Ball Python Stool Question

[WhitePython]

I’ve had my female BEL for about 2 months now. She’s 3 months old and is the sweetest girl. She absolutely loves coming out of her enclosure in the evenings to explore branches on my bed and climb all over me. Other than that, she constantly explores her enclosure from around 8pm until about 12am. I currently have her in a 10 gallon tub, and plan to move her to a 30 gallon wooden vivarium until she gets big enough for a 40. Her hot side is 32° Celsius and her cool side is 25-27°. She has two identical hides on either side and one in the middle along with a water bowl she can soak in. Her humidity is at 70 and usually stays at this. She also has loads of foliage. She eats a f/t rat pup weekly without fail, (every Monday) and won’t eat any more frequently than that.

I last fed her this past Monday, but on Tuesday evening she pooped. This is much sooner than usual, and instead of it being her regular tub shaped, hard poop, it was like a soft dollop of lighter coloured poop. I’m not sure if this was diarrhoea or just an unusual stool but it wasn’t anything like her usual. Should I wait to see if it happens again and if it does take it to be floated, or should I take her to the vet now?

[Bogertophis]

Her humidity is too high unless temporarily when she's in shed; you want about 55% routinely- but I doubt that affected her stool anyway.

I wouldn't rush to the vet with this stool either- it can vary some- just watch it- see if abnormalities continue or worsen. Bigger concern would be bloody stool (or orange color).

Also bear in mind that rat pups are very digestible- not a lot of roughage so the resulting stool tends to be softer, less formed- & the pup was probably full of milk- that might be why her stool was lighter color- your snake didn't completely digest it all so well?

It's a bit unusual for a BP to be "exploring" so much (even though it's fun for us to watch) because it often means they're not feeling settled in- maybe hides aren't suitable & she feels stressed. You didn't mention what kind of hides she has or how many?

[WhitePython]

If her humidity is any lower than around 60, she becomes stressed and spends a lot of time soaking. I’ve also seen on this site that keeping them at 70 is okay because their natural habits are around 80 humidity.
I’ve done trial and error to see what she’s most comfortable with.

She has 3 hides. One hot, one cool and one for humidity. Since she only explores at night and sleeps for 90% of the day I’ve been told not to worry too much about her being out and cruising around at night, especially since she’s eating every week without fail and having full sheds with routine excrements. She also doesn’t try to escape but rather just slithers around.

That makes sense, thank you so much for educating me on that! That makes a lot of sense, and I guess you are right. I think I was more worried about how quickly she pooped after eating because she usually does not, but I guess you are right. Thanks so much

[Bogertophis]

It's also possible your humidity gauge is "off"- the inexpensive stick-on types are notorious for being inaccurate & you didn't say what you're using. Excessive humidity can promote RI's or skin fungal infections etc. so it might pay to be sure. Humidity + heat tends to promote bacterial growth- so be sure to keep her clean.

About hides: if they're too big or too "open" your snake won't feel safe in them either. Snakes (esp. BPs) like to feel cozy- they like to feel "back pressure" from a low ceiling & not enough room for a predator to sneak up on them; also, only one modest doorway. If your hides are too big, you can stuff them with crumpled paper (etc) until your snake grows & fits them better.

[Ascended]

Also bear in mind that rat pups are very digestible- not a lot of roughage so the resulting stool tends to be softer, less formed- & the pup was probably full of milk- that might be why her stool was lighter color- your snake didn't completely digest it all so well?

I agree Pups are mostly water and little bone and rufige (fur)
On the other hand you could have fed it one that was a bit off.

[WhitePython]

Thanks guys for your help! I’m using a digital hygrometer that seems relatively accurate. 3 sides of her enclosure are blocked out and she has comfy hides She hasn’t pooped since so I think it was a once off thing!