Ball Python resting beneath substrate. Is this typical?

[Simple Man]

Great news! Sounds like you've made some big improvements.

Regards,

B

[kitedemon]

The feeding is the best tell for husbandry if it is way off the animal will not feed or will regurgitate what it did. Your temps look fine although you didn't let us know the ambient air temps just surface temps. Air temps are often ignored but are just as important. Ideally it should be 80-85 or so.

It sounds like you have a digger there. I have one who is too she likes under her paper in the rack.

The analogue humidity instrument is fine as long as it is accurate. They are dead easy to test, there is a quick 'are you working' one and a more accurate one.

The quick test is place a wet paper towel over the instrument wait 30 min and check it should read at or very near 100%.

The other is a salt test. Ideally done at 30ºC but practically it makes so little difference (less than 0.5%) it does not matter. This test can be used on any hygrometer. I actually like the analogue hygrometers that can be tested and altered to be correct again when and if they wander. The cheap cigar humidor ones have in my testing proven to be the most reliable and accurate in the cheaper price range (under 100$) There are good digital ones (wet bulb) out there but they are really sensitive to dirt and junk and need very careful perpetuation before use and are simply too fussy to use with snakes.

http://cigars.about.com/od/humidors/qt/hygrometers.htm

[Pyth]

The feeding is the best tell for husbandry if it is way off the animal will not feed or will regurgitate what it did. Your temps look fine although you didn't let us know the ambient air temps just surface temps. Air temps are often ignored but are just as important. Ideally it should be 80-85 or so.

It sounds like you have a digger there. I have one who is too she likes under her paper in the rack.

The analogue humidity instrument is fine as long as it is accurate. They are dead easy to test, there is a quick 'are you working' one and a more accurate one.

The quick test is place a wet paper towel over the instrument wait 30 min and check it should read at or very near 100%.

The other is a salt test. Ideally done at 30ºC but practically it makes so little difference (less than 0.5%) it does not matter. This test can be used on any hygrometer. I actually like the analogue hygrometers that can be tested and altered to be correct again when and if they wander. The cheap cigar humidor ones have in my testing proven to be the most reliable and accurate in the cheaper price range (under 100$) There are good digital ones (wet bulb) out there but they are really sensitive to dirt and junk and need very careful perpetuation before use and are simply too fussy to use with snakes.

http://cigars.about.com/od/humidors/qt/hygrometers.htm

Hello KD,

The ambient temperature is 74 degrees F.

The temperature gradient in her terrarium is now: 84.4F / 92.7F.

Right on target!

Pyth

[kitedemon]

Is she eating ok? The ambient temp is low. The cool end is a touch high. She might be in the substrate trying to get warm. counter logical but..

The biology. Ball Pythons have two lungs one is small and really does next to nothing. The other is long, very long, 2/3 of the body. The heart and liver are against the lung, all the large arteries run past the lung, if the air in the lung is cool that will cause the blood to cool and drop the skin temps. If you are hypothermic they do tell people to sit on a radiator but to drink arm liquids and wrap up the core. Same idea here. The core temp is regulated largely by the lungs air temp and secondary by surface temps.

drop your cool end temps some, but try to stop all that heat loss. You are producing lots of surface heat but losing it as fast as you make it. You might try to insulate the top some of now a blanket might work, just drape it over the top and sides as well as the back and see if there is a change. (don't get it too hot like on a lamp or something!!!) Give it a day or two and see what the snake does hopefully she will stop hugging the heat and start thermoregulating normally again.

[Kymberli]

Not sure if anyone mentioned so, but that green reptile "carpet" is not the greatest. It's difficult to keep sanitary and would be much more costly to continuously replace than some other substrates. I've never personally used it but others have said that after a month or so of use, even if you clean it as best you can, it tends to smell a bit. I'd imagine it harbors bacteria much more than other substrates would.

As for not being able to find the thermometer/hygrometer combos in pet stores, you won't. Accurite is the most commonly used and can typically be found in WalMart or Home Depot for arround $12.

[kitedemon]

My local pet store carries combos they are a bit expensive and the same accuracy as accurites but the ones on ebay for a dollar are too. Buy what you want but the specs are the same on all of them until you spend some serious bucks or go liquid crystal. I like the humidor hygrometers that can be calibrated as they can be made accurate with the simple salt test. Digital ones are all the place but few can be calibrated.

I am biased here I dislike the accurites, it is big and bulky, and has the same specs as the rest. I have owned 3 or them 2 accurite replaced due to inaccuracy out of the box. (humidity way beyond the specs as well as temps and the other one the temps were beyond the specs) The third I checked it was just inside the specs for temp 1.8ºF high so I gave it way. My 1$ ones are all at least as accurate as it was. They are cheap and work ok and can be replaced the second they become suspect. My advise is buy 12 and get rid of the ones that are reading more than 0.5º different from the majority. I have the same advise for accurites buy a bunch (more than 3) and toss or take back the worst of the bunch. They are no better or worse than the rest of the cheap digital ones on the market.

[Kymberli]

My local pet store carries combos they are a bit expensive and the same accuracy as accurites but the ones on ebay for a dollar are too. Buy what you want but the specs are the same on all of them until you spend some serious bucks or go liquid crystal. I like the humidor hygrometers that can be calibrated as they can be made accurate with the simple salt test. Digital ones are all the place but few can be calibrated.

I am biased here I dislike the accurites, it is big and bulky, and has the same specs as the rest. I have owned 3 or them 2 accurite replaced due to inaccuracy out of the box. (humidity way beyond the specs as well as temps and the other one the temps were beyond the specs) The third I checked it was just inside the specs for temp 1.8ºF high so I gave it way. My 1$ ones are all at least as accurate as it was. They are cheap and work ok and can be replaced the second they become suspect. My advise is buy 12 and get rid of the ones that are reading more than 0.5º different from the majority. I have the same advise for accurites buy a bunch (more than 3) and toss or take back the worst of the bunch. They are no better or worse than the rest of the cheap digital ones on the market.

Can you direct me to the ones you purchase on e-bay? I've never seen thermo/hygrometers sold that cheap, but if they work as well as Accurites I'd love to order a handful.

[kitedemon]

Sure it isn't a combo just thermometer. Hygrometers need to be calibrated they typically are crumby out of the box. salt test is easy and simple.

ebay item number 270744134684

hygrometer
http://www.neptunecigar.com/pr/analo...RC=ShoppingCom

I actually bought my hygrometer from a local store. The price was slightly higher but about the same with shipping. I got a better price the second time I went in and bought 12 of them, they thought I was odd but hey 25% off I was happy. Two of them were more than 8% off so I adjusted them down. I check them every 8 months so far only one needed re-calibration. Most wouldn't bother to change them if they are off by less than 5% (ok I admit it I have to have them all the exact same, no not necessary but I just can't stop myself!!!)

[Pyth]

Yes, she is eating fine.

Pyth :-)