Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting, though I have read through quite a few threads in preparation for my first ball python coming home. He is here now and seems to be adjusting well but I was really hoping to get some behavioral insights from some experienced keepers. When we first handled him at the breeders he seemed very relaxed. He didn't ball at all while being handled. He did respond quickly when a loud noise startled him but just pulled his neck back into an S shape. He only stayed like that for maybe 5 seconds and then went back to exploring. He didn't seem frantic during this time, I definitely didn't get the impression he was trying to escape, he just kept extending his neck and looking around while flicking his tongue. I have read that long and probing tongue flicks indicate more curiosity than fear, as opposed to short fast flicking. When he first got in the enclosure he did explore, sniffing all the decor and hides. He drank from his water bowl twice, and fairly immediately found and curled up in his warm hide. He has spent every day in his warm hid and comes out and curls up in his plant watching the floor of the enclosure at night. I have read that ball pythons are not climbing snakes, but that juveniles will do this more often than adults but would this be considered normal behavior or should I expect him to be out slithering around at night more than hanging out watching? He is about two months old and feeding on F/T rats. He just ate his first F/T rat pinky at home last night and retreated into his warm hide to digest. We have only had him for three days so I was not expecting him to feed so willingly, but I wanted to try to keep him on the same schedule the breeder had him on, which was every Saturday. What do you think, does it sound like he is doing well or are there any signs of stress that I may not have noticed? Thank you so much for your help.

This is Shesha.

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