BP Digging

I just recently redone my 2 yr old BP tank. She has an undertank heater 16 watts on one side and a 50 watt dome on the other side. This has been like this for about a week. Today she started digging all the substrate from the area where the dome lamp is. It was all pushed to the UTH side. What am I doing wrong? Or what is going on. She has never done that before.

You only want to have the heat on one side of the tank. So one side is warm and the other is the cooler end. I don't know if that is why she is digging but...?

I asked the heating question a few days ago and the consensus was opposite sides.

Does anyone know what in the world she is trying to do. I might have to turn the UTH down or something. Any ideas?

is she burying herself? if she is then its probably because she doesn't feel secure maybe the hides are too big. my bp was doing that too and i just threw some crumpled up newspaper in her hides and that did the trick

We have a redtailed boa and even at the shop where we bought him you couldn't find him - we thought the tank was empty! He LOVES burying under the substate and we figured that it was because he didn't have enough of a hide.

Well, now he's home here and what does he do? Buries under the substrate. Go figure. And where he buries is under his hide directly on top of his UTH. Luckily we have an Exo Rainforest UTH pad so it gets warm, but not very hot.

Our BP is the EXACT opposite. Rarely during the evening when I go spy on him is her on the substrate at all - he loves cruising the branches CONSTANTLY and sleeps right in the middle of the two heat/cool zones for the most part.

I dunno...perhaps both our burrowers have groundhog lineage in them somewhere.

Jeff

Just a side note...from your other post with the heating diagram for your new BP - bottom diagram! Always have your heat sources (lamp, UTH, etc) on the SAME side.

Jeff

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Originally Posted by mrmertz

Just a side note...from your other post with the heating diagram for your new BP - bottom diagram! Always have your heat sources (lamp, UTH, etc) on the SAME side.

Jeff

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Hi,

That only holds true if your heating on the warm end (when dialed in correctly) keps the cool end at the proper temperature as well. :)

If your cold end is too cool then it needs some form of heating to supplement it.


dr del

I just purchased a Herpstat II and will be getting some flexwatt also and that should make everything awesome

I've found with my personal experience that it's best to only have your heat sources on one side, otherwise when the snake feels like it's to hot, it doesn't have any place to go to. I had a BP do that exact same thing when I had heat on both sides of his tank, and when I changed to just one side he stopped, and hasn't done it since. Well occassionally he'll get under his water dish, but that's only when he's getting ready to shed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

That only holds true if your heating on the warm end (when dialed in correctly) keps the cool end at the proper temperature as well. :)

If your cold end is too cool then it needs some form of heating to supplement it.


dr del

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I disagree. I think that the snake is smart enough to regulate it's own body temperature once it realizes that there is a hot side and a not so hot side. But that's just me ;)

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Originally Posted by elusivereptiles

I disagree. I think that the snake is smart enough to regulate it's own body temperature once it realizes that there is a hot side and a not so hot side. But that's just me ;)

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This is a tropical species and also a shy animal. If we do not provide the proper temps through out the entire enclosure, the animal can get sick from too low of temps because it chose to stay in one hide. It's a possibility, and I wouldn't chance it.

You will always want to provide the exact same hides for the BP on each side, to encourage him to thermoregulate. You don't want the BP to choose security over thermoregulating, which is where the benefit of 2 duplicate hides is needed.

The ambient air temps should always be above 80 degrees. Hot spot should really be around 89-93 degrees.

What does it matter how the heat lamp and UTH are set up if she is getting the proper temps on both sides? Seems silly to me to condemn a set up because you think there is only way to meet the proper temps. ;)

Tideguyinva, what type of hides are you using? It's not uncommon for BP's to burrow if they feel exposed. And if you just moved him, he may need a few weeks to adjust to his new home. If the heat pad on the glass is very warm and does present a burn risk, you can lay down some newspaper over the heater to reduce the risk of burn until you get that herpstat, with the substrate over the newspaper. That way he never comes into contact with something that can burn him, since BP's do not detect heat through their belly as well as they do on their backs.

