Weird behavior, climbing and sleeping high up?

For those of you who read my thread in the photos category yesterday, I have gotten all the temps etc where they should be. Hot side directly under his hide is 92°, humidity is at 49% and ambient is at 83° on the cool side.

He has two hides, which are small bowls that I cut and sanded holes for. Yesterday he was climbing a lot when I put him in, and eventually settled up against the wall and ignored his hides. I got worried, and put him under one and he slept in there for hours, toggling between the hot hide and the cool hide last night.

What concerns me is that I have two fake plants suction cupped to the wall, and he just loves hanging out in them. He will either climb up to the top and then hang over it, spying on me, or he will coil himself up and just sleep there. Pic is included of him hanging out.

Should I be concerned about this?

http://i.imgur.com/EbIvVC3.jpg

There was some research posted on here by a member named Skiploder. It stated that young males were spending more time in trees then previously thought, based on their stomach contents. Hope that sheds a little light on your situation.

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

There was some research posted on here by a member named Skiploder. It stated that young males were spending more time in trees then previously thought, based on their stomach contents. Hope that sheds a little light on your situation.

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I remember this article ... It's a good read :gj:

He's gonna gravitate to the place he feels the most secure. If that place isn't under a hide, I would take a close look at the hides, the temp, and all the other husbandry factors. If everything is in order, then give him some time to find his spot.

Someone recently posted a thread about their BP getting impaled on the hook that connects those fake plants to the suction cup. Something to think about.

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Originally Posted by Slim

He's gonna gravitate to the place he feels the most secure. If that place isn't under a hide, I would take a close look at the hides, the temp, and all the other husbandry factors. If everything is in order, then give him some time to find his spot.

Someone recently posted a thread about their BP getting impaled on the hook that connects those fake plants to the suction cup. Something to think about.

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Great advice so far, thank you! I will look into that info about the stomach contents.

Which hook do you mean? These plants join in a long plastic stem that threads through a little plastic holder that is part of the suction cup. There is nothing I would call a hook. I appreciate you bringing it to my attention, and definitely would like to know if there dangerous. They also do not have a "chain" for him to get suck in, as I read a thread about someone's little one getting stuck in one of those.

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Originally Posted by PeanutButler

These plants join in a long plastic stem that threads through a little plastic holder that is part of the suction cup. There is nothing I would call a hook.

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Good deal. Sounds like you have a safer type of plant. :gj:

Since the hot side temp seems fine I don't think that his problem is this, but I have heard that some will sit anywhere but the 'ground' if the temps are too high. I think maybe your particular animal just prefers to be up high. Or perhaps his hides are bigger / somehow less secure than he would like. It's really hard to say, but if there's nothing else concerning about his behavior or body language then sometimes you just have to shrug it off as a personal quirk.

infrared thermometer, see if your surface temps are to high. Your surface temps can be high even when your ambients are spot on.

David

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Originally Posted by nightrainfalls

infrared thermometer, see if your surface temps are to high. Your surface temps can be high even when your ambients are spot on.

David

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I was looking into one of those yesterday, actually. Could the surface temp be off even though I have a uth with a thermostat paired with a thermometer which has the probe right on the glass? There is a gap between it and the uth since the thermostat probe is under the uth in the middle, but wouldn't it be more or less the same? It's reading at 91° this morning and he's woken up and crawling around. He's also gotten into the habit of pushing aside the eco earth and sitting/cruising on the glass on both the hot and cool sides along the edges. I'm so lost. I just want him to be comfortable.

My ball python did that for quite a while when he was younger, but then he became too heavy to get and stay up there, so he stopped. xD

I have a young BP that seems to think she's arboreal. When I put her on our snake tree/jungle gym she's all over it, including going to the very top and looking to see if she can go higher, just like her carpet python cousins. As the song says: "It's your thing, do whatcha wanna do"

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02...846e3a0f01.jpg


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On the zoo med plants I use, there is a reinforcement wire running through the main part of the plant. Most times it feels to be a little sharp. It's located roughly at the part where the vines branch out. It's covered/ molded over to look like the rest of the vine. And sits "at top" where you would insert the plant into the suction cup. It can be difficult to notice. I usally run a metal file over it to smooth and remove any potentially sharp edges. If anyone is truly interested I'll post a picture.

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Originally Posted by nightrainfalls

infrared thermometer, see if your surface temps are to high. Your surface temps can be high even when your ambients are spot on.

David

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definitely agree with this, people tend to pay more attention to their ambient temps then in how hot the surface is that their snakes belly is resting on (which is more important).

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

On the zoo med plants I use, there is a reinforcement wire running through the main part of the plant. Most times it feels to be a little sharp. It's located roughly at the part where the vines branch out. It's covered/ molded over to look like the rest of the vine. And sits "at top" where you would insert the plant into the suction cup. It can be difficult to notice. I usally run a metal file over it to smooth and remove any potentially sharp edges. If anyone is truly interested I'll post a picture.

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I would be very interested. I haven't seen anything metal on mine, but I would like to know if I'm missing anything.

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Originally Posted by PeanutButler

I would be very interested. I haven't seen anything metal on mine, but I would like to know if I'm missing anything.

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Sure it would be my pleasure, I'm not good at posting pictures in threads, but I am at putting them in my gallery. Give me a half hour. I'll put them there, and either pm you or let you know through this thread.

Awesome thank you so much!

My Male BP loved to hang out in his vines when he was younger and smaller, but now at 900g he is just too heavy for them, so i am getting him a thick climbing branch, because he still tries to get up those vines, but they just pull off the walls now.

Hey PeanutButler, I posted two pictures for you. One of the plants I use in their original packaging, one newer then the other. But the same product, Zoo Med Congo ivy small. The other showing the plant top and the metal reinforcement wire I was referring too. I use twenty long tanks for all of my ball pythons. I keep only males. I heat the tank with a 40 watt zoo med red night light bulb. Hot spot of 86 degrees, cool 78 degrees and ambient of 82 degrees. I rely on sphagnum moss to maintain humidity. Or basically a humid hide. Hope this helps.

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

Hey PeanutButler, I posted two pictures for you. One of the plants I use in their original packaging, one newer then the other. But the same product, Zoo Med Congo ivy small. The other showing the plant top and the metal reinforcement wire I was referring too. I use twenty long tanks for all of my ball pythons. I keep only males. I heat the tank with a 40 watt zoo med red night light bulb. Hot spot of 86 degrees, cool 78 degrees and ambient of 82 degrees. I rely on sphagnum moss to maintain humidity. Or basically a humid hide. Hope this helps.

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Thank you! He's happily coiled up on his favorite plant as we speak (he's picked the one near his heat lamp, zoo med red bulb in a Fluker's fixture connected to a dimmer). I've been trying not to bother him, but I'm going to have to pry him off gently so I can check that he isn't going to stab himself. He seems so comfy. I'll look into a temp gun as well as some of the moss. I've been misting, but it isn't keeping the humidity sustained as long as I would like it to before having to re-mist. Thanks again for the heads up!

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Originally Posted by Prognathodon

I have a young BP that seems to think she's arboreal. When I put her on our snake tree/jungle gym she's all over it, including going to the very top and looking to see if she can go higher, just like her carpet python cousins. As the song says: "It's your thing, do whatcha wanna do"

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02...846e3a0f01.jpg


Sent using software and hardware

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So cute!!!