New Ball Python

[RetroGang]

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum and this is my first post. I adopted a ball python a week ago and he has not been eating. He was not eating at the place I adopted him from either. He seemed to be doing pretty bad until this morning when I discovered his humidity levels were way too high (too much damp substrate) so I quickly switched it out for newspaper and put in a humidity box. He has two hides: a mushroom container on the cool side and a log on the warm side. His temperatures are 78 on the cool side and 92 on the warm side. Since I switched his substrate he's been laying on the warm side (as shown in picture) but has since moved into his log hide. I have also been noticing him yawning (I saw him do it twice), could this be that he's ready to eat or he's having problem breathing?

PS. I do not know how to add a picture.

[EthanMG]

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum and this is my first post. I adopted a ball python a week ago and he has not been eating. He was not eating at the place I adopted him from either. He seemed to be doing pretty bad until this morning when I discovered his humidity levels were way too high (too much damp substrate) so I quickly switched it out for newspaper and put in a humidity box. He has two hides: a mushroom container on the cool side and a log on the warm side. His temperatures are 78 on the cool side and 92 on the warm side. Since I switched his substrate he's been laying on the warm side (as shown in picture) but has since moved into his log hide. I have also been noticing him yawning (I saw him do it twice), could this be that he's ready to eat or he's having problem breathing?

PS. I do not know how to add a picture.

Hey welcome to the forum and congrats on your new BP! Im new as well and just go my boy 3 days ago. Im not too experienced so I won’t be much of a help, but something you could do to help is make both of his hides identical so he doesn’t have to choose security over temperature. If a hide is more secure or he likes it better, he will choose it even if it’s too hot or cold. Plus, 92 seems a little on the hotter side. A lot of people on the forum keep theirs at 85-89 range. As far as the yawning and health problems, I’m not sure but I am pretty sure they do that when they have a respiratory infection or a problem in their mouth. I’m not the best help but I’m sure someone else on the forum who is more experienced can help you figure things out . Good luck with your new noodle friend!


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[nikkubus]

Yawning is not generally something you should see outside of shedding and shortly after a meal. It may be nothing, but it's at least something I would investigate. Could be a sign of RI. Depending on your level of experience, if may be worth having an experienced reptile vet check him out if you are not sure what to be looking for.

A week of not eating is nothing to be concerned with, frankly I wouldn't have even attempted to feed until 1 week mark of bringing an animal home. Is this a hatchling or an adult? What he was doing in someone else's care without information of the husbandry there may mean nothing too.