Ball python always trying to escape at night

Is this normal he just tries to escape and now hes sleeping on the window or i dont know

Many snakes are nocturnal & prefer to hunt at night.

What do you mean by tries to escape? Like he's cruising around or pushing at the lid?

What are your temps and how are you measuring/controlling them?

It’s normal for them to be active at night, especially if it’s been awhile since feeding day. The activity and hunting behavior is healthy. But if he’s just mashing his face into the doorway or lid or wherever the cage opens, it often means that either there’s something in the cage he doesn’t like (such as poop/urates that you haven’t found yet but that he can smell and wants to get away from) or he can’t find conditions he likes (temperature/humidity).
It can also mean that he just needs more space and more places to go. A larger cage with more furnishings like platforms and tubes and stuff can help with that. And it also helps the snake get away from its own waste.

If given the space and opportunity, they will also develop daily habits and different preferred hangouts for day and night.

In order to help you we'll need to know more...

What type and size enclosure is the snake in?
How are you heating the enclosure?
How are you measuring temps?
Are your heat sources regulated by a THERMOSTAT???
Are there at least 2 proper hides?
How much does the snake weigh?
How long have you had the snake?
What type/size prey are you feeding? How often?
Are you handling the snake?

The more you tell us the better we can help you...

The siz of enclosure is 28 by 32 inchs thats the area he has to slither around its bout 1foot and a half tall i have a heat lamp on the lid one hiding spot on the hot side a thermometer in the middle that shows 25/28 in the day and 22/25 at night a heat pad 6by 6inchs under his hiding spot theres a three stump to hold his hiding in place the water bowl is a dog bowl which he always tips over as for poop he hasnt pooped since i got him i fed him 2 times in 24 days every 12 days hee did pee though as i picke up some dry wall lookin stuff. This was an abandoned snake i do not know it age or sex it is about 4 feet long and seem to be the size of a normal 500ml water bottle or smaller for weight i have no scale and i do not have thermometer on the heat pad, i was planning on making him a bigger better terrarium at home do you guys have any sugestions, i las fed him the 21st he feeds in 3/4 days and today a 2am i saw him up against the lid pusshing his head so i misted him with water he stayed there then fell and started hissing as if he got scared or something, the tank is in the front of a bong shop where the door opens alot and alot of people pass by it in the day

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...112649cdd.jpeg

this is what he does and goes around the rim at the top

I have more picture of him in my gallery if you guys wanna look from that and help me with tips i admit i wasnt ready to take hime but my heart didnt wanna leave it abandoned

That's a lot of crammed in text to plough through .. I'd try and start typing in sections or even Bullet points?

Sooooo ... there are so many issues here ... I'll prioritise..

Anyways I'm wondering if he's just two warm ...

Are you using one of those stick-on , plastic round shaped thermometers ?



Is the heat LAMP regulated by a thermostat?

Is the heat MAT regulated by a thermostat?

Are both heat sources at the same end or are you heating BOTH ends ?

I'm short of time but note it really needs two , similar/identical sizes hides , one at the warm end , warm at the cool end


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick6969

The siz of enclosure is 28 by 32 inchs thats the area he has to slither around its bout 1foot and a half tall i have a heat lamp on the lid one hiding spot on the hot side a thermometer in the middle that shows 25/28 in the day and 22/25 at night a heat pad 6by 6inchs under his hiding spot theres a three stump to hold his hiding in place the water bowl is a dog bowl which he always tips over as for poop he hasnt pooped since i got him i fed him 2 times in 24 days every 12 days hee did pee though as i picke up some dry wall lookin stuff. This was an abandoned snake i do not know it age or sex it is about 4 feet long and seem to be the size of a normal 500ml water bottle or smaller for weight i have no scale and i do not have thermometer on the heat pad, i was planning on making him a bigger better terrarium at home do you guys have any sugestions, i las fed him the 21st he feeds in 3/4 days and today a 2am i saw him up against the lid pusshing his head so i misted him with water he stayed there then fell and started hissing as if he got scared or something, the tank is in the front of a bong shop where the door opens alot and alot of people pass by it in the day

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Honestly, I can't even read this. Break up your thoughts into sentences that people can actually read.

