Ball Python that likes to....chill?

[SnakeyShnoo]

Hey all! I recently got a ball python, had him only a few months now, and he always feels cold. The viv I use is a wooden one, with heat mat which I regularly check with both a heat gun and by touch. He eats well but recently had an issue shedding.

Although the hot side of his viv reads at the proper temp he always prefers to chill out at the cold end.

Has anyone seen this before? Is there anything I can do, I feel like I could warm his cool side more but he seems to like it for a reason...

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[Craiga 01453]

Without knowing your actual temps we can't really help. What are your temps?

[SnakeyShnoo]

Hey Craiga, many thanks for the quick response. Its 85 warm, 74 cool side. It was 90 warm side till I dropped the temp incase he thought it was too hot.

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[Waterman]

Hey Craiga, many thanks for the quick response. Its 85 warm, 74 cool side. It was 90 warm side till I dropped the temp incase he thought it was too hot.

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bump your warm side back to 90. Cool side should be 78-80. 74 is too cool. He will almost always feel cool to you. Remember your body temp is 98ish. Anything cooler than that will feel cooler to your touch. Also can you be sure that he’s not using the warm side at all? He might go over there and you don’t see it. What are you using for hides? Is one bigger than the other? If so make them the same size. Identical even. They will pick security over temp.

[Craiga 01453]

bump your warm side back to 90. Cool side should be 78-80. 74 is too cool. He will almost always feel cool to you. Remember your body temp is 98ish. Anything cooler than that will feel cooler to your touch. Also can you be sure that he’s not using the warm side at all? He might go over there and you don’t see it. What are you using for hides? Is one bigger than the other? If so make them the same size. Identical even. They will pick security over temp.

I agree with this 100%.

Also, my BPs very rarely use their warm hides. They typically only use them when digesting a meal or going into shed.

[Midwest]

A little more about the enclosure and exactly where and how you are checking the UTH temp. Some of the ones I read about would have a tough time heating a wood surface up to 90 degrees if they are installed underneath and not in the enclosure. Especially if it is thicker wood. Some people set the thermostat at 90 degrees and assume that's what it is at. In my glass enclosure I have the temp set at around 94 degrees in order to jeep the inside floor temp at 89 degrees with the temp gun.