Nippy new ball python

I purchased a 5.5 month old ball python 3 days ago and it’s been striking since day one. I have it in a 20 gallon tank with a warm side at 90-95F and a cold side around 75-78F. He has hides on the cool side and the warm side. I change out the water daily and mist a few times a day to keep the humidity up, but every time I enter the tank to do this my BP gets nervous and will strike at me from time to time. I know BPs require some time to adjust to the new habitat before handling so I’m not going to handle for a bit more and after he has had a meal.

The previous owner fed him last Thursday so he has a couple days before he’s due for another meal and he said that he may start to shed soon. The prev owner also said this BP was shy but never struck out, but it’s concerning that he has struck so often since I have had him. Is this normal for a BP of his age and is he likely to grow out of it as time goes by with regular handling? Is there something I can do differently? I don’t want to stress him or give him a reason to feel threatened.

Leave him alone for at least a week, let him settle in to his new enclosure.


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Originally Posted by Aerries

Leave him alone for at least a week, let him settle in to his new enclosure.


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Yes, that is what I’ve planned on doing. Should I wait to change out his water/mist only when he’s hidden away so that he won’t feel threatened by me?

You leave a snake alone for a week min because they are stressed in the new environment. Unless he pisses all over i would let him be. If you have to mist that often to keep the humidity up you need to insulate 3 sides of the tank and put something over the top to hold the humidity. Also get a larger water bowl, a large dish will take care of that most of the time once you cover the top and put something around the 3 sides of the glass. Check the husbandry section on tank set up. It gives idea about how to help with this. Congrats on the new Ball.


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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

You leave a snake alone for a week min because they are stressed in the new environment. Unless he pisses all over i would let him be. If you have to mist that often to keep the humidity up you need to insulate 3 sides of the tank and put something over the top to hold the humidity. Also get a larger water bowl, a large dish will take care of that most of the time once you cover the top and put something around the 3 sides of the glass. Check the husbandry section on tank set up. It gives idea about how to help with this. Congrats on the new Ball.


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Thank you! I have a large water bowl and the top of the tank has been covered. The back wall is foam and I’ll be getting foam to cover the other two sides. I’ve read up on it and some recommend insulating the outside, other recommend the inside. Would insulating the outside help with humidity?

i also am using coconut fiber which I know will suck up any moisture. It’s about 1.5” deep right now, should the depth be less to help with humidity?

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Originally Posted by Taying

Thank you! I have a large water bowl and the top of the tank has been covered. The back wall is foam and I’ll be getting foam to cover the other two sides. I’ve read up on it and some recommend insulating the outside, other recommend the inside. Would insulating the outside help with humidity?

i also am using coconut fiber which I know will suck up any moisture. It’s about 1.5” deep right now, should the depth be less to help with humidity?

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I had problems with humidity as well. I covered 3 sides on the INside with decorative foam boarding and also reduced the coconut substrate from 1 1/2" to 1/2". It worked. Humidity stays between 55-65% and I never mist.

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Originally Posted by Taying

Thank you! I have a large water bowl and the top of the tank has been covered. The back wall is foam and I’ll be getting foam to cover the other two sides. I’ve read up on it and some recommend insulating the outside, other recommend the inside. Would insulating the outside help with humidity?

i also am using coconut fiber which I know will suck up any moisture. It’s about 1.5” deep right now, should the depth be less to help with humidity?

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Sounds like your doing good. Im surprised the humidity is low. Im not familiar with wood substrate I just use craft paper in all my enclosures but i know 1” is standard. Maybe the way its being heated and its suck a small tank that its drying out quickly. Ive never used anything smaller than a 40gal breeder. As far as insulating the inside ive never heard of that. I do know people that have used decor on the walls on the inside like foam and painted like rocks but never for humidity or insulation, thats always outside the tank. I think you probably have a hard time because of the amount of heat you need and you’re putting into a smaller tank. I thought you said you were using a 20 gallon, If that’s so your water bowl can’t be that big. My Bowls are 5qt. (12” wide Circumference and about 6” deep)


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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

Sounds like your doing good. Im surprised the humidity is low. Im not familiar with wood substrate I just use craft paper in all my enclosures but i know 1” is standard. Maybe the way its being heated and its suck a small tank that its drying out quickly. Ive never used anything smaller than a 40gal breeder. As far as insulating the inside ive never heard of that. I do know people that have used decor on the walls on the inside like foam and painted like rocks but never for humidity or insulation, thats always outside the tank. I think you probably have a hard time because of the amount of heat you need and you’re putting into a smaller tank. I thought you said you were using a 20 gallon, If that’s so your water bowl can’t be that big. My Bowls are 5qt. (12” wide Circumference and about 6” deep)


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Where did you see "wood substrate"? Maybe I missed something. Or is that what coconut fiber is AKA?

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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

Sounds like your doing good. Im surprised the humidity is low. Im not familiar with wood substrate I just use craft paper in all my enclosures but i know 1” is standard. Maybe the way its being heated and its suck a small tank that its drying out quickly. Ive never used anything smaller than a 40gal breeder. As far as insulating the inside ive never heard of that. I do know people that have used decor on the walls on the inside like foam and painted like rocks but never for humidity or insulation, thats always outside the tank. I think you probably have a hard time because of the amount of heat you need and you’re putting into a smaller tank. I thought you said you were using a 20 gallon, If that’s so your water bowl can’t be that big. My Bowls are 5qt. (12” wide Circumference and about 6” deep)


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My water bowl is 7” x 8.5” and 2” deep. I bought that was big since that’s how eco terra identified the size, my bad! :P

Ill try to insulate the outside before insulating the inside, but I’m not sure how it helps with humidity. To me, it makes since with heat since heat can escape through glass, but water doesn’t travel through glass so the reasoning behind it is strange to me.

