during day not in hide...

[neur0tix]

I am new to the python scene, so heres the deal... I am waiting for my thermostat to be delivered, right now I have a low powered (for small reptiles like bearded dragons) and a 75W bulb on the right side where his hut is... temperature gauge is about 2/3rd the distance on the side with the heat... reads 82 degrees. its located about 2/3rd the way down vertically, on the bottom side. Humidity says 55 (im not sure what units)

My question is during the day he stays on the cool side and doesnt go in his hide.. (i only have one hide, thinking I should have a second on the cool side)

[neur0tix]

by the way when i first said low powered i forgot to write UAV.. a low powered UAV.

[neur0tix]

Oddly enough as soon as I said this, and adjusted the heat to get to 80 degrees he went back in his hut haha. i think hes ok for now, but any comments greatly appreciated.. i really dont want him to die cause he cost a lot and is a ghost ball python.

[Vilenica]

Loose the light and get a UTH i would tend to say hes avoiding the top heat from the light. Ball pythons live in termite mounds with no light . If you want to light the terrarium/enclosure use a fluorescent that will produce little or no heat (just light)

[stevepoppers]

Get a thermometer with a probe that you can place in the tank against the glass directly over the center of the UTH (don't use tape). There's a model by AccuRite at Walmart and home improvement stores for $12-$15. The hide may be too hot, but you can't tell with the thermometer where it is. Keep that thermometer and put it near the middle of the tank, down right where the snake will slither. That's for ambient temperature.

How did you adjust the heat?

Caresheet.

[neur0tix]

the bulb overhead has a slider to turn it up and down

[stevepoppers]

Oh. Nifty.