BP: Is this odd behavior?

[blackkitteycat]

Hi, about 5 days ago I bought a ball python that looks to be around 3-4 months old. He's currently in a 20 gallon enclosure with two hides, some mopani wood, and some artificial plants. The sides and back of his enclosure are painted black to help him feel more secure. His warm side is between 85-87 degrees and his cool side stays around 75. His humidity is usually around 65, and can get up to 80 when first misted. I have not fed him yet, I am planning on doing it friday.

He doesn't roam the cage much(which from my understanding is a good thing) but he also doesn't seem to sleep in his hides. I've only seen him go in a hide once. Instead he likes to sleep in one of the artificial plants. It's a large, vine-looking thing and he likes to curl up inside of it all day. Is this normal behavior? I'm worried that he may not be feeling very secure. Or perhaps he just likes plants! Has anyone experienced this before, or know a possible reason as to why this is happening? Thank you!!

[zina10]

How are you heating this enclosure? From above or with a under tank heater ?

[Lizardlicks]

He's favoring the environment that the pant provides for whatever reason. It does sound like your ambient temps are a little chilly, you may want to try getting it up by about 3 degrees or so. Other than that, it's a mystery as to what a snake thinks or why, and you may have to do some experimenting.

[blackkitteycat]

How are you heating this enclosure? From above or with a under tank heater ?

I have both. I have a lamp because I am trying to grow live plants, as well as an undertank heater on the warm side. I only leave the lamp on for a few hours during the day for the plants. The UTH is on 24/7. The plant he likes to lay in is on the cool side, though.

[blackkitteycat]

He's favoring the environment that the pant provides for whatever reason. It does sound like your ambient temps are a little chilly, you may want to try getting it up by about 3 degrees or so. Other than that, it's a mystery as to what a snake thinks or why, and you may have to do some experimenting.

Okay, do you have any advice for raising them by that amount? I'm thinking I may need a stronger UTH heater.

[Lizardlicks]

The UTH is for creating a hot spot, not for heating the whole enclosure although it can bump temps up. It should be about 88-90f. There's a couple different tricks you can try, depending on your set up and how you heat your room.

[rock]

My BPs like to lay under their fake plants in the middle. It seems they do feel secure there.

Question with you warm side temps. Are they ambient temperature or surface temperature calculated by a temp gun?

[blackkitteycat]

My BPs like to lay under their fake plants in the middle. It seems they do feel secure there.

Question with you warm side temps. Are they ambient temperature or surface temperature calculated by a temp gun?

That is the ambient temperature

[gplegend11]

I'm wondering how your ambient temperatures vary so much from each side of the cage when you use only an uth (besides only the few hours of light use.). If these measurements are without the light then I can only assume such a high ambient temp could only come from the uth being WAY too hot. That would explain why he does not want to be on the hot side. Do you have a thermostat to control how hot the uth gets?

the substrate temp hot spot over her uth should generally read 88-92.

you said in the original post fake plants but in a separate post real plants. Do you have both fake and real plants in his tank? What substrate are you using?

ambient temps do not need to be as high as 85, as well 75 is the low end you would ever want. Drop the high end a good couple degrees and bring up the low end To 78. I like to keep my ambient temp at 82 through my entire cage, but inside his cool enclosure will measure 77-79 if he needs to cool down.

can you measure the temperature of the substrate using either a temp gun or a probe thermometer? What are the substrate temps on either side of the enclosure, as well as underneath each hide, and above the hottest point of the uth?

what are the size of his enclosures? Perhaps they are too big for him. They don't like large enclosures at all.

65% humidity may also be a little high to have at all times as well. During shed that is great but does not need to be that high continuously. Mid fifties is a great level to hold. Definitely don't need to do misting if it doesn't drop below 60%. Remember that if the substrate is wet, his enclosure over the uth will have much higher humidity than the readings outside of it because it will hold all that evaporated moisture inside much better than the tank itself will.

Also, even with all temperatures where I want them, one of mine does like to sit in her fake plants from time to time, although they are very dense and you can barely see into them.

i am pretty new here so I am learning, but from what I have learned thus far, these are the things I would check.

[blackkitteycat]

I'm wondering how your ambient temperatures vary so much from each side of the cage when you use only an uth (besides only the few hours of light use.). If these measurements are without the light then I can only assume such a high ambient temp could only come from the uth being WAY too hot. That would explain why he does not want to be on the hot side. Do you have a thermostat to control how hot the uth gets?

the substrate temp hot spot over her uth should generally read 88-92.

you said in the original post fake plants but in a separate post real plants. Do you have both fake and real plants in his tank? What substrate are you using?

ambient temps do not need to be as high as 85, as well 75 is the low end you would ever want. Drop the high end a good couple degrees and bring up the low end To 78. I like to keep my ambient temp at 82 through my entire cage, but inside his cool enclosure will measure 77-79 if he needs to cool down.

can you measure the temperature of the substrate using either a temp gun or a probe thermometer? What are the substrate temps on either side of the enclosure, as well as underneath each hide, and above the hottest point of the uth?

what are the size of his enclosures? Perhaps they are too big for him. They don't like large enclosures at all.

65% humidity may also be a little high to have at all times as well. During shed that is great but does not need to be that high continuously. Mid fifties is a great level to hold. Definitely don't need to do misting if it doesn't drop below 60%. Remember that if the substrate is wet, his enclosure over the uth will have much higher humidity than the readings outside of it because it will hold all that evaporated moisture inside much better than the tank itself will.

Also, even with all temperatures where I want them, one of mine does like to sit in her fake plants from time to time, although they are very dense and you can barely see into them.

i am pretty new here so I am learning, but from what I have learned thus far, these are the things I would check.

ah okay. The UTH may be too hot. I ordered a thermostat on amazon, but for now i've been periodically feeling the substrate. It doesn't seem to be too warm and he's gone on the warm side multiple times.

I have fake plants for now with one live plant. More live plants are coming in the mail, I only used artificial so he would feel more secure. The substrate i'm using is cypress.

I will go buy a temperature gun so that I can check the temps.

His enclosure is a 20 gallon.

Okay, thank you for letting me know that. I thought the humidity had to be much higher. I'll mist less frequently.

The plant he sits in is very dense as well. However he has started going in his hides now, and thats where he stays during the day. I'm assuming he just felt secure in the plant. thank you for all the info! I'm mainly a fishkeeper with one leopard gecko, so snakes are new to me!