Very Stressed Baby Noodle

[Handelizabeth]

Hi everyone I am new! So my bf and I got our very first Ball Python yesterday. He seems to be a male who I am assuming is 3-4 months old. We purchased him from Reptmart (I know they're not ideal).

Anyways he is very stressed. He is constantly climbing trying to escape. His UTH is regulated with Jumpstart and it's at 88 degrees I have it set to 90. He is cool side is at 80, and his humidity levels at 55.

I know one reason he is stressed is his tank is far too big for him right now. We were going to adopt an adult but it didn't end up working out. He is in a 40 gallon.
If I buy like another hide and some fake plants, and try to clutter up his enclosure do you think he will chill out a bit?

Also could it be I don't have enough substrate in the tank causing it to be too warm? I put enough to cover everything but it can be easily pushed to the side to expose the glass underneath. I use eco earth mixed with forest floor.

We tried to feed him yesterday, but he was too stressed to eat. So we're gonna put that off for a few days.

[vivi]

You don´t want to feed him the first day you got him. Offer again in a week. Let him settle in and if possible, get a smaller enclosure.
I´m curious, what are you feeding him, and how much does he weigh?

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-hatchling-101 < A useful post, by Deborah.

https://mypetpython.com/the-ultimate...hooting-guide/ < Troubleshooting.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ing-Guidelines < Keep in mind these are guidelines, not explicit rules.

https://www.reddit.com/r/snakes/comm..._from_live_to/ < F/T feeding methods.

Edit: How many hides do you have?

[Reptile$ 4 Life]

I argree with vivi. Handle him as little as possible and get a smaller enclosure.

[Handelizabeth]

I don't know how much he weighs, he just seem pretty smalll. Reptmart gave us no information on his age or size of food. We have fuzzies right now but we are going to get him a larger size when we try to feed him again.

Is there anyway we can make his tank seem smaller? If not will probably get a tub temporarily.

[vivi]

Fuzzies are too small. For future reference, I wouldn't buy from a seller that has no knowledge of their weight or food size.

To make his tank seem smaller pack it with as many hides, wood, fake plants, etc as possible. Can he creep from one side of the tank to the other without being seen? If not, add more clutter. Try digging up the substrate to make a "burrow" and putting a hide over it. In the wild they will hide in pre-made burrows like that. You want to make sure the BP feels as secure as possible.

Also, the substrate temps don't matter. You want to be measuring the surface temps because they can and will burrow.

Any chance we could get pictures?

[Bogertophis]

I don't know how much he weighs, he just seem pretty smalll. Reptmart gave us no information on his age or size of food. We have fuzzies right now but we are going to get him a larger size when we try to feed him again.

Is there anyway we can make his tank seem smaller? If not will probably get a tub temporarily.

You can also cover half the tank with a beach towel (just make sure the towel isn't too close for safety if using overhead heating) (& avoid using lights, BPs are happier with just ambient room lighting). Need at LEAST 2 hides that are 'cozy' for the size your snake is when curled up- for them to feel secure. You can use clean cardboard boxes with 1 hole cut for doorway if your store-bought hides are 'lacking', or if they're too big, stuff some paper in them to make them seem more snug. You'll see what your snake likes when he USES them. To insulate a glass tank, you can cover the back, sides & part of bottom with something that insulates but also adds PRIVACY for a shy BP...that may also help.

Successful feeding for a BP is more likely if you follow some guidelines:

-don't offer food for the first week or two when snake is still afraid & settling in (new homes are terrifying to snakes & fear does not stimulate their appetite, just the opposite)

-wait until evening hours to offer food, preferably dim light in the room & minimize commotion in the room, move slowly & don't hover (we appear to be predators!)

-best results are usually when your BP is peeking out of his hide...remember these are "ambush predators", not gladiators! They wait for clueless prey to walk too close to where they're hiding. A BP will almost NEVER accept food when he is cruising around the cage (ie. out in the open) as in the wild, they too are at
risk from predators. A mouth full of food or a slow-moving body that's just downed a heavy meal puts them at risk of being the prey...remember that. BPs do not go out for 'fast food'...they like to stay home & eat where they can hide & grab "drive-by" prey.

-BPs use their heat sensing pits, so if feeding f/t, it must first be thawed, then warmed to lifelike temperature (of a live rodent). Many use a hair (blow) dryer, right before offering.

-use feeding tongs...how you offer can either spell rejection or acceptance. Too much motion or too little won't work, & whatever you do, remember that live rodents don't volunteer to be dinner! So don't make it seem as if your f/t rodent is approaching the shy BP...go past the snake, rather than towards, to incite the snake to come after it. Understand?

-be prepared for the snake to grab FAST...try not to let your startle response scare the snake into dropping & refusing his food. Don't drop your feeding tongs on the snake.


Food size chart:

[Handelizabeth]

Thank you guys for your response! We are going to clutter his hide as much as possible. We covered the front side of his tank to give him more privacy. He seems to calm down a bit during the day, it just at night he tries to escape.

[vivi]

Do you have clips to help keep the lid down? And yes, at night they are more active. They can and will push the screen lid off if not secured.

[Bogertophis]

Do you have clips to help keep the lid down? And yes, at night they are more active. They can and will push the screen lid off if not secured.

And some clips don't work so well, so be sure to test it, because snakes are WAY better than we are at playing "hide & seek"...trust me on this.

[Handelizabeth]

We do have clips and a tie on the latch!
Thank you everyone. He is doing much better since we covered the front side of the tank and cluttered up his home