is it normal???!?!?!?

hey i just baught a bp the other day and i love my snake! im alwas up late so i get the chance to watch it a lot during its active stages but i had a question. i have a 29 gallon tank for my bp and the high is a little shorter then my bp so i alwas see my bp trying to go to the top it leans straight up and its practicaly touching the cage top. but then it falls from leaning to much. simtimes it falls like what a pecil stnading up would fall like. im just worried it might be hurting itself every night is this normal? and i somtimes it stand up and kinda like shake its head for 5 seconds.

Sounds like it it trying to escape.

Have you provided enough hides, humidity, temperature gradient for it to be comfortable? That would be good things to look at first.

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

Sounds like it it trying to escape.

Have you provided enough hides, humidity, temperature gradient for it to be comfortable? That would be good things to look at first.

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Agreed!

What are you using as your heat source? Are you using a thermostat/rheostat/dimmer to regulate the temperature? Also, how are you measuring your temps? Make sure the surface of the enclosure isn't getting too hot. Pictures and more specific info about your setup would GREATLY assist us in helping you...

Furio did the same thing a few times when I got him home until I got everything perfect and now he's happy because all he does is hide asides from when I take him out for handling or it's his active phase. I agree with the previous few posters. Nail your humidity and temps and hides and all that and he'll settle down. They usually explore their new place for a day or so until the know where everything is and whatnot and then go hide the rest of their natural lives lol. Good luck, you'll be fine!:gj:

welll i have a heat gradient thats for sure cuz i monitor all that stuff the humidity lvl is usealy around 60-65 when it drops below that i mist it. the hot side is 85-90 the cool side is 77-80 i have a water bowl. 2 hide spots one on cold one on hot and even 1 humid box in case of humidity. i want to add that this is the 3rd night thats he has benn with me and everytime i look at him hes trying to get out. i have a screen top. with a towle on it and around the heat lamp i made a cover with a hole in it for the lamp out of tine foil there is a 5 inch gap for fresh air. i was wondering if all the falling could hurt him badly. i would post a pic but i dont realy kno how i just took some.

oh and 3 sides are coverd i only leave one side open for viewing. i did a lot of research be4 i got my bp. but i keep learning new stuff im glad you guys are trying to help

It is common for young bp's to explore and try to 'escape' when settling into a new enclosure. Be sure you give him a week of no handling so he can settle in, but it may take a few days to a few weeks before he stops trying to 'escape' and settle in. It is true, he can fall and bonk his head or even damage a vital organ should he fall hard, which is why it is important to have an enclosure that matches the size of your snake. My snake is over a foot long, and his tank is 12 inches high, very little room to fall.

The reason bp's fall so much is because they are ground dwellers, not tree climbers. If you want, you can add a branch or two (you can by them at pet stores, drift wood, bendable artificial vine, ect) which will give him more to hold onto when he climbs up the sides of the tank.

how do i put a pic up from my computer?

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Originally Posted by chavhing

how do i put a pic up from my computer?

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Open another window and go to the bp.net main page. Click gallery. Click my images. Click upload. Upload your image (max 800 pix wide). Copy the direct link listed UNDER the photo once it is uploaded. Go to this thread. Click reply. Click insert images. Paste URL.

my bp is a bit bigger then the height of my tank. about 2 inches longer. but he likes to go on top of a peice of drifwood that i put in his cage and then stand up making him touch the top.

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Originally Posted by chavhing

my bp is a bit bigger then the height of my tank. about 2 inches longer. but he likes to go on top of a peice of drifwood that i put in his cage and then stand up making him touch the top.

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Well basically, you can add more for him to climb on, leave it the same and he should be ok once he settles down, or you can put him in a tub or smaller tank.

Hope that helps.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/...imageuser=8262

this is a pic of my bps home

Very nice set-up, but it is indeed tall. I like the driftwood you have already, but you can get some nice tall peices that would look very nice, and give him plenty to climb on. That is all I can suggest really if you prefer not to switch to a smaller tank (its totally up to you) Don't forget that if you do put him in a smaller enclosure, you can use that one once he is a little bigger.

On another note, where are you hiding your humidity/thermometer gauges?

the thermomitor is stuck on the back of the tank with a probe and im using a stick on humidity gauge for now ntil i go out and but a digital one.

Well don't give up yet, others may have suggestions for you:)

i will definately go out and buy some more stuff. once i get paid that is =]

oh and i have my tank in my room and my tv or computer monitor is on a lot will this effect my snake a lot?

