Help with my new ball python (A couple questions)

[zeerum21]

so I got my first ball python June 26, I have her in a 2' long, 1' tall, 1' deep tank with paper towel as a temporary substrate. I'm using a 6 x 11 - 7 watt heat mat on the bottom of the tank, a small log hide on hot end a big cave hide on the cold end a water dish and a few objects in there to make it feel smaller. Temps on the hot end are in the high 80's and low-to-mid 70's on the farthest spot of the cold end. She is about 7 weeks old. My main issue is the fact that she will not eat. The breeder I bought her from (at a reptile expo) said it had been a week since her last meal, and he had been feeding her live. So it has been almost three weeks since her last meal and I am starting to worry a little. All I currently have available is F/T mice. I have tried braining, and even leaving the mouse in the tank for a while and still nothing. I have also tried moving her to a separate container but that did not work either. She does not seem stressed out at all. She is somewhat active, exploring her enclosure. Whenever I open the door on the enclosure she slithers right out onto my hand. She seems very curious. My other issue is humidity. I have a dial hygrometer as well as a digital hygrometer/thermometer with a probe, and both are reading excessively high humidity levels - anywhere from 80-90%. Which doesn't seem right because it does not feel humid in my room. My older brother has a Western Hognose in his room and his humidity levels stay right around 65%, and it feels way more humid in his room than in mine. So I'm not sure why I'm getting such high readings. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I will post some pictures below of her and her setup. P.S. She is a cinnamon pinstripe morph. P.P.S., I sometimes use the heat lamp to help suck out the apparently "high" humidity inside her tank

[Albert Clark]

Hi! How are you regulating the heat coming off the heat mat? The humidity may be related to a unregulated heat device. 90% is pretty high. Are you staying on top of the urine and urates bc that will also elevate the humidity. Especially if you only have paper towel as the substrate.

[zeerum21]

hi i just cleaned out her tank and put in aspen and i have a ink bird thermostat, and humidity is at 74% currently

[John1982]

It can be tough to move a royal into a new enclosure type. The breeder was likely keeping her in a confined space where she felt more secure. She's now basically feeling exposed with this giant human thing harassing her with mouse carcasses nonstop. You've tried at least 3 different feeding methods(leaving, braining, relocating) in the 2 weeks since you got the girl. It's a good idea to let them settle in a week or two before offering the first meal. If it's denied, wait a week before the next offering, etc. You'll have better luck if you can get some live prey but I wouldn't cross out f/t yet either if that's your goal - or only option right now. Probably the most common mistake when offering f/t is not heating it up enough. You want to heat up right to around 100 degrees fahrenheit. The next mistake is being to aggressive with the offering. Use your tweezers, tongs, chopsticks, whathaveyou and offer the thoroughly warmed rodent starting just out of striking range and doing a little "zombie dance" to just within range. Don't get close enough that the rodent(including hairs/whiskers) touches the snake as that can turn a curiously hungry, though possibly shy, royal into a scared critter who now wants nothing more than to escape.

[deathangel579]

Just a lil help and advice. Ball pythons usually do better in dark enclosed crowded spaces. So start by blocking out 3 sides of your tank. Posterboard or anything dark will do. Next, get some better hides. Those half log things suck in my opinion. BP like hides that only have one small opening. Make sure all of your heat sources are regulated. Burns can happen very easily as BP dont feel pain like we do. So they usually dont know they are burning till its too late. CHEs are better then lights. Make sure ur tank is in a low traffic area in your house. The less stress the happier ur snake will be. Also the less stressed the better it will eat.

[deathangel579]

Also get some fake plants to clutter up the tank. A hiding ball is a happy ball

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[deathangel579]

so I got my first ball python June 26, I have her in a 2' long, 1' tall, 1' deep tank with paper towel as a temporary substrate. I'm using a 6 x 11 - 7 watt heat mat on the bottom of the tank, a small log hide on hot end a big cave hide on the cold end a water dish and a few objects in there to make it feel smaller. Temps on the hot end are in the high 80's and low-to-mid 70's on the farthest spot of the cold end. She is about 7 weeks old. My main issue is the fact that she will not eat. The breeder I bought her from (at a reptile expo) said it had been a week since her last meal, and he had been feeding her live. So it has been almost three weeks since her last meal and I am starting to worry a little. All I currently have available is F/T mice. I have tried braining, and even leaving the mouse in the tank for a while and still nothing. I have also tried moving her to a separate container but that did not work either. She does not seem stressed out at all. She is somewhat active, exploring her enclosure. Whenever I open the door on the enclosure she slithers right out onto my hand. She seems very curious. My other issue is humidity. I have a dial hygrometer as well as a digital hygrometer/thermometer with a probe, and both are reading excessively high humidity levels - anywhere from 80-90%. Which doesn't seem right because it does not feel humid in my room. My older brother has a Western Hognose in his room and his humidity levels stay right around 65%, and it feels way more humid in his room than in mine. So I'm not sure why I'm getting such high readings. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I will post some pictures below of her and her setup. P.S. She is a cinnamon pinstripe morph. P.P.S., I sometimes use the heat lamp to help suck out the apparently "high" humidity inside her tank

Your cold side temps are to low. They should never drop below 80-82. Your hot side should be about 90. Ambient (air temp) should be about 83ish. Cluttering up the tank will help alot. Your snake is probably stressed from moving and everything. And having your tank so open. Make her/him feel more secure. Also how are u measureing temps/humidity?

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