Ball Python Active and Trying to get out all Day

[Bogertophis]

Hard to say what that means (sleeping with head out of hide)? Are you sure he's sleeping?

BPs can be very fussy snakes- I've heard of some snakes preferring certain color rodents & refusing all others. It makes sense when you're talking about a snake that eats live rodents- sooner or later, whether or not you notice, your snake gets bit (or pinched- a bloodless bite that nonetheless hurts) when he's making a kill, & he learns to associate that color rodent with something to fear. White rats with brown spots are not common (I used to breed rats for years.) so that could be a real problem as far as availability. Another good reason to feed f/t rodents.

We don't advise removing snakes from their home turf to feed in a side container- mostly it adds stress for the snake (handling them distracts from their feeding instincts), & it serves NO purpose- it's actually MORE likely for you to get bit this way too. Hungry snakes are more likely to make a mistake with your hand, & once they eat, you have to put them back & snakes can stay pumped up (ie. ready to grab anything as prey, aka "feed mode") for hours or even a day+ after eating, so you're more likely to get bit after their meal too. That doesn't sound like a winner to me...how about you? But, it's hard to advise you- it's usually better to continue the same feeding routine at first, with a new snake- whatever was successful. The choice is yours, you might have to try it both ways, but personally, I'd try feeding where he lives first, a few times, before resorting to using a "feeding tub". He's 5 years old, so surely he knows how to eat, but at his age, fasting is pretty common, & especially combined with rehoming.

Do you know how long it's been since his last meal?

Is this your first snake, btw?