I need help with my new ball python please

[kc261]

The way you came across to everyone was not good. If you did actual research you would have a smaller tank with a lid, a uth and a thermostat. I feel bad for your snake.

I feel bad for the snake too, but let's not blame the OP. It is entirely possible he did research, just at the wrong places. It is quite easy to research by interviewing pet store employees and/or going to numerous online sites and end up with totally inappropriate info regarding BPs. That isn't the OP's fault, and he is now at a place where he can get some good help for his snake, so let's help him.

Well, ball pythons don't really burrow, they just take over termite mounds or small animal burrows

I thought that too, until I looked up the word burrow. According to dictionary.com:

bur⋅row
–verb (used without object)
3. to make a hole or passage in, into, or under something.
4. to lodge in a burrow.

So they do burrow, just by the 2nd definition of the verb rather than the first. (I left out the noun definitions.)

OP - It seems like you are getting off to a bit of a rocky start, but I think it is great that you are here seeking betters ways to care for your BP. Once you get everything straightened out, I'm sure you'll find you and your snake are both happy and that he is a joy to own. I know I love mine!

Your snake is staying in its hide most of the time because that is what BPs do. They are even more likely to stay in their hide for the 48 hrs after they eat when they are digesting, or when they are in shed. I have one BP in a 20 gallon tank in our computer room (the rest are in tubs in a rack system in a room with less traffic). She is almost never seen during the daytime, staying completely hidden. She does come out almost every evening though, so we get to see her roam her tank for a while.

To help her adjust to her new home and realize it is a safe place, it is best if you do not handle her for at least a week (except for the minimum required for tank maintenance). What I do when I bring a new snake home is let it settle in a week, then offer food, and if it eats, give it 48 hrs to digest. Then I feel it is ok to begin handling it. If it doesn't eat, I wait another week, and continue that cycle as long as necessary. It was very hard with our first snake not to get her out, especially since we had her for about a month before she ate, but I just kept reminding myself to be patient because we would have her for years to come if we treated her right.

You mention that her eyes are "chrome," and that choice of words makes me wonder if she is in shed, or has retained eye caps. If she is in shed, the eyes should clear up within a few days, and a few days after that the snake should shed. The exact timing varies from snake to snake, and shed to shed. If it is retained eye caps, that means the last time the snake shed, the protective covering over the eyes did not come off with the rest of the skin. A single layer of retained eye caps should not be a problem, and should come off with the next shed as long as the snake has enough humidity.

You have already been given a lot of good advice, so I won't repeat it all here. Please do take the time to read the caresheet on this site if you haven't already. It is very good and should help you a lot. I think someone already gave it to you, but here is the link again just in case:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

Good luck with your new BP, and please don't hesitate to post more questions as they occur to you!

[Kaorte]

I thought that too, until I looked up the word burrow. According to dictionary.com:

So they do burrow, just by the 2nd definition of the verb rather than the first. (I left out the noun definitions.)

Semantics