Questions/concerns about cypress bedding.

[bcr229]

Here's a picture of our snake's enclosure, sorry about the quality : http://i.imgur.com/7beoXNt.jpg

Earlier today, we switched our ball python's bedding from aspen to cypress mulch because we couldn't keep the humidity in the cage up no matter how hard we tried. We are having a couple of complications, though. First off, our python doesn't seem to like the bedding really...she avoids going on the ground at all costs. She will only crawl around on top of the objects in the cage and doesn't like to touch the ground. The only time she does, is to go in her warm side hide (log).

She will get used to it in time. Once she does expect her to become a little excavator, typically they love burrowing in it if it's deep enough.

Second, we just ordered a thermostat online because when we bought her from Petsmart, we didn't know the workers there didn't really have a clue how to set up a ball python cage, and took their word for everything. They didn't mention we needed a thermostat, only a heating pad. But we know now we need one. Should we unplug/plug it back in until ours comes?

Leave the UTH unplugged until the t-stat shows up.

Anyway, the hide on the hot side seems to be getting too humid? Our python was sitting under her warm side hide for a very long time, which is unlike her, so we figured we should check on her to see if she was okay. When we picked her up, she was VERY moist and we are worried over time this could cause scale rot. Could the cypress bedding be making it TOO humid in her cage/hide? The hygrometer we have says about 50%, but the one we have now is analog and we now know those can be very inaccurate and ours is placed too high. We are working on getting a digital acurite one for her.

As long as she isn't lying in sopping wet substrate she'll be fine.

Lastly, she seems to only like her log hide. We made a new hide for her today out of an upside down flower pot and put that on the cool side of her cage behind her climbing branch (it's accessible even though you can't see it in the picture). She doesn't seem to like it, though, and is spending all of her time on the warm side. Should we switch the two hides so she can stay cool and come out when she needs more warmth instead of being too hot all day?

The flower pot may be too tall for her liking. BP's like really tight, low hides. I would also replace the half-log hide as well, in high humidity environments they often start growing mold.

We still have aspen bedding left in the last package. Should we mix that with the cypress so that shes not sitting in too wet bedding all day?

No, you will just get the aspen too wet and it will quickly get moldy.

If you want to dry the cypress out a bit take some out of her enclosure, spread it out on a flat, low baking pan or cookie sheet, and put it in the sunlight for a few hours to dry out. Then put it back.