She is getting a nice size rat every 7 days. She sheds perfect each time and goes to the bathroom regularly. Is it fair to say that I am doing a good job and she is doing very well?

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How long have you had her for?

There is nothing abnormal or less then optimal about the way you are keeping your snake. To answer your question: no. If your snake is healthy and thriving than I dont see any reason why you should do anything differently. If the snake is healthy and you get to enjoy observing it sounds to me like you have the perfect set up for both you and your animal. Its perfectly normal for a BP to come out and do some cruising at night. All of mine do it fairly regularly.

One of the reasons pythons make such great pets in captivity is because of how adaptable they are. Its also part of why they have thrived in the wild for millions of years despite being relatively simple animals from an evolutionary standpoint. If you meet some fairly simple requirements for temperature, food, water, and security the rest is basically up to you.

Im getting rather frustrated with how often people seem to get criticized for not keeping their snakes according to some arbitrary standard of what the "correct" method for snake keeping is supposed to be. One you become convinced that their is a "right way" and a "wrong way" you've stopped yourself from having any new experiences. That sounds incredibly boring to me.

Thanks so much! I feel she is doing well and that I am doing a great job! That's what I was really getting at when I posted. Kind of pating myself on the back.... didn't workout so well. Thanks though cryhavoc17!

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Originally Posted by supamyk

Kind of pating myself on the back....

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Lol. Consider your back thoroughly patted!



Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk 2

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Originally Posted by CryHavoc17

There is nothing abnormal or less then optimal about the way you are keeping your snake. To answer your question: no. If your snake is healthy and thriving than I dont see any reason why you should do anything differently. If the snake is healthy and you get to enjoy observing it sounds to me like you have the perfect set up for both you and your animal. Its perfectly normal for a BP to come out and do some cruising at night. All of mine do it fairly regularly.

One of the reasons pythons make such great pets in captivity is because of how adaptable they are. Its also part of why they have thrived in the wild for millions of years despite being relatively simple animals from an evolutionary standpoint. If you meet some fairly simple requirements for temperature, food, water, and security the rest is basically up to you.

Im getting rather frustrated with how often people seem to get criticized for not keeping their snakes according to some arbitrary standard of what the "correct" method for snake keeping is supposed to be. One you become convinced that their is a "right way" and a "wrong way" you've stopped yourself from having any new experiences. That sounds incredibly boring to me.

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Just because a snake can survive a situation does not make it right. Plenty of people keep their snakes incorrectly but the snake still grows up healthy. But, is it as healthy as it could have been?

I get what your saying here, I really do. I even somewhat agree. The issue is when your trying to help someone new to the hobby the best advice to give is the trusted methods of husbandry. Sure there are others ways to do things but they are not always the best for new keepers to try. I have done things I would never suggest to another until it proves out for me so I go with the safe answer.

I still stand by my first comment here though and I don't think the snake should have to adapt to using a basking spot for warmth. It should be able to be toasty in its hide and not waiting until darkness falls to get the warmth it wants.

As for the purpose of the thread I missed that it was a pat on the back. I took it as a question as the title suggested. I was only trying to help.

I appreciate all the feedback. I know everyone has different views and i respect all of them. I don't think anyone would be on here just to mislead people (i hope not).

Yep...

I split off all the off-topic bickering and sent it to QT.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...is-normal-quot

Feel free to follow and participate there, if you wish, but leave it out of this thread, please.

I caught my 9 month old BP doing something similar last night. He's in his hide all day but sometimes leaves it in evening/at night. The warm hide can be seen in the background, and he's draped over a cork flat on the cool side of tank, so he's not doing it for warmth.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2mxorc1.jpg

The terrarium has sliding front panels and I had the one on that side open. He has head facing out, providing excellent vantage point to see and smell the room he's in.