Odd ball Pyton behavior?

Hello I have a ball pyton for about 6 weeks now. The last few weeks he has been very active. He does sleep but is very active all night and a good portion of the day. Also He took his bedding and stuffed it into his hide on the warmer side. So I dont think he can even get in. Is this normal behavior? Thanks

It's normal for them to be active at night, but not so much during the day. Your snake could be stressed which could be caused by a number of different things. Can you describe the setup? (type of heat, temps, size of cage and hides, etc.)

Also, I'm pretty sure your snake didn't stuff the bedding in his hide on purpose. Just remove the bedding...

Okay 30 gal snake tank. Heat lamp on one side, with under tank heater. Stays around 85 degrees. Gradients down to around 75 degrees near his other hide. Large water bowl takes up a good chunk of the tank. Tank large enough for him to streach all the way out and more. I am currently working on a 125 gallon tank I had so I can set it up for him. That will be sweet. Aspen shavings for bedding.

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Originally Posted by Spbeyond

Hello I have a ball pyton for about 6 weeks now. The last few weeks he has been very active. He does sleep but is very active all night and a good portion of the day. Also He took his bedding and stuffed it into his hide on the warmer side. So I dont think he can even get in. Is this normal behavior? Thanks

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well maybe hes sheding cuz they usually dont eat and arent much active when they shed also are you feeding him right

Just an observation, but those temps seem way to cold! The cool side should be around 82 and the warm side should be low 90's.

Also, how old is this snake? If it's an adult, then a 30gal is fine. A baby, however, should be housed in no larger than a 20long...and that should have lots of decor and good tight hides. Unlike some other pythons, balls need to have their homes nice and 'small'. Bigger is certainly NOT better when it comes to housing these snakes. I would nix the 125 gal idea and just get a nice 40gal max for an adult. Something around 48"x18"x12" would be good. More floor space than height and two identical tight hides.

Chances are, your snake is stressed out from the cool temps and too much room.

I would say he is within 2 inches of being as long as the longest side. I will turn up the under tank heater ASAP. Thanks.

Also he eats one medium sized, thawed mouse around ever 3 days.

If your tank(s) are glass, just remember that regulating and maintaining proper heat and humidity levels are more difficult. ;)

I think digging around in their aspen is normal behavior... mine will sort of pile it up sometimes, and sometimes he burrows in the aspen. He's actually gotten under the aspen, then under the newspaper I put under the aspen!

At first I was a little freaked out when I saw that his hides were both empty, but I use a Critter Cage that locks, so I couldn't see him escaping... now if I find a tiny set of lockpicks, I'm in trouble! :)

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At first I was a little freaked out when I saw that his hides were both empty, but I use a Critter Cage that locks, so I couldn't see him escaping... now if I find a tiny set of lockpicks, I'm in trouble!

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Check his tail... they're pointed for a reason. ;)

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Originally Posted by Spbeyond

Also he eats one medium sized, thawed mouse around ever 3 days.

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For best results, I would only feed hatchlings-sub adults every 5-7 days, and adults every 7-10 days. Offering food too often causes a lot of stress to a snake's digestive tract, which will result in your BP to 'fast' for several weeks to allow their metabolism to catch up on all of the nutrients they've ingested. If you feel that just one medium sized mouse isn't enough to last him a week, you can feed him two medium sized mice every 7 days. These animals only get ~10 meals a year in the wild, when in captivity they get over 52 meals a year if fed once a week.

what are you measuring temps with?

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Originally Posted by Spbeyond

Okay 30 gal snake tank. Heat lamp on one side, with under tank heater. Stays around 85 degrees. Gradients down to around 75 degrees near his other hide. Large water bowl takes up a good chunk of the tank. Tank large enough for him to streach all the way out and more. I am currently working on a 125 gallon tank I had so I can set it up for him. That will be sweet. Aspen shavings for bedding.

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Ill bite... Im assuming he/ she is a fairly young bp. (correct me if im wrong). First of all 30 gallon is huge for a bp unless its an adult. Second your temps are way off. I would actually try a smaller tank, a 125 gallon is going to be hell trying to keep temps/humidity up to par, also very stressful for a bp especially a young bp. A display setup for a bp is not going to go very well, because you will have a 125 gallon tank and be looking at a couple hides and a water dish all day. I hope this makes sense :2cent:

I am mesuring the temps with 2 digital thermomiters. The temps are now 92-94 ish on the hot side down to mid to low 80's on the low side. Seems to have gone back to normal other than the whole stuffing her bedding in the hot side hide. (i pull it out and she has put it back 3 times.)

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Originally Posted by Spbeyond

I am mesuring the temps with 2 digital thermomiters. The temps are now 92-94 ish on the hot side down to mid to low 80's on the low side. Seems to have gone back to normal other than the whole stuffing her bedding in the hot side hide. (i pull it out and she has put it back 3 times.)

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Is the 92-94 range the belly temp under the hide? If it is the air temp, the belly temp may be higher than this causing stress. Good that she is settling down though. I'd just avoid handling her till she starts being her healthy noctournal self again. :)