Is this normal? Kinda nervous

[brylecc1989]

Ok, this may be totally fine, but this is my first snake and I cant help but worry. for about 30 hours now my snake has been chillin in the same spot. It has slightly altered the position of its head and adjusted itself but has been coiled up in a corner on the cool side of the tank. I switched from my wite to red bulb last nite as usual (as usual as can be after two days i guess) which lovered the temp from about 84 to about 79, expecting that if she was too hot this would help but when i checked on her in the night/woke up this morning all was the same. Are snakes jsut like this or could something be wrong?

Answers appreciated!

Bryan

[stephanbakir]

Snakes are well known for sitting in one place and waiting, I had a BP once not move for about 5 days.

[infernalis]

Yes, most all Pythons and boas will sit in one place a lot.

That's why I love my little garters so much, they are as hyper as a kid with a sugar buzz.

[Lankyrob]

They quite often move around when the lights are out only to return to what seems to be EXACTLY the same spot. My JCP barely moves in daytime but i am up late at night and often see him cruising around - my wife has said similar things to you about him never moving as she goes to bed earlier and was convinced taht he never left his hide.

[brylecc1989]

Phew thanks guys. I didn't think/was hoping there was a problem. Just wanted to make sure though. Yea like i said she squirmed some last night but like you said, ended up in virtually the exact same spot. On the positive side, she is coiled near/around the old piece of shirt i put in with her for scent. Hopefully she'll know my smell realll well by the time i begin handling. :)

[stephanbakir]

Never tried using scent when it comes to reptiles. Interesting idea ill need to look into

[brylecc1989]

Ya i heard that it works but not from the most reputable source. Just figured it couldnt hurt.

[red ink]

I use the same kind of soap to wash my hands before I handle mine....They work primarily on scent best to use that to your advantage.

[Reptile_Reptile]

your temps sound a little low what kind of snake is it.

[brylecc1989]

your temps sound a little low what kind of snake is it.
Coastal carpet

[shaunyboy]

your temps sound a little low what kind of snake is it.


if 79f is the hottest part of the tank then your temps are a little low mate

imo it will need more heat to aid food digestion

you want the hot end 84f to 86f

cool end 78f to 80f

a lot of my carpets choose favorite spots once you've had the coastal a while you will begin to read it and be able to tell what its up to by what it does

i use care sheet heat settings to begin with when i get a new carpet then i watch the snake and adjust accordingly

watching the snake imo is always the best indicator to tell you if your getting things correct

if its stuck up it's cool end 24/7 over say a period of 4 to 6 weeks i will drop the hot end temps by 2 degree's and watch its habits again as its just a case of fine tuning the tank to the individual carpets preference

if its stuck up the hot end 24/7 i raise the temp's 2 degrees and watch how it reacts over a few weeks

i like to see my carpets make use of all parts of their tanks to thermoregulate

the knack is to get it just right so they pop up the hot end for a heat then go perch in a cooler spot

carpets are a very hardy species so please don't worry too much as said the more you watch the more you learn to read your snakes

i can tell when some of my carpets are heading towards a shed weeks before they go through the procces just by where the snake is sitting and how its behaving.it's easy to spot once you've watched them go through the shedding procces 3 or 4 times

some pictures of your coastal would be nice

cheers shaun

[brylecc1989]

Ive been working hard to try and use my two bulbs to get the exact heating down, but now i've realized im going to need to upgrade my tank anyway. I plan on getting a 40 gallon and putting 2 100-watt (a red and a white) bulbs for day and night. I also need to get a better digital thermometer because i'm not fully trusting my stick on one. I will let you guys know later what i ended up with at the pet store. your input is always appreciated.

Bryan

if 79f is the hottest part of the tank then your temps are a little low mate

imo it will need more heat to aid food digestion

you want the hot end 84f to 86f

cool end 78f to 80f

a lot of my carpets choose favorite spots once you've had the coastal a while you will begin to read it and be able to tell what its up to by what it does

i use care sheet heat settings to begin with when i get a new carpet then i watch the snake and adjust accordingly

watching the snake imo is always the best indicator to tell you if your getting things correct

if its stuck up it's cool end 24/7 over say a period of 4 to 6 weeks i will drop the hot end temps by 2 degree's and watch its habits again as its just a case of fine tuning the tank to the individual carpets preference

if its stuck up the hot end 24/7 i raise the temp's 2 degrees and watch how it reacts over a few weeks

i like to see my carpets make use of all parts of their tanks to thermoregulate

the knack is to get it just right so they pop up the hot end for a heat then go perch in a cooler spot

carpets are a very hardy species so please don't worry too much as said the more you watch the more you learn to read your snakes

i can tell when some of my carpets are heading towards a shed weeks before they go through the procces just by where the snake is sitting and how its behaving.it's easy to spot once you've watched them go through the shedding procces 3 or 4 times

some pictures of your coastal would be nice

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

Just wondering about the reason for day/night bulbs? If the snakes tank gets natural daylight/nighttime then there is no reason why not to have one single bulb running 24/7?

[brylecc1989]

I got the duo-dome and just figured if i could have two, why not a red and a white. I guess i have no real reasoning beind it though. I feel like there really wouldn't be much of a natural night with a white light on. Does it matter? Input appreciated as alwayss

[Lankyrob]

Is there natural light in the room the snake lives in? If so then he will get a "natural" light cycle.

[brylecc1989]

Yea he has natural light. Which would b better for 24 hour red or white?

[presspirate]

Red, or a ceramic.

[Lankyrob]

Personally i use ceramics but as you have a bulb there already until it runs out i would use the red

[lpbldg18]

My JCP waits in his 'house' with his little nose sticking out just waiting, and then right when i turn the light off, boom! he's out climbing in his tree :D

[shaunyboy]

ceramics are great as a heating source for carpets mate

i use 100 watt ceramic bulbs in all my 4x2x2ft tanks

my ambient room temperatures are roughly 76f to 82f depending on the time of year

you may get away with a 60 watt if you live in a hot place or if you live in a cold place you may need a 150 watt

cheers shaun