Am I missing something?

Hi guys my name is Hector and I'm very new around here.

So I just got my first Ball python, I did a good research before bringing him home and everything is all set, temperature is good, humidity is good, he has plenty of hides, well I thought I had everything, to my surprise yesterday when I got him the lady told me to try to feed him that same day on his new home, I did, it took him a couple minutes but when he saw the fuzzy mice he got him really fast, anyways my concern about him not eating because of stress was out of the way, after he ate he was just wandering around and he was chilling on the cool side (80-82) I left him overnight and I saw him this morning and he's just chilling on the warm side (85-88) I have the under tank heater thing controlled by a thermostat, anyways... my question is... is it normal that he doesn't hide or ball up? He's been all spread on the warm side and he has a couple hides where he could actually chill, should I be worried about this?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...efd1b61ea6.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c717a63ae2.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d0deca31fd.jpg

On the last picture you can see how he just lays there like a boss, like he's the only BP that doesn't hide, is he just showing off?? Any comment or advice is appreciated!

Thank you!


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My only thought would be that he may not have had hides before and hasn't really figured out what they are yet. Give him a few days - he will find them and start using them.

How are you reading your temps? With a temp gun? You want to measure under the bedding just in case he burrows and you don't want the temp there to be 100f.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RickyNY

How are you reading your temps? With a temp gun? You want to measure under the bedding just in case he burrows and you don't want the temp there to be 100f.

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I have a temp gun, I will check that too, I didn't think about it, thank you!


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I wouldn't worry at all - great news that he ate already !!

They take a few days to settle into their new home anyways ..

Keep us updated :)

He's beautiful! I love the light colored beeps.

Personally I'd remove those skulls. Ball pythons can and will squeeze into the holes that aren't quite big enough and get stuck. Beautiful snake!

Welcome!

I wouldn't worry about him chilling where he is, and some BPs hardly ever "ball" up. Nothing to worry about, he's just probably getting acclimated to his new enclosure. or....

That's great that he ate already! However, fuzzy mice are way too small for a BP. They eat hoppers for their first few meals (3-5 generally) and then move on to adult mice. This may explain why he was still out and about, he may want more food. Snakes will often remain in feed mode for a while after eating, so this may be the case.

Also, I agree with what was mentioned above about the skulls. They look cool, but aren't practical, and can become a real headache. Even the one on the left will be a pain to work with if that one hole is the only entry way. Cave type hides with one entry way tend to work best, and it's often recommended to have identical hides. Snakes will often sacrifice proper temps for security, which means they may choose one hide over another because they feel safer in it.

Anyway, good luck! We're here for any more questions you may have.

Ok I just ordered two identical hides, he's still on the same spot, the warm spot, is it normal that he's not moving? Sorry if this is a stupid question I just see that he's been there all day


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Yes, nothing to worry about. And don't worry about asking questions. We are all new once :)

Yes, that's perfectly normal, great looking snake! I have a hatchling and I'm feeding her medium mice already for her 4th and 5th meal since she hatched. It's hard to tell from the photos, how old is your snake and how much does he weigh (in grams)? To me he looks pretty young and pretty small, I'm thinking medium to adult mice.

Hey guys so he still hasn't figured out how to use his hides, he mostly stays on top of them or on some plants tho lol look

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...adbeefda09.jpg

I really like him and I know I'm just paranoid, I haven't handled him, I'll just wait for his next feeding day a few days after, anyways I got two identical hides that I'll put in soon to see if that makes a difference




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Quote:

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Originally Posted by hector.4191

Hey guys so he still hasn't figured out how to use his hides, he mostly stays on top of them or on some plants tho lol look

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...adbeefda09.jpg

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Well Hector, this is a huge mess! Your ball python has an identity problem, he thinks he's a tree boa :rofl:

Haha that picture of him in the tree is too adorable.

Hey guys just an update! He finally found out a way to use his hides, he goes on and off to them he likes to be out at night

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8092b0f118.jpg

He just ate today, the reptile place recommended me to try 2 fuzzy mic before jumping to the next size and well... he ate them both just fine, I'm glad he's a good eater, I just recently got his two identical hides and he goes very often to the cool side one, I'm guessing because we live in a warmer area so he's just cool right there, anyways he's doing good as far as I can see, i just have one question, what is your opinion on feeding them inside the enclosure, I find a lot of different opinions on this subject and I don't want to mess it up! Anyways here's how the tank looks so far, I'll remove the skulls when he gets a little bigger he's really tiny so he fits just fine through them.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d8f39cecd5.jpg



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