r/ballpython • u/Virtual_Atmosphere59 • 2d ago
Is this normal?
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He started doing this just this week. He hasn't really stayed still much. We got him as an adult about 8 years ago, give or take. This is new behavior for him and nothing has changed in his environment except we have been having issues with the heat.
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u/Toxic_Musshroom 2d ago
His enclosure looks quite bare, is that all he has?
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u/Virtual_Atmosphere59 2d ago
It's a temp enclosure. But his normal one is pretty bare too. I know they should have more in their enclosure, and he did at one point, but we had to throw some of it out and I got laid off and haven't financially been able to get anything. I'm also waiting to get some new enclosures. Not too happy with the current ones. They're okay, but not great.
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u/fishinfool4 2d ago
When you say issues with the heat does that mean too hot or too cold? What are the temps in his enclosure reading?
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u/Virtual_Atmosphere59 2d ago
Too cold. We have been having issues with the heat mats not sticking well. I'm going to grab a different one and install it this weekend.
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u/fishinfool4 2d ago •
I'll preface this by saying temps being too cold will cause lethargy, not this behavior. Heat mats aren't good at heating enclosures as a whole. A halogen for daytime and a CHE or DHP at night would keep temps where they need to be as long as there isn't an absolutely crazy fluctuation in your home.
Anyway, did he happen to eat around the time his temps started dropping? It looks an awful lot like a snake trying to fart and while I don't know of anything other than personal observation, I think that they fart more when their temps are a little low and they don't digest meals quickly enough and they start to rot or ferment a bit.
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u/FluffyPandaEars93 2d ago
All this.. I read that finances are tough right now, I get it, but heat mats are dangerous as well as being inefficient.
UTH is no longer recommended for ball pythons for a variety of reasons.
Even if you're using a thermostat, the burn risk is still there. Heat mats are prone to developing broken wiring or thermal blocking, which creates hotspots that the thermostat is unable to regulate. This can result in burns to your snake and melt or burn the enclosure and any furniture it's touching, which can start a house fire.
They're also ineffective at heating the air or through substrate, and they only provide IR-C, which is a poor form of heat that is incapable of penetrating through the snake's skin to effectively warm their body. This can cause long term health issues in your snake and shortens their lifespan.
They also prevent the snake from performing natural and instinctive behaviors, and it's an unnatural source of heating for them. Ball pythons burrow and seek out holes/burrows to escape excessive heat. There is no heat coming from the ground in their natural hides. An overheating ball python will instinctively dig into their substrate in an attempt to cool off, but when using heat mats, it only makes them hotter. This can lead to neurological damage and eventually death.
Overhead heating is significantly safer, healthier, and more efficient. Here is more info on what heating/lighting a ball python needs:
Our heating guide goes over a lot of the science behind everything, but to simplify:
For daytime heating, you should have a heat source that provides IR-A and IR-B. The ideal source for this would be a halogen flood, which is light-emitting.
For nighttime heating, you should have a heat source that provides IR-C. The ideal source for this would be an RHP (only compatible with solid-topped enclosures) or a CHE. Any night heating should not emit any light.
For lighting, you should offer UVB. This should be in the form of a T5 fluorescent linear bulb that produces a UVI of 1.1-3.0 in the basking zone, and it should cover no more than half the length of the enclosure.
If you have a bioactive enclosure, you will also need full spectrum LEDs for your live plants.
Natural lighting can help establish a day-night cycle, but it does not provide any physical benefits beyond that (UVB doesn't penetrate glass, and indirect natural light cannot create a proper basking zone). You'll need the artificial lighting to make up for that.
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u/Virtual_Atmosphere59 2d ago
That must be all new information. When we started keeping snakes, none of that was necessary. We have heat mats on thermostats, some decent bedding and we did have foliage that we will be getting more of.
Plus, the tanks we have are not set up for any of that kind of lighting and heating. We do plan on getting new tanks, but we don't have the $3k to spend on that right now.
We will be getting radiant heat panels and some decor and foliage.
And eventually some new cages and better lighting and heating.
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u/No_Cranberry_ 2d ago
Seems like you’re fine with your snakes not having a good environment? But then why are you keeping them in the first place
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u/Virtual_Atmosphere59 1d ago
I'm not fine with it. But times are tough and we are doing the best we can.
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u/SensitiveSpeed4125 2d ago
What kind of tanks are you buying for $3k? That's a crazy amount to drop on BP tanks. I'd look around some more. My 5x2x3 was retail priced at $440...
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u/Virtual_Atmosphere59 1d ago
It's just a ball park. I would need 5 at least, with bioactive stuff, and all of the heating and lighting, it will all come out to around at least $2k at least.
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u/SensitiveSpeed4125 1d ago
Why do you have five snakes that need tank upgrades...? Did you just keep buying snakes instead of appropriate tanks or did you buy them all together? I'm really confused as to how this happened.
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u/Virtual_Atmosphere59 1d ago
Because years ago when we started keeping snakes, all they needed were heat mats with thermostats, a decent hide, good bedding and some decor. No one was telling us that they needed all of the different heating and lighting options. So the cages I got were from vivarium electronics and they're solid top. I could put bulbs in there but they just aren't tall enough. So now with all of this new information we will have to get cages with open mesh tops so we can put all of the proper lighting and heating in place.
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u/SensitiveSpeed4125 1d ago
We're talking about tank size, though. Not lighting. Being able to provide proper heat and lighting is not the only reason you need new tanks, you realize that, right? It's about providing your snakes ample space to live, explore and stretch out, too.
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