Thermoregulation Question

[Artemis]

Hey all-


My new BP is still settling in, and Ive been good about resisting temptation and leaving him alone. He had to be nixed last Thursday, and aside from adding water to his dish every so often I have left him be.

At first- he spent equal amounts of time each day on the hot and cool sides of his enclosure. Lately- he will spend a couple of days on one side, and a couple of days on the other.

Is this a bad sign, or is this ok?

Artemis

[snakehunter]

Seems fine to me, my snakes do the same, even my colubrids and anoles

[nita]

Yup, my BP's like the warm end more and stay there most of the time, eventually they come out and cruise the cooler end but generally most tend to stay on the warmer sides.

[mykee]

I'm with Nita, my bp's sleep all day, and they sleep on the warm side, at night, they just wonder around. IT might be too warm on the warm side, and the snake can only take so much time on the heat, what are the ground temps on the warm side like?

[Artemis]

Temps are good- ambient in the hot side is 87-90, hot spot is about 93, which I figured was good. Cool side stays around 80, give or take a couple of degrees. Room temp never drops below 75. Humidity is greater on the cool side, and I believe my little hatchling is going though his first shed, he had the pink belly last week, which is white again, and he seems generally more lethargic than before, though admittedly the times i get to peek at him are diff. due to my hectic workschedule (ive been rotating days and nights)

Its just weird because he has been on the cool side a lot more, and before it was the hot side, but nothing in terms of the enclosure has changed.

Ill double check my temps tonite, but last check they were holding nicely.

Artemis

[Artemis]

update- now three days on the cool side. Im starting to worry. I double checked my temps and they were fine. He has been more lethargic, too. He could be sneaking back to the hot side when im not there i guess, but from every check ive done- he hasnt moved from the one hide.

Art

[ReptiliansDOTca]

Well that explains it right there. You say he is in shed, and that it is more humid on the cool side, thus it makes complete sense that he is spending time there. I would keep the humidity on the hot side. If your temperatures are correct as you say they are, then there is no need to worry - your snake knows what temperature he wishes to seek, and he will seek them out rightfully. :D