I got 4 lines in and had to quit...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick6969

The siz of enclosure is 28 by 32 inchs thats the area he has to slither around its bout 1foot and a half tall i have a heat lamp on the lid one hiding spot on the hot side a thermometer in the middle that shows 25/28 in the day and 22/25 at night a heat pad 6by 6inchs under his hiding spot theres a three stump to hold his hiding in place the water bowl is a dog bowl which he always tips over as for poop he hasnt pooped since i got him i fed him 2 times in 24 days every 12 days hee did pee though as i picke up some dry wall lookin stuff. This was an abandoned snake i do not know it age or sex it is about 4 feet long and seem to be the size of a normal 500ml water bottle or smaller for weight i have no scale and i do not have thermometer on the heat pad, i was planning on making him a bigger better terrarium at home do you guys have any sugestions, i las fed him the 21st he feeds in 3/4 days and today a 2am i saw him up against the lid pusshing his head so i misted him with water he stayed there then fell and started hissing as if he got scared or something, the tank is in the front of a bong shop where the door opens alot and alot of people pass by it in the day

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The drywall looking stuff, that's poop.

22C is 71F, and that's damn cold for a ball python. 79F as a general minimum and certainly no cooler than 75F (23.8C) ever. Ambient should be 80F - 83F or so (that's 26.6C - 28C) and that same temp on the "cool" side. He needs a hot spot reaching 90F - 94F (32C - 34C).

I didn't read anything about a thermostat. If there is no thermostat, get one. Better to replace the lamp with CHE on a THERMOSTAT (a jumpstart will be fine for now) as 24/7 light will stress the poor guy out. And the UTH isn't going to cut it alone if your ambient temps are so "low".

I didn't read anything about HIDES. If he's sitting out there exposed, in plain sight? They aren't display creatures. They like darkness and seclusion. He needs small tight fitting hides.

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

The drywall looking stuff, that's poop.

22C is 71F, and that's damn cold for a ball python. 79F as a general minimum and certainly no cooler than 75F (23.8C) ever. Ambient should be 80F - 83F or so (that's 26.6C - 28C) and that same temp on the "cool" side. He needs a hot spot reaching 90F - 94F (32C - 34C).

I didn't read anything about a thermostat. If there is no thermostat, get one. Better to replace the lamp with CHE on a THERMOSTAT (a jumpstart will be fine for now) as 24/7 light will stress the poor guy out. And the UTH isn't going to cut it alone if your ambient temps are so "low".

I didn't read anything about HIDES. If he's sitting out there exposed, in plain sight? They aren't display creatures. They like darkness and seclusion. He needs small tight fitting hides.

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All this ^

Plus I'd like to know what kind of thermometer you're using and placement of probe if there is one ..


As stated above more than once - those heat sources must be regulated by thermostats


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Wait a minute, a bong shop, lots of people passing by.... Yeah, even the most social and outgoing of Ball Pythons is going to be stressed to hell by that kind of foot traffic.

If this was an abandoned snake and you feel out of your depth with it (and sorry, but it sounds as though you might be), you could always put an ad on Craig's list and give the poor creature away to somebody willing and able to care for him.

If you want to keep him (and you could and hope you do) there are a lot of changes that need to be made. The window of a retail shop is not the place to keep a snake.

Sorry for multiple posts, but it's kind of hard absorbing that wall of text.

Well no help here i guess it shall live its life as is and die if it does lmao idc its just a snake

You came here asking for advice and it was given to you so I'm not sure why you are suddenly acting like a child. Be responsible: either rehome the snake or follow the wealth of helpful information that you have been given.

You obviously do care since you posted on this forum and so does everyone who has been trying to help.

I saw multiple anwsers containing information that could benefit the care of that snake. If thats honestly how you feel I hope you are reported to a animal abuse and neglect agency. Maybe the information you registered with the forum could be used to see you prosecuted for animal abuse.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick6969

Well no help here i guess it shall live its life as is and die if it does lmao idc its just a snake

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On the contrary, quite a few very experienced people here have provided an array of important suggestions so you can improve the quality of life of this snake. We see many many people come in with the same absent equipment. No one here is trying to pick a fight with you, the only goal here is to get your snake into a habitat suited for its needs. You wouldnt keep a dog in a crate directly in front of a lit fire, and that is essentially what happens to a snake with unregulated heat sources.

You started by saying you felt bad for it and now change your mind that you don't care. I think you should make up you mind before you move forward here.

If you care at all for the snake's wellbeing, you should listen to the advice given as it is crucial to keeping the snake from getting severe burns which will kill it slowly. If this is too much for you (and trust me, I do not fault you if it is overwhelming) at least let this snake go to another home to take care of it.

If you are really desperate to have a snake as a display at this shop, a ball python is far from ideal and I'm sure with some up front research you could find what you need to properly keep another species that is less shy and easily stressed by that kind of situation. For any reptile, a basic thermostat is just as important as the heating itself.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick6969

Well no help here i guess it shall live its life as is and die if it does lmao idc its just a snake

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you've gotten help; what are you talking about?

you can re-read the advice offered from above again here:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

The drywall looking stuff, that's poop.

