Refuses to use hides?

[Marrissa]

My new Leopard girl won't use her hides. I have her in a divided T8 with a lot of fake plants and a big water dish to clutter it up. I've places her under her small reptile basic hides and she will come right out. I always find her hiding under the plant leaves, hanging out on top of the plants, or between the hide and the back wall. I have the hides on opposite sides near the back hidden in the plants she hides in. She just won't use them. Should I be concerned?

Allure was older when I got him so I'm being a paranoid momma again.

[Eric Alan]

I think she's defective. I'll send you my address so I can take her off your hands.

Really, you're right - you're likely being a paranoid (read: good) momma. When I got my first, the Butter Pastel, she would play "tree snake" and wedge herself between the light fixture and the back wall. I ended up adding a bunch of crumpled up newspaper to the T8 and that fixed the problem right pretty much right away. The more cluttered, the more comfortable. Chances are she was used to a small tub, so a move to even 1/2 of a T8 is a big step up for the little ones.

Seriously though, defective. Sending you my address ASAP...

[AlexisFitzy]

Has she ever gone into the hide at all? Or been in one before in her life? Because I had the same problem with my new bumblebee ball python male. He was raised in a rack system before I bought him and there's no hides inside the tub because the tub makes them feel secure enough where they don't need one. So when I brought him home and had his terrarium all set up with hides on both ends he never used either of them. He would just sit beside them but never go into either of them. So I knew he was really comfortable sitting out in the open all exposed so one day I just put the hide on top of him and he finally got the concept of it. Now he uses both hides. I just had to show him inside so maybe if you put her in she'll feel the security and enjoy it and continue the use of them.


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[stickyalvinroll]

Maybe your hot spot is too hot?

[Marrissa]

Nope temps all good. And I have put her under both hides to make sure se knows where it is. She just comes right back after a minute or two.

Does make sense though. I know she was in a rack system. I just want her to be comfy and feel secure. It's mass covered in fake plants so I can't clutter it too much more.

[AlexisFitzy]

Oh wow that's so funny that she just pops back out after only a couple minutes, but as long as she knows where they are and has been in them before she will use them eventually. She might just like to be out and about and hide wherever she pleases, and since her enclosure is already nice and cozy with a bunch of stuff she might feel secure enough to just stay out "in the open". It might not seem very open to her so she likes it as long as she is eating and shedding properly and looks like a happy little critter she's fine.


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[AlexisFitzy]

I wouldn't worry about it too much at all. My other ball python normal Eva is so used to her terrarium that she just sits on top of her hides sometimes and falls asleep on the outside of them instead of the inside. She just doesn't feel threatened by anything so she does whatever she wants and she's a happy go lucky girl. Every reptile you get will have a different personality. keep us updated though if she ever stays inside for longer than a couple minutes.


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[SlitherinSisters]

I don't worry about them not using hides. I have some hatchlings that will use their hides non stop, others that rarely use them. Sometimes they won't use them because the hides are too big, other times, I think they just don't care to be in it. As long as they are eating I let them do whatever the heck they want. If the snake isn't eating you may want to change the hide to a smaller one, or put crumpled newspaper in the hide. Otherwise anything older than a hatchling in my house doesn't get a hide and they are just fine.

[Marrissa]

Thanks guys! She just took a hopper mouse for me just now so I guess she's just fine with living in the jungle. She's got the small reptile basic hides so they're the right size for her. So far I've caught her hiding in the plants, on top of the plants, behind a hide, and on top of the hide. You're posts and her eating have calmed me down. Thank you! lol Now for the next female to come and to go through the worry wart stage all over again.

[Raven01]

I've seen BP in heavily cluttered enclosures that feel secure enough to spend a fair bit of time out and about instead of in a hide. Since your temps are okay I really don't think you anything to worry about. If it was a sparse set up with no plants etc to offer a bit of security then I'd be more concerned.