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Constantly active
Hello, I have an approximately 6 year old female ball, lately she has been constantly cruising her cage during the day looking for a way out.
The only thing that has changed about her environment is we moved into a new house in December. Her cage and setup is exactly the same though.
I have 2 uth connected to thermostats. Warm side is set to 92 which makes it 91 to 90 on top of substrate (ive always used paper towel) and another on the cool end set to 82, and a ceramic heat lamp on top to keep ambient temps around 80.
There is 2 identical hides that is a plastic bowl upside down with a hole cut into it and a large water bowl in the middle. I try to keep the humidity around 50 percent.
I have checked the temps with a heatgun to make sure they are accurate.
She hasn't eaten since November but this has been normal for her since she was about 2. She usually doesnt eat from nov to about march, but doesn't lose weight etc.
Im at my wits end as to why shes so stressed out. Ive tried filling her tank with loosely crumpled newspaper last night as a read it can help calm a stressed snake they feel more enclosed, but today when i checked shes still cruising.
Any help would be greatly appreciated im so worried shes going to wear herself ragged.
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Re: Constantly active
She might be looking for a boyfriend! No, seriously has she ever been bred? It seems like your husbandry is fine. What is the humidity percentage? Are there any signs of illness would be the other possibility? Noisy breathing, increased secretions coming from the mouth and or nose, any injuries. Ruling those out, a pacing reptile is a hungry reptile until proven otherwise. Keep us posted. Good luck. Oh, I see your humidity percent. Thanks.
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Re: Constantly active
I have offered her a ft rat every 2 weeks and she has refused since mid November. But she has been this was every winter since i got her she was 2 when i gpt her ive had her 4 years now. Never been bred and shes my only snake. Before we moved she was normal in she hid pretty much all the time except an occasional cruise around at night. I am thinking of switching from a tank to a tub as a last effort.
No signs of sickness, no wheezing etc. She seems healthy other than the constant roaming. Oh and she is still drinking and peeing etc and she shed about 3 weeks ago with no problems
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Re: Constantly active
Being in a new home even though her enclosure is the same could be a possible contributing factor to the cruising behavior. Ball pythons are sensitive to barometric pressures in the enviornment, changes in positioning of their enclosures. I think the behavior is harmless but if it's troubling then you should make the necessary planned adjustments. Slow the offering of food to 3 weeks. Stay on the lookout for illnesses and consider getting her a boyfriend. LoL.
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Re: Constantly active
Ive just always heard a hiding ball is a happy ball. I will slow down the food offerings as per your suggestion. I just worry she is majorly stressed as shes cruising sometimes for hours at a time during the day. Im going to get a sterilite tub tonight and try to switch her to that as ive read tubs are actually better than tanks, even though shes been perfectly fine in the tank for 4 years, im willing to do whatever i must to make her a happy snake, except im not getting her a bf sorry for her shes going to have to be a spinster snake :)
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Theres nothing wrong with a tank, only reason tubs are better is beacuse its vastly easier to maintain heat and humidity, as long as you can maintain all that in the glass tank they are perfectly acceptable housing
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Re: Constantly active
So am i just being paranoid? We have been in our new house now for about a month, i hope she settles down soon. Im pretty sure my husbandry is good as i have thermostats and a hygrometer and i double check the temps with a heat gun.
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Re: Constantly active
Not paranoid, just a responsible concerned keeper. The desire to breed is a very strong instinct in ball pythons as well. Just keep that in mind as you rule out all the possibilities for her behavior. Because there are chemical, hormonal changes during these periods.
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Your gal is doing the same thing as my gal is now. She quit eating around Nov as well and comes out at night as the terror and destroys her cage. I take her out and give her outside time and she just cruises nonstop. Tried food every 2 weeks as well and nothing. Good thing I got 2 garbage disposal boas who eat her rat. I wouldn't worry unless she starts losing weight or you see something seriously going south like stargazing, bubbles/mucous from the mouth/nose, wheezing, stuff like that. I chalk it up to "wanting a boyfriend" like Albert said.
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Can you put a towel over most of the tank and see if that calms her down and helps her feel secure?
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If you are referring to me, its not a stress issue as nothing has changed for her in over a year except she went from a baby to an adult. She is fine during the day where she sleeps in her hides. Just at night, she becomes The Terror and destroys everything. I do think she is finally getting hungry as today when I came in she poked her head out and stood up the same fashion she used to as a baby when she wanted dinner. Guess its time to try and I know my sunglow bci girl is praying the BP isn't hungry as she then gets it haha.
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Re: Constantly active
See that's what's worrying me is shes constantly active during the day not at night. Its so weird. She will cruise around all day then when it gets dark she will go into her hides and stay till around 10 pm then she will be out but not cruising just laying there. I have tried covering her tank up during the day with a towel but she still cruised around constantly that did not seem to make a difference. Also tried putting loosely crumpled newspapers in there to fill the empty space and that made no difference either. have quadruple checked the temps and humidity so im sure its all correct. Like i said before the only change is we moved to a new house so idk if that has something to do with it but other than that everything is the same
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Also today i ordered 2 new hides that are a black plastic box with a hole to the side. Maybe she has decided her upside down bowls are not secure enough, she does fill them up width wise but they are a bit tall and leave space above her. They will be here Monday and ill report back if this helps. Thank you to everyone whos suggested some things to help its appreciated.
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Oh and when i say constantly cruising during the day i mean for 6 to 8 hours of constant movement. Im worried shes going to start loosing weight as shes not eating right now. Sigh.....
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Turned both uth down 2 degrees covered her cool side hide with a towel and covered half the front of his tank up. She's now in her cool side hide! Ahhhhhhh relief. So her temps are now 80 and 90. Hopefully it was just her temps were a bit too warm for her liking and shes going to settle down. Will update if anything changes.
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Well spoke too soon shes doing the roaming up and down the sides again. Guess i will leave her be for now until her new hides come in. Im out of ideas and right now im probably more stressed out than her.
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Lol probably. I just tried to feed my gal today and she just looked at the rat for a few and went past it and drank some water and went back into her hide lol. Luckily my boas were both at the front of their cages begging for it. I could see little invisible hands waving saying "ME ME ME!!" :P
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Sigh i wish my girl would go in her hides. Her new ones will be here monday and ill try to feed her again on Friday.
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