Stressed BP???

Hello! I'm new here but I have a question or a few about my ball python. He is about 5 months old now (3 when i got him). He's been doing GREAT, eating well and took frozen just fine, relaxed while handling. He has a good tank set with with two hides and lots of coverage. I handle him for short periods a day. I feed him pinky rats and i fed him one last friday. Monday comes around and he's hungry again so i had picked a slightly fatter one, it wasn't too big but it took awhile to get down and he seemed uncomfortable while he was swallowing it. So i let him be for this week and made sure to check on him and stuff. That leads to wednesday, where i was taking his water dish out to change the water and he was chilling kind've near it? I know he saw me take it out and he was definitely relaxing there. so i came to put it back in and then he strikes at me. i wasnt prepared or didnt think he was gonna do anything so i didnt notice if he was in a striking position after i left? im thinking i just frightened him, but im not sure.... am i just overreacting? is he stressed or on edge?

(also not sure if this is anything but he sleeps in the corner of his tank behind his hide on the cool side and never goes over to the warm side any more. but he sleeps with his head up, like propped against the backing of the tank. he definitely doesnt have IBD or a respiratory infection, at least i hope not) the temp stays around 90-96, sometimes itll get a bit higher but spraying the tank helps it cool down a bit and humidity stays around 40%-50% (i live in a dry state which doesn't help it too much) i spray twice sometimes more a day and he has plenty of space to hide, and his two hides fit him pretty well for his size. this is my first snake and i want to take really good care of him! sorry if this is all over the place, im just worried about him and if im doing something wrong...

Your temp is way to high. Probably the reasom he wont use the warm hide. Your temps should be 86-88 warm side, 78-80 ambient temps.

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Dial back the thermostats on your heat sources so that his temperatures don't go over 90-92*F.

If you don't have thermostats go get some and be glad your snake hasn't died from a burn yet, like one of my rescues did.

Sounds like you don't have a thermostat. I could be wrong but I also suspect rat pinks are too small for him, so he could be hungry.

Hi, welcome to the forum!

There are a few different things at play here that are likely stressing your BP:

1) Pinky rats are too small for a BP his age. He likely struck at you because he's hungry. A BP should be fed prey that is approximately the width of its body and around 10-15% of its body weight. Here is a recommended feeding chart for reference:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...1d2ea1854f.png

2) Temps too high as previously stated, you need to get a thermostat hooked up asap if you don't already have one.

3) Humidity is a bit too low. If you have trouble keeping up the humidity it helps a lot to cover most of the screen top (assuming you have a glass tank with a screen top) with aluminum foil and to scatter some damp sphagnum moss around the enclosure. You can also add a humid hide on the warm side of your tank so your BP can choose to go in there when he needs some extra hydration (especially when shedding!). Here's a tutorial on how to make a humid hide (very simple and can be done with stuff you have in your house): https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=kS8gZXXK7S4

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Oops you beat me to it on the pinky rats Vivi!

Thanks everyone!!! i was thinking about switching heat emitters because i have one that would be reach those temps just fine, so ill definitely do that!

A CHE will dry out an enclosure incredibly quickly. How do you plan on keeping humidity up?

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Originally Posted by kitt3n

Thanks everyone!!! i was thinking about switching heat emitters because i have one that would be reach those temps just fine, so ill definitely do that!

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Please note that even if you switch heat emitters you still need a thermostat! A thermostat is an essential piece of equipment to prevent injury to your BP and ensure temperatures are properly regulated. It's probably the one piece of equipment that can mean life or death for your BP in a matter of hours so please don't skimp on it. Thermostats start at about $35-40 bucks and you can get them at pet stores or on Amazon.

BPs prefer to stay hidden and stay warm, hence a **REGULATED** heat mat. If you still decide to switch, absolutely get a thermostat. You can't not get a thermostat.

i have plexiglass covering part of the screen top to help. if i get a thermostat, what would be the best brand/kind to use?

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Originally Posted by kitt3n

i have plexiglass covering part of the screen top to help. if i get a thermostat, what would be the best brand/kind to use?

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Jumpstart if you´re on a budget. However Herpstat is the best of the best.

I noticed you said ¨if¨. A thermostat is essential.

i didnt mean it as i may or may not get one i was thinking about honestly getting one, sorry.

Oh, I get ya.

I have BNLink and inkbird thermostats and havent had any trouble with any of the 4. Got them all on amazon.
PLEASE make sure any heating devices you have are connected to one. Also, I hope you are checking temps with a temp gun, as the stick on thermometers are wildly innacurate.

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Herpstat and Vivarium Electronics (VE) are two of the best brands on the market. They are both super reliable (can last decades) and equipped with life-saving alarm and safety features so that thermostat failure will not kill your snake. They are of course pricier though so a Jumpstart thermostat is a decent starting one, although it lacks the safety features of Herpstat and VE and tends to break more often so they generally need to be replaced every 1-2 years. If you can spare the cash I'd recommend getting a Herpstat or VE right off the bat as that will probably save you money (and give you peace of mind) in the long run, but if not, a Jumpstart will suffice.

i'll definitely have to get one of the jumpstart thermostat for now, and i was looking around and stuff and for placement of the probe should be somewhere under the che? i could put it through the top and make a little thing in the screen so it can hang down near the che. i know it isnt safe to put it under the bedding as it can get messed up if a snake gets to it or pees/poops on it. is there any better placement for the probe? ill look more into placement and stuff.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kitt3n

i'll definitely have to get one of the jumpstart thermostat for now, and i was looking around and stuff and for placement of the probe should be somewhere under the che? i could put it through the top and make a little thing in the screen so it can hang down near the che. i know it isnt safe to put it under the bedding as it can get messed up if a snake gets to it or pees/poops on it. is there any better placement for the probe? ill look more into placement and stuff.

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It should be fine there. That's how probes for RHP's are often set up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kitt3n

i'll definitely have to get one of the jumpstart thermostat for now, and i was looking around and stuff and for placement of the probe should be somewhere under the che? i could put it through the top and make a little thing in the screen so it can hang down near the che. i know it isnt safe to put it under the bedding as it can get messed up if a snake gets to it or pees/poops on it. is there any better placement for the probe? ill look more into placement and stuff.

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Great question! You're right that the probe should never be in the snake's bedding. People usually have the probe for overhead heating hang down near/under the CHE from a hole either on the top or on the side of the enclosure. There's a good diagram showing ideal positioning somewhere that I will try to find.

My one piece of advice is to make sure you secure the probe very well wherever you put it, because if the probe gets yanked out and you don't notice it, your CHE may overheat and kill your snake. This happened to me when I had a Jumpstart before I got my Herpstat which has safety features to prevent this situation, and it led to a very scary near-death experience for my BP and a very expensive vet trip (luckily he is okay!).

just a little add on, but he's gone over to the warm side now and is chilling in his hide after his meal!! now i just have to wait for the thermostat to arrive! thank you for advice everyone, i had a feeling the temp was too high because it was pretty obvious if he never went over there. but i switched the emitters out like i said and it seems to better now! also, i never responded to anything about feeding and all that, but ill definitely have to weigh him and get him some bigger food as soon as possible.