BP won't go onto warm side, help!

[Tonald Drump]

First of all, some basic info:
1. My BP is a fantastic eater.
2. I've had it (unsexed) for 3 weeks.
3. It's ~60 cm/~2 feet
4. Ambient enclosure temp is 30°C, warm side is 31°C, cool side is 28°C.
5. Ambient house temp is 26-32°C throughout the week (fluctuating temps, one of the cons of living in a subtropic region).

So, now that you have some basic info, let me proceed to the problem. Recently I installed a UTH into my BP's enclosure. For the first day after it being installed, hwe wouldn't leave the warm side. The next day, he won't go on it. Two days after that, he actively avoids the warm side. Can anyone help me by telling me why he's avoiding the warm side? I'm just afraid he might digest too slowly for his own good, as I'm aware most snakes use heat to digest food.


Current enclosure (he/she's hiding in the cocoshell)
P.S. Sorry for the long read

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[Zincubus]

Just had a very quick read and I'd suggest that it's just too warm in there tbh .

I'm guessing the cool side is maybe warm enough for him or even it's the coolest he can get ...?!

What kind of thermometer are you using to get the temps incidentally?

Those plastic stick-on , stand alone thermometers are useless for surface temps .

The cool side should be less than 28C I feel .

Some snakes just prefer slightly cooler temps anyways . I'm thinking 26C even 25C for some...

The set up just needs a bit of fine tuning...

For Royals : Ball pythons best to have two identical hides ( appropriate hides ) one on the warm side and one on the cool side .
The open ended log hides aren't great as they just don't offer any security to them - ones with one opening are far better imho .


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[KingNoFace]

Do you have something to regulate the temp of your UTH like a thermostat? Without one your UTH can push 120 ° which is WAY too hot and can burn your BP. Always make sure you know exactly what temp your hot spot is running at!

From the sounds of it his hot spot is either too hot, or he just doesnt feel like using it atm. BP's can often be content for a few days in one place once they find a good snug spot. Especially if hes new to your home.

[Tonald Drump]

Just had a very quick read and I'd suggest that it's just too warm in there tbh .

I'm guessing the cool side is maybe warm enough for him or even it's the coolest he can get ...?!

What kind of thermometer are you using to get the temps incidentally?

Those plastic stick-on , stand alone thermometers are useless for surface temps .

The cool side should be less than 28C I feel .

Some snakes just prefer slightly cooler temps anyways . I'm thinking 26C even 25C for some...

The set up just needs a bit of fine tuning...

For Royals : Ball pythons best to have two identical hides ( appropriate hides ) one on the warm side and one on the cool side .
The open ended log hides aren't great as they just don't offer any security to them - ones with one opening are far better imho .


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Yeah, but I live in Indonesia, so can't get too cold on the cool side. As for measuring, I use my dad's temp gun. Also, thanks for the tip, I'll try to get another coconut shell in there somewhere!

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[Tonald Drump]

Do you have something to regulate the temp of your UTH like a thermostat? Without one your UTH can push 120 ° which is WAY too hot and can burn your BP. Always make sure you know exactly what temp your hot spot is running at!

From the sounds of it his hot spot is either too hot, or he just doesnt feel like using it atm. BP's can often be content for a few days in one place once they find a good snug spot. Especially if hes new to your home.

My UTH has a dial on it and I put it on the midpoint, then measured the temp after 4 hours of being on, then measured again after 24+ hours. Same result, 31°C. Also, I assume what you said is happening to my BP and he just doesn't feel like being warm right now, thanks! (no sarcasm intended)

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[Zincubus]

Yeah, but I live in Indonesia, so can't get too cold on the cool side. As for measuring, I use my dad's temp gun. Also, thanks for the tip, I'll try to get another coconut shell in there somewhere!

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Temp guns are great !!



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[JodanOrNoDan]

With your ambient, the animal really doesn't need a hot side and will not use it often. Once the body temp of the animal hits around 84f digestion and everything else works fine so it has no need to warm up further.

[maausen]

Just had a very quick read and I'd suggest that it's just too warm in there tbh .

I'm guessing the cool side is maybe warm enough for him or even it's the coolest he can get ...?!

What kind of thermometer are you using to get the temps incidentally?

Those plastic stick-on , stand alone thermometers are useless for surface temps .

The cool side should be less than 28C I feel .

Some snakes just prefer slightly cooler temps anyways . I'm thinking 26C even 25C for some...

The set up just needs a bit of fine tuning...

For Royals : Ball pythons best to have two identical hides ( appropriate hides ) one on the warm side and one on the cool side .
The open ended log hides aren't great as they just don't offer any security to them - ones with one opening are far better imho .


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I do not mean to hijack this thread but I too have been wondering about something like this.. My ball never leaves his cool hide either! Zincubus, how do you recommend fine tuning the temps? In other words how do we know when we hit the "sweet" spot? Should I look for a balance between my ball moving between both sides?

[Craiga 01453]

My UTH has a dial on it and I put it on the midpoint, then measured the temp after 4 hours of being on, then measured again after 24+ hours. Same result, 31°C. Also, I assume what you said is happening to my BP and he just doesn't feel like being warm right now, thanks! (no sarcasm intended)

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Your UTH should be regulated by a thermostat. UTHs can spike to high temps which can cause sever burns or worse to your snake. Chances are pretty high that temps are too high above the UTH so the snake is avoiding that side.

- - - Updated - - -

I do not mean to hijack this thread but I too have been wondering about something like this.. My ball never leaves his cool hide either! Zincubus, how do you recommend fine tuning the temps? In other words how do we know when we hit the "sweet" spot? Should I look for a balance between my ball moving between both sides?

Fine tuning temps can easily be regulated by controlling all heat sources with a thermostat.

[JodanOrNoDan]

I do not mean to hijack this thread but I too have been wondering about something like this.. My ball never leaves his cool hide either! Zincubus, how do you recommend fine tuning the temps? In other words how do we know when we hit the "sweet" spot? Should I look for a balance between my ball moving between both sides?

The sweet spot is a body temp between 84 and 88 degrees. It has nothing to do with movement between hides. Frequent movement between hides indicates the animal was not comfortable in the hide for some reason one of which may be temperature. Staying in one hide or the other for long periods is also problematic in that it may indicate the the other hide is too hot or too cold. When we supply a gradient we allow the animal to heat and cool itself. Most people end up having to do this because controlling the ambient is not practical.