Agitated snake please help!

[barbie.dragon]

Hello and welcome!
Not to be mean but I have for you a "laundry list" of what you should do IMO.

1.Hot side: 86-90F (depends on your snake but 88 is a happy medium)
2.Cold side: 78-80F
3. 2 Hides, one on the cold side and one on the hot side
4. You must measure your temperature and humidity. A popular and affordable thermometer used by many people is the Accurite from Walmart.http://www.amazon.com/Chaney-Instrum...accurite+probe
That's an amazon link but they have a similar one in Walmart. This one is really nice because it measures the humidity and it's pretty affordable. As a broke college student, I can afford this.
5. Humidity should be at 65%. Ball pythons live in burrows and termite mounds in subtropical savannas. Humidity is pretty high underground.
6. Do not smoke in the same room as the snake. I'm not saying don't smoke at all, it's your lifestyle. But snakes only have one lung and it's a pretty crappy lung. Their lung isn't that efficient compared to a mammal's so it might make breathing difficult. Also other animals (especially small animals) tend to be much more sensitive to smoke than us!
7. I wouldn't worry about sounds too much since they do not have an external ear. They can't hear.
8. I would not move him to a different enclosure for feeding unless you do that to clean his cage or something. Snakes do not have a large frontal lobe and they do not think cognitively like we do. If they smell a food source, anything warm (90-110 F) will be considered "prey". So your hand would fall into that category.
9. The hide is awfully large. Like stated before they live in rodent burrows and like a snug fit. These are the hides I use and so do many other snake keepers. http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes

Toodles!

[topshots]

Just curious but, so ok the setup isnt ideal and yes there are things to address but........logically....its been 5 years with the same setup, but shes been acting up for a month.....i would say look at what has changed in the last month. i am no expert. but if its been ok all along just look into whats different.

[twogurusindrag]

9. The hide is awfully large. Like stated before they live in rodent burrows and like a snug fit. These are the hides I use and so do many other snake keepers. http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes

Are these hides heavy enough for him to get under it without carrying it like a shell? The hide I have now gives him a pretty snug fit I think, but I obviously need to add a second.

I read initially that the water bowl should be large enough for him to submerge in it. I've never seen him do this, even when shedding, so I could reduce the size to make room for a second hide. I've been searching for a longer tank, but have not been able to locate one I can afford.

I have made it a point to put my hands near the glass or the top of the tank several times a day and he has not struck. I have also fed him in the cage. I need to do a cleaning this week, so I'll see what happens when I put my hand inside (gloved).

I appreciate any and all advice from persons more knowledgeable than myself. I read a couple of books before I bought him and apparently there were some errors or misunderstandings.Thank you all.

[alexr]

could always go to a 41qt tub. cheap and almost exactly what a BP likes. short and tight space. just another option.