Ball python Very Active

[yeti2k3]

My new ball has been doing this in the evening for the past couple days... Just got him sunday though. Plus he hides pretty much all day and then just roams around at night. Pretty sure mines hungry but i have not attempted to feed him till this weekend coming up. By then he should be settled in.

[hunter94]

How many hides do you have and are they half logs? Also what kind of bedding are you using?

[WingedWolfPsion]

Some roaming during the night is normal--roaming constantly both day and night is not.

[xphoenix23]

well she is on aspen i got the humidity good its at 70 and tried to feed her the Hooper mice i bought and she didn't eat again i got tongs and dangled the mouse and it didn't work ill try again tomorrow if she doesn't take it ill wait another week to feed any more suggestions ?

[xphoenix23]

any help?

[snakesRkewl]

I previously asked...

Do you have your under tank heater on a thermostat?
you mention:i have a under tank heater under her hide that's pretty warm i think about 90

Which is why I asked this.

Do you have a probed thermometer to check your UTH temperature so you KNOW what the UTH temp is.

[Savage420Siege]

Sounds like your snake is not comfortable with one or more elements of her environment. Here are some things to check/try. Most of these have been mentioned in this thread so far, all are important and all should be followed.

- Enclosure should be proper size for your snake. Couple of rules of thumb for this: enclosure length is 2/3 the length of your snake, or length + width of enclosure = snake length
- Plenty of security (Hides and cover/plants) Hides should be small enough the snake has to squeeze into them with only one entrance. Open or half logs are not adequate.
- One hide in each end (hot and cold), hides are identical so snake will feel secure in both and not choose security over temperature preference
- Hot side: 90-95
- Cold Side 80-85
- Ambient air temperature 80-85
- Humidity around 60 percent, slightly higher when in shed
- Enclosure should be in a low traffic/noise area
- Heating devices must be controlled by a thermostat to avoid extreme temps

I recommend you follow these guidelines, change your setup as required. You will need to give your snake about a week to settle into it's newly improved environment. Do not handle the snake during this time and I recommend you also do not handle it until she is feeding for you (at least twice) Do not handle until 48 hours after a meal.

Now, when it is time to feed (one week after changes) try the following:

Get a live hopper mouse/rat which is the same girth as the largest part of your snakes body and/or 10-15% the snakes body weight. Whether or not the snake is in hide or not: remove the hide that is furthest from your snake or the one it is not in. Place the live hopper on the side with no hide. Leave it in there and supervise the activity for 10-15 min. If snake has not taken prey pick it up with tongs by the scruff of neck and dance it around in front of snake. If still no action try again a few days later. There are many different things to try at this stage if it will not eat. Keep us updated.

I know this seams overwhelming but it will be worth it in the end. Do not panic if snake refuses a few more meals. Some pictures of your snake would be helpful to see length and body mass.

Hope you find this helpful.

[xphoenix23]

[snakesRkewl]

Those pretty little frisbees are useless for the most part.
They wont tell you the temperature that the snake lays on, and that's very important.
You need a probed thermometer to do that.

Do you have a thermostat that your UTH is plugged into?

[stratus_020202]

Well, it looks ok. Those type of thermometers are not very accurate tho. I would get a digital. The hides look kind of huge. Go to walmart and get some tupperware bowls that look like she can barely fit in them. They like to be squished. I would also get two identical hides. Then she won't have to choose her favorite.

The tub might be a little big for her. Try and get some plants and things to crowd it a little. And get an accuate reading from your UTH. You could wake up one morning with a burned snake if you don't control it. Good luck!