My Snakes Behavior

My bp has been in her new enclosure for three days now and she is still not using her hides that I provided for her (that I've noticed). She's been active, but she does seem to curl up and rest periodically. Do you think I should change anything? How can I tell if she's still stressed or just a gal who likes to cruise around at odd hours?:)

Well I think if your temps and humidity are good, then she is fine:) .. She's prolly just checking the new place out.

Well.. what kind of hides are they? She might be having trouble finding the entrance to them.. you might want to hold her so her head pokes into the entry way.. usually the rest of the snake will follow.

Alternately the hides may not feel secure enough for her.

They are small tubs turned upside down with an entrance cut into them. Check out my gallery in a sec I'll add a pic.

Those cups are very high.. meaning they are not secure feeling for the snake at all. Liken it to trying to hide by standing in the middle of a room. ;)

Try something shallower.. something that will touch her on all sides when she is hiding in it.. you can use plastic houseplant saucers or even small tv dinner trays.

I'll see what I can find. If I can't find something else right now. Can I cut some cardboard out to make the hide seem lower? Or do you think that will work?

Just a thought but mine prefer darker colors too. Ive used some that are lighter in color and let light in and they wont go near it.

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Originally Posted by Sinsation

Just a thought but mine prefer darker colors too. Ive used some that are lighter in color and let light in and they wont go near it.

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I had an issue just like that. I was using a white bowl with a hole in it. It let to much light in to I have to burry and it substrate. Now the snake won't come out out of it!


Op: If you are using tubs turned upside down they are most likely clear? I don't think any snake would use that as a hide.... because well it's not exactly hiding!

By "tubs" I ment containers that used to have something in them. One had sour cream in it originally and the other had oxi-clean (I washed it very well). She's just so small right now. I'm having a hard time making hides that are small enough for her liking. Do you think a crinckled up paper towel in there would make her feel more hidden? I have those half log looking things, but she won't have anything to do with them, so I quit using them.

I don't have any flower pot bases right now or I would use them. Anything else around the house that you can think of I might be able to use? Is it possible to use a small towel or shirt temporarily, or does that work?

I think some crumpled up paper towels just might do the trick. Just be sure to check them and change them out as often as needed.


However, it could very well be that she's just not quite feeling at home yet. Sometimes it can take several days for a BP to claim their entire territory, including the hides. That's one reason to give her a full week of "acclimation" because you can't always tell within just a few days how settled they are. So....I'd wait out the week before making any adjustments to her current home (so long as you know temps/humidity are where they should be...). Any adjustment you make will increase the time it will take her to acclimate.

So I'd hold off on the paper towels or any other tweaking of her hides until she's had plenty of time to decide if she wants to use them or not.

Ok sound good. Thank you for the advice!:)

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Originally Posted by snake_lady83

I don't have any flower pot bases right now or I would use them. Anything else around the house that you can think of I might be able to use? Is it possible to use a small towel or shirt temporarily, or does that work?

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How about taking what you currently have, cut them so they are shorter in height.

I've been using some things from around the house for hides lately... One of my balls uses the end of those new 12-pack boxes of soda, the long box that is supposed to fit in your fridge better or what not. I just cut the end off and cut out a little doorway, and he uses that just fine.

I used a toothpaste box for another... hahaha. I've also used paper towel and toilet paper rolls. One of the boas is using a cereal box as well.

Just make sure you throw away anything that you can't clean if it gets dirty.

I can do that with the sour cream one, but the other one is much too thick to do that (lol you should have seen me trying to carve the enterance out). Good idea.:)

I am using a big cheap cat litter pan for my Blood Python... I just got my dad to cut the entrance out. :P I think it made him feel accomplished, doing something for this snake that just scared the crap out of him when it bit him.

lol That's cool.

The little plastic terra cotta colored plant saucers are only around 25 cents for the 4" ones, and you can find them at Walmart. My '06 babies love theirs, even though two girls are already turtling :)

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Originally Posted by snake_lady83

I can do that with the sour cream one, but the other one is much too thick to do that (lol you should have seen me trying to carve the enterance out). Good idea.:)

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go to any construction site, get one of the guys there to cut a hole or entrance for you!(they'll do it). or just take the hide into a store like depot or lowes and use some snips they have in the tool section.


vaughn

Good idea.:)