Stressed Snake??

[kiiarah]

Congratulations on your new addition. It is definitely possible that he is stressed, but that isn't necessarily abnormal. I am relatively new to snake-keeping (only had my guy for a few months now) but I have done a lot of reading on stress and snakes. They can be so difficult to read when you are new to the hobby and I am the sort to worry constantly about how he is feeling and whether he is comfortable, I had to go on a weeks long information binge to calm my own nerves and picked up quite a few tips in the process. I do know that usually it is recommended to leave them completely alone for a week minimum. They can definitely be prone to stress and any change in environment will take some adjustment time. My boy has even had minor panic attacks just from a change of substrate, so it may just be that he is still a bit freaked out by the new surroundings.

It sounds like your temps are correct, but it may still be good to know how you are measuring. Ideally temps should be measured by a digital thermometer (the gauge type with the needle are notoriously inaccurate). If you aren't using one already, you can get a cheap digital Acurite all in one for humidity and temps. These are not designed for reptiles per se by they work great and are affordable for those just entering the hobby. If you are using a thermometer that you know you can trust then it sounds like that part of things is spot on. You should also of course be using a thermostat to make sure that the hot spot does not exceed or drop too far below a safe set point. If you are doing so already that is great. The main thing is to always double and triple check temps. Any equipment can fail, so it is best to confirm. If you want to skip a few steps you can pick up an infrared temperature gun, which is what most serious keepers recommend to ensure temps are perfect.

You said he is using his "hide" a great deal, does he have only one? Having only one hot spot can cause stress because it will limit his ability to thermoregulate while feeling secure. It is recommended that they have two identical hides (so they do not favor one over the other, sacrificing proper temperatures in the process), one on the hot side and one on the cool side. It could also be useful to see how his tank is set up. If the tank is too large it can leave them feeling over exposed and cause cage wandering and escape attempts. It isn't so much that the tank cannot be large (my boy is in a 30 gallon and happy as a clam) but just to make sure there is enough cover that they feel safe.

The fact that he is eating is a good sign, as that is often the first behavior to go when something is really wrong. As for not pooping yet, many ball pythons only poop about once every four weeks. This schedule will depend on how much food they are taking in, how fast they are growing, and individual metabolism so it could vary, but it doesn't sound like you have had him long enough to worry about it. If you ever feel like it has been too long, make sure you are not underfeeding (which would mean he is using all the food he is being given, with little waste left over). If he is eating the proper amount and you are concerned about a physical problem being the cause it is a good idea to feel gently around his vent to make sure there are no hard lumps that could indicate impaction. My boy just went about six weeks without pooping, but finally did right as I was starting to worry about it. He is still young and growing and is probably using more of the food he is given to convert to energy than an adult snake might. I just kept a close eye on him and checked him frequently for lumps that might indicate that he could not pass feces or urates but never felt anything out of the ordinary. Remember that they are cold blooded and have very slow metabolisms. They are all about energy conservation and live on a much slower timeline than we mammals do.

If you could post a picture of the set up and maybe give a bit more detail on husbandry (humidity, how temps are being measured and controlled, etc) we could think farther into the stress issue. It is likely that he is just settling in and the behaviour will subside soon, but just in case anything is slightly off that could slow that process it would be good to correct it now.