Ball Python

[jinxx]

I just recently got my ball pyhton from a store. HE or She is Captive bread and ate just 3 days after owning it. Since then I gave him about 3 days until i handled him to let him digest. Since I picked him up for a while he hasn't really come out of his rock (hiding space), I wanted to know if this was normal, and if i havea decent setup. Here is my setup


20 gal.
+-------------------------------------------+
|ooo------+\ooooooooooooooooo+-------+---o|
|oo/ ooooooo\oooooooooooooooo|ooooooooo \ |
|o| Water dish\ooooooooooooooo| hiding rock||
|oo\_________|oooooooooooooooo\oooooooo/o|
|oo+-----------+oooooooooooooooo\ _____|o|
|oo+-----------+ <----Log Hideaway-ooooooo|
+-------------------------------------------+
|-------------------| |------------|
|This side heating pad| |HEATING LAMP OVERHERE|

I also have a log going diagonally upward across the hiding rock so he can be closer to the light if it wants.

I guess I'd just like to know if this is okay, and if they are usualyl really shy. I also have two thermometers in there to keep the temperature around in the 80s during the day and low 80's high 70's at night.

Also is there any way to tell if its a male or female without taking it to the vet? I'd really like to name it soon
am thinking Tango or Medusa.

Okay, thank you!

-Bobby

(sorry about the sketchy drawing)

[jinxx]

here, this is a bit better than the drawing

[elfomatic]

Is his heating lamp over his hiding rock? If so, he is just using the ambient heat from the rock to help digest his meal. It is less stressful for him to thermoregulate underneath his rock and out of view ... as your baby becomes used to his home he'll probably be out in the open more to digest.

It's normal and he should come out in the next few days but if you are worried you can always double check the basking temps underneath the light to make sure he can digest well.

[jinxx]

It's heating lamp is overtop his rock hiding place. Is that okay to have it there? I do think he stays in there to get his warmth while digesting, I guess i'm just nervous since this is my first pet snake, wanna make sure he's cool where he's at

I had a webcam up updating every 10s that was pointing in his tank, I wonder if he didn't like the lense pointing in there? Hmm...probably not, I don't know.

check out the webcam if you want, its ...SNAKECAM

.. I've been experimenting with differant positions of the camera so it changes every day, even if you dont catch the lil tyke out of his rock :-P

-Bobby

[Ravnos]

Its pretty typical for ball pythons to spend much of their time hiding anyway, mine only really come out when the whole house gets dark and quiet and then they cruise. Unless they are hungry, then they cruise a lot more.

Rav