Ball python still climbing walls and trying to get out

[EL-Ziggy]

If my snakes are eating and shedding well I let them do as they please and stopped trying to figure them out long ago.

^^This says it all. Don’t overthink it folks. Snakes gonna snake.

[Waterman]

My daughter has had her ball python for 2 years now…does the same as your saying. Every night. Just more active than some others. If your temps and humidity are good, and you have hides, your find. Sounds like normal behavior

[CakeLike]

I'd add what kind of tank/cage is he in? Is it covered on several sides like a PVC enclosure or with cardboard if it's a glass tank? If not, that might help him feel secure.

Additionally, how are you taking temps (thermometer, IR Temp Gun, etc.)? You want the ground temps taken with an IR temp gun.

Generally, wandering around at night could mean looking for food. However, lack of security and temps too high can lead to that as well. If it's during the day, it's more concerning.

I agree that he should be pretty settled by now.

How big is he (weight) and what is he eating (type of prey and size)? If not sure of weight, does the food item leave a noticeable bulge or it is just right or you don't notice it at all after he eats? Also, how often is he eating?

Please answer the questions as best you can. Snakes do like to squeeze into tight places and can be curious about exploring, but I would want to rule out everything else first, before assuming all is fine.

He is in a pvc enclosure with all three sides blocked out. The temps are air temperature measurements except the hot spot.
He only comes out at night not during the day.
I keep him on the smaller end of the feeding chart. He gets a mouse 11-15 grams every 7 days. He weighs 127 grams and eats great.
I am sure he's hungry again by this point but I am not concerned about his activeness at night. Just the fact that he is still climbing the walls and glass and tries to squeeze out the gap makes me wonder if he doesn't like it in there. Even though he has everything. Branches to explore ect.

He has definately not a shy personality. I have NEVER seen him balled up. Rather he likes to be curled leasurely instead of tightly and when I pick him up he doesn't tgink about balling but instead faces me head on. He's not a striker or defensive but he shows me that he sees me and watches me and that he is ready if push came to shove xD

[dakski]

See below (in BLUE) my comments and concerns. I am hoping I am being nit picky, but want to be sure. You clearly want a happy and healthy BP and I think we all do as well. I just want to make sure you are on the right track.

He is in a pvc enclosure with all three sides blocked out. The temps are air temperature measurements except the hot spot.

1. How big is the PVC enclosure? A tank that is too big for a young snake can cause stress. He's eating and that's great, so hopefully not. However, if it's bigger than a 10 or 20G glass equivalent (20-24"X10"12 inches floor space off the top of my head) he might want a few extra hides in there to clutter it up and give him extra hiding room.


2. Air temps are not usually super accurate because of what they are measured with. You NEED the ground temps with an IR Temp gun. Period. Also, what do you mean "except the hot spot." Are you relying on a probe? Again, you NEED IR temp gun measurements. He seems to be digesting, but you are feeding one the small side (which is fine). Additionally, hot side too hot or not hot enough and cool side too cool or too hot can equate to "searching" for a better temperature and the need to "thermo-regulate," or find the best temp in the given situation.

I am hoping he's just curious, but with how you are taking measurements, we do not know.

3. How big are the hides and what kind are they? They should be very snug for him.


He only comes out at night not during the day.

This is a good sign.

I keep him on the smaller end of the feeding chart. He gets a mouse 11-15 grams every 7 days. He weighs 127 grams and eats great.

Good on eating great and that size mouse is fine every 7 days for now.

I am sure he's hungry again by this point but I am not concerned about his activeness at night. Just the fact that he is still climbing the walls and glass and tries to squeeze out the gap makes me wonder if he doesn't like it in there. Even though he has everything. Branches to explore ect.

Snakes don't really "Like or dislike." NO frontal lobe. He either feels safe and has correct temps, humidity, etc. or he doesn't and he's stressed. They feel content/ok/safe if needs are met and otherwise stress, hungry, scared, etc. Basic feelings. It's good you are watching to see if something is off, but most snakes who have their needs met are "happy/content."

He has definately not a shy personality. I have NEVER seen him balled up. Rather he likes to be curled leasurely instead of tightly and when I pick him up he doesn't tgink about balling but instead faces me head on. He's not a striker or defensive but he shows me that he sees me and watches me and that he is ready if push came to shove xD

Glad he has an outgoing personality. As mentioned, my BP, Shayna, is very shy. She startles herself bumping into things. 9 years after getting her, she still takes a minute or two to start exploring when I take her out and she is ready to go into her tank and a hide within about 5-10 minutes of being out. My Carpet python much less so. My corn snakes less so. My boas - well, they seem like they could explore for hours if I let them. Very outgoing. However, Behira and Feliz, more than Jeff, so it is an individual thing as well. Same with the corns. Solana will curl up in your hand and chill and Figment is all over the place all the time. Both are docile, but Figgie wants to move!

