I Need Help

[hades_]

I bought a ball python in Petsmart and she was pretty small when I first got her now its been atleast 6 months since I,ve got her and shes big. Her set up was a small water bowl and a black smooth cloth for her hiding place. Now i decided to get her bigger water bowl so she can soak herself inside the bowl and finally a proper place to hide. its one of those half trunk thats hollow in the middle. She has a 100w basking light and under tank heat mat. Now ever since I bought his new hiding place she keeps exploring the place. Sometimes she goes in there for a while and leaves but lately I've found her under her big water bowl where its so cold...How come she prefers being under the dark where its cold rather where its warm? Now she doesn't want to eat, she hasn't ate for a week and shes not in the shedding process.

This is my first time having a ball python, she is healthy, nice skin and chunky but im scared that she might be stressed or something

[KMG]

You should have two hides. One on the warm side and one on the cool, at least. I don't know what you have by the description you gave. Is it a half log with a opening at each end? If so, they are not great for snakes but we can make it work. I wont go into that until I know that's what you have.

Do you have a thermostat on the uth? It needs to be.

How did you dial in the 100watt bulb and what size tank are you using? How are you monitoring the temps and humidity in the cage?

It is very possible that the warm side is to warm and the snake is seeking the water bowl as a cool hide. Or it just doesn't like the hide you have. I cant really guess at that until we get more info.

What would be very helpful is for you to post a pic of the tank so we can see exactly how you have things set up.

[Sauzo]

Try to put the old hide back in and see if she goes back into it instead of under the water bowl. I know mine hated those little stumps with the hole. She would sit outside until I put her old box back in. I ended up having to try all kinds of different stuff but finally found she like the extra large Exo Terra rock which used to be my red tail boas hide when she was a baby. And she also likes the medium size round Tupperware containers with some moss stuffed in it. And like KMG said there is too much missing info to really give a definitive answer. But I would start by putting her old hide back in that she did like and see if that changes her behavior from under the water dish. Then at least you will get one question answered.