3 days in after bringing home my first BP! Meet Guts! (help needed) *LONG POST*

[Bogertophis]

Pinkie rats (f/t) are not adequate nutrition or size for him...size up. But don't try to feed him just yet...best to wait at least a week when you get a new snake,
to give them time to settle in. I'd feed him once every 7-10 days, unless he's in shed, then just skip until after he sheds.

Red bulbs are fine to add warmth, day or night (IMO, some will disagree), and most snakes (including BPs) don't appreciate bright lights...just the normal room
light is fine to establish their day/night cycle. I wouldn't use a regular bulb by day unless you dim it way down, & only if the room is dark without it, like no windows?

Your cool side of 73* is too cool...you want that about 78*-80*. He might use his humid hide if you show him the door & encourage him to enter it, but don't do that
yet, wait until he settles in (& eats for you) because it will take some handling from you. Eating is "job #1). I recommend using UTH (w/ thermostat) also, since they
need "belly heat" to digest & since BPs are not climbers that are going to bask under overhead warmth.

Many "ball pythons" never ball up, but if they do, it shows they're afraid & hope you'll leave them alone. Most snakes don't sit still either, when handled, but in time
will usually learn to trust us & slow down, so just be gentle & patient. Snakes don't like to be out in the open (predators get them that way) so holding them close to
your body feels safer to them than dangling them in the open; if you help them to feel "hidden" & safe, they'll calm down quicker. Also remember that in wild, the only
thing that picks up a snake is a predator about to eat them...so don't take his nervousness personally...in time he'll learn that he's safe with your handling.

Having the right kind of "hides" help them feel safe, settle in & eat for you. They prefer a snug fit (which means you'll either have to size up as they grow, or stuff some
paper into the hide to make a closer fit while they grow); they prefer only one opening (doorway) that they can just fit thru after eating a meal; a "snug fit" also means
a low "ceiling" and preferably not too light in weight.

I don't think your snake was "stargazing"...he was just looking up & probably sniffing the air coming thru the screen top, realizing he's someplace different. The time to
worry is if it continued for far longer, and if he seems unsteady- overly clumsy- & is unable to right himself if you turn him over.