What is my snake trying to tell me??

[Ax01]

My hatchling is under a water bowl the last couple days. I think the hide was too big. I put a smaller hide in there, and if that does't take, I will find an even smaller one. They really, really like to be under cover.

this sounds like a situation i had with Yellow a year or so ago. he stopped using his hides and was burying his entire body below the substrate and carpet (i used carpet at the time ) after some observation i realized he just didn't like his hides anymore, and needed bigger ones.

it could be a security issue. check your hides situation and see if they're suitable for her; she just might not like them.

i agree with these posts. i think Tia is looking for security. are her hides too big? too small? are the sides of your big 40g tank covered? is the tank in a busy area of the house? she sounds like she needs an appropriate sized hides and/or a darker enclosure.

[dadofsix]

Thank you all for responding. You all have provided valuable insights into what my be driving this odd behavior by my snake.

I will concede that the security issue could, indeed, be what's behind this behavior. However, several things lead me to believe that it's something else.

1. Her enclosure has remained unchanged for months yet she is now showing new behavior. If she didn't like her hides why didn't the behavior manifest itself sooner;

2. She continues to be a good eater. However, i will take her back to small rats at her next feeding. I moved her to smallish medium rats because, for the last month or two, she would be showing hunting behavior three or four days after her last meal.

3. If she is, indeed, showing her insecurity, why, then, is she inside the water dish that is fully exposed to the world with no ground cover for it at all?

The only part of the terrarium that is not covered is the front face. Coincidentally, that's where the water dish is. She seems to be quite relaxed in there, though, even as I type this.

Peace

[Godzilla78]

I thought you said she was mostly UNDER the water bowl, hiding. INSIDE the water bowl in the water, is entirely different. When mine did that it was from mites. Interestingly enough, I got him a big bowl to submerge himself, and it did the trick, within a week, he drowned out the entire mite family that was on him, and they haven't been back since.
I did nothing, save provide the swimming pool, and he did the rest of the mite genocide himself.

Other than that, I have no idea.

[dadofsix]

My apologies for not being clearer. She started the behavior of crawling INTO the water dish four or five days ago, and, then, graduated to crawling UNDER the water dish a few days ago. I've simply been responding to, and answering, posts that stressed a particular point.

Again, my apologies for any confusion caused by my posts and, my sincere thanks to those who have taken of their time to respond to my posts.

Peace

[artgecko]

I'd try lowering the temp of the warm side hide to ~90-89f and see if that helps. Also, check the water in the water bowl for mites...They will look like small black specks.

Also, try putting her in one of her current hides to check for size. It is possible they are too large or small (if she has grown since she started using them).

[Ax01]

alotta times it's hard to tell if a snake is asleep since they do not have eyelids. i think she may be sleeping in the waterbowl. it seems that your BP wants snug place to hide and sleep, therefore she is cramming herself into the waterbowl or burrowing beneath it.

[dadofsix]

An update: Tia has had a good shed and has eaten a decent sized rat since we last discussed her behavior. She still seems to be in the water bowl, day and night. Also, in visiting a local pet store, who takes serious pride in the care of their reptiles, I noticed that all their large ball pythons were in their water dishes. My smaller snake, Tam, has not exhibited this behavior at my house, nor did any of the smaller snakes at the pet store. I wonder if this is a cyclical type of behavior of larger snakes, in terrariums, derived from the time of year we are in.

<><Peace