Might be a stupid question...

[kurtkoils]

Hey. My name's Grant, and I'm a college student from the Philadelphia area.
I already posted a very similar message in another thread I started, but realized that it would probably be more relevant here.

I just purchased my first python yesterday, along with all of the necessities. I know that (he/she?) is CB and that (let's just say "he") was born in mid-October. He's a beautiful little guy; I named him "Kurt", as I have a Vonnegut fixation. I was provided with a feeding schedule, and it seems that he's been accepting food readily, and finished a shed about a week ago.

I've furnished his first 20 gallon tank with a 60 watt clamp-style heating lamp (I live in a drafty building), a UTH on a medium-low setting, newspaper substrate, a small temporary cardboard hide, a large shallow water dish, and some funny little fake leafy plant that cascades down from where it's affixed to the glass.

Just one question to start I guess:
I've read that Ball Pythons are generally shy, and that they spend a lot of time hiding or curled up in balls. Kurt doesn't seem very shy at all. He rarely even enters his hide, nor does he seem to coil much at all while in his tank. He just calmly explores his tank, sometimes even hanging out on top of the hide under the lamp.

He doesn't even seem to mind being handled, as I've been attempting to do fairly consistently. He curls up for a minute or two after being lifted from the tank, but soon uncoils and slowly seems to explore my arms and the space around him.

I guess I'm just wondering if this is abnormal python behavior. Am I misreading his curiosity and mild-mannered tendencies, or is he just really cool for a juvenile BP?

[Southernshooter]

What are the temps in the tank if he's laying in top of his hide it is possible he is not warm enough in his hide. Also if his hide is way to big he won't feel very secure in it. But we definetly need to know his temps

[kurtkoils]

The temp on the warm side (side with the temporary hide) consistently reads around 87-90 degrees. He doesn't really bask there though, just climbs up and sits for a minute, then continues to explore.

[dsirkle]

I would not be surprised for him not to feel at home after only one day. Leave him alone for a week or 2 without unnecessary handling or disturbing him and he should settle into spending the daytime inside his hide as long as the temps are right and the hide is suitable. A plastic bowl from a dollar store with a door cut in it or a flower pot with an entrance would make a better hide than cardboard. Also make sure that he can't come into contact with the heat lamp (which may well be unnecessary unless your home is really cold).

[Kaorte]

Roaming the cage and not hiding (especially during the day) is an indication of stress.

Make sure you are reading your temps with a digital thermometer with a probe. Dial, gauge, stick on, and needle thermometers are not accurate.

I would invest in two identical tight fitting hides that are not made of cardboard. Check out your local dollar store for some small opaque bowls and cut a hole in the side.

If you snake is stressed, chances are it won't eat consistently.

Wait a week from the last day you handled the snake and leave it completely alone except for water changing. No handling, no feeding for one week. Hopefully in that time he will become comfortable in his home and eat on a regular basis. Then you can handle him more often

[kurtkoils]

Thanks, all. I actually found him earlier hiding under the newspaper that I put down as substrate. It seems that he had pushed his large water bowl a considerable distance across the tank somehow in order to nose his way under there, despite the fact that I have replaced his cardboard hide with a more appropriately sized terracotta one. Haha, this guy is really strong and VERY determined to get under the newspaper. When i refilled the water bowl, I returned it to its original location in the back corner of the tank over the newspaper. Now he's been nosing around the area trying to dig under the water bowl again. Ugh.

[withonor]

He may just want to be closer to the heat. You said it was 87-90 degrees and I think most people look for it to be about 92. You also said when you handle him he curls around you and we are ~98.5 degrees so he may have been trying to soak that in. I would strongly suggest getting an infrared temperature gun. I think they're more accurate and you can shoot it all over the place and get instant readings. Home Depot has a Ryobi for about ~$30 in stock. Or you can get them from any hardware store or reptile supplier online.

[withonor]

Didn't finish my comment, oops.

If he is burrowing on the cool side he might be looking for a place to hide there. My big ball is in an aquarium and the way I got it from previous owners it has all kinds of big real looking fixtures which doesn't allow for a second hide. I draped a shirt over that side of the tank and he wedges himself between his bowl and the glass, and he seems pretty content that way (Not jumpy).

[Kaorte]

If the OP isn't using digital thermometers with probes then chances are the hot side is too hot and the snake is trying to escape the heat by burrowing on the cool side and laying on top of the hide.

When I had a heat spike in my rack, all of my snakes sat on top of their hides. I wouldn't have even noticed the heat spike except for the fact that every single one was siting on top of the hides in the middle of the day.

[RichsBallPythons]

I think we missed something here major.

You said you had a UTH on Medium-Low setting. To me that sounds liek your using a Human heat pad. If this is the case then that needs to be replaced ASAP withsomthing for reptiles.

www.reptilebasics.com