Why

Periodically I will find him on the cold side of his enclosure and he feels cold as ice so I make him go back on the warm side. WHY does he let himself get so cold?

Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk

quick thoughts:

1. he's thermoregulating.
1.a. he's over on the cool side to chillout when he's too warm
1.b. the warm side/hotspot is too warm/hot

2. the warm side hide is not adequate. he doesn't feel snug or safe there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

Periodically I will find him on the cold side of his enclosure and he feels cold as ice so I make him go back on the warm side. WHY does he let himself get so cold?

Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk

---

Is there a hide on the hot spot?

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

Yes
His setup is pretty much perfect and I haven't changed anyting

Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk

Who (what) is "him"? this being "general herp" category.

Either way, a snake can feel cold to us & actually be fairly warm...remember we're about 98.6*.

And, I have to say: because he wants to. ;) Don't butt in & make your snake go where YOU think he should want to be...trust his instincts.

I'm thinking he just took a liking to this other hide that's on the cold side so I'm going to move it over to the warmer side I'm tired of arguing with him!

Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk

He is a BP, 4mos

Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

I'm thinking he just took a liking to this other hide that's on the cold side so I'm going to move it over to the warmer side I'm tired of arguing with him!

---

get matching hides so he doesn't have to choose a fav hide and he will just move around as needed to cool down or warm up. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

Periodically I will find him on the cold side of his enclosure and he feels cold as ice so I make him go back on the warm side. WHY does he let himself get so cold?

---

Maybe he just feels cold because you are a mammal who's body is 98.6 and he's a ectothermic reptile that sucks the heat out of your hand. They can be like picking up a metal fork in the utensil drawer. The fork is the same temp as everything else in the room but it feels colder because the metal conducts the heat out of your body so well.

Try using your temp gun on the little guy. I'll bet you'll find that when he feels ice cold, his body is really around 78 or so.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

And, I have to say: because he wants to. ;) Don't butt in & make your snake go where YOU think he should want to be...trust his instincts.

---

^^^^ ditto this ^^^^

Puzzlingly my BP does something similar, he'll stay on the cool side until the temp gun says his body temp is around 74F, which should be too cold for a BP based on all care sheets.

I've seen him thermoregulate by going to the warm hide and back to the cool side though so he definitely knows what to do, he just seems to choose not to do it. :confusd:

So I tried the kitchen utensils thing....I put a spoon directly on my stomach, like I do with my BP when he feels cold and it is exactly true! Great example.
Glad to know he knows what to do with himself. LOL


Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

So I tried the kitchen utensils thing....I put a spoon directly on my stomach, like I do with my BP when he feels cold and it is exactly true! Great example.
Glad to know he knows what to do with himself. LOL


Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk

---

U put ur ball python on ur stomach?? Why??

Sometimes when I'm leaning back on my pillows in my bed and he's been out for a while and he's feeling a little bit cold I stick him under my shirt on my stomach to warm up

Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

So I tried the kitchen utensils thing....I put a spoon directly on my stomach, like I do with my BP when he feels cold and it is exactly true! Great example.
Glad to know he knows what to do with himself. LOL

---

i like this. i'm gonna try that LOl. i like how u didn't test it w/ your hands or fingertips but chose your stomach Lol.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

So I tried the kitchen utensils thing....I put a spoon directly on my stomach, like I do with my BP when he feels cold and it is exactly true! Great example.
Glad to know he knows what to do with himself. LOL

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Danger noodles

U put ur ball python on ur stomach?? Why??

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jellybeans

Sometimes when I'm leaning back on my pillows in my bed and he's been out for a while and he's feeling a little bit cold I stick him under my shirt on my stomach to warm up

---

i think that's fine to do. it's a kind of handling/bonding w/ your snake. plenty of peeps watch TV w/ their BP's. just don't fall asleep, be aware of where it is at all times and don't stress it out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ax01

i like this. i'm gonna try that LOl. i like how u didn't test it w/ your hands or fingertips but chose your stomach Lol.




i think that's fine to do. it's a kind of handling/bonding w/ your snake. plenty of peeps watch TV w/ their BP's. just don't fall asleep, be aware of where it is at all times and don't stress it out.

---

I watch tv and do all kinds of stuff while holding any of my snakes that won’t stress them but have never fallen asleep while holding them. A guy on the enterwebs told me they could eat me

Jellybeans, if it's any consolation, I worried about the same thing back when I first started keeping snakes...especially when the snake just ate & seemed to be
choosing the wrong temperature. I've come to realize that they often deliberately slow the digestive process...especially with larger meals, they somehow know
that faster digestion (at higher temperatures) can overwhelm their stomach. They've evolved these behaviors for good reasons, even if not clear to us. In the
wild, those that survive "know enough" not to eat when the weather cools off, so they don't get stuck unable to digest with food rotting in their gut. :snake:

It's amazing how cold a snake can feel just at "room temperature". ;)

I've learned a lot about BPs by observing him.


Sent from my LGMP260 using Tapatalk