22C is 71F, and that's damn cold for a ball python. 79F as a general minimum and certainly no cooler than 75F (23.8C) ever. Ambient should be 80F - 83F or so (that's 26.6C - 28C) and that same temp on the "cool" side. He needs a hot spot reaching 90F - 94F (32C - 34C).

I didn't read anything about a thermostat. If there is no thermostat, get one. Better to replace the lamp with CHE on a THERMOSTAT (a jumpstart will be fine for now) as 24/7 light will stress the poor guy out. And the UTH isn't going to cut it alone if your ambient temps are so "low".

I didn't read anything about HIDES. If he's sitting out there exposed, in plain sight? They aren't display creatures. They like darkness and seclusion. He needs small tight fitting hides.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

All this ^

Plus I'd like to know what kind of thermometer you're using and placement of probe if there is one ..


As stated above more than once - those heat sources must be regulated by thermostats

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

Wait a minute, a bong shop, lots of people passing by.... Yeah, even the most social and outgoing of Ball Pythons is going to be stressed to hell by that kind of foot traffic.

If this was an abandoned snake and you feel out of your depth with it (and sorry, but it sounds as though you might be), you could always put an ad on Craig's list and give the poor creature away to somebody willing and able to care for him.

If you want to keep him (and you could and hope you do) there are a lot of changes that need to be made. The window of a retail shop is not the place to keep a snake.

Sorry for multiple posts, but it's kind of hard absorbing that wall of text.

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and why would you openly admit to purposeful neglect/abuse of an animal in your care on a public forum? that's a gross attitude, my guy. this animal is in your care so you have two responsibilities now: care for it or surrender it to the proper animal rescue.

re-read the help offered. it's a great place to start. keep asking questions and put down the ego; we're here to help.

There's a ton of people willing to help you out if you'll listen and take the advice. I just joined after getting my first Python last week and the the husbandry was all out of wack. The tips I got made the process pretty simple and now everything is spot on. Made my life a hell of lot easier. Definitely get a thermostat to control that UTH though. I let mine run unregulated to see how hot it gets out of curiosity and it got to 107 degrees f and it didn't even take but an hour. Help them help you and take their advice. Or at least find the snake a good home.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick6969

Well no help here i guess it shall live its life as is and die if it does lmao idc its just a snake

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Boom !!

As I kinda suspected ...

Complete wind-up ..

That's why I didn't invest too much time in my first post ..


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Originally Posted by Kira

You obviously do care since you posted on this forum and so does everyone who has been trying to help.

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Assume nothing these days



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I call TROLL!!!!

...*sigh* Sometimes I wish people would get hit by a car... Cause lightning ain't smiting nobody these days. Plenty of help offered. I can only hope you were a troll because if not I hope you run into an animal that can fight back against abuse.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick6969

Well no help here i guess it shall live its life as is and die if it does lmao idc its just a snake

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That snake is a living creature. Just like you are. However, if this is your attitude, the snake has a better chance of being an asset to society than you are. Hopefully this thread is bologna or you have animal control called on you and are prosecuted

Did not see this many answers my bad, and for the snake i am saving some $$ to buy proper thermometer like a digital one.
not the plastic stick on one i have laying on the bottom of the cage

as for hides he has one on the warm side ,
the lamp i will check for one i can regulate with thermostat like you said
for a heat pad do they have some that you can set the temp

he is in an aquarium woth some good substrate i spray and mist him 2 times a day

he sleeps during the day and moves alot at night
i fed him 2 times in 24 days every 12 days
to me the rats seemed small like 2 week old rats.
reason i think his two meals were small because i used to give the same size of rats to my adult cornsnake which died at 7yrs of age and i think he can eat 2x if not 3x times the siz of what i gave him

when i got him he only had a bowl of water and was wrapped in a sweater

sorry for ignorant response and thanks for the help sorry if txt is not well formed im typing on a phone and dnt usually seek on forums

I am sorry for the hate text i assume it was bad but i didnt see all these pages of replies the snakes forgead seems dry

i shall try to weigh it as soon as i can

and its not in a front window of a store its on one of the counter tops by the door which i will change because the door opening and closing can change the temp

what i would also like is the names of the stuff i need or links like a lamp with temp control and mat and for enclosure i will build him one is there any thing as too big or do i just need to put more hides if its bigg

as of now he hides in the hot side because its the only hide he has

for temp i use a plastic one and it says 25/30 in the day thats right in the middle on the bedding of aquarium

Personally i just dont wanna live seeing it die like my 7 year old corn which im sure couldve lived longer which is why i wanna learn to take care of this one

Mmmmmm. I'll pass on this one guys ..


