BP interested in only escaping?

Hi,

My BP that i've had for exactly 1 week now seems to be only interested in escaping out of his tank. At the top where the screen slides on and off there are two small gaps so that I can put wires (probes) through. They are small enough so that my BP can't fit through but it seems like everyday, all the time all he does is explore that side wall of the tank, poking his head at those two holes. There is also this branch tree that I have that he climbs all the time to get closer to those two holes. I tried feeding it yesterday F/T and he doesn't even acknowledge it. Should I take the F/T out and refreeze? In about 2 more days I'm gonna alter his home yet again because that's when my online order comes in. Im gonna add background image, add his second hide, a water bowl, UTHs etc... so should I do that, then let him be for another week before feeding again?

Hi,

If the F/T has been in the tank for a while then I would probably just throw it out rather than re-freeze it.

And yup once you change anything in the tank some snakes need another week to settle back in so I would get it all set up right then leave him completely alone for at least a week before trying and if he's still not intrested and everything is spot on environment wise I would wait another whole week with no handling then try again.


dr del

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

If the F/T has been in the tank for a while then I would probably just throw it out rather than re-freeze it.

And yup once you change anything in the tank some snakes need another week to settle back in so I would get it all set up right then leave him completely alone for at least a week before trying and if he's still not intrested and everything is spot on environment wise I would wait another whole week with no handling then try again.


dr del

---

"spot on", I love that phrase. We should adopt that in the states. I have a couple English clients that say that. It always makes me smile. As far as your other comments, I would agree. You have only had him a short period of time. I've noticed that aquarium kept snakes take longer to settle in than tub kept snakes. That has just been my experience and by no means a definite. You definetly should not refreeze and reuse that f/t.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Royalherper

I've noticed that aquarium kept snakes take longer to settle in than tub kept snakes.

---

is that because tubs are boring and not a lot of exploring can/needs be done.


I have definately noticed some strange goings on with mine, all it needs is for me to move a bit of her bogwood and round and round she goes. makes me dizzy ;)

im sure its fine.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rottendj

is that because tubs are boring and not a lot of exploring can/needs be done.


I have definately noticed some strange goings on with mine, all it needs is for me to move a bit of her bogwood and round and round she goes. makes me dizzy ;)

im sure its fine.

---

No, it's because if your snake is training for the snake olympics, it's likely stressed out.

Constant roaming and trying to escape, without really settling into a hide for the majority of the day and only liesurely coming out in the evenings for a few hours,is a classic sign of stress and trying to get out to try to find a safer place to be.

Snakes in tubs feel much more secure, because tubs mimic a burrow effect. Remember, they aren't out during the day roaming in the wild, because they would likely be picked off by predators.

I'm much more concerned with my snakes if they are constantlty roaming than if they are tucked away in their hides.

Okay, so just let the snake be for another week or two without touching? and why do aquiarium snakes take longer?

Because aquariums are too open which leaves the snake feeling exposed and in danger. One way to settle your snake is to fill the tank with loosely crumpled newspaper. You can wean him off of the newspaper after the first week, by taking out one or two pieces every few days.

Mine was like that for a few weeks after I first got him. In fact, I got going on this site when I became concerned after he stopped being so active. Turns out it was because I had been improving his enclosure and he was getting more comfy!

I would recommend getting rolled cork from the craft store and covering three sides of the tank with it. it makes it less open and it also helps keep the overall ambient temperatue steady. With all bare glass, I think you'll find you'll have cold spots around the tank - esp in the corners.

I think you'll find that if you get the enclosure in order (temps, etc) your new pet will settle in nicely in short order.

good luck!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rottendj

is that because tubs are boring and not a lot of exploring can/needs be done.


I have definately noticed some strange goings on with mine, all it needs is for me to move a bit of her bogwood and round and round she goes. makes me dizzy ;)

im sure its fine.

---

yea, when mine was younger, he had to do a big inspection routine anytime I changed anything around.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

Because aquariums are too open which leaves the snake feeling exposed and in danger. One way to settle your snake is to fill the tank with loosely crumpled newspaper. You can wean him off of the newspaper after the first week, by taking out one or two pieces every few days.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bearhart

I would recommend getting rolled cork from the craft store and covering three sides of the tank with it. it makes it less open and it also helps keep the overall ambient temperatue steady. With all bare glass, I think you'll find you'll have cold spots around the tank - esp in the corners.

I think you'll find that if you get the enclosure in order (temps, etc) your new pet will settle in nicely in short order.

---

These suggestions should really help your snake to settle down!!
If you don't like the idea of balled up newspaper in your tank, you could also go with getting some fake vines/plants to help fill in some of the empty space (it's also much prettier!!). This is what I did with my tank (as well as covering 3 sides) and my girl seemed to settle fairly quickly. I would suggest going to either a dollar store or a craft type store, or even Walmart to pick up some fake plants. Much cheaper than the petstores and it is all basically the same thing. I would just make sure that if you do get some fake plants, run your hand over all of it to make sure that there are no sharp points/wires sticking out that could potentially hurt your BP.

