Ball python burrowing

[CindyInPhx]

I got Abraxus as a baby in March of this year. After several months of not eating, I finally figured out what the problem was, solved that, and now I have a new concern. He has been eating 2 small mice a week for the past 3 weeks with no issues. Last night, we had a slight problem with the second mouse, but after a few attempts he grabbed and ate it. This morning he has completely burried himself under the substrate in his tank. He's never done this before. He has burrowed behind his hide on the cooler side. I have a 3 in 1 repti shelter with sphagnum moss on each side, which he's always seemed to love. The warm side is at 96 and the cool at 79, humidity is at 58 right now. He just shed a week and a half ago, one beautiful complete piece. Things were finally going so well, is this burrowing something to be concerned with? Do I maybe need to get the next size of the 3 in 1 caves? His are the size small, it's getting to be a tight fit but I thought that was the idea, he has been able to get in and out of them without knocking the top of it off. Are temps ok? There is so much info out there and alot of it is contradictory, I've just been trying to do the best I can for him. Any advice?

[MattEvans]

Imo 96 is too hot. I keep my warm side at 90 and my cool side 80-81. Now burrowing could be the result of a few things. Depending on what kind of heating and thermal control you use. He could be burrowing towards (uth) or away from the heat (above heating) my warm hide actually has very little substrate underneath it that way i know exactly how warm shes getting. So to much substrate could be preventing him getting the right temp on the surface forcing him to go deeper for warmth. On the other side of the coin its to hot and hes burrowing for cooler substrate.

My other theory is after a big meal ive heard of snakes using water dish, being submerged allows water pressure to push against the outer force on a snake caused by its prey, reducing the pressure the snake feels. Id assume burrowing also can have this effect to a degree.

[CindyInPhx]

I have uth. I will lower temp on hot side, thank you. I have no substrate underneath the actual hide.

[Craiga 01453]

Yeah, definitely get that hot side temp down. I go 89-90

But other than that, burrowing isn't uncommon. Not all BPs burrow, but some do. Nothing to worry about.

[Knowell]

What are you using to measure the temps? If you read 96 with an inferior product they could have been higher.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[CindyInPhx]

I am using a digital thermometer, the probe is under the substrate above the uth. I've lowered the temp on the hot side to 90. He is still burrowed behind his hide on the cool side.

[MattEvans]

If you dont, you need to have a thermostat controlling the temperature of your Uth. and place the thermostats probe between the uth and the glass underneath the tank, where it cant be moved or affected by your snake. Those digital thermometers are somewhat unreliable and can be off by a few degrees either way. Infrared thermometer guns are better suited and you're not limited to only knowing the temperature of one area.