If you can give us what the temps are on the hot spot, and the ambient air temps, it will help us better understand the situation. Maybe even a picture of your set up and we can help you figure out what may be bothering your BP. :)

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

This is a tropical species and also a shy animal. If we do not provide the proper temps through out the entire enclosure, the animal can get sick from too low of temps because it chose to stay in one hide. It's a possibility, and I wouldn't chance it.

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I TOTALLY AGREE, I THOUGH I HAD A GOOD ENVIRONMENT B/C MY WARM SIDE WAS RIGHT ON, I ASSUMED THE COLD SIDE WOULD BE FINE, IT WASNT IT WAS WAY TOO COLD AND THAT WAS WHERE LUCY STAYED. WHEN I PICKED HER UP SHE WAS EXTREMELY COLD SO I HAD TO WARM HER UP AND THEN SHOW HER THE WARM SIDE HIDE AGAIN. I THINK MY PROBLEM WAS I HAD A TREE WITH SOME VEGETATION AROUND THE HIDE ON THE COOL SIDE AND NOT THE WARM. SHE LIKED THAT BETTER SO SHE STAYED THERE. EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS REALLY COLD, SHE FELT SECURE, AND THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO THEM. I'VE LEARNED AND NOW SHE IS ONE OF THE HAPPIEST PETS IVE HAD.

Right now she has 2 creature cubbyholes the large size she fits in them perfectly. Temps are pretty close in the tank because i cant turn the uth on because it gets over 100 so i let her be with the lamp.. right now it stays 80-85 in the tank. both sides are pretty much the same temps

That is a fine temp I think. I would chalk it up to her tank being changed around, and that's her way of dealing with it. Sorta the same thing when our BP's would hide under the newspaper for no reason. Even with a hide, they preferred to go underneath... :rolleyes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

This is a tropical species and also a shy animal. If we do not provide the proper temps through out the entire enclosure, the animal can get sick from too low of temps because it chose to stay in one hide. It's a possibility, and I wouldn't chance it.

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I realize that it is a tropical species, however MOST captive ball pythons aren't in an environment that is much larger than lets say 30 gallons on average. If one side of ANY 30 gallon tank or tub is 93 degree's then I GARUNTEE that the other side is not going to be to cold and more than likely not below 80 degrees either. And when I posted my reply to this originally, I was just explaining my experience and opinion. People are welcome to take it or leave it. I will say this, I continually watch my snakes spend time on one side of the tank, and then the other, which leads me to believe that they are regulating their temperature to their liking. And since I have no idea what my snake likes or dislikes when it comes to heat and or no heat, then I let my snake choose for itself, which is why I only provide heat on one side of my tank. I can read a million posts and or books about ball python care, and each one will say something different. So I guess that just proves the point that no ball python is the same.

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Originally Posted by elusivereptiles

If one side of ANY 30 gallon tank or tub is 93 degree's then I GARUNTEE that the other side is not going to be to cold and more than likely not below 80 degrees either.

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When I was using a 20 gallon tank, my cool side was consistently below 80 degrees, it always hovered around 74 degrees, even though the hot spot was always at 93. That's why I had a light on the cool end to bring it up to 83.

I don't believe you can guarantee anything since everyone lives in different climates and keeps their own house temps differently.

I have heard the same from other people, some people find it works with just a heat pad or a set up like yours, while others with cool house temps like me need to set it up differently to achieve proper temps.

Well it also determines on whether or not you use plastic or glass. If you are using glass then you need to put a towel or something over the screen so that the himidity will stay high enough. And by doing so your "cool" side will stay much warmer. And if your snakes are kept in a room by themselves, then you can put a space heater in there to keep the room a little warmer, just make sure you keep the door closed. I got a space heater for $35 and it has a thermostat so it cuts itself on and off when needed to keep the room at 80 degree's.

**** UPDATE****
Had the Herpstat II in for a few hours. I have it set at 95 with the probe right above the UTH, on the underside of the tank. The probe inside the tank under the substrate right above the newspaper is reading at 91.2. So I think the hot side is good. Now I have to get the ambient temps up. I have plxiglass covering at least half the screen top. I am going to foil the rest of the screen top and leave about an inch across open. Hopefully that will get the ambient temps up.