My Ball Python won’t bask

[Erlabella]

My female ball python won’t bask. She’s always on the cold side of the terrarium. I’ve tried switching the hides since my snake is a bit picky when it comes to hides. I switched them and she was still hiding in the cold side of the terrarium. She’s around a year old and eats and sheds fine. Could she be sick or what?

[Wharf Rat]

My ball pythons usually hang on the cool side (around 80 to 82). How warm is your warm side? I keep mine around 84 to 86 with a 88/89 hot spot from an under tank heater. If your temps are good I wouldn't worry.

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[Sunnieskys]

What does your uth read at the glass without substrate over it. What is the temp with the hide over it with the hotspot? It could be too warm.

[midg8290]

Hi, I would be interested to know more about this to as my 2 males are always on the cold side to??

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[Erlabella]

Nighttime temps drop to 68°-70° so it’s definitely not too warm. It’s currently night time so i’ll have to wait till tomorrow to measure the temperatures. FYI Not that I haven’t measured them before bringing my snake home, it’s just that I don’t remember..

[Craiga 01453]

Nighttime temps drop to 68°-70° so it’s definitely not too warm. It’s currently night time so i’ll have to wait till tomorrow to measure the temperatures. FYI Not that I haven’t measured them before bringing my snake home, it’s just that I don’t remember..

Those temps are too low. 75 should be absolute lowest. Also, since your temps fluctuate that much, I'm guessing they aren't regulated by a thermostat????

[Erlabella]

I know I live in a cold country so it’s hard to keep it warm. The day temperatures are around 86°-90°. I measures the temperatures using an infrared laser gun (or watever it’s called) I don’t measure them very often as the temperature is steady (even though it sounds like they’re not) I use a basking light, which is set on a 12-12 hour schedule, which is the reason why it gets so cold during the night. I haven’t had any issues until recently, when she stopped basking. She comes out during the night and sits in one spot the entire time. She looks healthy, not underweight nor overweight, sheds in one piece (except the tip of her tale) she did one time soak in her waterbowl, so I checked her skin for any mites and didn’t find any. She has never done it again.

[dr del]

Have you tried using a red basking light you could leave on 24/7? Otherwise you could lag the outside of the terrarium with cork sheets or polystyrene?

Mine spend most of their time in the cool end (82f) unless they have just eaten.

[Erlabella]

Have you tried using a red basking light you could leave on 24/7? Otherwise you could lag the outside of the terrarium with cork sheets or polystyrene?

Mine spend most of their time in the cool end (82f) unless they have just eaten.

By red basking light, do you mean an infrared basking light?

I fed her recently and she still stayed in the cold side of the terrarium...

[MattEvans]

Here's what I have done because my place's temperature can fluctuate sometimes. I have built a 3 sided insulated box that fit around my exo terra, it provides good insulation and I easily average 5-6 degree difference between the temperature of the outside wall of the box and inside glass wall temperature. I also cut a few acrylic pieces that i use to cover some of the screen mesh to control heat and humidity, And with the uth for the most part that was all i needed to maintain a 89-90f hotspot and 78-80f cool side. Some nights tho I like to have the ac on or open widows while I sleep. so i use a small hood light with one 25w nite glo bulb over the cool side that I will turn on if I know it may be cold just to provide a small secondary source. Not the prettiest but my snakes comfort is number one.