Just being a snake, or something's off?

[Misa601]

So I got my first and only ball python a couple months ago, and was having issues with humidity and temperatures. However, I have that completely under control now

When he came to me he was being fed 2 adult mice a week and was having issues shedding. He now eats medium rats and had a perfect full shed 2 weeks ago.

So everything care and husbandry related is right on the dot, but he has been acting really strange and I rather be safe than sorry.

Yes I understand ball pythons are nocturnal, and since he is in my room I see him slithering around majority of the night. But lately he's been flailing himself across the tank. It has an old stick on thermometer that wont come off and he likes to hang off of it and swing from it till he flies off into his water dish ( perhaps he is having an identity crisis and thinks hes a tree pyhton?) as well as he flings his probed thermometer all over the tank, he also scales the lid every night for a way out.

He hides all day, except I came home this afternoon and he is just sitting in the middle of the tank starring at the wall? Is there something wrong with him or could he be stressed or am I dealing with a very odd snake?

sorry for the long post !

this is what he's doing right now...

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[KMG]

Pretty normal sounding. They will venture out in the day sometimes. Maybe to switch hides or get a drink. When you catch them doing this they will often times freeze. They think they will not be seen by doing this and in a natural environment it works like a charm but in a tank with shavings it just looks strange. Its just their instincts kicking in.

[Rob]

So it sits around all day, and tries to figure a way out at night....yep that's a snake alright


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[Misa601]

thats a relief thank you, I thought he might be sick or stressed because he's being extremely active. I bought him a large climbing branch at the pet store but I'm worried he might hurt himself on it from all the "flying" around he does

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[CORBIN911]

Is that red light on 24/7? I've read that its actually noticeable by the snakes, So he may be trying to run from all the light?

[Misa601]

Is that red light on 24/7? I've read that its actually noticeable by the snakes, So he may be trying to run from all the light?

it's on a 12 hour timer

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[NH93]

Snake's gonna snake!



(As for the red light, I don't think they can see it without full spectrum lighting. I have done tests on my snakes myself, because I have a colour-changing LED light in their vives. The only colour they would come out with at night was RED. So this was done over a few nights, where they'd have their noses poking out in the late evening when the sun went down, and I'd change the colour to something to see if they'd come out. BLUE DID NOT WORK. They didn't emerge with the dark blue light on. The only one that worked almost instantly was the red light, for both my ball python and corn snake!)

[sunnyscales2day]

Sounds pretty cute, I want a video of him flailing and throwing things!

[Misa601]

Sounds pretty cute, I want a video of him flailing and throwing things!

I will try to get one, its rather amusing. how his chubby butt can hang from a stick on thermometer is beyond me...

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[wideglide]

Snake's gonna snake!



(As for the red light, I don't think they can see it without full spectrum lighting. I have done tests on my snakes myself, because I have a colour-changing LED light in their vives. The only colour they would come out with at night was RED. So this was done over a few nights, where they'd have their noses poking out in the late evening when the sun went down, and I'd change the colour to something to see if they'd come out. BLUE DID NOT WORK. They didn't emerge with the dark blue light on. The only one that worked almost instantly was the red light, for both my ball python and corn snake!)

FYI, when I first got my BP I had a red light hooked to the thermostat and my snake would often flinch when it turned on. He was noticing something. Not sure if it was a sharp increase in the heat or what but he definitely noticed something changed immediately. Personally I think they can see the red light

Rob