BP suddenly extremely restless

[ermsauce]

So I adopted a 14ish-year-old BP about a year ago. He's been eating like a champ, shedding fine, and is in the same 40 gal terrarium set-up that his previous owners kept him in. Over the past month, he's skipped two meals (a medium sized rat, and then a small rat I was hoping he'd snack on) for the first time since I've gotten him. And over the past two nights he's been EXTREMELY restless, pacing the tank, pushing on the lid, exhibiting general signs of stress.

The problem is almost nothing in his tank has changed. Temps are holding steady at 90-92 degrees on his basking side, 75 on the cool side. Humidity was low a few weeks ago so I started misting the tank once a day to bring the humidity from 40% to 60%. Not sure why he's suddenly refusing meals and so stressed out. I checked him for mites, gave him fresh water every other day, and generally tried to keep the traffic near his tank to a minimum, but as soon as the sun goes down (around 5pm out here) he's out of his hide and trying to escape. Today I even caught him straining up towards his heat lamp. I'm nervous he's going to get burned.

Help??

[Megg]

It could be the time of year (breeding season) but hopefully a more experienced keeper will chime in with more ideas.

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[Jhill001]

Well you've recently made a change by beginning to mist the cage. Rainfall can simulate a breeding response in some reptiles and amphibians.

More than likely the snake is just out and about and it only seems abnormal because ball pythons do it much less than other species so when you catch them it seems crazy.

What are you using to measure heat? When are you measuring the temps. Could be evening hits and your furnace or something kicks on raising the temps to uncomfortable levels.

[Reinz]

Welcome to the forum Ermsauce.

Nothing to worry about.

My female Ball is almost 14 herself. She displays the exact cage behavior all of the time, especially if we just had a play day.

Every year, around late September to sometime in October, she goes on a hunger strike until February - March.

I usually try a couple of meals spaced 4 weeks apart just to make sure it is a bonafide strike.

When she finally eats again in the Spring, her body is no worse for wear. No visual signs of weight loss.

While I know it is normal for her and many other Balls, I have to admit it is always a bit worrisome for me during the Winter even though I KNOW it's no big deal.

Congrats on your snake! They are cool pets and a lot of fun. Please post some pictures.

Enjoy!

[ermsauce]

I have a digital hydrometer/thermometer combo that I picked up online. I'm checking temps in the morning when I wake up and in the afternoon when I return from work. The house has been getting rather cold (as it does in the winter), so at night the temps in the tank usually drop to around 80 degrees on the hot side but I was told that was fine?

In the summer he was very active, especially around feeding time, but there's something almost frantic about his restlessness now and he's not eating. I wish I knew what was stressing him out so badly! He's never gone off feed with me before, though his previous owner said that he had a 4 month fast a few years ago during the winter.

[ermsauce]

Welcome to the forum Ermsauce.

Nothing to worry about.

My female Ball is almost 14 herself. She displays the exact cage behavior all of the time, especially if we just had a play day.

Every year, around late September to sometime in October, she goes on a hunger strike until February - March.

I usually try a couple of meals spaced 4 weeks apart just to make sure it is a bonafide strike.

When she finally eats again in the Spring, her body is no worse for wear. No visual signs of weight loss.

While I know it is normal for her and many other Balls, I have to admit it is always a bit worrisome for me during the Winter even though I KNOW it's no big deal.

Congrats on your snake! They are cool pets and a lot of fun. Please post some pictures.

Enjoy!

Thank you for the warm welcome and the advice! I'll definitely try waiting a couple of weeks before feeding again. Hopefully he'll have worked up an appetite. As a first time BP owner, I must admit that every minuscule change in my baby's behavior has me running to Google to see if it's "normal"... I just want to make sure that he's happy and healthy!

[Reinz]

Thank you for the warm welcome and the advice! I'll definitely try waiting a couple of weeks before feeding again. Hopefully he'll have worked up an appetite. As a first time BP owner, I must admit that every minuscule change in my baby's behavior has me running to Google to see if it's "normal"... I just want to make sure that he's happy and healthy!

Very understandable.

Im a bit overboard myself. When I wake up in the middle of the night every night, I check in on my cold-blooded buddies.

[ermsauce]

Just posting with an update: cleaned out the tank and provided new substrate, thinking that maybe freshening things up might help, but apparently I've only made things worse??

He's been out of his hide for three hours now in broad daylight (unusual), pacing the tank and rubbing his nose against different parts of his enclosure as if he's in shed. He just shed about three weeks ago, doesn't have the pink belly or blue eyes, and hasn't eaten since, so I'm assuming that's not the issue.

I'm completely at a loss. I feel like such a bad snake mom - why is he so stressed out?

[DennisM]

... I'm nervous he's going to get burned.

there should be no opportunity for a burn if the heat lamp is properly placed, unless he succeeds in his escape attempts. be sure the tank is secure. feeding strikes this time of year are common, especially in older males, but that doesn't account for the change in activity. are there any girls nearby? he might be looking for a date. otherwise, I'd say if temps/humidity are correct and an appropriate hide provided, there probably isn't reason for concern.

[ermsauce]

there should be no opportunity for a burn if the heat lamp is properly placed, unless he succeeds in his escape attempts.

The heat lamp is resting on top of the wire-mesh cage top. He just keeps putting his face right next to it as he stretches up towards the lid.

No ladies in the near vicinity, either. Maybe it's just the daylight hours getting shorter or something? Thanks for the response!