But I do agree that BP's settle much quicker in tubs than tanks. My new girl is set up in a nice comfy tub and it took her maybe a day or two to settle in her hide, where even with the vines and stuff it took my girl in the tank a couple more days to get fully settled. But that is only my very limited experience.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Royalherper

"spot on", I love that phrase. We should adopt that in the states. I have a couple English clients that say that. It always makes me smile.

---

Me too. I worked in Australia for several years and it was a very common phrase.

"No worries" was also another favorite of mine that I hear more and more people use.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

No, it's because if your snake is training for the snake olympics, it's likely stressed out.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bearhart

yea, when mine was younger, he had to do a big inspection routine anytime I changed anything around.

---

exactly bearhart. not being funny rabernet, i appreciate you keep a lot of bp's but i do know my snake :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rabernet

No, it's because if your snake is training for the snake olympics, it's likely stressed out.

Constant roaming and trying to escape, without really settling into a hide for the majority of the day and only liesurely coming out in the evenings for a few hours,is a classic sign of stress and trying to get out to try to find a safer place to be.

Snakes in tubs feel much more secure, because tubs mimic a burrow effect. Remember, they aren't out during the day roaming in the wild, because they would likely be picked off by predators.

I'm much more concerned with my snakes if they are constantlty roaming than if they are tucked away in their hides.

---

Robin is 100% correct. Snakes that criuse around alot during the day are serching for a more secure place. You can tell your self what ever you want but when you have studied many snakes for many years you learn what makes them tick. Security is the #1 concern for Ball pythons. Now peoples concerns are very different.

See.. I would keep it simple. Two identical, snug hides; one warm, one cool. A water bowl in the center. I like the idea for tanks, of covering 3 sides.
If your snake is cruising and trying to escape: what hides are you using, and what temperatures do you read in the tank?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rottendj

exactly bearhart. not being funny rabernet, i appreciate you keep a lot of bp's but i do know my snake :)

---

Well yes, whenever you move stuff around, they are checking it out. They need to learn their environment all over again before they can settle down and feel safe.

I remember a while ago, this guy said he switches up his bp's tank every week or so, and thought it was neat that his bp always came out and became very active when he did this. It's a sign of stress. Simple as that. They are stressed that the layout is different. What else could be different? Predators?

They need to feel safe. Hiding, maybe with their head out to watch, is a happy bp.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunny1

These suggestions should really help your snake to settle down!!
If you don't like the idea of balled up newspaper in your tank, you could also go with getting some fake vines/plants to help fill in some of the empty space (it's also much prettier!!). This is what I did with my tank (as well as covering 3 sides) and my girl seemed to settle fairly quickly. I would suggest going to either a dollar store or a craft type store, or even Walmart to pick up some fake plants. Much cheaper than the petstores and it is all basically the same thing. I would just make sure that if you do get some fake plants, run your hand over all of it to make sure that there are no sharp points/wires sticking out that could potentially hurt your BP.

But I do agree that BP's settle much quicker in tubs than tanks. My new girl is set up in a nice comfy tub and it took her maybe a day or two to settle in her hide, where even with the vines and stuff it took my girl in the tank a couple more days to get fully settled. But that is only my very limited experience.

---

Ok thanks. For the fake plants, do I need to disinfect or boil or bake? I keep reading about baking the plants but don't know why and at what degrees.

What I do with my fake plants is scrub them down really good with some dish soap, rinse them with really hot water (as hot as I can stand), and then I spray them till they are soaking with an antibacterial spray ( and let them sit for awhile... usually when I am disinfecting the enclosure the fake plants are sitting) and then I re rinse them really really well to make sure that all the antibacterial spray has come out. I am not sure about baking the plants, if you have any real wood peices in there then you can bake those to disinfect them, but I am not sure that I would bake fake plants. I would imagine that the plastic on them would melt (the stem parts). And I am not sure about boiling them, so I can't give you any suggestions on that. :)

Yea, I think for plastic stuff a good thorough disinfecting cleaning should do the trick.

As far as I know, baking/boiling/steaming stuff is only needed for outdoor stuff that may contain embedded bacteria and/or parasites. I have a nice rock from the back yard that I boiled in a big stock pot when I first brought it in.

For baking stuff I think you would want to keep the temp low, but make sure it is at least boiling temp. So, perhaps 250-300 would work. Also, I would imagine you'd want to leave it in long enough to make sure whatever it is completely heated.