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Get a second matching hide so your bp can thermoregulate properly. I don't know what kind of hide you're using, but bp's like low and snug hides with one opening, think like a turtle shell. Since your setup is so bare, I suggest adding some fake plants to add more clutter and cover. Big open spaces = massive insecurity.

Most importantly, get a hold of a thermoSTAT to regulate your lamp AND heat pad. However I would recommend following JRLongtron's advice on replacing your lamp with a CHE (ceramic heat emitter). If you can afford it, many of us recommend Herpstats as they have proportional heat settings and are more accurate and reliable. This is the most important equipment to spend your money on.

https://www.spyderrobotics.com/index...=index&cPath=1


You'd want either the Herpstat 2 or Herpstat EZ2


If that is outside your current price range, you can start with a Jumpstart thermostat (get two, one for your lamp/Che and one for your heat pad) then upgrade to a Herpstat later.

https://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-Contro...mostat+reptile

I also recommend getting a temp gun so you can read surface temperatures and hot spot temps more accurately.
https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lase...ture+gun&psc=1

For thermoMETERS, which is best for reading ambient temperatures, most of us like using Acurite
https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-Humid...ywords=acurite
https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-02067...=acurite+wired


It sounds like you're still not familiar with the basics of ball python husbandry. Please take the time to read the stickies on the forum. Any questions you have, chances are it's already been asked before so it would be worth searching the forum for any existing threads that may have information you are looking for while you are waiting for more answers.

First things first hides this way even if your snake gets too hot it can thermoregulate here is a good cheap solution BUY TWO THE SNAKE WILL TYOICALLY PREFER THESE as these are a better option than say half logs

https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/...ide-boxes.html

Cheap thermostat that is reliable.

https://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-Contro...mostat+reptile

Heat mat for hotspot hide.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XC...D5L&ref=plSrch

I dont use ceramic heat emitters as I have a ambient temp of 80 to 85 in the room i keep my animals.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001F...c+heat+emitter

These are for the ambient temp now REMEMBER ALL HEATING ON A THERMOSTAT. This means you will likely need MORE than one jumpstart thermostat.

Switch out that aquarium get a zoo-med or exoterra low terrarium pet smart typically has the exo terra for fairly cheap.and these are front ventilated so you can cover the screen top and keep humidity up longer, reptile bark substrate and i spray twice a day for a 65% humidity rating.

I recommend these as thermometers until you.can afford more

One combo meter for humidity and ambient side

https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/...ygrometer.html

Digit thermometer for hot side heat mat area

https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/...ermometer.html

I dont know if all these will ship outside the US. But these are my recommended. This is about the only advice I will give use this for my albino and he seems content.


https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/hab...ium-14957.html

Again last chance to redeem yourself. At least for me and some people say im too nice.

Thank for all the tips i will look into it

as for the hide he has its a rock he can go into he wears it like a turtle shelll so i lifted it up on on side with a rock

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nick6969

Thank for all the tips i will look into it

as for the hide he has its a rock he can go into he wears it like a turtle shelll so i lifted it up on on side with a rock

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OP if you have any problems getting the essential equipment, just let me know via PM and ill see what i can do.

Heres what his setup looks like
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...de7c7fc0a.jpeg

I made him a hide on the cool side fed him today he seem alright though the rats are pretty small because pet shop never have big ones so i bought a male and female will make my own rats

this snake was abandoned and ive had it for a month now and since i live in a bong shop well the old owner came by and recognized it

said he used to feed it 3 hamsters or small gerbals every two weeks and hesitated betweed 6/7 years old for the age

Err, I dont know the difference nutritionally but switching to frozen and thawed rats or mice would be optimal for I have never had a problem with live feeders but if you use frozen thawed you can at least stock up for a disaster and. Not worry about having to feed extra animals. Then again I live in florida and have hurricanes biannual. Maybe its different for you.

That tanks about the same size as mine. I was having trouble with humidity so I had to seal up most of the screen top to be able to keep enough moisture inside. I haven't seen it below 50% since I did that. I mist 2 or 3 times daily. I just left enough of an opening for the heat bulb up top. I have that same hide as you. You should be able to just lay it down flat. He should fit through the hole no problem and will love it being closed all the way around. Mines a 4 footer and she just squeezes through the opening, coils around, and completely fills up the whole hide.