Yawning? im lost

ok so i have been sat watching my new bp doing nothing at all and ive notice that he has yawned about 3-4 times in the space of an hour, ive looked it up and ive read that he could be hungry and i have also read that it could be stress, does anyone have any idea?

thanks in advance

Can I see your setup? And how long have you had him?

I only got him 6 hours ago

Chances are it is stress. Block out 3 sides of the tub and leave him alone in a quiet room. No interaction and don’t watch him that much either. He can easily see you through the tub, and I can imagine he is probably scared. Leave him be for at least a week if not 2 weeks and do not attempt to feed or handle him until then.

ok ill do that now, thanks for the help

well first off i would just say that i would recommend a different substrate because what you are using does not hold humidity well and it also creates a sort of wood dust that could be unhealthy for the snake to inhale but since you have a big water bowl it may work just fine. Also as far as yawning goes maybe its just adjusting or possibly inhaling the dust i mentioned or it could be a sign of RI, there are just so many factors involved that would be hard to give you accurate reason especially since you got him very recently so i would just say that you should just observe him for the next few days see if he continues to do anything weird.

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what substrate would you suggest, ive watched and read all sorts about substrate and tried the first on a really long list but like most things i have found in the hobby its just what suits myself and the bp

I personally use newspaper and recommend it for a new snake so you can monitor their health easier. If not newspaper then reptichip is good. Holds humidity and doesn’t have nearly as much dust as aspen.

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i dont have newspaper…what about kitchen towel?

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Echoing @ashleyraeanne. Black out the sides or even cover the tub with a towel, let him be hidden.

I know it’s exciting to get that first snake, trust me I do. I remember it vividly. But you really need to do what’s best for the animal. Leave it alone. Get it off your desk. Put it somewhere out of sight out of mind so you can force yourself to leave him be. The little guy should see you change the water in his dish once a day or every other day and that’s it for 5-7 days minimum.

Trust us. Play it safe, and you’re way less likely to have a tough time getting it on food in a week and he’s going to settle much quicker.

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You’ll be really happy 3 weeks down the road when he’s taken a couple meals without issue and starting to get used to regular handling if you give him some time at the beginning.

I’m having to force myself to do the same thing with my first male and first visual pied right now I want to start feeding him but I’m staying away.

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yeah i just want to do whats best for him, its my first bp so i wasnt sure about putting a cover over the tub but i guess its all about learning :slight_smile:

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It definitely is. We all worry about every little thing at first, we don’t know some stuff we should do, we probably do some stuff we don’t need to or shouldn’t. Just try and follow the basics, don’t worry too much. And ask any questions you have.

i would not recommend a rag or towel of any kind because they can grow mold and bacteria extremely easily but if you mean paper towel then that works just fine because it is affordable, easy to replace, and all around clean. If you also swing by the local petstore they should have small blocks of substrate for anywhere around 5 to 12 dollars depending on the brand.

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Yeah I meant paper towel, I’ll have to go to the pet store tomorrow as it’s 23.36 here haha

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