concerned new BP owner

[tttaylorrr]

I will post a photo of the tank in a few moments but for now I can describe it! It is a 20 gallon glass tank with one side covered with a terrain photo ( I wanted to cover 3 sides but I didn't realize how small the one I purchased was). I have a rock cave that sits on top of a heating pad on the right side of the cage and this is where my BP spends most of its day. On the other side I have his water bowl a log and then two fake plants for more covering. I also have a lamp above but I don't know much about bulbs and have had multiple different people tell me different things so for now it is your generic blue bulb. I also have to thermometers on opposite sides of the tank.

I got him from a pet store where the owner new a well known local breeder and he personally got this snake for me. I haven't been able to feed him because he won't eat but the pet store clerk told me he will eat rats which I tried and no take. I don't know how much he weighs but I have been told he is a big boy. I also haven't been able to handle him that much because of how much he strikes, but when I do finally get him after all the strikes he balls up as tight as possible and hides his head as deep as he can in the center. I don't know if I am doing something wrong but I really just want him to be comfortable with me! Its driving me crazy.

first: pet stores and their employees are terrible sources for information. i would not rely on the average pet store employee for advice or knowledge unless i was proven otherwise.

it sounds to me like the snake might not be comfortable with your husbandry. what type of thermometers/hygrometers are you using? what is your temperature and humidity at currently? what is the temperature of the enclosure floor above the heat pad? is the UTH (under tank heater (heat pad)) connected to a thermoSTAT?? ALL heat sources MUST be regulated by a thermoSTAT or a lamp dimmer/rheostat. if the UTH is not regulated, PLEASE unplug it until you can get a thermostat or rheostat (a thermostat is far superior to a rheostat which should only be used in a room with a consistant temp). a UTH can reach 140° easily and burn/possibly kill the snake.

please read through this enclosure set-up guide and make sure you have everything you need and that it is set up correctly. once you do that you should see a change in the behavior.