Is this normal?

[mars01]

[quote:Originally Posted by JuliusSqueezer
As long as there are plenty of places for the snake to hang out at varying temps, it really doesn't matter what gradient you have. You can have a hot spot of 312 degrees...as long as the snake isn't trapped there, and can move away from that and get to a safe temp, all is good. It's when people jam a ball python into a 10 gallon tank and put a big ol flood light up top and they can't escape the heat that it becomes a problem. What is ideal? That's going to depend but what seems to work best for any that I've had since I started ignoring the caresheets and listening to my snakes...85 hot- low 70s cool with a nght drop to overall low to mid 70s. Cooling them at night forces them to move around in the morning to thermoregulate. Moving is good. Hide potatos (snakes kept at a 24/7 comfortable temp range) find a happy spot and stay there and lose muscle tone, often have bowel problems, shed problems ...and just generally aren't as healthy. If you happen to have a gravid female, she's going to be needing that 90 degree basking spot...otherwise, ball pythons just don't normally seek out the heat very much.


Is this temp. measured at the surface or at the midlle of the cage.

[X-Factor]

I measure my temps at mid cage

[Sleepy_FF]

[quote=JuliusSqueezer;354330]

Originally Posted by Cristina

bps are not aboreal snakes, they live in termite mounds..she will climb over it b/c it is in the way..most snakes wont swim either..

when my BPs shared a tank, i had multiple hides, and a ver large branch that sprouted from ONE corder, up, across (not on the floor) and to a corner at the top of the cage. i found Smeagol like this VERY often... she still does this in her current cage by herself:





i also find them looped on their light cords at night (i have light ropes that are off at night. even if they are on 24/7 they never get more than slightly warm), as well as i find them heartily tankled and hangin in the plants that hang from the walls. if it is climbable in their cage, they climb up it, over it, on top of it and under it

for a while, they had access to my coat rack, which is nailed to the wall. they would find it and chill there during their time "outside" to play and stretch and move... i moved the stuff that let them do that...

just because snakes are terrestrial doesnt mean they wont climb around - and im not talking "..she will climb over it b/c it is in the way..", im talking seeking out something higher and dwelling there for a bit.

same with arboreals and semi-arboreals - they sometimes come down to earth and check it out for a bit.... not "..b/c it is in the way.." (the day that the GROUND is in the way... of a tree.... im going to laugh)

[X-Factor]

Tracy:
How do you keep them from getting into things when they are "outside?" I can't let mine go for 10 seconds without her trying to find a dark inaccessable-to-me corner. Also, what are you using for substrate?

[badkittyamy]

yeah i plan on putting a piece of driftwood in for my BP i say if they use it and seem to like it leave it in there.

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

[fire_kat]

I have 4 BP's and all of them love to climb around,mostly at night.
Mine seem to be very curious about life UP there LOL
Do whatever works best for your snake.
I know people say the large water bowl is not needed,but I keep large bowls in my BP cages because 3 of them LOVE to get in it even when they are not in shed.I do keep the bowls in the middle of the cage.

You will get many different opinions and options-try some different things and do what works best

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.