baby ball python, please help.

[seercirra]

hi black crystal, thanks dude for your quick reply.

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

ok, thats pretty cool. mines fairly similar. although whats the problem with log hides?
this isnt a circular, hollow log i have. its looks more like its from the root mass of the tree. theres basically one small entrance from the ground and another from above. he has hid in it before. do you still think i should get rid of it?

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.

ok thanks, i thought so, but wanted to check.
i tried to get the mat out, but i cant. infact i cant figure out how they got it in there, lol. theres a small hole feeding the wire through, but the hole isnt big enough for the mat O_o.
actually, thinking again, they mustve just seperated the plug from the wire. ill have a look and see if i can do the same.

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.

ok, ive read conflicting advice regarding a night time drop and light cycle. some people say its necessary. some say irrelevant. yours agrees with my logic so ill go along with it.
maybe i was misleading when i said "tank". i dont know the correct terminology. its basically 5 sides wood and the front side glass. the wood is almost an inch thick. so i guess that wood would absorb more heat than standard glass. and so probably will be safe when placed under the box.

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.

because its a big enclosure, ive put three hides in there. do you still think i should get rid of the log? it does offer a good hiding place, not just a hollowed out branch. as for getting rid of the lamp, agree'd. but... the idle air temp with just the heat mat on, is about 77degrees.
i guess that will drop considerably when the mat is placed under teh enclosure, so would you recommend fitting a low watt fluorescant light too? something like 20w i imagine would stable the temps at mid 80's.

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.

ok, so actually, when i handle him and he constantly tries to explore, thats a bad thing? its actually a sign that it is happier if its just curled up? if thats the case then im quite pleased, as he never tried to slip away when i handled him.

it slithered in my pocket the other day, lol. searching for a dark place. he popped his head out when the rest of his body was inside, and just sat there for ages, looking like the cutest thing youve ever seen - basically until i put him back in the enclosure, lol.

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

ok, cool. ill pick up one of those lamp dimmers when i can. in the mean time, ive turned the 'UTH' off, until i get it out of the enclosure, and ive turned the light on. but ive put a cardboard partition up so the snake cant get to the light. the partition will also make him feel more secure, i hope. as his effective new enclosure is about 1.5ft x1 x1.
i am using a digital thermometer/humidity gauge. - it doesnt have prongs tho.

thanks again man and any other comments or suggestions from anyone are welcome.

edit: if its a sign that he is relaxed and happy, when i tried to remove the UTH earlier, i place him atop the enclosure, along with the water bowl while i was moving all the bark. rather than being scared he perused over to the bowl for a drink, lapped some up and then swaggered back to where he was and just waited, while i was working around him.

is that the behaviour of a happy snake? lol