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Originally Posted by Shayne

Where did you see "wood substrate"? Maybe I missed something. Or is that what coconut fiber is AKA?

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Coconut fiber/Wood Chips/Reptichip etc..... ive never used anything but Kraft/Butcher Paper myself. But I just looked back and see that it is a 20 gallon you’re using so any kind of overhead heat like a CHE /Lamp is going to ddry the-heck out of it. I have a tank that I use for quarantine and I put a heat mat underneath the tank where the water bowl is making the water evaporate and that certainly helps. Went from 45% to 58-60%.
You didn’t say how you were heating i dont think.


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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

Coconut fiber/Wood Chips/Reptichip etc..... ive never used anything but Kraft/Butcher Paper myself. But I just looked back and see that it is a 20 gallon you’re using so any kind of overhead heat like a CHE /Lamp is going to ddry the-heck out of it. I have a tank that I use for quarantine and I put a heat mat underneath the tank where the water bowl is making the water evaporate and that certainly helps. Went from 45% to 58-60%.
You didn’t say how you were heating i dont think.


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I was just a "drive-by" poster. LOL

I think that was for the OP.

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Originally Posted by Taying

My water bowl is 7” x 8.5” and 2” deep. I bought that was big since that’s how eco terra identified the size, my bad! :P

Ill try to insulate the outside before insulating the inside, but I’m not sure how it helps with humidity. To me, it makes since with heat since heat can escape through glass, but water doesn’t travel through glass so the reasoning behind it is strange to me.

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You’re doing great, just got a fine-tune things


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On temps you say your hot side is 90 to 95? If that’s true you might want to drop that 5 or 6 degrees, depending how your getting that measurement that is. That might help a very small amount with humidity too. That definitely seems a little warm to me for a little guy.

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Originally Posted by Taying

... Would insulating the outside help with humidity? ...

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Much better to insulate the outside of a tank...and that's only to help retain warmth, it has NO effect on humidity. Humidity is affected by how much air flow there
is...ie. how much you cover the screen top. The plastic enclosures sold for snakes are only "better for retaining humidity" because there are only a few tiny gaps for
air flow. ;)

Covering the sides (even just with paper for now) to block the snake's view will help him settle in...he's just scared, his whole world just changed & it's confusing...
he feels threatened, don't take it personally. At least a week to settle in with no handling & no disruptions that aren't absolutely essential...as already mentioned.

And for any new snake, it's best to let them settle in to the point that they feed readily at least a couple of times before you interact with them...it's most important
that they eat.

That can be typical....
Yes leaving him alone to decompress is best for a week..
If he still strikes, hold your hand up and let him strike away.
They learn quickly it's not effective

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

Coconut fiber/Wood Chips/Reptichip etc..... ive never used anything but Kraft/Butcher Paper myself. But I just looked back and see that it is a 20 gallon you’re using so any kind of overhead heat like a CHE /Lamp is going to ddry the-heck out of it. I have a tank that I use for quarantine and I put a heat mat underneath the tank where the water bowl is making the water evaporate and that certainly helps. Went from 45% to 58-60%.
You didn’t say how you were heating i dont think.


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I have an infrared heat lamp with a heating pad underneath. I had just the pad controlled by a thermostat but it never made the tank warm enough. The heat dome is currently resting on the top of the screen as I’m waiting to get the stand shipped in which may help reduce the temp a couple degrees and slow down humidity loss. I am purchasing sphagnum as well to place inside for moisture control.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Taying

I have an infrared heat lamp with a heating pad underneath. I had just the pad controlled by a thermostat but it never made the tank warm enough. The heat dome is currently resting on the top of the screen as I’m waiting to get the stand shipped in which may help reduce the temp a couple degrees and slow down humidity loss. I am purchasing sphagnum as well to place inside for moisture control.

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Yup I would of recommended a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) instead of the Heat Lamp. They dont dry things out as bad and cost about the same but they still kill humidity.. as far as the Heat Mat (Uth) they are only for the Hot spot and thats why it didnt warm the tank.
Let me give you advice for the situation your in... this is based on a limited budget and the fact your using a Glass tank. Ditch the Heat Lamp, get another UTH and heat the entire floor of the enclosure. This will accomplish a couple things. One you wont dry your tank out and the other UTH will warm the water eevaporating it and creating humidity, and 2 wherever the snake is it will be within safe temps.
You would set the Hotside mat to 90 and the Cool side mat to 80.
Now on another note, your tanks small. I would NOT buy another UTH for that small tank myself, I would find a 40 gallon Breeder. You would need the Big Heat mats for a 40gallon Breeder tank. Then the 2 Big heat mats would basically touch eachother heating the entire floor. If you buy a smaller mat now for that little tank you’re basically going to throw that money away when you upgrade and that tank is too small. However I have bought and sold things I was done with on FB marketplace for years now... so you do whats best for you.
WE all kept SNAKES in this fashion 30 years ago with only heating the floors (heat rocks and heat mats) so this works just fine and will keep your snakes healthy.
It’s not the advanced way of course but I’m giving you a healthy & Safe way for your situation.



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