Ball python behavior help?

[crash05]

So my male ball python seems to be acting weird and I honestly am trying to figure out if its a multiple of things or if there is something wrong.

First I thought he had RI because he yawned or opened his mouth a few times. He hissed a couple times recently while in his water bowl then when he was moving around the edges of his enclosure. I thought at first he was maybe shedding? he was rubbing his head on the walls of his enclosure and "yawning." but he hasn't shed yet. Then a couple days later (today) he was in his bowl and i heard him hiss a bit. I read hissing could be a sign of RI. I looked around his nose etc and saw no mucus. Now he is outside of his water bowl and is puffin up a bit and i swear i saw his hemipens come out randomely a few times. and he is in a ball with his head up and his tail was up for a bit and now its down and hes still puffed up. But he sometimes slightly opens his mouth and is just sitting there. But he doesn't seem to keep his mouth open. He just slightly opens it sometimes. Just seems strange! Not sure if there is something wrong, or if he is thinking about breeding and before he was just going to shed or what is going on. Just want him to be ok haha. I looked for a good vet in my area and can't find one.

[The Serpent Merchant]

Have you checked for mites?

What are the cage temperatures/humidity and what are you using to heat the cage?

[crash05]

here are some photo's of what im talking about!

notice a little spike or hemipen (i think) is out??? and his mouth slightly open.



another pic of hemi pen?


Just wondering why he was hissin a bit and now doing this?? is he sick at all lol!

[crash05]

i am using a UTH and his humidity usually is 50-65 then sometimes higher 60's if he dumps water on his uth.

[The Serpent Merchant]

Does the UTH have a thermostat?

[crash05]

yes it does and he also has two hides one at the cold end and one at the hot side...he stays on the hot side..

[The Serpent Merchant]

So what are the hot side/cool side temperatures?

[Inarikins]

Doesn't that look more like a tail spur than a hemipeen? -squints-

[crash05]

sure? whats a tail spur lol and what is it doing lol sorry.

[Inarikins]

These are spurs:



These are hemipenes:



Hemipenes are inside a male snake unless he's breeding or courting a female. The spurs are always there.