baby ball python, please help.

[blackcrystal22]

Ok, I drew this a while back, and if you learn better with pictures this is useful. I can explain things better in picture form too.
This is a desired Ball Python enclosure for a tank.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...g?t=1244314426

i cant believe this. i just wrote a huge piece describing everything. and when i went to post, it said i had signed out. and it lost it.

wtf!

one more time then, godamn it, excuse me for being a little direct, this is gonna be much shorter than the original.

new snake: ball python, great. gorgeous.

brought from tropicalfishworld.net.
although i went to the shop to pick it up.

this is my first snake, i really want to check everything is ok. the setup, snake itself, etc.

this setup is what the shop supplied me with. i know you cant always trust shops to know whats best - another reason im here.

tank is around 35x15x15.

1.5 inches of bark substrate.

under BARK (not tank) is a heat mat on left side of tank

Ok, that's VERY bad.
Get the UTH outside of the enclosure, inside the tank it can cause DANGEROUS consequences. If water or deification were to hit the mat, then it would short out and heat up to high burning temperatures.

temp of bark above heat mat is around 95degrees.
i use it at night time. ambient temp around that area is 77-80.

You don't need a night-time drop. It should be the same temperature for the day and night for bps. Also, the temperature should be 95F directly on the glass above the UTH. If it's 95 above the substrate, that means it's approximately 100F on the glass which they often burrow down to, and that will burn the snake. You need a proper thermostat because UTHs will get much too hot without anything to control it. Also, get rid of any thermometers or hygrometers that are not digital, and get yourself some that are digital with probes.

2 hides around heat mat area. one on it, one to the side.

water bowl in middle.

on right side of tank, big nice log hide (but small and compact inside)

above log, light.

light = too hot. ( i think) its too hot to touch.
i have light on during day, heat mat during night. temps directly under light register 110degrees.
on other side of tank, temps ambient 85degrees with light on.

humidity = 70% - but decreasing. the moisture from the new bark is being evaporated. im not sure how far the humidity will drop tho.

Ok, put two identical hides in the cage, one on the warm side and one on the cool side. Get rid of the log hide, it is useless.
I also suggest ridding yourself of that lamp. Ball pythons do not need any sort of light or above temperatures. They will only suck out humidity and cause more problems for the cage and the animal.

snake itself:

he's 95 gram at 1.5 months old.

has strike fed, so they say (and ive reason to believe)

extremely docile and scared.

he explored tank when i first put him in. i have taken him out a few times in the couple of days since (trying not to any more having read that its better to let them settle in new home). when i put him back in the tank, he doesnt move. staying in a ball for a long while. after that, he may then try to find a hide. and he's been in the one he's in for over 15 hours now.

- which makes me worried.

Ball pythons are constantly hiding. Roaming is extremely stressed behavior. If he is hiding, that is very much of a good thing and means he is doing exactly what he is supposed to do.

i just want to leave him be now and let him adapt. i had to get him out a few times because, for example, my first temp recording of the bark on top of heat mat was ~100 degree's. which i thought probably too high so i laid some cardboard ontop of the mat, and then replaced the bark, so that the bark temp is about 95 degrees instead.

Remove that UTH until you get something to control it. It is getting far too hot and will burn your animal (he could easily burrow under the substrate or cardboard and get directly onto the UTH which seems like its reaching 100-110F which is extremely hot.)
You can get a proper thermostat here, but until then you can get an inexpensive lamp dimmer from a hardware store for the UTH.
http://www.reptilebasics.com/Thermostats-p-1-c-250.html

basically, please let me know what i can do to make sure he's as happy as possible. im considering partitioning the tank so that he can only occupy half until he is bigger. - he hasnt explored it at all since i first got him in there. but please let me know. i will listen and make the changes i need to.

thanks alot.

I can't really tell how large the tank is.. but I recommend for a baby that small a 10gallon tank. It sounds like that is more of a 20-30 gallon set-up which is very stressful for the hatchling. You could take a picture of the enclosure so we can help further.