New snake stressed?

[Pumpkin]

Hi all,
I recently brought home a three month old female ball python--and by recently I mean about a week ago. Everything has been going well but today I notice her looking as though she's breathing very heavily and I'm wondering if she could be stressed. I'd like a second opinion before I panic and rush to a vet!

details:
-She's not making sound when she breathes and I don't see mucous; she's not hanging her mouth open either. Her sides are moving faster than normal, that's all.
-She ate two days ago as per the schedule she was on with the breeder. She ate a frozen thawed adult mouse pretty quickly, and she laid around and digested undisturbed after.
-She's in a 20gal glass tank with a lid and a red basking light. She has an under tank heater. Temp on the hot side is 90F and on the cold side 80F; both drop by a few degrees at night. I'm using paper newspaper for substrate. Humidity is at 50%.
-Right now she has two hides. One is a ceramic rock cave thing and the other is a paper towel roll. She also has a climbing tree.


The power went out today for a while and her temps dropped for a couple hours. I don't know if that alone could've caused her to stress and start breathing heavy like that? Could she still just be settling in? I haven't handled her other than to feed her in a separate tank and then put her back. Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts. As she's my first snake I want to be sure I'm taking proper care of her!

[cletus]

20 gallons is kind of big depending on the size of the snake. I wouldn't call a paper towel roll a hide. I would make sure she has 2 identical hides that are nice and snug so she will use both of them and doesn't have to choose between comfort and safety. I didn't see you mention a thermostat on the UTH. You really need one to regulate the hot side. If she is too hot but doesn't feel safe in the cool hide and vise versa, that can def cause stress.

[Pumpkin]

Thank you! I have a spare 10gal on hand, would it be better to move her to that one til she gets bigger?
I can pick up some identical hides for her tomorrow! Should I leave the tube in there too just for something extra?
I do have a thermostat on the heater!

[cletus]

Thank you! I have a spare 10gal on hand, would it be better to move her to that one til she gets bigger?
I can pick up some identical hides for her tomorrow! Should I leave the tube in there too just for something extra?
I do have a thermostat on the heater!

Yeah I think she would do better. You will also have an easier time regulating heat and humidity in the smaller tank. As for the tube, you can def leave that in there. I actually have one in mine and she crawls through it all the time at night. I change it out when she pees on it. My girls call it her jungle gym. lol

[Pumpkin]

Thank you! I relocated her to the smaller tank and got the temps and humidity back up to par. New hides will be added tomorrow. I really hope this all helps her calm down. Thanks again!!

edit: she does still have the one hide and tube for tonight too.

[Yzmasmom]

If she was brought home a week ago, she's still adjusting. Usually it's suggested to leave them alone for an entire week, even before feeding, to let them settle. Then, no handling until they've eaten at least 3 meals.

Now that she's been put into adjusting new tank, let her settle for a while and see she is.

[Pumpkin]

Thank you--I'll be sure to leave her be and let her settle in. I want to do what's best for her!

[Albert Clark]

Two identical hides on opposite sides of the enclosure is great and recommended. A additional paper towel roll is a added bonus and a security stabilizer for sure. Just be sure to check it frequently for cleanliness.

[Pumpkin]

Thanks everyone! She's now in a 10gal with two identical hides, regulated temps and good humidity. The fast breathing has already calmed down. I greatly appreciate your help! She seems happier already--but I'll still leave her alone for now!

[cletus]

Awesome! Glad to see she is doing better!