Help! Newbie!

Okay so we just got our first BP 2 weeks ago. We fed him a mouse the first day we got him and then we fed him again Sunday but we fed him 2 mice. Last week he was out and about every evening Slithering around and now the past couple days he has been in one of his hides and doesn't really come out. (Which is on the cold side of the tank.) We just got his temps and humidity figured out. He also has not pooped yet.
Is something wrong with my little buddy? I'm kinda worried about him. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...acf7e2a283.jpg

This is his set up. Could it be too big for him?


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Sounds like he's content. I can't tell if you're feeding the proper prey size without knowing the size of your snake, but a full snake will stay in a hide for a few days to digest it's meal. They usually don't do a lot of exploring unless you put them in a new habitat, change something in their habitat, or unless they're hungry. :)

It's in their nature to hide most of the time. A happy ball python stays put for the most part.

It can also take them awhile to poop. Some snakes poop every week, others once a month. If he doesn't poop after a month you might want to consider feeding him bigger meals, but I'm betting he will soon.

How do you heat your cage? What are you using to take temps? I can't really tell from pic but is there 2 hides?

You should feed your snake a rodent as big a round as the thickest part of your snake. Also I see you have what looks like a florescent light in there, balls don't need special lighting and to bright of white light can cause stress.

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I would get a different hide for him, those half logs don't provide any security.
Unless his prey is too small or he has some kind of health problem, he'll go when he goes. Mine didn't poop for 3 weeks, but was eating every four days.

We actually took the light out and only use it if we go in there to get him out. We have an UTH and a heat lamp to make temp. The little hide on the left were in his tank when we got him. We just recently just got the big tank and half log. He normally stays under the half log. Just in the past couple days he got in the log on the left and stays there


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Originally Posted by Snakeysnake612

We actually took the light out and only use it if we go in there to get him out. We have an UTH and a heat lamp to make temp. The little hide on the left were in his tank when we got him. We just recently just got the big tank and half log. He normally stays under the half log. Just in the past couple days he got in the log on the left and stays there


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Is your uth being controlled by a thermostat? How are you taking the temp of the uth? Is the heat bulb red or blue?

Also I agree that you should switch out the half log hide with something else. I used them before but my first snake wouldn't and then after I bought new ones he started to regulate his body temp. A good choice are reptile basics hides, they are dark, secure, and cheap. It's best to have 2 matching hides so the snake can't play favorites.

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Are you feeding him a mouse or a rat? Mice are candy basically, not healthy for a growing BP, rat's are what he needs to be eating. Staying inside their hides is normal, they are nocturnal and not really a show animal. Also, two identical hides on ether side of the tank is best, so they don't pick a favorite hide. Logs aren't secure enough for them.
https://www.amazon.com/Reptile-Hide-...s=reptile+hide
Here is a good hide, just pick a snug size for him so he feels secure enough. :)
Reptimom.

I really like those hides because they fit in tanks and bins, and are so easy to keep properly cleaned.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chrid16371

Is your uth being controlled by a thermostat? How are you taking the temp of the uth? Is the heat bulb red or blue?

Also I agree that you should switch out the half log hide with something else. I used them before but my first snake wouldn't and then after I bought new ones he started to regulate his body temp. A good choice are reptile basics hides, they are dark, secure, and cheap. It's best to have 2 matching hides so the snake can't play favorites.

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I have a probe thermometer does the surface temp. The heat bulb is just the heat no light. He was staying in the half log.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Reptimom

Are you feeding him a mouse or a rat? Mice are candy basically, not healthy for a growing BP, rat's are what he needs to be eating. Staying inside their hides is normal, they are nocturnal and not really a show animal. Also, two identical hides on ether side of the tank is best, so they don't pick a favorite hide. Logs aren't secure enough for them.
https://www.amazon.com/Reptile-Hide-...s=reptile+hide
Here is a good hide, just pick a snug size for him so he feels secure enough. :)
Reptimom.

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I know they are nocturnal, but he was being real active at night but the past couple days he hasn't got out of the hide


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Snakeysnake612

I have a probe thermometer does the surface temp. The heat bulb is just the heat no light. He was staying in the half log.


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To take the temp of the uth you want to put the probe thermometer under the substrate (bedding) right on glass over uth, you don't want that spot to be over 94. If you don't have a thermostat then it is probably running over 100 and will burn your snake eventually. You also don't want to make sure the top of substrate is around 90 in the hottest spot.

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Good news Slytherin is up and moving tonight!!!!


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Snakeysnake612

Good news Slytherin is up and moving tonight!!!!


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That's good! Ball pythons are lazy snakes. Out of 5 of my bps only 1 is out quite a bit, the rest come out a couple times a week but mostly hide all the time and none of them move from there hide for a couple days after eating. I'm not sure of me new snakes behavior but he has been hiding during the day and out every night, only reason I know is bc his acurite thermometer is tipped over when I wake up but I'm sure once he settles in he won't be out as much.

You haven't mentioned yet if you have a thermostat, if you don't please unplug uth and don't use it until you get one. Your heat bulb will keep him warm so there's no need to worry. Also if you do have a thermostat or when you get one you may not need to use the heat bulb, if your cool side temp warmer than 75 then you don't need to use it but if it is lower than 75 you can move the heat bulb to the cool side and use a lamp dimmer to dim it or use a thermostat to to keep it around 80. If you don't have a thermostat right now then keep the heat bulb on hot side since you won't have the uth plugged in. Sorry for repeating myself about the thermostat but it's easy to think you don't need them bc no one tells you in pet stores, I made the mistake with my first leopard gecko but luckily I found out before anything went wrong. Even the small 10 gallon zoo med uth go over 100 degrees, I have actually have not used one that hasn't went over 100. Plus without a thermostat the temp will change with room temperature making it hotter, a thermostat will keep the temp correct temp.

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