Ball python head burrowing

I recently got my first ball python and he’s just over a year old. I’ve noticed that when he’s in his hides he burrows his head under them and peaks out from a little hole underneath the hide. He does this on both ends of his tank and it’s only in his hides. I’ve read that burrowing within ball pythons can be a sign of stress.. I was wondering if this is an issue or if he’s just curious and is peaking his head out from underneath!

Ball pythons will burrow, bask, and climb in the wild and if given the chance in captivity as well, but I've never seen burrowing described as a sign of stress. From the way you worded it I'm gathering that he is sticking his head out of the opening of the hide? Or is he pushing his head underneath the hide not where the opening is? Bp's are ambush hunters (mostly) and this could just be him waiting for food to arrive. Hope you enjoy your time here and congrats on the bp! If you have photos feel free to share

Hope you get this figured out!

It's hard to say what's going on- pics would really help. Also, how long have you had him & are you handling him at all?

BPs are ambush predators, so often they wait for prey from a safe place. Maybe his hides aren't quite right (ie. don't feel secure enough for him). Like I said, pics & more info would help.

What kind of heat are you using? (UTH or overhead???) And how deep is the substrate? What are the temps. in the enclosure? I'm asking because if using UTH & deep substrate, he might feel the need to burrow for heat, rather than "security". Or if you're handling a new snake, he may be burrowing to try to avoid you (!) but he's still hungry enough to be watching for food. See?

By the way, :welcome:

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Originally Posted by Jorm

I recently got my first ball python and he’s just over a year old. I’ve noticed that when he’s in his hides he burrows his head under them and peaks out from a little hole underneath the hide. He does this on both ends of his tank and it’s only in his hides. I’ve read that burrowing within ball pythons can be a sign of stress.. I was wondering if this is an issue or if he’s just curious and is peaking his head out from underneath!

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The behavior you describe wouldn't concern me at all.

Knowing more information about his setup as Bogertophis asked can help us give you a better idea.

Behaviors in ball pythons can be very nuanced...and it can be difficult for new keepers to really ID what's going on. Burrowing can indeed be a sign of stress, but in this case, I don't quite think it is.
It sounds more like the actual 'door' to his hide and maybe the hide itself may be too big or open, so he made himself a comfortable little hideout. You can try putting some moss or crumpled paper inside to make it feel like a tighter space for now.

Being ambush hunters, him peeking his head out from there is actual a good sign. Typically that's the signal that they're going to be on the lookout for food to come by. So just make sure not to wiggle your fingers in front of him XD