Hii I adopted a four month old ball python on the thirteenth of August the first week went as expected a little bit she would explode the enclosure at night but I noticed she started glass surfing she did not eat on the 20th she actually took the thawed rat and dragged it into her hide I checked two days later noticed she didn’t explore at night plus needed confirmation she actually ate which she didn’t so I thought it might have been my husbandry the enclosure was 40% humidity cool side got to 77° warm side 90° so I redid the whole enclosure with new substrate the humidity now is 65% right now the cool side is 77° and warm side 84° I changed everything on the 21st she still doesn’t come out at night stays in her hide all day and night
Am I doing something wrong? Please let me know if there is anything I need to change thank you
How large is the enclosure? A picture would be nice. Hot side temps should be 86 to 88 with a basking side of no more than 90. Humidity 50 to 60 percent.
Are you handling the snake often? What size rat? Substrate type? My guess is that she feels very insecure in her enclosure thus not eating and hiding with the rat.
We need as much information as possible for the above. I would venture to guess the enclosure set up is the problem.
Also where did she come from? Do you have access to a reptile vet for any medical needs in the future….
Big changes can cause temporary stress in snakes.
You have not had her for very long at all, she could still be needing time to adjust to everything. As stated above changes cause stress, try to keep them to a minimum outside of cleanings for a few months.
Sometimes it is normal for BPs to not eat for a bit after getting to a new home, again for the reasons I’ve covered. I’d provide feeding information that @caron had asked for. The size of the rat, and how often you are offering. And one more thing- do not handle her outside of necessity until she is eating for you readily.
A picture of the snake herself would also be good to include. As well as her weight in grams.
She’s in a 48x20x20
I gave her a fuzzy rat
I got her from a local breeder from MorphMarket they were able to tell me the veterinary clinic they go to
Substrate now is one block of coco chips two blocks of coco fiber and one small packet of moss
I’ve only handled her once I waited a week to try socialization there was still rapid breathing after she seemed settled so I decided to check online to see if there’s anything I need to change to make her feel more comfortable
Well your setup is gorgeous. However a 4 x 2 x 2 is a huge part of your problem, if not all ot it because it’s way too large for a tiny 4 month old ball python. Even though it’s decorated she is insecure and stressed. Thus she hides all the time.
She more than likely came straight to you from a hatchling tub/rack where everything is nice and cozy. Now she had all of this space and she is scared. She doesn’t know what to do with it.
She needs to be in a tank or tub that is a lot smaller to feel safe enough to eat. This is a very important change to make Now. After that no more changes until she’s eating consistently. Then you can graduate up. Also wait at least another week after you get her into cozier digs and then offer her food again.
Don’t be stressed. This happens all the time with new BP keepers.
Yep, I usually reccomend starting babies and juveniles on smaller enclosures, a 4x2x2 is great for a subadult/adult BP but way too big for a baby. All of that open space is a lot for a little snake that spends a good majority of its time hiding in a snug dark place.
A good temporary setup you can do for now is a 12qt bin with the same substrate from her current setup, her water bowl and a few places for her to hide and some enrichment. Put one side of it over a heating mat set up to a thermostat at 86°F.
In the future you can either get an in-between enclosure once she outgrows the bin, or you can get another larger bin and do the same thing until she is big enough for the 4x2x2.
After you get her to a temporary setup, leave her alone for a week and then offer a meal. Don’t worry about her missing a few meals, if she is healthy and in an ideal body condition she can go months without eating and be perfectly fine.
Have you looked at her recently in good lighting she might be going into shed. I dont see my baby for around 8 days during this time he’s stays in his humid hide until he’s fully shed