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Home » Reptile Forums » Beginner Herpers Discussion » Ball Python digs in the substrate. Normal?

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Ball Python digs in the substrate. Normal? Expand / Collapse
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Posted 10/26/2009 10:45:35 AM


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 By regular thermometer do you mean one of those stick on things? They are not too acurate. If your ambient temps are 70, then thats too cool and you need to step it up.

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0.1 Childrens Python
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  "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" - Carl Sagan

Post #104848
Posted 10/26/2009 11:58:51 AM
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i said ambient is 70, its hotter in the terrarium, temperatures i posted before.

one says too hot, the other too cold....can someone tell me exactly exactly what temperatures it should be in the terrarium, and the best setup to achieve that? So i can make sure i did it right...

thanks folks, greatly appreciated
Post #104849
Posted 10/26/2009 12:48:17 PM


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This is why providing pics of your setup is WAY better then just typed words.

The temps in your setup should be : A 100F basking surface temp and ambient air temps ranging from 90F on the hot end down to 70F on the cool end. If your measuring your temps with a pet shop stick on thermometer then you have no idea what your actual temps are since they are soooooo inaccurate.

Jsin.

 

'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.'
Abraham Lincoln, (attributed)
16th president of US (1809 - 1865)
Post #104850
Posted 10/26/2009 12:52:07 PM


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 Oops. I thought you meant ambient CAGE temperatures.  Well, the general consenses for ball pythons is a hot spot of 90 and a cool side of 80. You can experiment with bulb wattages to start with. In my former ball python setup, I had a 100 watt infared lamp with a stack of cork bark and wood postitioned under it. The temp at the verry top was 96, so my ball would position himself high or low depending on his needs. The temps on the cool side were always around 80 to 82. This snake liked it hot and would spend at least an hour or two on top of the stack every night. He never did the digging in the corner thing.

0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake
0.1 Western Hognose
0.1 Childrens Python
0.1 Everglades Ratsnake
1.0 Bull snake
1.1.2 Crested Geckos

  "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" - Carl Sagan

Post #104852
Posted 10/26/2009 1:47:20 PM
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Jsin,

whats your advice then? specific one to reccomend?
Post #104861
Posted 10/26/2009 1:58:37 PM
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thanks ratsnake,

but thats my actual problem, i cannot find a general concensus, every website out there says something different, not a single website i found shows you a step by step procedure on how to setup your tank with photos, where the hide goes Vs water Vs light Vs heatmat, why position them that way, how to control temperatures accurately, etc. Somehow the information is always incomplete and lacks explaining a lot of variables.

as i said i'll take pics and post them here hopefully tonight.

By all means, if any of you guys know of such a website with the kind of detailed info i'm looking for, please share.

thanks guys. be back shortly with the flix.
Post #104862
Posted 10/26/2009 4:32:28 PM


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Jack B. Nimble (10/26/2009)

Jsin,

whats your advice then? specific one to reccomend (sic)? .

I thought i gave that already You said your ball is feeding fine, so you know hes healthy and doing ok physically. No problems there. The problem is persistent shoving away at that bottom corner by the water bowl right? I say your snake is trying to TELL YOU it wants to go down and away from the heat source. Listen to it. Give it a bigger cage and a deeper substrate layer it can actually burrow in, like aspen. Thats my advice.

Here are the thermometers I recommend .

For measuring surface temps http://www.tempgun.com/main.html

For measuring air temps and humidity levels http://www.bigappleherp.com/Big-Apple-Deluxe-Thermometers-Humidity-Gauges

 

The reason you cant find a consensus is every captive ball behaves a little different then the next and every keeper cares for their captives a little differently then the next guy. Such is dealing with living creatures. So again, listen to your snake and not to the humans.

Jsin.

 

'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.'
Abraham Lincoln, (attributed)
16th president of US (1809 - 1865)
Post #104893
Posted 10/26/2009 5:22:25 PM
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Jsin, i hear you but the thing is it doesnt make any sense, because when the python digs, its in the cool side of the tank, at night, when theres no heat source at that end of the terrarium. So basically, its really cool there. the only thing that stays on at night is the heatmat on the other side of the terrairum where his hide is.

So i'm all about listening to the snake's need, but this behaviour happens when he couldn't be more alreaady away from the heat source.

what do you think?

thanks for the thermometer reccomendation, will most def look into it
Post #104898
Posted 10/26/2009 8:12:18 PM


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The point is your snake is saying to you by its clear behavior, "I want to burrow". For what ever the snakes many possible reasons are. Just listen to what its saying and act accordingly. Give it the ability to do so. Bigger cage, more substrate.

Jsin.

 

'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.'
Abraham Lincoln, (attributed)
16th president of US (1809 - 1865)
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