If you can get an IR temp gun we can make sure ground temps are dialed in. Same with the hides and size of the tank. For reference, my BP, Shayna, is about 1,900G. She is in a 4X2' PVC Cage and has two snug hides (hot and cool side), a big water bowl on the cool side back corner, and slightly larger hide (all plastic offset opening hides - I can show you if you want to see) in the middle more for clutter, but that she uses sometimes. She still likes to feel secure, even at her size and tank size.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[CakeLike]

See below (in BLUE) my comments and concerns. I am hoping I am being nit picky, but want to be sure. You clearly want a happy and healthy BP and I think we all do as well. I just want to make sure you are on the right track.






Glad he has an outgoing personality. As mentioned, my BP, Shayna, is very shy. She startles herself bumping into things. 9 years after getting her, she still takes a minute or two to start exploring when I take her out and she is ready to go into her tank and a hide within about 5-10 minutes of being out. My Carpet python much less so. My corn snakes less so. My boas - well, they seem like they could explore for hours if I let them. Very outgoing. However, Behira and Feliz, more than Jeff, so it is an individual thing as well. Same with the corns. Solana will curl up in your hand and chill and Figment is all over the place all the time. Both are docile, but Figgie wants to move!

If you can get an IR temp gun we can make sure ground temps are dialed in. Same with the hides and size of the tank. For reference, my BP, Shayna, is about 1,900G. She is in a 4X2' PVC Cage and has two snug hides (hot and cool side), a big water bowl on the cool side back corner, and slightly larger hide (all plastic offset opening hides - I can show you if you want to see) in the middle more for clutter, but that she uses sometimes. She still likes to feel secure, even at her size and tank size.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Yes the hot spot is measured by a probe on the bottom of the tank, I heat it with a heat mat.
I have a temp gun and measured when setting up the tank but I wasn't sure aboit this method since I can't monitor a temp gun constantly. With my Thermometers I have wifi connection and can read the temps anytime to control them.
But I really doubt it's too hot for him since I am already keeping my hot spot and temperatures on the lower end of the recommend parameters. I have seen people say that temperatures few degrees above mine where still fine for BPs. My snake spends more time in his cool hide and after eating he sits in his warm hide.
Also I have a thick layer of substrate protecting him from the heat from below. Additionally he gets heat from above from a heat panel which he can also hide from under his hides.
I'll post a pic of the cage below.

The cage is 24x16x16 . So I'd think alright for him. He's almost the length of the enclosure
He fits in his hides quite comfortably. When he curls up he takes up 2/3 of the hide. But it doesn't seem to bother him much. He peeks out of the hides regularly.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVNp9B9s...dium=copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CU4VJy3s...dium=copy_link

[CakeLike]

To ad what I already posted, I just fed my snake and he took it like always but after he didn't hide away but stayed out in the open and continued to cruise around. Then he did something he never did before. He smushed his nose against the glass door and tried desperately to get out. He even tried to squeeze through the glass door gap, and tgis time he REALLY tried to get through. He literally smushed his nose into the gap so that his little snoot was smushed together x( . I don't understand why he wanted out so badly. He never was this nervous before to get out.
Could it be he is simply still hungry and thought he could find food if he got through the glass? He only got a small mouse.
It's really worrysome for me watching him smush his nose like that I don't want him to hurt himself.

[Caitlin]

I do a lot of active training, enrichment, and behavioral work with most of my snakes. I didn't want to suggest this until I was sure, based on your other responses, that your snake's basic needs were being met - because failure to provide adequate temperatures, humidity, and safety (via hides, clutter, etc.) can also result in a snake constantly trying to escape.

As others have pointed out there's also a bit of a judgment call in terms of assessing whether this is just normal nighttime 'prowling' behavior by a curious young snake or if he's actually needing something more. The wall-climbing and pushing do indicate that this is more than just normal nighttime activity.

Is there any way you can offer him something similar to the long log hide that he loved so much? Even just a long piece of cardboard, crumpled up paper towel, or even some leaves and branches might work. My snakes also like large pieces of cork bark (which comes in flat sheets). While it's important to offer him separate hides, it's also important to address whatever is stressing him - and at least some of these issues seemed to begin when his log was removed.

Every snake is different, and while Ball Pythons are typically shy, there are definitely exceptions. Many young snakes do best in smaller enclosures, but your guy sounds outgoing and confident. Let him out. Offer him exploration activities (supervised by you, of course) outside of his enclosure. This can be as simple as putting him in a large cardboard box with objects like rocks, branches, smaller boxes or cardboard tubes like the ones holding paper towels, soft pieces of material, and anything that the snake can climb in or on, or smell and investigate. This may provide him with the engaging activities he may want, and by observing him interact you can also get a better idea of what his preferences are.

[PiesThatBind]

I have a female that is purely a CLIMBER. She did the same thing with her walls, constantly.

I finally splurged on a massive 36" piece of sandblasted grapevine wood with lots of branches for her terrarium. She's in heaven - lives on that thing, basks and climbs all the time. You would thinks she's an arboreal tree snake.