This is the tall enclosure I had my bp in before I decided to down-size. Without all of the extra's, he would inch up the side of the glass then *thump* down he'd fall. It is always a better idea to use a shorter enclosure rather than fill a tall one with things to climb on, but it did stop him from falling. He had something to hold onto in all four corners.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../4/2/setup.jpg

This is his new, shorter enclosure, which cost in total $55 with a lid I constructed.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...4/2/setup3.jpg

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Originally Posted by chavhing

oh and i have my tank in my room and my tv or computer monitor is on a lot will this effect my snake a lot?

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As long as the light from either the computer or your T.V isn't illuminating his tank, and you don't have loud music or crank a theater system, it should be fine.

My female does it everynight. I wouldnt worry about it. The way i think of it is would you try to explore as much as you could. I mean c'mon they are in this little tiny glass tank there whole lives.

both very nice enclosers. im using my old aqauarium right now.

do u think all the falling could hurt him seriosuly?

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Originally Posted by chavhing

both very nice enclosers. im using my old aqauarium right now.

do u think all the falling could hurt him seriosuly?

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There is always a possibility that he could hurt himself seriously. It only takes one good thump on the head to cause brain damage or landing on a hard surface for him to damage an organ, but as far as how likely that is to happen, its hard to say.

You may want to consider taking a look locally at used/new tanks for sale that are shorter than yours (15-20 gallon, but try and aim for 12 inches tall) you would be surprised at how many deals you may find;) If you are in the U.S or Canada, try kijiji.com/ca, there are tonnes of tanks listed in my area, you may be just as lucky.

I started off with a 29 gallon and I really regret using it, it's a pain keeping temps in. Use a 20L much better and they can't hurt themselfs.



http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...7/opinion1.jpg


thats what I have now... mine is more cleaned up and stuff but you get the jist of it

last night i was watching my bp and its usealy very active at night last night it just stayed in its hide. and i saw it go to the cool side hide stayed there for an hour then went back to the warm side. i woke up arond 3 am and still it was in its hide. do u think somthing could be wrong? temps and humidity is all good.

They do that. It's part of thermoregulating. They go to the cool side when they decide they've been on the warm side for long enough and yes, a ball python will spend like 88% of it's life hiding on the warm side. That's a sign you have a happy snake. If he's out ALL the time he's stressed so everything sounds normal to me.

Yes, that is just thermoregulating. As to the height of your enclosure, I have to ernestly suggest something much shorter. A 20 gallon long tank is a great start. My first BP was constantly doing the wall climb with a loud thunk when he lost his grip or strength. It worried me so much, even with perfect temps, regular feedings... I decided to move him out of that tank as soon as possible. I went to tubs and havent looked back.
Anyways,
The fall itself could severely hurt him. Not to mention if he fell on some cage furniture, he could end up with broken ribs, internal damage and quite possible death if he fell just right.

Bp's are not very good climbers and are best in a short but wide and deep tank. It's the safest when they cannot climb up and fall over like a tree. I hope you have corrected that. ;)

thx guys yea im planning to go out and buy a 20 g long tank as soon as i can. so even at night its going to be hidng? ok well i am planing to feed it in a couple of days. because i got it a couple of days ago and the breeder said he already fed it so i am planning on feeding it a week from the day i got it.

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Originally Posted by chavhing

thx guys yea im planning to go out and buy a 20 g long tank as soon as i can. so even at night its going to be hidng? ok well i am planing to feed it in a couple of days. because i got it a couple of days ago and the breeder said he already fed it so i am planning on feeding it a week from the day i got it.

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Good for you! A week from when you brought it home should be good, and remember to give him at least 48 hours of no handling to digest. Don't worry he won't hide all night every night, but he will hide a lot.

Sometimes I come home late and look under the hides, see no snake but then there is my boy, staring me right in the face all stretched out, and it kinda startles me because it's a rare sight;) But don't worry, you will get to see your bp once he is settled in and you begin handling him:)

Mine has taken the fall as well once. I'm pretty sure I heard the wind get knocked out of her. They are not the brightest and she was trying to stand on the tip of her tail... Unfortunately my tank is that tall. I didn't do enough research on them.

I spent 150 on the tank and the stand and quite frankly I don't plan on switch to something else due to that... perhaps if I'm sitting better cash wise in after the summer.

The point of my post was actually just to show a pic of Kali pretending to be a tree snake.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...062_resize.jpg

At night she as well goes up the wall but it's nothing close to this anymore.

I have a 20L, and my BP spent the first week exploring the setup every night. Now that he is more comfortable he really only comes out to hunt/drink/soak. He still occasionally climbs, but nothing too serious.