Hey, and welcome!
Ball pythons generally don't bask. So its pretty normal to not be under the heat lamp. The heat lamp is generally used to up ambiet temperatures (aiming for 81 - 83 in my opinion). Make sure you have an under the tank heater (UTH) hook up to a thermostat. Your aiming for 90 degrees here..
Humidity ideally should be around 50 - 60%. Some people swear by 45%, some 55. Makes little difference so long as it isn't to either extreme. You want to aim for 70% during shred. No constant 80's, and no constant 30's imo.
In terms of humidity it depends on your setup. If your using a glass tank with a screen lid, you can try using aluminum foil over the screen (3/4's covered, or more or less as needed) and monitoring it, seeing how you go. That way the humidity won't escape out the top as the hot air rises. You can also experiment with moss (i recommend sphagnum) in her hides, or areas around the tank to slowly release moisture into the air. Just make sure she's not laying on drenched materiel 24/7
If you have any further question, don't hesitate to ask! Questions show you care.
Reply With Quote