So, if my snakes are more active and coming out more exploring the tank, this automatically means that they are stressed? My girl comes out late every evening and plays. She is trying the same thing to get out of the enclosure, but she eats and seems to be very happy. When I handle her she crawls all over me and flicks her tongue constantly. My boy is in a smaller tank and he says in except to come and and get into his water bowl for a while and slides around the tank for a bit then back to his hide he goes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by brelea79

So, if my snakes are more active and coming out more exploring the tank, this automatically means that they are stressed? My girl comes out late every evening and plays. She is trying the same thing to get out of the enclosure, but she eats and seems to be very happy. When I handle her she crawls all over me and flicks her tongue constantly. My boy is in a smaller tank and he says in except to come and and get into his water bowl for a while and slides around the tank for a bit then back to his hide he goes.

---

The OP was talking about a snake trying to get out "all the time". Robin mentioned "constant roaming" "without really settling into a hide". What you are describing is very different. I think coming out in the late evening qualifies as normal nocturnal BP activity.

I've noticed my girl gets more active the hungrier she gets. I don't think going 7 days in-between meals is an unacceptable level of stress, not even close. But I do guess that she is more stressed when it has been 5 or 6 days and her tummy is empty than the first day or 2 when her tummy is full.

Ok guys i Finally got my tank set up. I have background picture and side covered with towel so he should feel pretty safe from those two sides. I got two hides set up on two ends of the tank, a tree plant if he wants to climb on it, a water bowl in the middle, aspen substrate with newspaper under it. I also got 2 UTHs on the right side and a 60 watt red light bulb lamp on the right side. Thermostats are set, the humidity is at 55%. Buddy finally went in the hide yesterday and spent most of the time there (in the new one) but right now he's again out exploring one of the uncovered walls and climbing up towards the screen and very small gap where i guess he believes he can escape from. I am planning on not touching him for upto a week then feeding him and not touching him for another 2-3 days before starting to handle him again.

Also I think he's about to shed since his skin color has gotten slightly darker. At what point should i start increasing humidity? Also is it a good idea to spray water on aspen? If not then what else can i do to increase humidity? 1 thing i know of is moving the water bowl closer to the light bulb and insulating the tank from all sides.

1 last question. Is it a better idea to use the 60 watt lightbulb to heat up the warm side or the cool side? because if I use it for the warm side it never gets high enough (stopping around 88) while at the cool side the thermostat keeps shutting it off all the time.

Also, for some reason the 2 UTHs won't get higher than 88 degrees F even tho i have the thermostat cranked up all the way to see if that is why UTHs don't work properly. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? Should I insulate the top? Right now i just have a towel covering the top and before it worked fine but it's not working anymore.

Sounds like you are doing good. I noticed that you said both the light and the UTHs never get hotter than 88. Hmmm... Is it possible your temp gauge is not working? What kind are you using?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kc261

Sounds like you are doing good. I noticed that you said both the light and the UTHs never get hotter than 88. Hmmm... Is it possible your temp gauge is not working? What kind are you using?

---

I'm using Acurrite and one of the dual ones

I have 2 UTHs set up on the left side and for some reason they can't heat up the tank at all. Right now its at 84 degrees F. While the other side is at 81.5 degrees with the 60 watt light bulb.

One thing you could do is put both the UTH and the bulb on the same side for a while and see how hot it gets. Don't do that while the snake is in there, or else stand there and watch the temp gauge, because it might get way too hot. But at least it would be a start to proving there isn't something messed up with the temp gauge.

If the room is really cold or drafty, you may just need more heat.

I would also suggest you start a new thread, because this really has nothing to do with the title anymore, and you might also get more responses that way. In your first post, put all the details about your tank size, what equipment you have, etc. etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kc261

One thing you could do is put both the UTH and the bulb on the same side for a while and see how hot it gets. Don't do that while the snake is in there, or else stand there and watch the temp gauge, because it might get way too hot. But at least it would be a start to proving there isn't something messed up with the temp gauge.

If the room is really cold or drafty, you may just need more heat.

I would also suggest you start a new thread, because this really has nothing to do with the title anymore, and you might also get more responses that way. In your first post, put all the details about your tank size, what equipment you have, etc. etc.

---

Haha cool thanks :)

I'm not sure the risk of fires or anything from this but I was told that a good idea would be to place cardboar underneath the heat pad, kind of to insulate it but it does sound like there may be a fire risk if the bottom of your UTH gets too hot.

The thickness of the substrate has a big impact on the surface temperature. I try to keep the substrate as thin as possible so that there isn't a big difference between the temperature of the glass at the bottom and the surface. That way, if my snake burrows down, he isn't in danger.

So, I just keep enough in there to be absorbent and keep him from bottoming out too much. I find about 3/4" to 1" is good. Just keep in mind that if you run with minimal bedding you have to keep an eye out and spot clean if he pees.