Advice for first day ball python owner

[soapdog]

Hi everyone, I'm making this post just to ask a few questions I haven't been able to find answers for up to this point.

So I spent the past two weeks meticulously setting up this enclosure for my ball python. I used posts from this forum as a guide and believe I have followed all specifications properly. I am using a 24x16x7 sterilite tub setup and by my measurements temperature and humidity are both in the proper ranges. I am using heating cable along the sides of the tub to raise ambient temperatures from around 72 normal room temperature to around 80 degrees. I have a heat pad on the warm side of my tub, hooked up to a thermostat, which keeps it around 90 degrees consistently. These measurements are based on a digital thermometer with a probe, but I also have a temp gun coming in the mail the next few days just to corroborate. I also have two hides and a water bowl, all resting on aspen bedding around 1 inch deep.

I got my python into the enclosure this afternoon. He was hatched last fall I believe. I bought him from a reputable reptile pet store and according to them he is feeding well and has no kinds of special problems. They have also fed him in the last week. I went into the pet store several times during the past two weeks and handled him for a few minutes each time. He acted curious/friendly each time; instead of balling up or hiding he would slither around my arms and hands and flick his tongue.

Hopefully that was enough background to provide me with an answer to my questions. I have two.

When we got him home I put him into his tub and he immediately began to slither around and explore. At this point I know little about snake behavior, but he seemed curious and happy so I figured he was about as comfortable as I could expect him to be within the first few minutes of being in a new place. Even though I know it is not advised, after a little while of him exploring, I took him out of his tub and handled him for a little bit and he acted as he always had when I handled him at the store. (If I am mistaken in interpreting his behavior as being happy, I will certainly refrain from handling him any more until he is acclimated.) Since then, for most of the last five hours or so, he has just continued to wander around his tub exploring it. Much of the time has been spent poking his head at the (securely fastened) lid of the container. He has climbed on top of the hides and all around them. He has spent a little bit of time just laying around (stretched out, not balled up or in the hides), but most of the time has been active.

Finally, my first question is, is this normal/good behavior for the first few hours of having him? I like to think he is happy in his new surroundings, but also realize he could be moving around so much because my temperatures are wrong and he is trying to find an appropriate temperature to rest in. I wanted the opinions of some more experienced owners here to weigh in on how he is feeling right now.

My other question relates to a fact I mentioned earlier, that even though he is constantly exploring the tub, he has not once gone into either of his hides. He hasn't even so much as gone in and looked around. I thought that was strange, since my expectation had been for him to have been scared of his new surroundings and hidden for a while.

Sorry for the long post, and thanks so much for taking the time to help me. I really appreciate it and hope to pay everyone back with pictures and stories of my new buddy once he has settled in

[Nodnarb3do]

Exploring is normal. While a hidden BP is a happy BP, they're still going to check out their new surroundings, and make sure you didn't leave them any chances to escape. They'll be sure to let you know if they do. Trust me.

As to not using the hides, possibly a little strange. Can you tell us what kind/size hides?

[soapdog]

I made the hides from some opaque plastic bowls that I cut doors into. I'm pretty sure they are too big for him and am going to find him some smaller ones, but I still thought it was strange he didn't even look inside and try them before deciding he didn't like them.

Also another update, apparently when I wasn't looking he pooped. I cleaned it up and removed the soiled aspen. I also noticed he had streaked some along the top of one of the hide bowls when he was crawling around on it so I cleaned that as well.

For a little bit now he has just been laying out. When I went to remove the poop from the tub he got a little scared and now is balled up.

Thanks for the reply!

[anicatgirl]

Yup, this sounds like normal BP to me, the exploring at least. Anytime I change anything in my 6 month old's tank she spends at least 30 min checking every bit to see if there is an escape route. And a completely new enclosure they have to check every inch, at least twice over. The hides thing is kiiinda weird. Perhaps smaller will be better.