Question.

Okay so I have a ball python named titanaboa. She is 3 years old. I used to have her in a 30 gallon tank where all she would do it hide in her little rock cave. Today I moved her into a 40gallon hoping she would be more active but all she wants to do is hide in her rock cave. She eats well but only if I put her food Infront of her little cave. If I put the rat anywhere else she doesn't want it. My question is does anyone know why she is hiding so much?

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A hiding ball python is a happy ball python. :oops: Unfortunately switching things up to make her come out will only result in stress for her. Ball pythons are not social and they live in abandoned termite mounds, tucked away from predators. At night time they typically leave the hide, but other than that they're happiest where they're snug and secure. If the rest of her enclosure is too large and spacey with nowhere to hide (I'm not familiar with tank sizes), that will also discourage her from venturing out of her hide.

Ball pythons hide-it's pretty much what they do all the time. Your snake should have two snug identical hides-one on the warm side and one on the cool so she doesn't have to choose security over proper temps. Fish tanks are very exposed and open for a snake, if you covered the sides and back with dark paper and add some greenery/cover to the inside she would likely be more comfortable but generally they only come out at night or when they are hungry.

Mine are all in vivs and I put loads of branches and bark pieces in and around the hides as well , it gives them more hiding places which equates to more security . They LOVE climbing as well so don't believe all the 'lazy snakes' cr*p .

Ball pythons prefer small, safe feeling enclosures so moving into a larger tank will only have the opposite effect of what you want. Try to really clutter it up and make sure your temps and humidity are correct and she may be a bit more adventurous.

Like others have said you dont want an active ball python, thats a sign they arent happy with their home. As long as they are hiding they are happy

??????

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Originally Posted by M.P.C

Like others have said you dont want an active ball python, thats a sign they arent happy with their home. As long as they are hiding they are happy

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Are you 100% sure about that last sentence ??

No they arent literally happy because balls dont have emotions like happiness and sadness, try not to take things so literal. But what we do know is a hiding ball python is satisfied with its enviroment and not stressed out... Aka what we as humans consider happy

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Surely any newbie / novice reading that post will get worried if their Ball / Royal is having a natural mooch around in the evening .

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Could be why it got your knickers all up wrapped in a bunch...



To the OP, I certainly hope you're picking up on the meatier comments in this thread. I've kept and cared for Ball Pythons for a number of years, and I've discovered two things about them:

1) They are a shy species who seem to show less stress when they are hiding in a tight, dark spot where they can thermoregulate as they see fit. Yes, they are nocturnal and tend to be more active after the sun goes down. Sometimes they get out of their hides every day, and sometimes they almost never roam around. Why? Those reasons are usually only known to the snake in question.

2) No matter how many BPs you keep and how much you know about them, one will come along and do weird stuff that will invalidate rule number one.

He began by saying "As others have said", meaning he's in agreement with what others have said.. His message in essence is correct. If you have an active ball python, that's probably not a good sign. Ball Pythons are not active. Hiding ball pythons are happy ball pythons. These statements are all generally correct. He probably did not expand because he mentioned "As others have said". We already informed OP that they are active at night, and activity during the day can indicate stress. So why just repeat what everyone has said and have 5 drawn out responses all saying the same exact thing? From how I see it, his post is exactly what it looks like unless you're reading in-between lines for some unexplainable reasons, he was just reinforcing what others have already said.

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Originally Posted by Galaxygirl

He began by saying "As others have said", meaning he's in agreement with what others have said.. His message in essence is correct. If you have an active ball python, that's probably not a good sign. Ball Pythons are not active. Hiding ball pythons are happy ball pythons. These statements are all generally correct. He probably did not expand because he mentioned "As others have said". We already informed OP that they are active at night, and activity during the day can indicate stress. So why just repeat what everyone has said and have 5 drawn out responses all saying the same exact thing? From how I see it, his post is exactly what it looks like unless you're reading in-between lines for some unexplainable reasons, he was just reinforcing what others have already said.

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To be fair , post 6# really doesn't read the way you've interpreted it .

Taken on face value I'd say the post is very misleading to any inexperienced keeper looking for reassurance .

I was only concerned for others as I mentioned .

Keep it on topic, all the bickering has been moved to the QT Room.
Only warning to those who continue to derail this thread.
Have a better day

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Originally Posted by karissa.melanson01

Okay so I have a ball python named titanaboa. She is 3 years old. I used to have her in a 30 gallon tank where all she would do it hide in her little rock cave. Today I moved her into a 40gallon hoping she would be more active but all she wants to do is hide in her rock cave. She eats well but only if I put her food Infront of her little cave. If I put the rat anywhere else she doesn't want it. My question is does anyone know why she is hiding so much?

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It's just what ball pythons do- they hide a lot. And it's true that in most cases, if your ball python is too active, it means that they are either hungry, cold, or stressed in another way.
Coming out only a couple times a night to poke around and returning back to their hide is normal movement for a ball python.

Thank you everyone for the responses. She seems to be doing the coming out at night and hiding during the day. She really enjoyed having bigger branches to climb on while she was out and exploring.

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Sounds like you're both doing just great !
Nice to hear about her climbing branches , as I mentioned mine love their branches in the evening .

They almost always hide during the day and are more active at night, that's the norm. However, they are also domesticated and not wild. In my opinion they sometimes may simply just feel safe in their cage because nothing has ever threatened them (ever). It may be the reason for them breaking their normal behavior pattern. IDK...do wild BP's let you pick them up without striking or balling up ?

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Originally Posted by karissa.melanson01

... She seems to be doing the coming out at night and hiding during the day.

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then she seems to be a normal well adjusted BP.

I think she's just enjoying a larger tank to roam at night. I'm a happy mama and I feel better knowing she happier.

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